More than Gold: The Centaur Wars

by Jenny DeVic

Book of Sagittarius: What would happen if Mitsumasa Kido chose to carry Aiolos back to Japan instead of his Cloth? Book of Gemini: What would happen if Saga never committed suicide? Book of Centaur: The Golds are all alive. Can they finally unite while taking on the enemies of Athena?

32. Sagittarius and Gemini: The Event 5D

Sagittarius and Gemini 5D: The Lamb

18th Century

"Shion! SHION, WHERE ARE YOU!" Dohko was running up the eighty-eight stairs before the Pope's Chamber so hard that large chunks of stone broke off. He didn't care. He had already lost so many friends and he won't allow another to die. "SHION!" He screamed so hard that he could taste the blood in his throat. He kicked the door open, his cosmos flaring hard. He jerked his head toward the balcony doors and sped so fast, that the scrap pieces of paper lit up on fire.

He threw the door open and his cosmos extinguished.

It had been a long time since he was left this speechless, but not in a good way.

There his best friend was knelt down, his Cloth drenched in blood, cradling the remains of Crane Yuzuriha, her entire body covered in slashes.

Dohko took a step forward, only to hear a loud crunch. He turned downwards, realizing he had snapped a severely cracked piece of the Crane's leg armor in half, a testament to how violent the fight was earlier.

The Libra clenched his fists.

This Holy War.

This god-forsaken war… that never seemed to end. But he wouldn't cry, because he knew if he started, he would just lose it and never stop. But he did feel a single drop come down the corner of his eye, as his friend was sobbing so hard that it cleaned the red droplets from Yuzuriha's blond hair, her semi-open yet lifeless blue eyes staring into the distance.

How awful.

"Shion? Goddess, what happened? WHAT HAPPENED!?"

OI============IO

Dohko's aged eyes shot open, his prune-like hand clasping his thick green shirt. He removed his old conical rice hat from his head, pulled out a small cotton cloth, and began to dry the sweat off the few remaining white strands of hair on his bald head. It had been the third time he flashed back to that horrible moment during that terrible war, but it still remained as fresh as ever.

It always ended the same way as well, with him demanding answers, but the Aries remaining silent. Over two hundred years later, despite the Pope taking time to spread the tales of the Second Holy War, what happened on that balcony had yet to be answered.

But how could Dohko blame him? On the day they decided which Saint would be left behind, there was a tremendous weight lifted from Shion's face. Unlike the rest of the War at that point, it was a choice that was not so much about sending someone to die, but someone to live.

Yuzuriha was supposed to live.

"Oh Shion…" his ancient raspy voice muttered. "You were never quite the same after that."

Dohko rested his feeble paws on his lap and closed his eyes to send a warm greeting to his friend, but received no reply. It was not uncommon. The Pope's Chambers were designed to be difficult to send messages to while places like Star Hill made even the simple act of reading another's cosmos altogether impossible. Only through two centuries of prodding, did he discover the spots that he could communicate and those he could not, and one common area that was difficult was the small private office.

He knew the Lemurian was debating on declaring his heir to his position. While he's heard nothing but praise for both of the likely candidates, he had last heard that the Sagittarius will likely receive it. But apparently there were some complications involved.

But all Dohko knew was that after the choice is made and the transition is complete, Shion could finally fulfill his promise when the two parted, right before he took Misopheta-menos:

"Don't worry, we'll meet again in person."

"Shion, that's a long time."

"It's not that long, you must learn a bit of patience, my friend."

"Learn patience? That's two hundred years, you crazy bastard!"

"Oh, it will pass before you know it."

*Laughs* "Oh Shion, fine. See ya, in two centuries."

The old Tiger held a forlorn expression. He didn't like the onslaught of dreams and old memories he had been having recently. It was never a good sign, and as the old saying goes, dreams were a way for even those without the cosmos to predict the future. He tries once more to send a message through the cosmos only for silence. "Bah...," he closed his eyes. "Mu! Can you hear me?"

"Old Master! How delightful for you to contact me!"

The Chinese man grinned. "How delightful for you to answer back. How is the House of Aries?"

"Dreadfully smelly. Everyone in the city keeps leaving offerings of food that the Goddess is too young and far too small to consume. Worst of all, despite the fact that I keep telling them that Athena drinks the lactation of the wet nurse, they still pour bottles of wine upon it all causing it to rot very quickly. But every time I attempt to discreetly discard it, they jeer by throwing even more food."

The hermit grinned. How fortunate that the worst this generation must deal with is piles of food and not piles of bodies. "Mu, I am having trouble contacting that mothball of a Master of yours."

"As have I, Old Master. He has been very difficult to reach through the cosmos, and the celebrations and public speeches have left him so exhausted that I dare not disturb his rest. Although..."

The Libra raised his head curiously, "Although?"

"Although I should be as merry as everyone else in the village, I just feel so awfully dreadful, but I don't know why?"

Even Mu feels it. Oh, this can't be good. All he can do is give guidance in place of Shion. "Before my mother passed away, she used to tell me that if you sense a bad feeling, it is because our ancestors are able to see great darkness approaching. Therefore, all these terrible sensations we feel now, are merely their tears of sadness due to their inability to prevent it all."

OI====================|O

Shion rolled out a scarlet blanket on the cold tile floor before he sat down upon it and faced the elaborately carved double doors. The room itself wasn't anything special. In fact, the last Pope and his predecessors used it as a closet. However, it was one of the few places in the Chambers where he felt a true sense of privacy since it was away from the halls that led to the Main Floor and the balcony.

He sets his helmet and mask to the side before pulling out a cloth to dry the sweat off his wrinkled face and thin pea-green hair. He took a deep breath before he took his finger and traced the pattern upon his forehead to trigger the Golden orb.

DING DING

He opened his bright eyes, full of youth, and strength. He turned his head and there Yuzuriha was, her long blond hair braided, and her body adorned with the long Tibetan dress that she used to wear before she took up the Cloth. He always laughed that when it came time to write down the book, the line about how she never wore pants or a shirt was taken so literally, when the truth was that she enjoyed dresses since they were functionally warmer, especially when they lived near Tibet.

She was so real, and in a way, she was since this was still a small fragment of her soul. As he gazed upon the bright blue eyes that he felt worthy to summon his courage and ask her for her hand in marriage, sadness was digging into his heart. Ever since Shaka had told him that he must use his own Golden Orb and not one that he crafted, he spent far more time in this place of dreams with her where time was endless. Shion leaned his head against hers, burning a gentle cosmos between the two as passionately as two humans kissing each other after a long celebration. "I don't want to do this. I don't want to destroy this world we crafted," he muttered, tears trailing down his smooth tight cheeks.

Nor did she. In fact, she crafted this golden orb specifically for Shion. While she knew that she could not live with herself if she refused the path of a Cloth while Hades attempted to destroy the world, she also dreamed for the life she could have had as the wife of the gentle blacksmith who stole her heart. "Do not forget, we promised each other to let this place go when it was time. I don't want you to become one of the many who become lost in the world of the Golden orb."

It was not the first time she expressed her fears about it, but it was an all too real phenomenon that happened among their people since time had no weight and it was like living in a dream. Rather than the Golden Orb being used to tend to old business or provide proper partings, the living would stay for centuries in utter bliss while refusing reality. It was for that reason, this Yuzuriha would always force him to admit that she was dead and the world needed him out there. "I know, but still, it is so hard…"

The Pope raised one hand while using the other to clutch her delicate soft palm, and directed it to a simple wooden chair that he used to relax at and watched it dissolve into a multicolor burst of ash. He touched his head and could sense the ever so slight drop of power in the Golden orb within him. Once he was comfortable knowing that it was working, he continued on with the removal of individual items before he allowed the entire Pope's Chambers to fade away.

The two stood there in the blank white room, empty and devoid, waiting for whatever Saga's mind will fill it with.

That was the easy part, but now came the part that Shion feared as Yuzuriha stood there, dressed not in the warrior garments of her clan, but those of a typical Lemurian mother, the life that she nearly had, but didn't, another victim of the dagger.

She can see the heavy hesitation in his fearful face. She was afraid too, of letting go of one of the few connections she had left on this Earthly plane. "We've had an eternity in this place. Even if I leave, the memories will remain here for you to revisit. Later, I will be there," she rested her hand upon his. "When it is time."

"It is not just the separation. It is the act. I've done it once, I cannot do it once more," Shion muttered as he recalled that moment he found her with the cursed red eyes and demonic white hair.

"I am well aware. But as I said, I forgive you, and thank you for stopping me from hurting the others." She clutched his shaking hands. Shion was very strong to the point that part of how the two formed their courtship was that he was mistaken as one of the warrior clans, despite being a blacksmith. At that point, she began to see the longer she took this, the more it seemed to hurt. "If there is a chance to end the cycle of madness, we must take it." She pressed her forehead against his and gently burned her cosmos, "until we meet again my love," she whispered, repeating the same last words she gave the moment she snapped out of the dagger's grasp and before she breathed her last earthly breath.

Shion stared at her waiting patiently in front of him. His eyes full of tears, he raised a hand to watch her fade into dust before the fragment of her soul, a ball of rainbow cosmos floated away.

He threw his hands upon his face as if he was once more honoring her wish for death once more. The task was complete and Saga should be able to handle the golden orb when it was time. The Pope shut his sad eyes and drew a hand to his face as emptiness began to swallow him whole. Even hundreds of years later, letting her go was crushing his soul.

"Dad?"

Shion jerked his head as she stood and cracked the door open. She carried her mother's looks and was a near-perfect resemblance to the books. The big difference was that his experience with children had always been with humans. Even though she had to age with everyone else, Shion kept her mannerisms to that of when the human children were still in the primary grades. Why, the blond teen, despite being purely Lemurian, carried all of the humans' strange habits such as how she spoke, to their strange obsession with the poison known as sugar. He could honestly say that two centuries of watching over Sanctuary made him solidify his opinion that the Gold Saints were at their best before they hit puberty. Besides, he wasn't sure if he would be able to handle conjuring up a boyfriend for her that he would approve of.

In this world of the Golden Orb, the trio formed a tight family unit.

With Yuzuriha, she had a fragment of a soul and would move onto the afterlife.

But his daughter was a mere creation of the orb. She would fade off just like the tables, the chairs, and various other furniture as if she never existed. There was no afterlife for her, no reunion to look forward to after his heart stops.

He stared at his only blood child, or rather the closest thing to one he would've had. It was one thing to let go of someone who had died, but it was another to do the same for someone who had never lived. Shion rested his hands on her shoulders, his eyes dripping with tears. His mind was thinking of how he could say goodbye, but his heart spoke something else. She didn't use hardly any energy compared to the soul of Yuzuriha. Perhaps it was possible she could stay a bit longer. "Would you like to help father with one last thing?"

Her eyes were so bright with life. "Okay!" She cheerfully cried as if her Daddy was ready to take her to the cookie store.

He looked down. "We're going to play a game...with a human."

