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?

40. Gemini 6D: I'm a Believer

PRISON

A bearded man, laid on the ground, his eyes slightly open. It was what a lot of them did at this time of the day since it was sweltering in there. However, he couldn't sleep. The guy next to him was arrested for public intoxication and he smelled like it too.

His head turned, first toward the ceiling, hearing a variety of footsteps and then at the door, where a bright light cracked through as the two doors separated. "Oh…" he uttered as he stared at the figure before him. His brown eyes trailed up, gazing at the perfectly heavenly lips, smooth flawless skin, and vibrant sky-blue eyes. When she stopped right next to him, and his head felt drunk from the flowery perfume, his hand reached over and slid up the boot and opening of the silk pants.

SLAM

Aphrodite took his foot and kicked him so hard that he spun in the other direction, a cracked tooth flying in the air. The Pisces flipped his sky blue hair back. Goddess how he hates it when that happens here. Just because he was beautiful, didn't mean he wished to be touched. Doesn't help that he was as ritualistic about manscaping as Saga was with his baths.

The Pisces, dressed in a lovely fuchsia, mulberry silk blouse with white linen palazzo-style pants, stood there trying to scan for the area that Deathmask usually occupied. That was when the Pisces sensed a familiar cosmos. He looked down. He watched the prisoners, feeling the Cancer's telekinetic gentle pushes, scatter in fear and provide a small path for Deathmask to walk with ease as if he was king of the street rats.

However, despite them typically running ahead, he had yet to see any children. "So where are the rest of the motley crew?" he spoke through the cosmos.

Deathmask turned toward a clearing, bent down, sat back, and used his telekinesis in such a way as if he was sitting on an invisible chair before he cooly answered. "They moved them about five days ago. Aiolos finally discovered someone was putting kids together with the adults so he had an old warehouse converted as a place to be held at and had their trials fast-tracked."

Aphrodite knew his friend for a long time and watching him quickly turn to the corner where he safeguarded the children, he could tell that he missed them, but was happy they weren't in this place. "I'm surprised it took him that long to find out."

DM, all too familiar with what he saw in Italy, rolled his eyes. "I'm not! From what I've heard, Aiolos arranged for an investigation and it didn't take long for him to find out that the one in charge of here, pocketed the money Shura sent to have the kids moved out a couple of weeks ago."

The Pisces brought his rose closer to his face, enamored by the tale. "Shura's not going to be pleased by that."

Deathmask cackled. "Holy shit,... You should have visited sooner. We all could hear the Spaniard from down here. Shura was so fucking pissed that he made sure that the guy was demoted so low that he was going to have to kotow to trainees."

"Shura is always so tight about such matters. It's a miracle that whoever it was, kept his head."

Deathmask let out a snort. "Shit, I'm lucky I kept my head after I let Aiolos know about it."

The Pisces turned his head. "What do you mean?"

For a moment the Cancer went a bit silent. "He took me down and nearly cut my own face off."

Aphrodite's face flushed as red as the rose between his teeth in anger. Deathmask was supposed to receive a fair trial, and they tried to kill him down here? "Wait!" Aphrodite's shock shifted to confusion. "How did he do it? He can't walk!"

"Took me by surprise! Aldebaran was standing in the back and I was close enough. I was thinking I didn't have anything to worry about and then he just grabbed me and spun me around. I couldn't breath… he had the knife to my face so I couldn't move without getting slashed up...and holy shit...he was fucking strong... I didn't think he would do something that psychotic!" Deathmask narrated, gesturing wildly, his eyes wide open.

For anyone else, it sounded crazy and perhaps anyone else would dismiss the Cancer as full of shit, but Aphrodite was the only other Gold, besides Saga, who knew Aiolos was cursed and Big Blue tasked him with keeping an eye on things here. He wished he could tell his friend, but until he gets word from Saga to do so, he'll just have to hold off.

While Aphrodite did believe him, it was clear the Italian was leaving something important out. He had dealt with Saga's cursed side for years. There was always a trigger. "What did you say to set him off?"