"Oh!" her bright blue eyes were clearly piqued.

"Would you like to be my secretary?" Even though it was only a little bit longer, he will treasure what little time he had left with her.

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

RODARIO

Life was hard and fairly simple in Rodario. When the youth were expected to be strong enough to shatter boulders with their fists, injuries were expected, both among those attempting such feats and bystanders.

But unlike ancient times where one was forced to grin and bear it, things had advanced in such matters.

Located near the edge of town, not too far from the colosseum and barracks, were two white buildings. One was a small humble clinic reserved for the local tourists and visitors to tend to the occasional snake bite or twisted ankle. The other was a larger building, painted all white with a red cross on the front with the emblem of Athena embossed underneath as if hiding its loyalty toward the goddess in plain sight.

On that day, ten-year-old Aiolia, dressed in one of his usual light blue trainers, but with the leather armor set aside, stood over the foot soldier. Even though the guard was four years his senior, their cosmos levels could never be more different.

Off to the side, Aiolos stood there, his arms folded tightly across his chest, his face tense. It wasn't because he was angry, far from it. In fact, he was proud that his little brother was here today, ready to demonstrate to the doctor next to them that the Leo was ready to offer his Golden Touch to heal those who needed it. However, old habits die hard, and the Sagittarius could feel the urge to come up to him to offer the many lessons he had learned from his own experience.

The Leo looked up and gave a small but friendly frown as if letting his own brother know that he was fine and to 'chill out, I got this.' He watched his older brother reciprocate a friendly smile and a nod before Aiolia grabbed a set of scissors and slowly began to trim off the fabric from the foot soldier's pants in order to expose the open wound. Many would turn away from such a sight since the snapped shin bone was clearly jutting out of the skin. But being a Gold Saint, open fractures were not just expected, but a daily occurrence.

Aiolia could even tell what fighting technique was used. If one was in trouble, all they had to do was fill their foot with cosmos and strike the leg as hard as they could, snapping it in two. It was cheap, fairly effective, and didn't require much focus. Kanon was quite good at it and was the first to do it to him. It was one of those times where he wasn't afraid to admit he cried when it happened.

Whatever works. No one is going to take turns or stay in the circle when Holy War com-

That was what he remembered what the younger Gemini was saying before Aiolos punched him in the face, calling it unnecessary. Goddess, it hurt like a bitch, but at least Kanon took him fishing while waiting for his leg to fully recover.

"Aiolia, talk to him. It will calm his nerves."

The Leo briefly turned to his older brother after hearing his message through the cosmos and back at the foot soldier's frightened gaze, his pupils so sullen that he wondered if his irises would turn to milk.

"What should I say?" Aiolia asked through the cosmos.

"Be honest, but sincere. Whatever you tell him, always use your cosmos to ease the pain."

"Goddess is it bad? Am I going to lose my leg?" the dark, curly-headed foot soldier meekly murmured.

Aiolia reached down and hovered his hand over the wound, his hand glowing with his yellow cosmos. He studies it and compares it to his own experiences. "Any time the bone pierces the skin, it is bad, but you're definitely not going to lose your leg. Your friends did a good job of applying cosmos to prevent the loss of blood while taking care not to do anything to the bone. Are you ready?" He waits until the man nodded while taking the deepest of breaths before he focused. The first thing he does is perform a low grade numbing of sensation around the area. While it was true that those who master such a cosmos ability, like Shaka, are infamous for weaponizing it, the most common use was the low-powered version that allowed a person to treat more serious wounds. The Leo holds it for ten seconds before lightly testing the area around him before he pressed his hands and moved the bones back into place.

Dr. Pachis, a practitioner of medicine for over forty years, whose father, his father's father, and those of his lineage had been familiar and entrusted with the secret of the art of combining the usage of the Golden Touch and practical medicine. He was well aware that while using one's cosmos to heal something in minutes instead of weeks could be seen as magical, the truth was that it can be a bit more complicated than traditional means. Intimate knowledge of the human body was a must and one wrong placement can make things incredibly worse.

Normally, the doctor would be extremely nervous to have someone so young tend to such a serious injury. However, he was also the younger brother of the Saint of Sagittarius, and so far he seemed as promising as Aiolos had described.

The old man, clutching his clipboard against his chest, quietly walked over toward Aiolos, taking care not to disturb the Leo, but was far too impressed not to let it be known, "he's very calm and thorough. It is hard to believe he's no older than when you first came here," he graciously whispered.

The archer smiled at the compliment and as much as he wanted to chat, he held his silence and merely watched his little brother tenderly double-checking the alignment.

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

"So how was it?" Aiolos jovially asked Aiolia as he threw an arm around his shoulders while the two walked into the staff lounge.

Aiolia gave a head bob. "It was easy." He said cooly. "The hard part was I didn't want to mess up if that makes sense."

Aiolos laughed heartily. "Oh, I know exactly what you mean. The poor guy's best friend gave him an open fracture and the last thing you want is to miss-align it and be forced to break the bone to try again."

Aiolia turned his head. "Ooo, Twee Bars! Is that where you get them?" he asked as he headed over toward a large dish, filled with various chocolate flavors.

"Yeah, just throw a couple of coins in the box and the maiden in charge uses it to purchase more with it." The archer demonstrated by reaching into his pocket tossed some money in and pulled out a couple of orange and blueberry flavored chocolate bars. He tossed his brother's favorite flavor to him and was surprised when the typically nimble hands missed what should've been an easy catch. His face softened as a bit of concern became apparent. "Hey what's wrong?"

"Do you think I did a good job?" Aiolia asked. "Dr. Pachis was frowning quite a bit toward the end."

Aiolos lightened his face before he took a big bite from his orange-flavored Twee bar. "That's normal. He's one of those people who will frown regardless of how things are going. I thought the same thing when I started volunteering here. But he was very impressed and so was I. You not only sealed the wound, but the bruise that was left behind was so small that no one would realize that an hour ago, a bone was protruding it." At that moment, he felt it was time to bring up the question. "So, do you think this will be what you want to do on a weekly basis?" he asked with hopeful eyes.

Aiolia turned downward. "It felt good, I want to say yes, but I'm nervous about if things don't go well. Broken legs are one thing, but what if it is something that's beyond what I can do like the spine or the brain, or even if it is something where I can't help them?"

The archer told himself he won't mince words, no matter how hard it was for even him to talk about. But he did gesture him over toward a pair of donated brown office chairs and took a seat. He finished the rest of his chocolate bar, and like he typically did, folded the crisp plastic orange wrapper into a small cat head with the outer edges like a lion mane. "It does happen. I've had times where a family would bring their son expecting me to grow back a missing limb."

Aiolia passed a frustrated breath. "Unless you're Athena."

But Aiolos would have to disagree. "I don't think she can."

"Well, why not? She is the Goddess of Wisdom and her cosmos is godlike." He watched his older brother raise a brow and drew a finger to his lip. "What is it? You think I"m wrong or something?"

The Sagittarius turned his head. "No, quite the opposite. You're right, she does both of those things, but there's just more writing on how she couldn't do serious healing." He chuckled. "Tell you what, Fridays are when me and Saga have to go debate against each other on stuff like this. You may not be a Candidate but you are free to join."

The Leo rolled his eyes and blew his bangs. "Heck no! That's fishing night!"

Aiolos chuckled. "Ah, and like a true cat, you place your catches on the front carpet of Marin."

Aiolia groaned. "I used to, but the last time I did that, some numb-nut decided to steal it."

"That's awful!"

"I know, the worst part is that the next day, they returned the bucket."

"But that's good! You loved that bucket!"

"I did love that bucket, but the message is clear. They want me to spend all day fishing just so they can steal Marin's fish and repeat the process," Aiolia snorted. "I should mark that bucket with the emblem of Leo so they would think twice before touching it."

"Aiolia, the signs of the Zodiac are not meant to mark territory like some gang symbol. Besides, they're not going to care even if it had the symbol of the Pope on it. They'll not only steal your fish once more, but they'll also probably paint a couple of lines and return the bucket with the mark of Leo transformed into a dick."

Aiolia laughed. "Oh shut up…" But he shrugged, indirectly admitting his elder was most likely right.

Aiolos was well aware of this and ruffled his little brother's hair before he turned to the clock. "I should get going. I have to see Saga." He started to get up from his seat when he noticed a very sour look appear on Aiolia's face. "What's wrong?"

Aiolia bit his lip and shook his head. "It's nothing," he lied.

Aiolos sadden. When his brother was young, it felt like he would tell him anything that was wrong. Unfortunately, he was at an age where any offer of aid was a mere invitation for the two to squabble. "Are you sure? You can tell me?"

"It's nothing! Just drop it, okay!" snapped the Leo.

The Sagittarius reluctantly does so. Sometimes if he gave his brother a day and asked again later, he'll drop the whole I'm ten years old and know what I'm doing act and will let him know what is going on. "Alright." He'll be merry when Aiolia passes this stage of life. He feared with the number of eye rolls he received from him, that his little brother's pupils will be stuck facing the sky.

"Is that the famous Aiolos' little brother that we keep hearing about? He's wearing a bit more than I expected."

The two brothers turned as a platinum-haired Maiden, dressed in the long white flowing robes of those who choose to serve Athena by means other than the Amazonian Path, approached the two, while holding her daily cup of Greek Coffee.

"It is, and hopefully, he'll come to join us," Aiolos spoke proudly as he patted his brother's back.

Maiden Penelope smiled. She could tell by their bickering earlier alone they were brothers, while their eyes and nose and just general expressions practically solidify it. "Alright Aiolia, you do realize before you join here, you have a test to take. Question one: Why does your brother have more red headbands than Rambo and two, why does he actually wear them all the time?"

Not surprisingly, she's not the first to ask him that. "Oh wow… Uhm, honestly, I don't know why he wears them since he keeps proclaiming that it is a secret that he shall carry with him to the grave," Aiolia's spoke with a surly tone that caused the elder to stick out his tongue before he stuck it back. Aiolia returned his gaze to the curious Maiden. "But as to where he got them, do you remember Miss Ophelia, the seamstress by the fruit stand? She had a large spool of silk red ribbon that she used for the trimming on the officer uniforms. She would have lots of scraps that fit around his head and he would take those and sew the edges to prevent fraying."

"Is he serious, Aiolos?" the Maiden gasped.

"Oh very. But he left out the part that I also came to her because she would offer free almond cookies if you chat with her. That is quite the bargain when one was three years old at the time."

Aiolia laughed since the two still visited her for that same reason. "Anyways, when the army changed the design to feature the light purple trimming that we see today, she had so many spools and valued the room in her storage that she gave most of them to him."

The Maiden nodded. "Ah, so that explains why you don't have any problems with giving out so many headbands. You are set for life on the Rambo look."

Aiolos shrugged. "I don't know how it started. One kid asks for the headband and before I know it, everyone I ever treat asks for one, almost as if they wanted something to show that I was the one who healed them." He wouldn't be surprised if there were a couple of hundred red headbands all over Rodario.

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

Galan took the fish and carefully dipped it in the batter. He knew in his heart that the Leo preferred the thicker cuts of fish, but they were all out. It had been a common occurrence since the birth of Athena and all the villagers of Rodario had been picking up the more expensive ones either to celebrate her birth in their home, or in order to offer a gift to the Goddess at their altars. Besides, the nice fisherman who would remove all the scales, a task that was extremely difficult with a prosthetic arm, was not there and smelt was a type of fish that could be eaten whole.

The Prototypo turned his head as a familiar thunder of steps echoed. He reached over and placed a heavy dishcloth over his work. He hated preparing seafood in the Inner Chambers lest he wanted it to smell like fish for days. But as a caretaker in Sanctuary, he's learned that while most Golds will slow their pace to avoid their light speed from blowing things around, he still didn't want to risk blowing flour all over the floor.

He turned toward the entrance, and there Aiolia came out, lanky frame and all. He was still in that awkward stage of the Gold where he could easily pass off as an older teen, but the way he moved, the way he talked, his bright eyes, and the fact that he wasn't as thick as the other soldiers gave him the vibe he was still young. "How was the visit to the clinic? Have you decided if you are going to help your brother there?"

"Pretty good for the most part. It looks nice, but I'm still deciding there or going to the one on the other end of the village, near where Marin was at," Aiolia spoke as he leaned over, lifted the cloth, and sniffed. "Mmm, smelt," he reached over and grabbed a fish and popped and non-battered one in his mouth. "Mmm, that's fresh."

"If I would've known you would do that, I could have kept my fingers clean and saved time by calling it sushi."

"No way, they are so much better when you fry them."

Galan lightly chuckled. Aiolia was definitely a Leo. But then, Galan spotted slight hints of frustration. "Master, if you are hiding something, you are not doing a very good job at it. What is the matter?"

Guilty as charged. Aiolia licked his fingers, enjoying the pleasant salty taste before folding his arms. What did he have to hide? Galan was as trustworthy as they come when it came to secrets. "After the clinic, he told me he's going back to Saga's for training."

"But that is nothing new. He's always trained about this time with Saint Saga."

"I know, he does. But that's the thing. I feel like he's always with Saga. Okay, so he goes with him to do their work as a Pope Candidate and training...fine. The problem is that lately, he's also spending a lot of free time too with him. Do you realize that this visit to the clinic was the last time I actually got to hang out with him in the last two weeks?" He flopped in a soft horsehair-filled chair, the pendant, that his brother gave him, bounced around his neck.

The servant did notice that the Sagittarius seemed to be spending more nights at the House of Gemini. However, Aiolos was his friend, and Aiolia was his Master and it was best not to bring out any drama between the two and simply chose to avoid mentioning the observation altogether. "Have you talked to him about it?" Silence followed. "I'm guessing that is a no?"

Aiolia tilted his head back. "Well, kind of. He asked, but I just feel awkward about begging to hang out more with him. I know he's going to bring up about volunteering at the clinic, but once his responsibilities get bumped up at the Pope's Chambers he's going to have to give that up too!"

"Master Aiolia, would you prefer if I went over to talk to him? I can wait until after their training and catch him on the way back to his House."

Aiolia rolled his eyes. "He may not even head to his House. He's so tired that half the time he spends it in the House of Gemini. Besides, if you talk for me, Aiolos is going to treat me even more like a kid."

Galan was a serious man, but even he couldn't help but chuckle, knowing that this was an argument that will just circle around and around. One day he's complaining that his brother hangs out with him too much and today he's annoyed that he's granting him too much independence.

But this was the life of serving a nuclear-powered pre-teen and why the older caretakers seem quite serious when they compare raising a Gold-Level 'Tween on par with confronting a Specter. At the rate the Leo was graying his hair, he felt it won't be long before he will be joining the ladies' knitting circle of Sanctuary, prattling about gaining too much weight, complaining about the price of bananas in the market, while lamenting how much he missed Aiolia back when he was eight.

The servant really should let it be, but knew better. It was true that the wind could blow wrong and tick off the Leo at this point in his life, but Aiolia wouldn't be fretting about it this long if it didn't mean anything. "Are you worried about your brother?" He then watched Aiolia begin to stroke the pendant around his neck, which was his indirect way of admitting it. "Did something happen?"

Aiolia twisted his lips. "Kind of…" His fingers twisted around his necklace, weaving around the chain. "I've been having dreams and he keeps showing up in them. It's the same thing. There I am, in the House of Sagittarius. I keep trying to find him, I don't see him, but I know he's there because I can feel his cosmos. I walk around the corner, there he is, bleeding. He just keeps muttering that he's sorry and the dream ends." He shrugged. "Last night would mark the third time I had it. It's stupid, I know-"

But Galan shook his dirty blond hair. "No, I beg to differ. The same thing happened to me with my mother, before illness took hold. Shamefully, I am not as deep in my faith as the other servants, but I believe that if a person has dreams of their loved one multiple times and remember them as vividly as you just did, there is something to them."

Aiolia slumped a bit. "Yeah, it freaks me out, but I also have a strange feeling every time I'm around Saga and nothing happens."

The servant nodded. "You know, you never did tell me why you and Saint Saga don't get along."

Aiolia shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know either. We got along just fine before. Heck, back then, he called me cub, but I didn't mind it because he always said it in a nice way and meant it as part of this pact where he and my brother agreed to watch over me and Kanon if the other died. One day, six years ago, he just started creeping me out."

"But what did Saga do?"

Aiolia threw his hands up. "I don't know. I can't even describe how I feel around him. All of a sudden, he just felt like that random dark shadow that you keep turning around to look at just to make sure it didn't move or wasn't alive, but like all the time."

Galan's fingers rested in the flour. Saint Saga could be moody at times to the point that he wondered if he was bipolar. But outside of those times, he was very well-liked among the people in Rodario for his generosity toward them as well as championing their causes. The way Aiolia was describing him though made him appear to be a monster.

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

The two Cloth boxes sat under a shady tree. The sun was slowly setting, it's rays striking the sides of the metallic objects, illuminating the two pieces of wax fabric that once held their lunch that they brought with them in order to avoid wasting time in the town and grabbing a bite to eat. They had better things to do, like beating the living shit out of each other.

A tiny ladybug rested its body on the open edge of the Sagittarius Cloth box before the Gemini Saint slammed right into it. Saga grabbed its gold handle, knowing the object would absorb its owners' cosmos. He chucked it in the path of Lightning Bolt, blocking the huge cosmos strike with a loud, shimmering bang that ate up the discharge into the metal, before the Sagittarius dashed forward and swiped the Cloth away with his gauntlet, causing it to roll to the ground and toss earth all over as he gave chase to Saga with a hand like a sun. "LIGHTNING PLASMA!"

The dancing rays were countless, making even the prodigy stagger, and the Gemini urgently leaped backward, waving his hand bend the space the attack traveled in towards the pine tree by his side, causing its rays to all to strike it full force, blasting the trunk to pieces, splinters flying all over the place and its sap igniting on fire.

A speeding blitz whirled behind him unexpectedly, however, and the archer punched a clean hit right on Saga's armored side, stunning him with the kidney shot and forcing a gasp out of his mouth instantly, before grabbing the blue bangs, pulling him forward and slamming the Saint straight into the broken burning bark over and over. Saga, unable to focus, raised a hand and shot a ball of blinking cosmos to indicate he was the winner of that round.

Aiolos released his grip and pulled some bits of blue hair from between his fingers as he allowed the Gemini to wipe the ash that covered his mouth and cheeks off his face.

Saga spat some blood from his bleeding lip. "Nice move," he muttered as he took his hand and ran some cosmos over the more bruised sections of his face. He could've gotten out of it but wasn't willing to part with his bangs all for a simple point.

He jumped over towards the clearing and provided the standard ten-meter distance before his hands readied his stance until he noticed that his shoulder pad had a minor crack. While it was clear that it was fairly insignificant, the protocol for damaged Gold Cloths during sparring was to put them in their box immediately. Minor issues like that would only require an hour or two to fix, but if it broke off, it can take over a month and make for some time-consuming repairs for their only two Lemurians in Sanctuary.

Saga pulled the shoulder guard off and chucked it in. He watched as Aiolos did the same for his undamaged piece. While not required, they preferred to keep things fair. It was part of the fun.

As with their duels, the person who gave the point was the one who would start the next round. Saga's mischievous eyes gazed daringly at the Sagittarius; despite the fabled preference for mid-range fighting of Sagittarius Saints, Saga knew Aiolos couldn't step more than fifteen meters away from him in open combat, because part of the pleasure of a fight was to overpower one both physically and mentally. Another reason was that it made the initial fighting phase of mutual measuring easier, as even the slightest flinches in his fingers produced a slight reaction, whether they were a twitch or the dart of the eyes, so Aiolos was sure to keep a closer distance than he would like from Saga.

And this would just make the teasing all much more fun for the Gemini; he waved his hand out, watching the Sagittarius dart backward, making Saga chuckle right before he thrust his other hand forward with a shout to produce the real attack of a barrage of white cosmos blasts, mixed with rays of light to cause him to blink before he used his lightspeed.

Aiolos bit his lip and silently cursed while producing a hard tilt of his head. He should've expected that. Saga was the king of fake-outs and no matter how many times he's been exposed to them, the Gemini always managed to surprise him. The Sagittarius would rather fall to these tricks than risk getting pulled into 'Another Dimension' by a fake fake-out, though.

His armored hands bashed the blasts back and forth while his body waved around to dodge the bigger ones, senses focused on the caster. At this point in their training, with their attacks being so high leveled, it was almost like a duel where it wasn't so much who could withstand the most blows that would win, but who could whip out their destructive technique first. He had to, therefore, isolate his adversary before a much stronger move was used.

He raised his cosmos in an effort to detect Saga amidst the barrage, before a high kick came straight from the side, slamming into Aiolos gauntlet and giving it a number of cracks that ran along the edges and pushing back the winged youth. The Gemini's hands joined above the head before coming down with a bang "Galaxian Explosion!" and the deadly technique ripped right in front of him.

With barely any time to react, Aiolos instinctively pulled his shoulders back, triggering his wings to help pull him back fast enough to get away from the more powerful blasts before he swung a wing over his body to block the majority of the weaker ones. He allowed his bow to slide off his arm as he fell rolling beneath the remaining galactic barrage, aimed up at Saga's face, and shot the dummy arrow with a straight clean strike right at the center of the helmet just as Saga waved his arms for Aiolos' least favorite attack.

While a hurt yelp was heard from the recoiling foe head, a thunderous shock accompanied it as dimensions sliced apart and the Sagittarius jerked his head as the stars and the universe surrounded him, his body suddenly weightless. He thought he hit him hard enough to prevent the Gemini from initiating it, but apparently it wasn't enough. He only had so much time to get out. His head began to jerk around trying to find a set of stars that reflected the wrong zodiac constellation.