"What did I say? Why are you-" Deathmask watched Aphrodite give him the look before he gave in. "-fine. I 'jokingly' said that I was going to cut his brother's face off. It was clearly sarcastic." The Cancer began, doing his best to tell what happened while softening what the event was really like. "Aiolia was there! You know him! He's got one of the quickest tempers in the Zodiac and he was fine when I said it. I figured Aiolos would put two and two together, tell me something like I was full of shit and just leave... but he took it the wrong way!"

Aphrodite drew a hand to his face in frustration. Despite the explanation being far too full of fluff, it didn't change how he felt about it. "First-of-all, that wasn't funny."

The Italian's eyes narrowed. "Says the guy that allows bodies to be used as fertilizer for their roses."

"I do it out of necessity to ensure Saga stays the Pope." As well as to avoid becoming rose fodder himself. "You, on the other hand, your excuse is that your predecessors did it, and frankly, it is a tradition I wish you would stop."

Cancer paused. "You do? But come on, I mean people aren't trying to traffic kids as much now that they know what will happen to them! I have put them out of their place and I can damn well tell you that all the kids down here are less likely to be kidnapped and trafficked thanks to me!"

Aphrodite folded his arms, resting the petals near his lips. "Perhaps, but you also changed. I don't like it, "Aphrodite spoke, keeping it simple and very frank.

"Oh yeah? You praise Saga, and yet he has killed so many that he hires twice the amount needed as backups! Why does he get a free pass and yet you're so 'concerned' about me."

The Pisces touched this throbbing temple. To think he only came over just to restock the Cancer's need for some whiskey. If he was going to talk about the Italian's behavior, he would rather do it privately with words and not feel weird by doing it all through the cosmos, surrounded by men who smell like they haven't bathed in weeks."Saga didn't have a choice. He was cursed. But you do. Trafficking of children needs to stop, but there has to be another way, one where you don't sacrifice your own humanity to accomplish it."

Deathmask went silent and while he was not one to contemplate, he did so with Aphrodite. He related to the Pisces in that he always felt a bit of an outsider. To hear his longtime friend say such a thing struck him hard. The Italian wished he could say something poignant, but fuck, that wasn't his schtick. "So you said 'First-of-all', earlier, so what exactly was 'second'?"

Aphrodite gently tapped the petals of the red rose, in his hand, against his lip. While Deathmask was clearly dodging the topic, the fact that he didn't act like a smartass indicated he did take his words seriously. Aphrodite rolls with it and proceeds to explain. "Second, you need to watch what you say to the archer. You still have your trial. When your trial comes, be professional and state that you were under orders."

Aphrodite reached into his pocket and found an old pen and piece of paper. "Here, write an apology, and when I return to the Pope's Chambers, just apologize to him, and I'll deliver it."

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

HOUSE BY THE WOODS

The sewing room was one of the few places with a window in the house. It used to be where Aiolia and Aiolos' mother would repair their clothes, crochet, and do her embroidery in, but for now, it served as the younger brother's temporary office in his hunt to search for Saga.

Two maps of Greece, one that featured the contemporary layout that outsiders were familiar with and the other that featured the boundaries drawn by Sanctuary, had several markers and notes upon it.

While Saga knew his way around the world and will go wherever he was sent, unlike Kanon who loved to traverse different countries with Another Dimension, Saga was far more introverted and would rather stay in Greece. But still, he made sure to pepper certain areas like Aphrodite's old home in Sweden just in case.

Sitting on a wooden stool, next to the sewing desk, Aiolia read the latest report from a top undercover soldier that Shura recommended. The Leo yawned a bit as he turned page after page of hourly observations that basically stated that the Gemini had made no attempt at returning to his old house by the beach.

While he figured that Saga wouldn't try to make that his hiding spot, Aiolia did spot a stockpile of the medicine that the Gemini secretly took, making it the perfect place to keep constant vigilance over.

"Goddess this is so fucking boring," Aiolia muttered. One would think that going on a manhunt would be filled with playing detective and some grand chase around the world, but instead, it consisted of reading hundreds of papers stating that nobody found anything and getting stressed over the fact that no big break had occurred.

He tossed the folder on the side and stared at the map on the wall. "Gotta be Delphi," Aiolia muttered. The city was huge, there were a number of cosmos users which would help blanket small usages of Another Dimension, and the Gemini had connections there.