Only for the Gemini Saint to leap forward, grab him by the collar and flip him out, distorting his view. "Shit… shit shit!" he screamed as Saga's folded arms and thick baritone laughter echoed as he felt time and space begin to collapse around him.

Warm water struck his face as he spun around and plunged, back first on a large pile of bubbles between a shocked ten-year-old Scorpio Saint and an equally surprised future Aquarius as he desperately attempted to toss his book over to the side to avoid getting it wet.

"Oh dear, he got you again, didn't he?" spoke Mrs. Schaffurwatt, the head servant and caretaker of the house of Scorpio, as she held two towels in her hands for the two ten-year-olds.

Aiolos stood straight up. He took his headpiece off and ran his curls back before setting it back on. "Yes he did." was all he could say as he slowly waded his way toward the edge of the bath, water flowing down the cracks of his Cloth, like miniature waterfalls.

Milo folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "Can you tell him to stop picking my bath area? Why does he like sending you here?"

Aiolos shrugged as he wiped his feet on the mat out of habit. "I have no clue." He paused and answered the best way anyone can describe it. "He's Saga." He used his light speed to reach the outside of the House of Scorpio before he shot an arrow into the air.

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

Back in the old grove, the Gemini relaxed on a rock, admiring the small burst of fireworks in the sky that acknowledged he had won that round. His gaze returned back to his book that featured the works of Sappho. About twenty minutes later, his eyes darted over and caught a glance of the damp archer, his red headband, still weighed down by the water, clung to the back of his neck.

A pleasant smell was sensed. "So, he's using coconut in the water. I remember him talking about having a bit of dry scalp." mused Saga as he turned a page with his finger.

Aiolos raised his hand and sniffed it. "Yes, and he also said he wants you to stop using his bath as my drop off point."

Saga nodded. "Sure, I'll keep Aldebaran's tub in mind the next time I make you vanish for all eternity. That will help you get back here faster," he spoke as he pulled one of Aiolos' old torn headbands and inserted it in the pages for his spot. He watched the Sagittarius pull off his gauntlet and the front and back of his chest plate with the damaged wing, before he did the same and tossed his pieces as well as his book.

Even if he was doing it out of fairness and honor, the wind felt good on his bare chest. He could see the red trainer shirt cling to the Sagittarius as they prepared another round.

Aiolos drummed the tips of his fingers on the grip of the bow. He, too, liked the first move of a fight. It was especially advantageous for him. This was because the techniques of the Sagittarius House were snappier and meant for more offensive purposes befitting of an archer's fighting style, while Saga's attacks were bigger and grander than his with a complexity that takes all who were not familiar with them by surprise. The tradeoff was that it meant there was also a very small startup time to them.

Saga was able to limit it to about half a fraction of a second. While it was astonishingly fast in the history of Geminis, that was like hours in comparison to light speed. Aiolos' moves on the other hand were mostly simple and straightforward, but quick and effective to the point that, except for a couple, he doesn't even shout out the names of his techniques since they've already made their mark before he could vocalize the first syllable.

His eyes turned towards the position of Saga, already knowing exactly what he would do next. He leaped to the side and fired Lightning Plasma, forcing the Gemini to dance around the blasts coming from an awkward angle before Aiolos rolled over and dodged the incoming needle-like counter beam that would deprive him of one of his five senses. While the attack was random, he couldn't afford to lose any of them in such a short round. It was even easier without the wings weighing him down, a feature on his Cloth that could be a blessing and a curse. He then twisted his body, the edge of his Cloth around his torso barely getting nicked by a heavy cosmos blast. He quickly fired a cosmos blast near Saga's neck guard but was surprised by a small hesitation in the dodge.

The Gemini stood still for a moment as if disoriented, touching the spot where the dummy arrow struck in the previous round. He knelt down and tossed the Sagittarius his helmet to indicate something didn't feel right. He took a few deep breaths as he felt his vision grow a bit blurry while a slight ringing echoed in his ears.

Aiolos tossed his helmet off and walked over and placed his hand on the Gemini's back and carefully helped him lay on the ground. "How do you feel?"

"Like shit," he groaned as he brought his hands to his eyes.

Aiolos reached down and looked at his eyes. "Come on, I need details."

Saga pulled his hands away. His head hurt so much that it was a case where he needed to answer but it was painful to do. "It's blurry. Your voice echoes a bit too."

"Could be a minor concussion from earlier."

"Swell. As if I need anything else wrong with my head," the Gemini retorted.

Aiolos chuckled a bit. Even like this, his friend always finds a way to be a bit salty, but that's also a good thing since he's showing that he's not too bad. "Well, let's check it out." He moved behind Saga and pulled his friend's shoulders so that his head rested on his lap. The brain is a very delicate area that requires one to be very patient, knowledgeable of the different parts of the brain, and very very still hands. His high level of healing and his usage of the bow made him only one of three Saints allowed to do it. He was certain that Saga could easily be another who could heal a head injury, but whatever medicine he was taking in secret, was causing a slight tremor in his hands to prevent him from even attempting it.

Gold Saints typically didn't receive as many head injuries as one would be because when they were used to battle, their internal cosmos would automatically shield their body so that they could take a harder blow than most, much like how one would flinch to block an incoming object. It was also why people would see them slam and break concrete and wonder why the hell they weren't splattered all over it. However, he had a feeling that because his arrows were far more concentrated and Saga was attempting a major technique at the same time, there wasn't enough to properly defend the Gemini's head and caused the injury. "I'm going to do a probe. I'm pretty sure it was that last arrow, but we'll double-check. Did you feel anything earlier after you were hit?"

"Kind of," spoke the Saga as he rested his hands on his chest. "But I thought I was fine, and hell, we're at that point where you can't just stop a battle because of a headache." He answered in a matter-of-fact tone. Sparring at their age was typically fought as if they were in the Holy War itself. "Well," Saga paused. "They say Hades is supposedly very polite. I'm sure if we face him, he'll gladly spare us a few seconds to pop in an aspirin."

Aiolos' hands glowed. "I rather you survive than for you to test that theory."

Saga laughed, doing his best not to move so much, but he shifted his eyes downwards, unable to resist. "Well, maybe it's best we stopped sparring for the day."

Those were rare words especially with the Gemini's determination to keep his lead wide. "Why's that?" the Sagittarius questioned.

"Well, if we did continue, and we want to keep things fair, I struck your torso plate," he looked down, "and I'm not wearing any pants."

Aiolos face lit up as he stopped the cosmos probe to burst out into laughter. He looked down at the amused Gemini's semi smirking face before he drew his hands to his face unable to contain his laughter. "Shut up, I'm trying to concentrate," he chuckled, cheeks slightly blushed, before he stilled his face and returned back to his work. His hands lightly glowed and he placed them near his friend's head once more. He closed them and slowly moved them around, feeling his cosmos raise a bit near the area where he struck. "Don't sense any bleeding. It shouldn't take long to treat. After that, you should take a break from training and basically any work tomorrow. His Holiness will understand."

Saga simply bit his lip. "I can't take a break, you're catching up. I've held this lead for a few years now, and I'll be damned if you break it now."

"It's not worth it if you die." He rested his hands near Saga's temples and created a soft yellow glow. He couldn't help but add more, knowing the Gemini's competitive nature. "Besides, the point system we made is just between the two of us. Who do we prove?" While trainees do have an official win/loss record, the two of them decided they wanted something that they could use at any time. Unlike traditional sparring that involved a ring and someone to time them for five minutes, they were constantly on their guard anytime the two of them were together. It was exhilarating, forcing them to fight wherever with whatever. It was far rawer and it was fun especially when they took it to the Inner Chambers. "Just, let it go," he whispered as he closed his eyes and focused on the delicate task.

"Let go?" The Gemini mused as he could only stare upwards at the quiet handsome Saint. He swore with how still he was, from his breath to his hands, he could've passed for a Greek statue. "Not sure if we should, although I am having fun with our 'who finishes first' count."

Aiolos gave a slightly cocky smile. "One of the few things you don't mind trailing behind by four?"

Saga struggled to stay still, but he couldn't resist. "Because it is pure Geminism...the loser always wins."

That the archer whole heartily agreed with. "There, all done." They should get up before someone saw them, but Saga just laid there in his lap, looking up at him with a soft gaze that lingered, with soft eye blinks, his chest rising up and down at a slow and steady pace. Aiolos' own hands continued to rest around the Gemini's face.

Neither spoke, but neither needed to as if the other's presence was enough. Sometimes after practice, they would have these moments and they were nice. Small motions. Like a slight head turn that caused his face to press a little more into one of his hands felt nice. The tips of his fingers, hard and calloused from a regiment of training in the woods with his bow, would gently tease the blue locks as if he was running his hands in the ocean. It was just very quiet and all he could do was read the cosmos around him to assure they were alone before he leaned down and the two connected into a soft and tender kiss.

There was no nervousness like the first time. Kissing Aiolos came as naturally as breathing and something the two of them always seem to find time every day. A shame they can't be open about it, even if many their age, especially the Prototypos, were typically married at this point in their lives in Rodario. Hell, Aiolos told him his mother and father were fourteen years old when they got married and had him. Although, he really shouldn't be surprised since thirty years old was considered ancient.

The Gemini, not wanting to be caught by some group of passing foot soldiers and having rumors spread, broke the kiss up with a gentle smile, a reaction that he felt like he did far more in the past two weeks than he ever did in his entire life.

It just seemed like the heavy lethargic weight of sadness had long passed and he could honestly tell himself that this is how people normally feel, a sensation that he was certain that they would take for granted while he on the other hand treasured it.

Unfortunately, no matter how much he felt like he finally had a grasp of the highs and lows that used to thrash him back and forth during stressful times, the curse still lingered and had yet to release its grasp. Until he is certain that he has the curse under his control, he dared not risk one of the few good things in his life.

"Saga, Aiolos"

The two felt their bodies startled from the telepathic message. Saga slowly pushed himself up and turned to his friend, whose blue eyes met his. Even though the Pope only said their names, they have long learned to differentiate his intonations. Right now, they knew his soft yet firm tone, it meant an important meeting, but with a tinge of guilt since His Holiness always seemed like he knew where they were and knew it meant climbing Twelve Houses worth of stairs.

Surely enough, they were right.

"I will need to meet with the two of you at my Chambers for a formal audience."

Saga bit his lip. Typically, the Old Man was fairly open and straightforward in his matters, yet he was asking them to return without producing a reason as to why. Then again, there was a lot more secrecy since the arrival of the Goddess not too long ago. After all, the people of Rodario were so delighted when the bright column of light came down at the great statue of Athena and bestowed her next reincarnation that it was the first week where not a single crime was committed, due to everyone, including the town guards, being so stinking drunk from the celebration.

Nevertheless, he and Aiolos put on their good soldier hats and answer the call without any protest.

"Yes, your Holiness."

They both spoke through the cosmos at the same time, both well drilled in the art of demonstrating their loyalty toward their Pope since the age of six.

Wonderful. I will see the two of you at four o'clock. May Athena, watch over the two of you.

"And to you, Your Holiness."

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

The two Golds stood before the closed doors and immediately, their bodies were tense, not out of fear, but nervousness. Since the age of six, they both came here nearly on a daily basis and knew that if the Papel Guards were not present, it was something of great importance.

Once the two felt more mentally prepared, Aiolos struck the door a couple of times with the back of his hand to acknowledge their presence before they marched inside.

Right away, the first thing that made it clear of how important this meeting was how dark the throne room appeared, an occurrence that only happened when every curtain was drawn and every door was shut. When Shion would leave everything open, allowing pigeons and doves to fly freely through there, it was easy to forget that the Pope's Chambers were meant to be a fortress in the event of an invasion.

Normally Shion would come up and welcome the two of them, arms wide open, his mask set aside. They would typically start off with how their training went, what new bone they broke, how their assigned readings went, or just any interesting news and gossip in Rodario.

But today, the Lemurian of over two centuries, was on the throne, his face covered, and all the necessary adornments upon his body, signifying just how important this was and that there were to be no informalities today.

As nervous as the two were, they both came down on one knee, eyes closed, and with lowered heads, ready to accept whatever divine requests from Athena's sacred messenger.

Shion sat quite still at that moment, but beneath the mask was a nervous expression. Earlier, he came across the sight of the two playing a game of jump the stairs, where two or more Saints would see how many they could skip in a single leap with or without cosmos. Typically it was played by those who were eight or nine years old. He knew, since many who botched it would come crying to him afterward. Imagine his surprise to see them doing it, but it was clear by their body language that they were just being goofy and egging the other on. The moment his presence was known, they dropped it. Humans can be strange sometimes, but also entertaining in their own way. In a way, he felt terrible for them to end their game. He's read their stars and he's read his own stars for a very long time.

Gone will be the discussions over tea.

Gone will be the games.

Gone will be the pleasantries.

A large unstoppable dark shadow will cast over all of them for a long time.

He was certain with everyone being sensitive to the cosmos they too are sensing this shadow or spotting the signs, but without the ability to read the stars or the future to make sense of it all, many will dismiss it until it is too late.

The Lemurian took a silent deep breath. It was time to get this part over with. "As you both know, our Goddess reincarnated into our world into that of a healthy and vibrant six-month-old baby. As the mere mention of her name brings joy, her presence has created nothing but jubilation for the Zodiac, for Rodario, and for all the other villages and cities under Sanctuary."

"Praise Athena," they both quietly whispered, for in this place, even her name was sacred and should be treated as such during these times.

"Praise Athena, may she live long and fulfill the promises she had made to the people of our world over the Pantheon that sought to subdue or destroy them," the former Aries whispered back before continuing. "Her coming is always a great blessing, but also a warning of a new Holy War to come, a sign that we must be vigilant and prepare the challenges that our predecessors had faced and most likely gave their lives for," he spoke, his voice trailing.

"Goddess, rest their souls, and may their actions never be forgotten," whispered Saga.

At that moment, Shion couldn't help but pause. While he didn't let on to many others about how much he missed his comrades. He did discuss it with the Gemini to let him know that he too had times where his sadness overwhelmed him and that those wounds had and will never heal. He could tell that Saga was simply trying to offer his condolences, perhaps hearing the sorrow in his voice. But it only made what will happen next even more difficult and it was best to not linger.

"With a new Holy War, a new succession must arise to prepare for it."

Neither Gold moves, but they both could sense what was to come about since the Pope had been demonstrating a bit more of a lax position from allowing them all to leave the Sanctuary at once to just general mannerisms of him trying all sorts of new things. But they didn't expect their Holiness to speak of a successor this soon. Perhaps Shion was very old at over two hundred, but the two of them were only fifteen, an age where they wouldn't even be allowed to drive a vehicle, much less lead Sanctuary.

"For your faithful and loyal service to our goddess Athena, for your demonstration of great dedication, leadership, and your strength, I proclaim you, Aiolos of Sagittarius, ninth guardian of the Zodiac, to be the next in line for the Grand Master of Sanctuary."

The moment his name was called, a gasp escaped the archer, one that seemingly echoed throughout the room, despite how quiet it was.

Him? Did he pick him? But why?

He understood that the whole point of being a candidate was the chance of earning the coveted position. It wasn't that he felt he couldn't become the Pope, but that there was someone right next to him who would be far better.

The Pope praised his dedication, but when it came to free time, Saga was the one who would either be spending all his free time either in the library or performing small favors for his Holiness in Rodario to avoid having to call for a thirty guard escort.

The Pope praised his strength, but again Saga had him trumped in that department both in wins as well as his level of cosmos. Saga's name was engraved on the walls of the great Fire Clock for triumphing over everyone else during a children's tournament. Hell, the Pope even praised Saga a month ago declaring him as the strongest of the Golds, a declaration that Saga still gushed over when mentioned.

The Pope praised him for his leadership, but again, that was something that the two performed on equal terms with assisting with helping the other Golds. The two worked as partners and while they disagreed at times, but because they maintained respect toward the others' opinion, any conclusion from their little debates would only end up benefiting them both. To praise him on that matter just felt like a slap in the face toward his friend.

Aiolos wasn't the only one who felt this way. Saga's eyes, still shut as they should be during such a formal summoning, tensed with disbelief. It didn't make sense. Why him? Not only that but if he was not the chosen, why is he even here?

That was when the Pope turned his head toward the Gemini and granted his answer.

"Saga of Gemini," the Pope's voice, deep and grand thanks to the mask that he wore, echoed in the room. "Third guardian of the Zodiac. For your dedication toward our Goddess Athena, for your wisdom, I ask that you serve as the assistant for Aiolos and second in command." Shion gazed at Saga's arm, sensing that he was struggling to hold his position. "He will need a strong left hand, and I can't think of anyone more perfect for the position," he added.

Beneath the metal mask, Shion's face saddened. The passing of the mantle of the Pope was meant to bring joy, and yet there was none to be seen between the man who didn't see himself as worthy enough and the other who saw himself as more than deserving. He turned toward the table and pulled the pristine white silk off the shimmering small tablet that featured half of the face of the Colchian Dragon and placed it in the archer's hand.

Aiolos took a deep breath and placed the tablet over his heart. "Thank you, Your Holiness," the archer replied while keeping his head lowered.

Shion nodded before he gestured his hand for the two to rise, the formal declaration that the meeting was over. " I know this is all quite a bit to handle. Therefore, the two of you may take the rest of the day and tomorrow off."

The two Saints stood up, and what normally would be pleasantries and a bit of laughter was drowning in awkward silence.

The Gemini needed to get out of here as the heat raised in his chest. He turned to his friend and gazed at his face."Congratulations," Saga finally calmly spoke to Aiolos before he turned toward Shion. Even while masked he couldn't stand to look at him right now. "I wish you, good health," was all he could utter before he stood up and marched through the door, hands clenched, before grasping the edge and pushed it shut.

Aiolos attempted to send a message to him through the cosmos, and for the first time in his life, Saga purposely blocked him off. A cold feeling followed afterward before he rushed over and opened the door and gasped to see the long line of stairs empty and devoid of the Gemini's presence, other than the thick residue of white cosmos that Saga would leave when he used Another Dimension. "SAGA!" he yelled in hope that the Gemini wasn't as far as he thought.

The Lemurian shook his head. He knew what was going on. Goddess, if he hadn't seen the future he would've thought the same thing. He raised a hand and using his gift of telekinesis, held down the Sagittarius before he could take flight and search every corner of Greece. "Aiolos...don't worry. If you are fearful of the worst, then I can assure you, it will not come to pass. He just needs time to himself." He gestured over to his office. "Now come, we have much to talk about."

The archer threw his hand over his face as he sent another message through the cosmos, only for it to bounce back to indicate that his words were not desired right now. He sighed and shook his head. The Pope knew Saga just as long as he did and perhaps weighed carefully on how he would react. But still, he shook his head. "Your Holiness, I know you can read the stars to see if he is fine, but he's still my friend. Just because he wants to be alone, doesn't make it for the best. Is what you say truly imperative over the life of another?"

Shion shook his head no.

"Then, forgive me, but any business about my new position will have to wait." He turned back and spread his wings out and began to fly to the areas where his Gemini friend tended to seek solace.

The Pope watched the wings glisten with each flap in the sky. "Aiolos, I can see the doubt in your eyes. I know you feel less than deserving compared to Saga. But this was not a decision that I came about in great haste. If you want to know why I choose you, reflect upon your actions just now and you will see the answer as well," he thought, looking in the air at the man who had just been handed the most powerful position in the world, but rather coming over to sit on the throne, he chooses to prioritize his friend's safety.

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

Aiolos stared at the ceiling exhausted, his back killing him from all the flying he did today.

-Kanon Island

-His old house by the sea

-Every island without a training ground along the coast

-Delphi

And of course: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu in New Zealand, a place that oddly enough, both Geminis enjoy using Another Dimension on just so they can revel in the reaction of those who ask where they have been and they can reply with the world's longest name of a city.

But still, he couldn't find him, nor did he have much of a chance since Saga could not only go wherever the hell he wanted to, but even if he guessed right if the Gemini didn't want to be found, he could easily take off the moment he sensed him.

All he could do was change up his technique. He asked Aldebaran to give him a heads up if he noticed any activity in the House of Gemini, and of course, remain here in the House of Sagittarius. It was not just to get rest in order to resume his search tomorrow, but this had also become a place where the Gemini found peace at. Saga even kept a few extra trainers neatly organized in the spare bedroom, which was basically a closet since the bed there remained untouched.

He turned toward his small table where a modest marble copy of the Goddess Athena statue was at, holding his red headband in her hand. At her foot, was the metal tablet that was small enough to allow his thumb and pointer finger to grip. He didn't know what type of metal it was made of. Apparently it was so rare that even its name was lost to Lemurians, a concept that was difficult to grasp since they were able to pass on their memories to each other.

The tile itself was no mere trinket. It was considered one of the most valuable treasures of Sanctuary. It was normally held by the Pope, but it was passed to the future Pope. It was needed in order to become a "confirmed" Pope.

The position of the Pope must be occupied at all times. The Pope himself had even had seven times in his long reign where another stepped in his place due to illness. But only one could be Confirmed. In order to protect the history, and secrets, especially during an invasion, only a Confirmed Pope can enter certain areas that were so well fortified that it could be struck by the sun and remain unscratched. It also gave unquestionable authority to the Saints. On the other hand, if something happened to the Confirmed Pope, it allowed an unconfirmed Pope to run things, even if Saints may be permitted to question it without penalty.

It may all sound convoluted, but it made it more difficult for someone to usurp complete control. It was a lesson learned from the history of the Roman Empire where all it took to rule was to stab the other.

He turned it toward his face, it's surface perfectly reflecting his troubled blue eyes. The Pope told him not to worry, but how could he not?