The problem is that due to its size and the fact that it was quite modern, Aiolia couldn't just close off the city as they could with Rodario without causing widespread panic.

The Leo turned to the clock, and if habits were to go by, his brother would be arriving soon. He turned toward his new bow, quiver, and arrows that he had purchased since his old one was made back when he was a kid. While Aiolos hunted out of enjoyment and as a part of the training, since firing an arrow at a stationary dummy lacked any challenge, Aiolia didn't see the point in going to the woods anymore, especially since Galan would cook, or used to cook, whatever he wanted.

Look, you don't have to go. I understand. But if you ever change your mind, let me know.

Aiolia still could recall when he was eight and he basically told Aiolos that he didn't want to do it anymore. He had no intention of hurting Aiolos' feelings, but after that moment, the Leo could tell that the Sagittarius was greatly saddened to the point that it still left him guilty when he thought back.

Today was different. The two hadn't done anything non-Sanctuary since they reunited. It will be back like the old days. Part of it was out of nostalgia, most of it was in hope that it will fix whatever the hell was going on with Aiolos, and a new reason came up a week ago.

His blue eyes traveled to mother's old sewing supplies that he had piled in the corner, from a metal thimble and bone needles, to the unused handspun yarn that Aiolos said came from a nearby sheepherder whom their father bartered with cured meats. Four years ago, he recalled his thoughts about just giving it all away since he could barely remember their mother and had no use for it. Now he's thankful that he didn't since Marin has been eyeing it. To be honest, the room itself would make for a nice spot to set up for the baby.

He stood up and walked over to the bedroom door and gently opened it back up. There was Marin...laying face down as she usually did, a habit that will, unfortunately, have to change in the next few months.

He crawled back into bed and slipped his hand back over her stomach and began to gently slide it around until he found the special spot where a small cosmos, that was smaller than a sesame seed, was different from the rest of Marin's. Despite it being so small, he could feel the flickers and pulses of activity as if the Big Bang was in full swing and he was completely in love with it. He asked how she found out, and she told him that a couple days prior, she just woke up thinking there was someone near them only to realize it was from within. If his birthday wasn't so close, she would've told him then, but thought it would make a lovely gift.

He laid there silently beside her before he whispered I love you, Rin in her ear, and followed it up with a soft kiss.

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

The Sagittarius rode Zephyr down the long lonely trail surrounded by the fields. It was a path he knew by heart since it was the only way to reach his house.

"Have fun!" shouted a distant voice.

Aiolos turned his head and produced a wave to Aldebaran and Mu as his bodyguards agreed to watch him from there. That was the thing he hated about being the Pope was how much protection was required outside the Twelve Houses. Once the transition from Saga to himself was complete and all essential business was taken care of, he was definitely changing that aspect so he wasn't forced to walk around with a combination of a dozen foot soldiers and Saints because he craved some baklava from Demeter's. He kind of wondered why Saga never altered that rule, but perhaps he did so since being surrounded by people kept the curse from acting out as much. Already he could tell that was the case when it seemed like when his brother was there, he was able to hold back with ease.

Except for that time in prison.

Aiolos' face saddened. He nearly killed Deathmask, but he also probably embarrassed his brother in front of Aldebaran. He knew the two went off to talk, and it was most likely him.

The archer shook his head and dismissed what had happened. Right now, this was to be a nice brother bonding experience.

He fed his cosmos to the sandy stallion and as if it was second nature, the two were zipping down at light speed. Aiolos loved his horse since Zephyr was the only way he can move at light speed as well as get anywhere without hobbling on a cane. He eased the flow of cosmos at the final bend on the path, hearing his partner snort in disappointment after being forced to canter at normal speed once more. He looked up and could see his little brother already prepared, sitting on an older white mare, probably borrowed from Sanctuary's stables. "You know, it's not very nostalgic if I'm not dragging your ass out of bed with you screaming about wanting to sleep an extra five minutes!"

Aiolia chuckled. It was a good sign to hear his older brother...being an older brother. "That's because if I did that, Seiya's going to wake up and want to come along."

The archer let out an uncomfortable laugh. "Oh please, I know you're bluffing about bringing Seiya along since you're not wearing your Leo Cloth for protection from his bad aim." Aiolos gestured his hand to come to follow him just like the old days.