"Saga," he checked with the Pope about an hour ago, but Shion said that he hasn't seen him either. He shut his eyes, but old memories haunted him. Even growing up with it, he still was never completely used to going through the woods and finding an occasional body strung up by a rope. "...please don't do anything stupid."

His eyes turned toward the wall in his room, seeing a blue flash. It was a small safety feature that indicated that someone was coming inside his inner chambers. Normally it was his servant, but he knew he was with his family due to his father being ill, a gesture that he told him to take as much time as needed, being that he lost two fathers in his life.

He began to reach for his shirt when he turned toward his Pandora's box with the blue-haired Gemini on top of it.

Saga was still wearing his Cloth, the slight cracks from their earlier sparring were still there, indicating that he had yet to place it in his Pandora's box to give it time to heal. "Saga!" It was so dark that what little light there was, merely highlighted the crown of the Gemini's head while shadowing his features and leaving his intention in question.

He slightly raised his head pathetically,"...why you…" he muttered before he dropped it back down, his blue bangs collapsing over his face. It was the only thing he's heard him speak since the meeting.

He was happy that his fears never came into fruition, but he could tell that the news hit Saga far harder than he anticipated. Aiolos took his hand and waved a yellow ball of cosmos, keeping the light gentle so as to not be too overbearing, but enough to cast the darkness aside. "I...asked myself the same thing, as well as him and neither source, could provide a suitable answer," he raised two fingers and gestured the light to slowly come to his friend, only for Saga to blink and reappear on the wooden chair beside his desk on the other side of the room.

"...I...worked...so… so…" he swallowed a bit shaking his head in disappointment. "...hard…"

The Sagittarius couldn't agree more, thinking the same thing. "Yes… you did. You would spend so much time in the library, organizing it, straightening it out."

Saga shook his head. "The old man's method meant we would have priceless centuries-old tomes written by the first Pope in the blood of the original Athena," he wistfully spoke before he bit his lip, "in the same stack as Mrs. Sotiropoulos recipe for perfect sugar-free baklava," he punctuated each syllable with increased tension.

Now it was time for him to throw his hands on his face. "Yes… Goddess yes…" he weakly gasped. Simple requests that would normally take ten minutes to approve may take a day of searching through piles and another to straighten the mess afterward. He may have been an old man, but he still had lightspeed. At times, it felt like the two were teaching him how to keep things in order when it should be the other way around. He hated to say it, but at times, he too felt that perhaps the Pope should step down and let them handle it so they weren't wasting time fixing the mess.

Not wanting to relent, he continued his encouragement. "You discovered several mistakes in proposals, intentional or not, that ensured that more funds went to the orphanages and not the pockets of the well off." He leaned forward, resting his bare arms on his soft sheepskin blanket. He took his hand and moved the original light cosmos over, but not too close. This time, the Gemini stayed put as it lit up his cheeks."Think of them." Sometimes Saga's ambition and sense of perfection drove him a little crazy, but it also made him damn good at spotting what was wrong in a sea of words.

Half a minute of silence cut between them. Saga was so still as if the stiffness of his Cloth was all that held him up in that chair. Aiolos gently motioned his hand to bring the ball of light closer, a slight red reflection in Saga's eyes before he turned and closed them. He still never understood why the red color would appear during times of great stress or anger. His guess was that it was another unfortunate disadvantage of being a Gemini, but yet the same thing never happened to Kanon at any point. But such questions, like always, must wait since there were other more pressing ones to ask. "Saga, let's talk, come closer, I'm your friend."

He is not your friend! He's your competition!

Saga ignored the dark voices in his head and moved at the ledge of the bed, but still, his gaze turned away from the eyes that he could not pry away from earlier. "Did you hear him? He dictated that I would be promoted as the assistant and second in command." He shook his head. "Does he take me for a fool! There is no difference between that and what we did before as a Pope Candidate except it was a fancier title and formally declared me beneath you!" his red eyes widened, his vision grew blurry.

But it also guarantees you are next in line. Kill Aiolos, and you will become the Pope!

The poor handsome fool won't know what hit him.

It happened so fast. His vision blurry, Saga grasped his lover with one hand, while the dagger suddenly appeared in the other before it came right down with enough force to cause the archer to lurch forward with each repeated strike.

The two sat there so very still.

"Goddess...what have I done?" He thought as his red eyes caught hold of the golden blade.

He did it.

The world felt so still...a cold feeling he hadn't sensed since he came back to Cape Sounion empty after placing Kanon in it three days prior.

Now that Aiolos was dead, he will become the Pope.

The dagger reads his heart's desires and twists them.

Was this really what he wanted?

"Saga what were you doing?"

The Gemini turned toward his friend's surprised yet very lively gaze. He looked down the archer's strong back and instead of multiple stab marks, but the circular shape that came from the rounded pommel. "Don't worry about it," Saga quickly muttered as he opened a tiny Another Dimension portal that he had opened above an active volcano and disposed of the blade into it. Of course, it will come back. The cursed thing always came back in pristine shape whether it was in the pit of the Earth or the depths of the sun. But right now, it felt good to just destroy it for the millionth time.

Aiolos sat there trying to process what just happened, but gave up when he still couldn't figure out what just occurred. It was even harder to tell since his back had been so sore and bruised from flying and running all over trying to find the renegade Gemini.

Was he punching him out of frustration? If he was, it couldn't be his fist since it was too small. Did he strike him with a rock?

He couldn't see anything in Saga's hands, but perhaps now it didn't matter.

Saga came here, seeking a moment to talk and he spent half the day seeking him out. "Saga, you said he gave you the title of assistant to insult you. But I don't think the Pope was trying to belittle you. I think he gave you it because he knows we like working together and by saying it means that we can continue to work in the Pope's Chambers together instead of sending you back to the Third House." He reached over and caressed the Gemini's face in sincerity. "Saga, do you really think that I'm going to treat you any less just because of a title? The only thing that will change is we will get more say in matters and I think for the good of Rodario, that's a good thing."

At that moment, Saga felt his eyes lighten ever so slightly. Aiolos knew what to say to him and Saga knew his words were all true. He feels Aiolos warm hand and grips it. It was always so comforting. Not just that, but it wasn't sweaty or clammy, a sign that he wasn't nor ever afraid.

"Here, let's make those red eyes go away."

The Gemini rolled his bright red gaze. "My mind is like jelly right now...do we have to talk more?"

"Nah...not at all."

1 hour later...

The blue-eyed Gemini took his fingers and twirled the red tails of the red bandana in his hair. "By the goddess, I never knew how versatile this thing is in bed," he mused as he turned to his sleeping sweaty archer friend. Normally, he liked looking at his perfect back, but tonight, he could see the bruises his Cloth creates on his lower back and shoulder blades when he flies too much as well as the circular dark bruises caused by the dagger.

It all happened so quickly and part of him wasn't even aware of it. It scared him to even think that one of the few people he cared deeply about and trusted nearly became the first victim of the curse. His head turned toward the sacred statue of Athena, the sacred tablet at her feet. He leaned forward in thought. Perhaps it was time he attempted to speak with the Pope? Kanon was nowhere to be found and he will not risk his lover. If there was anyone who could help him with the curse, surely a Lemurian would have some sort of answer? Besides, he deserved more answers for the decision as to why Aiolos was chosen, considering the fact that the role of a candidate was essentially a job application that he spent nine years filling out.

He began to climb out when a hand reached for him.

"Where are you going?" Aiolos' low yet playful voice whispered.

Saga felt himself lingering a bit before he bit his lip. "I have to see His Holiness."

Aiolos narrowed his eyes. "Saga...it's probably past midnight," he spoke as he sat up more.

"It probably is, but you know the Old Man. He'll be up. Unlike us, sleep for them is a mere formality."

It was true. In fact, the Pope even shared stories of his first days in the position where his first set of Gold Saints were asked to hold meetings at one in the morning due to it being a convenient time when everyone was at their House. Aiolos sat up. "I'll tell you what, stay here, get some sleep and we can both go see him tomorrow." It was a big decision and a lifelong commitment. He too was interested in why he was chosen over Saga.

The Gemini took a deep breath. "I have the pride of a lemming right now. Please, just let me do this by myself."

At that moment, he was thinking of his friend's bruised ego, but something deep down told him that he should come along and support the Gemini.

However, that night, Aiolos made the decision he will later regret for the rest of his life. "Alright, just let me know how things go." He spoke as he pulled the headband off Saga before anyone spotted it and asked questions.

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

A question that many curious humans would often ask him was how did Lemurians age?

The formula was always far easier than most would expect. Lemurian females age five times slower than humans, while the males unfortunately aged only twice as slow.

Therefore in human years, the great Pope had the body of a hundred and five-year-old man.

Age has deteriorated his once-great muscle mass.

Arthritis has rendered him stiff.

His knees ached as he knelt on his old woven scarlet cloth that he had used since he first was declared the confirmed Pope, but still, there was no greater honor than to pray in front of the great statue of Athena, even if her reincarnation was resting in her bassinet in her sacred chambers.

Glaucoma has rendered him practically blind.

At the bottom of Athena's dress was an old plaque that was inscribed with the great promise the original goddess made when she first took human form. It used to fill him with comfort and hope but instead reminded him that had he not memorized the sacred text, he would need his glasses in order to read them.

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

Saga turned his head back and forth. Apparently the Papel Guards had yet to return. Of course, it was not uncommon for the Pope to time secret meetings by allowing either time off or simply having them cover the shifts of the other Houses. People talk in Sanctuary, including those who hold lifelong positions as servants or guards to his Holiness despite the oaths of secrecy that they pledge. They'll probably be back in the morning.

He slowly walked up the eighty-eight stairs, each time his feet made contact, a deep echo was produced. Like everything, it was a feature that was completely intentional for the faster one moved, the louder they became and thus served as an indirect warning for those on guard.

Not that he was a danger toward his Holiness.

For some reason, Saga paused midstep. Before he shook his head and continued on.

Was he nervous about what could happen? Of course, he was!

But he can handle it, just like he could if he was placed in charge.

After all, Shion basically crushed his dreams of attaining his position in front of his best friend, the result was he was upset, just like any perfectly normal person.

Yes.

A perfectly normal person would be distraught after working for nine years for the top position and assuming they had done everything perfectly would be very upset.

He didn't kill the one person who stole what should've been him. He did come close, but that was part of the reason why he was there to discuss about it, for it was the right thing to do.

The worst has passed.

What more could Shion say?

Besides, Shion was the Pope!

If the curse believed in self-preservation and only a madman would dare harm one tiny grey hair on his holy head and risked the wrath of Sanctuary.

Deep down, the Gemini wondered if his emotional state had something to do with him not being chosen. He thought about Aiolos' offer of coming along as emotional support, but approaching his Holiness by himself was proof that he was more than capable.

*SLAM

Saga's head darted as a white pigeon blindly struck one of the stained glass windows before tumbling to the ground, it's body twitching a bit before succumbing to it's broken back, blood pooling out of its beak like a long thin red string.

The Gemini stood there stunned. Partly over the surprise that the bird wasn't nocturnal, but both Mu and Shion spoke about the sacredness of pigeons in their culture. They were praised for their memory and ability to navigate around the world and it was considered a bad omen if one were to run into a building and perish because of it.

For a moment, the Gemini pauses there, his hand hovering over the glyph that one used to announce themselves when the doors were sealed.

For a moment he pulls it away and turns his body ever so slightly away.

I ask that you serve as the assistant for Aiolos and second in command.

The fifteen-year-old's fist tightened as his face frowned. "Second…" he gritted his teeth at the thought that after all his hard work, he was merely second in line when he deserved to be first.

It was a childish action that he will deeply regret years later as an adult.

He turned away from the dead bird, dismissing it as was, a mere superstition before he burned his white cosmos and touched the glyph. "Your Holiness?"

Shion turned his head in the direction of the door and back at the great statue of Athena, even if her face was simply too blurry for his vision to make out. He removed a single glove and touched the sacred base one last time before he made his way toward the front.

There was a small set of stairs, but his bad knees forced him to go down them as gingerly as a young child.

He knew his death was coming and by whom, but how and why he was unsure, for the amount of unpredictably was so high that even Shaka was having trouble determining what will happen next.

The next couple of nights will be filled with nothing but chaos and your death will be the catalyst. I wish I could tell you more about what will happen, but in my experience, even if I could, the future would still shift due to that knowledge. Besides, sometimes it is best not to know.

Shion ambled through the main chambers.

Age has made him slow.

He gently gestured a hand to allow his telekinesis to open the left side to allow the Gemini to come in, his face visibly distraught before he knelt.

"Your Holiness."

The Pope turned downwards and was silent for a few seconds. He had made hundreds of enemies, many hearts full of poison, and yet none could be detected from the Gemini. Thank the Goddess he wore a mask, otherwise, his expression at that moment would leave Saga with a great amount of suspicion. He walked over and extended his gloved hand to acknowledge permission for the Gold to stand. "It is good to see you again, Saga. You left us so suddenly afterward. Aiolos was extremely fearful for your safety. You did let him know you were alright before coming here, didn't you?"

The Gemini stretched his lip, unsure how to properly answer that. "Of course, he was the first one I went to when I came back." Finally, the guilt that was in his mind had penetrated his expression. "About the afternoon, I…" his voice began and continued to crack. "I had some questions about that."

For Shion, at that moment, the fear that twisted his belly had dissipated, and pity came about. For the past couple of weeks, Saga was as merry as a peach to the point that many wondered if he and Kanon had switched places in the middle of the night. As only one of two surviving Saints of the last Holy War, the Pope knew what it was like to wallow in darkness.

Not only that, but the Saga before him, had not committed any crime and it would be wrong to treat him as such.

"I have some tea in the lounge, would you care for a cup?" he offered. Saga nodded and followed the Pope down the stairs, both lighting up a couple of balls of cosmos where the candlelight couldn't reach them.

The room carried a slightly different atmosphere than all the other places in the Pope's Chambers. While everywhere else was covered in cold marble tile, the lounge had thick carpet, making it pleasantly warm inside. It had a nice bar, but because Shion didn't drink, it was only used for when entertainment was needed for guests. Saga stared at the two velvet chairs, full of horsehair and the chess table were kept. There was dust on it now, mainly due to how little time the Gemini and the Sagittarius had to play. But it was a place where the two of them would go to in an effort to move away from simply hiding in the darkness.

Saga walked over toward another set of chairs and took his usual spot. He watched the Pope set his helmet and mask aside before the old man poured a second cup and carried it over to him. The Gemini looked down, recognizing the scent of green tea. Frankly, when they were young, both he and Aiolos used to secretly protest it when the Pope would bring the two of them a cup, comparing it to drinking grass. They used to make a childish bet where the loser had to drink both cups. But time made them appreciate it, and when they were asked to be sober, it actually became their default drink aside from water. "Thank you. But I thought you were all out of it?"

Shion shook his head no as he held his cup and took a spot across the Gemini. "That's what I have been telling our guests, but the truth was that I wanted to save the last little bit." He took a sip. He wasn't sure where Dohko always had it harvested from, and while he's had better, it always filled him with nostalgia, even if it lacked the hint of vodka that the old Tiger would often slip in. If this was to be his last drink, this shall be it. "So, tell me Saga, is it about this afternoon?"

Saga nodded. He then felt a small warmth on his face as a bit of anger came about as the memory came back. He knew his curse and knew if he approached the matter slowly he could adjust. "Yes. I felt your reasons for why Aiolos was chosen were vague and traits that I too possessed." He paused. "I am stronger than him. He will discuss but I can command, and let us not speak of dedication when I was running back and forth submitting letters to the Old Master in the middle of the night while your first choice was busy with his brother, hunting pigs and crafting sausage." He held his tongue. He knew how to rip a person to bits like a gleeful child clutching a dandelion and plucking the seeds until the bulb was left bald. But Aiolos was still his best friend and out of respect for him, he will only say enough to make a point and no more.

Shion thought back to what he said about the two and chose to start off with something a bit more positive. "Your dedication cannot be argued. In the two hundred years I've held this position, I've never seen a candidate work harder than you. I want you to keep in mind that I was only referring to Aiolos faith in Athena and not in physical labor here. I shouldn't have used the same word for both even though they were for two different aspects that I praise both of you for. I was just trying to hurry the meeting since I could sense you were in discomfort over my choice."

Saga nodded. Frankly, the moment he heard Aiolos' name, the rest of the meeting felt more like a blur. "Thank you, Your Holiness, for your consideration. But I am no child and I have seen what others say to your face and understand that a Pope must have the strength to be able to tolerate criticism no matter how uncomfortable the situation feels. Speaking of strength, there is that matter as well."

Shion took a deep breath, trying to figure out how to best say it. "You are a very strong Saint, possibly the strongest I've had in decades. But raw strength is not enough. The Zodiac is a sacred circle that once broken, cannot be repaired, hence why the old saying that when one Gold falls everyone falls. We were not meant to function in lone wolf attacks, but to harmonize and utilize each other."

The Pope continued. "Aiolos' greatest strength, one that you see on the chessboard quite a bit, is that he knows how to utilize those around him. The position of the Pope requires that and not about having a single Gold who can strike everything down. That is why the Zodiac is a circle that is meant to spread and bend, not pierce and break." He took a deep breath for it must be said. "In battle Saga, you are magnificent. But you also take matters in your hands and even if you win, you will get many killed. For that reason, Aiolos is better in the position. I am sorry, Saga."

Saga's eyes stared at the Lemurian, causing Shion's blood to grow cold.

The Gemini took a quiet sip.

Saga sat up, leaning into the wooden chair.

His hand filled with a bright white ball of cosmos and Shion eyed it as if he was staring at the key that would send him to Elysium.

Shion's hand gripped his cup hard as Saga shook his head.

"Why… muttered Saga. "Why didn't you tell me."

The Gemini frowned as his shoulders slumped as he threw his head back. "I know how to work with others, but I thought that since everyone was training that I should focus on mastering my cosmos. If you wanted more of that, I would gladly have demonstrated that more." The Gemini muttered, whimpering a bit before in frustration he raised the bright white ball of cosmos high in the air.

Shion's breath became ragged as he stood up. "Perhaps you can work on it, but still, Aiolos does it better."

Saga shook his head before he took his ball of cosmos and held it above his head.

"Goddess it is so dark in here," the Gemini remarked as he released his harmless large ball of white cosmos above them. "You really do need another lamp or two in here."

Goddess, if Saga didn't kill him with cosmos, he was certainly going to do him in with a well-placed heart attack.

The Gemini, content with the more illuminated room, folded his arms, and contemplated what he had heard. "Your Holiness, if we went back in time and had that meeting once more, and you chose me over him, still believing he is the better of the two of us, would Aiolos come here as I do now and ask for clarification? Or would he blindly accept it?"

Unfortunately, it was such a simple question for the Pope, since Aiolos preferred the happiness of others and he was the son of a foot soldier who understood the importance of following his commands. "We both know, he would not only accept it and would be the first to take you to the bar for a celebration drink."

"But I, on the other hand, am gladly fighting for it now," spoke the proud Gemini.

Shion did know. If the stars were any indication. "You are smart too, and you know that the ceremony has passed and I am sticking with my choice." He bit his lip and wondered if he had signed his death warrant. He watched Saga's face turn, his eyes shaded. "Saga?"

The Gemini turned and looked up at him with sad blue eyes, a slight pink in the whites as if holding back his sadness and struggling to accept it. "I know you wouldn't. But I feel like I failed. All that time, and all that work, but I wasn't good enough," he muttered as his face saddened.

The Pope sighed. While Saga has done his best to hide it, it was that urge to be perfect, the best that was drilled in him and Kanon creeping back up once more. While the younger twin easily dumped it, Saga couldn't let go especially since the people of Rodario demanded the same thing of their Gold Saints, forcing the older Gemini to hide his medicine.

He reached over and rested his hand on the Gemini's shoulder. "Don't say that, because it is not true. I value what you do for me and I want you to continue to do so. Yes, Aiolos would accept being second without a thought, but that's why it is important you are there." In a way, Aiolos reminded him of himself, yet the Gemini reminded him of Dohko. Dohko was always pushing and tended to be a bit stubborn. However, if the Tiger wasn't there with his bold nature, he was certain that Holy War would've ended with just one survivor and not two. "But don't think that because you are not Pope, doesn't mean I am not proud of you. You've done many great things already, Saga and I believe you will continue to do so."

Saga took a deep breath and bowed his head. "Thank you, your Holiness." The Old Man was so kind and trustworthy. Dimitris would've never tolerated him speaking how he felt, and he was so fortunate that Shion was someone who was always willing to hear him out. But there was something that didn't feel quite right earlier. "If I was to never be the Pope, why did you announce it in front of Aiolos? Why did I have to find out about it in front of him? If I was not to attain the position, why didn't you tell me beforehand, just like this, so that I could mentally prepare for your declaration?"

The truth was, if he didn't know about the prediction in the stars, he would've done just that. However, Shion wanted Aiolos there, because he was nervous about how the Gemini would react after hearing it. He thought he would lash out in anger and not run off after being dismissed. He also didn't expect him to question it like this. "A witness is needed." It was the best lie he could think of.

The Gemini's gaze trailed before he set his cup down, having emptied it of all its contents. "A witness?" he questioned, clearly unconvinced, and shocked that the Old Man would try such a thing. "I would've still fulfilled that position just as easily if I was informed prior hand." Not only that, but the moment wouldn't have felt so dreadfully awkward.

"I apologize. It was an oversight on my part, Saga." He turned toward the Lemurian clock that featured thirteen numbers instead of twelve. "It is getting late. You've had a long day. We can talk more about this later."

Before he could answer, he watched the elder stand up and picked up his headgear and place it back on before he watched his empty cup float back over with the other dishes, ready to be cleaned when the servant came back. As the Pope hurried to the stairs, it all felt quite odd, especially since one of the most defining traits of Shion was his patience.

Once more, Saga followed him up the stairs and back into the great Main Chambers. He could see the great doors and before the Pope could raise his hand to have them open, the Gemini chose to halt his pace. He waited for Shion to realize that the echoing footsteps were only his own before he spoke up. "Your Holiness, there is one other matter that I came here tonight, one that cannot wait….a confession." He could feel the heat slightly rise, but he kept himself calm. Clearly the curse was wary and trust was needed. "All I ask is that it stays within these walls. Do I have your word?"

Shion swallowed hard. He had witnessed and placed judgment on hundreds from accusations of murder, to when a bakery chose to paint their bakery a tacky off-pink and the people protested because it clashed with the quaint periodical look of the other businesses. When the word confession and a statement indicating it to be private are together, it was never good especially if it was coming from Saga on a night of ill-omen. But he was also the Gemini's confidant during his time of sadness as well as his. "You don't have to ask for assurance. I've told you that whatever you share will only be between us alone."

Even though Saga knew he would, it was very important to hear such promises, for he was extremely nervous. The only other one he had honestly spoken about the curse was Kanon, and he, his own flesh and blood, attempted to use that knowledge in a ridiculous notion of killing the one who had shown nothing but kindness and trust. "You've already known about my bipolar nature."

Shion nodded. "Has my decision made it worse and robbed you of rest?"

He wished. Saga shook his head, summoning the bravery one would fill themselves when asked to cross a tightrope across two buildings. "There is another poison within me and when you denied me of the position of Pope…" the words began to choke, the heat was building quickly, but he must fight, for someone must know of his terrible plight. "I tried to hurt Aiolos for it." The truth was that he nearly killed him, but it was the best he could pull out to prevent the curse for taking over. He shook his head, he could feel his body tense up, but he must continue to fight it. "Swear you will tell no one!" his eyes shifted red.

"I keep my word," he replied delicately, his voice confident to hide his shocked expression. Kanon was missing and Aiolos could've been next. This is not good. "When you are ready, tell me more of what happened between you two. Is he alright?"

Saga tucked his hands and gradually began to ease his breathing. His body was sweating harder than a long training session. It didn't help that he didn't have one of his beloved baths. "Aiolos is bruised, but well." He paused, feeling the heat ease. This was good. How he wished to finally find another he can confide with about this dreadful curse. At that moment, he told the Pope something that he would never admit. "I am afraid!" he pleaded. "I don't want to hurt anyone."

Shion had never seen him so scared in his life. But it also mirrored the final gaze of Yuzuriha as the curse overtook her.

Shion…. Don't look at me...

Despite his knowledge, he reached over and cradled the youth's hands. "I know you don't. The dagger's influence is very strong, but you are much stronger."

It was meant to be a compliment and a means to comfort him. But the Lemurian's kindness had caused him to slip.

Saga's blue eyes widened and his mouth cracked open in shock. He barely said anything. "I've made no mention of a dagger. How did you know that was where my curse came from?"

At that moment, Shion realized his error. He hated the cursed golden weapon and can still see it in his nightmares. But Saga not only never brought it up once nor revealed it. As Shaka had warned him, if one was to utilize the future, it was best to never mix up what one knows with what one will know in the future. Nevertheless, he attempted to fix it. "It's happened before, Saga. When I saw your red eyes, I knew something was wrong and I felt it was best to wait until you say something to ensure I did not do anything to make it worse."

Lies

"You mentioned the dagger!" Saga demanded, seeing through the Pope's attempts to play a card of innocence. "There are hundreds of known curses that result in red eyes from magical touches that cause others to turn to stone to the symptom of gradually being transformed into a spider! Do you think I sit in the library on my time off to do nothing but straighten it up and indulge in tales of hobbits and elves? I did it to find answers to what has happened to me!" He took his fist and beat his chest in anger. "I have yet," he gritted his teeth to regain control. "I have yet to find a single bit indicating a cursed dagger in Greek mythology or Sanctuary history yet that was the first answer you grant me?"

Shion shrank back a little but sighed reluctantly. He had made a mistake, a grave one at that. All he could do was end his ignorance and be more open once more and hope he will forgive him for the deceit. "The stars showed me. Just like they help me see those who are destined for Cloths as well as pinpoint when our lives will cease, I saw you...or your brother….were destined for the dag-"

"DESTINED!?" Saga's eyes had shifted to a dark red. "Destined as in you knew before I was cursed?"

The frail old Lemurian had no more excuses for the vibrant youth. "Yes, Saga. I knew. You and Kanon probably found the box and opened it as many other Gemini have done so before. But please-there is a reason..."

"YOU KNEW!?" Saga's red gaze locked onto the old frail Lemurian as he removed his helmet and mask. For a moment, his clawed hands relaxed, and his face softened as if he believed that perhaps Shion would say something more.

"Saga, being Pope, also means making tough choices and what made it more difficult was that I didn't have one. Please liste-"

"No choice!? I didn't have a choice! I was nine years old! Did you think I willingly chose to forgo peace of mind and rest? Do you think I willingly embraced the hundreds of voices hounding me day and night?" He felt his arms swings wildly at light speed, before he wrapped himself in them to maintain the last grasp of control even as the last thread of it was fraying away. "You had no choice? LIES! You had a choice to warn me and Kanon of the curse and you did NOTHING! Do you think that your inaction gives you clean hands? Oh, but that wasn't the only choice you were given. You had a choice of me or my twin's life to ruin."

Shion barely dodged the lightspeed blast of cosmos that struck the edge of his necklace, melting the silver thread, breaking it and causing the precious beads and stone to scatter all over the floor.

"I have done everything right! I had behaved as a proper Gold Saint should while Kanon abused his abilities by stealing and breaking into places he shouldn't be! You yourself knew how much time I spent trying to clean and defend the chaos he left! Yet Kanon is allowed to be free of the curse while you sentence me to die from it! Is it because I'm bipolar and he's not? Because he is normal and doesn't need medicine and worth keeping as a spare once you scrap my cursed corpse out of this Cloth!?"

"No! Of course not! I never saw you like that," the frail old man pleaded, praying desperately that this will not escalate anymore. If only Saga could just calm down, But the Gemini seemingly slithered back and forth. "Saga!" he called once more, but all that was answered were growls and hisses.

Shion watched horrified, as if the red fire in the Gemini's eyes practically ignited, the long dark blue strands seemingly burned away leaving an ash-colored grey before he charged forward in a frantic light-sped frenzy.

Shion raised his hands and used his telekinesis to move back just as quickly away from the strikes that would render boulders into dust, his head dizzy at the rate Saga's cosmos was rising. He must try once more. "Saga! That's not why I chose you!" He wished he could say more, but he must focus. "SAGA! STOP!" he pleaded.

But the Gemini was without words, and the Lemurian knew he couldn't hear him. The red that had bled into his normally white cosmos, his eyes so red it felt like there was no soul within. His stance is more feral than man. A loud cackle followed before he threw a rather large oblong ball of cosmos at the Pope.

Shion focused his mental strength at it to deflect it away. But the force and weight of the object were far too great and it kept going. His eyes widened as a golden glint shone as if mocking him, before striking him right into his chest as if he was struck by a bolt of lightning. There in the center of his chest was the golden handle of the cursed dagger. It throbbed and burned and as tempting as it was, he knew not to pull it out. He crumpled and agonized before he used his cosmos. He may not be able to heal himself, but he could at least disperse the thoughts of pain. He cannot afford any distractions. He moved his body away from the oncoming Gold while holding the weapon in place.

That was when the cursed Gemini raised his hands and summoned a grand ball of cosmos. The heat of the concentrated cosmos swallowed the ancient tapestries while causing the chandeliers to rattle before either tumbling to the ground or dissolving into nothing as a focused swirl of Galaxian Explosion was being gathered to reduce the one who destroyed his life into ashes.

At that moment, the frail old Lemurian, with the body of a hundred and five-year-old human, his once great muscles long atrophied, his once nimble joints gripped by arthritis, his vision nearly blind, gazed at the magnificent Golden Cloth youth, who clutched Galaxian Explosion as Atlas held the world.

"Saga! Don't do this! Please!" Shion begged, but could sense that the curse was in survival mode and the Gemini could not hear his words. "Saga! No! No! NO!" He tried to reason.

"I HATE YOU!" a gravelly voice followed.

Shion shook his head as tears came down his face.

For he knew exactly what would happen next.

His head hung low, as the Gemini was charging his attack to ensure the greatest amount of suffering would be inflicted upon him.

"Oh Saga," he muttered as it felt like he was staring at the sun itself. "

I have traveled the depths of the Underworld.

I have traded blows with hundreds of specters.

I had my heart ripped and shoved back in.

I was in the jaws of the great hellhound of Hades.

I was nearly dragged and drowned in one river and frozen in another.

I was tortured by the strings of a Judge.

The God of Death held me by my throat and told me I would never see another sunrise. *smiles*

You have trained among friends.

I have battled with gods.

You have left me no choice.

Saga, you would tell everyone:

Power Always Beats Strength.

But I say:

Experience Trumps All.

He raised his hands and summoned Crystal Wall around the Galaxian Explosion. When the massive force of energy reflected itself, the explosion inverted and formed a miniature black hole, sucking the Gemini right into the center of it with such force that it instantly shattered the Gold Cloth to pieces.

Shion then raised a hand to form another crystal wall over it before Saga could get sucked inside where all matter would be crushed and inverted. He held it until it swallowed itself and disappeared. Once safe, the Pope hobbled over to Saga's bloody body. His guess was that the Gemini must have used his cosmos to shield his body.

Despite the strain on his knees, Shion knelt down. Saga's hair was back to blue, but he was barely alive. Without any help to seal his wounds, Saga would surely die of blood loss.

If Saga dies, the curse goes away for another generation.

But if Saga and everyone else lives, there is hope that no one will die at the Wailing Wall.

But it was more than that. The moment Saga entered Sanctuary, the star of death connected the two. For nine years, Shion imagined that Saga would come to him after his decision and betray him, but the irony was that Saga only attacked when he betrayed him, even if it was for the greater good.

Shion picks him up and closes his eyes, and begins to use his cosmos to heal the Gemini.

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

Coming June 13

Sagittarius and Gemini 5E: The Event Finale

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

With the end of the school year, I was suddenly hammered with so much paperwork to turn in due to the Coronavirus. Because of that, nights that I could've used typing this, were spent on crafting excel sheets and e-printing pdfs to send to others. I can't tell you how happy I was when I finally finished.

But it was not just that, but there were several sections that I would write one day and revise the next, just to get it right. Part of the difficulty is adjusting how characters acted before everything went down. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Sorry if it was incredibly late. Read and review if it entertained you.