The two rode at an easy stride down the clearing that was made from repeated past trips from them as well as their fathers and grandfathers. The large rock still had the old scratch marks of stick figure people on it. They grabbed a few raspberries from a bush that always seemed quite generous and both pointed out the fact that the tallest tree in the woods had fallen over, creating a triangular arch over the usual path.

Normally, once they passed the giant pine that was split down the middle, they would quiet down and Aiolia would see his brother shift from goofy to a more focused and wary mode as if examining every slight track, broken branch, or even the shifts of the wind that would betray their location toward their prey.

Instead, Aiolia noticed that the only prey that his older brother was on the lookout for, was himself. "What is it?" the younger asked.

Aiolos pulled the reins to halt his horse before looking up. "Your face," he pointed up. "Look, I know how eager you are about the joy of pulling out deer guts and rolling in the mud, but unless my tits round out and I grow red long red hair, that is not the face one makes unless they have something on their mind," he spoke as he pointed toward the long grin that Aiolia was trying to tame but failing miserably. When his younger brother turned his head as if trying to hide it, that was when he knew something was going on. "Come on, what is it?"

Aiolia sighed. He was planning on telling him afterward, but it seemed like there was no point in hiding it. "Marin...she's…" the words that should've followed didn't leave. Perhaps it was because it all happened within a month of her moving in or maybe it was the paradoxical truth of how Saints can brag about beating the shit out of the other yet were tongue-tied when it came to love and babies.

But for Aiolos, those two words were enough and his jaw absolutely dropped. "Really!?"

Aiolia's eyes shifted a bit. Why was talking about this so hard especially since he was really wanting to tell him? The Leo, unable to speak nodded his head stupidly up before he found the courage. "I'm going to be a father."

While the younger was all choked up, the older had no problem displaying his happiness. "By the Goddess! That's fantastic!" as if Zephyr was his own legs, he shifted his weight to guide the horse over and parked next to his little brother and ruffled his curls so hard that they practically flattened on his noggin. "How far along is she?" he spoke as he let go of his brother's head.

"About a week. I know it is early and it's super tiny...like a really tiny seed. But I felt it. It's weird like the cosmos doesn't match Marin or mine, but I can kind of sense a connection," the Leo felt so bubbly, but he wasn't the only one.

"Does Seiya know?"

Aiolia gave a sturdy 'no'. "Marin said I should hold off on that in case we lose it." Marin had warned him that the chances of it ending early are higher early on. "But you're my brother, and I want you to be the first to know."

Aiolos wasn't sure if it was because he had no sleep from being Pope and being cursed, or because he was touched…. Perhaps it was because of both… but he wiped a tear from his eye. He felt Aiolia reach over and hug him. "You know...sometimes I wished you were back to being little...before everything happened...but right now, I am just as happy that you're a man now." He sighed. "But I'm not surprised since the first time I saw you and Marin together, I knew you two were perfect for each other."

Aiolia nodded, "she is. Honestly, I don't think I would've made it if I didn't have her." Frankly, that was an understatement. He was literally alone and rejected, but she stayed beside him no matter how dangerous things got. If there wasn't a stronger sign that the two were meant to be together, he didn't know what was.

Aiolia looked up. "You deserve someone too." He knew he was the only one Aiolos ever admitted his insecurity about finding love... Something that has grown even trickier since he took the robes and the girl that he really liked wouldn't be able to come to Sanctuary as well as the fact that Aiolos really took breaking up with Futaba quite hard. "I know you said it is tricker, but still, nobody says the Pope can't get married. Have you ever thought about finding a girl outside of Rodario in either the mountains or the nearby villages? When I was in the mountains, there was a girl named Maddie. She raises goats and she does a lot of gathering. She kind of reminded me of you how she spends all day outside and..."

As Aiolia kept talking, Aiolos pressed his lips in thought, but not because he was considering it. As the oldest, he was expected to be the first to have a family, and technically, despite not living there, the House was also under his name. He felt the heat of the curse rise and while he always smiled and went along with it. But the curse always revealed one's inner heart, feelings, and desires and there was something that Aiolos always wished he could tell his brother. "It doesn't...have to be a girl," the archer bluntly blurted, his head turned away as his eyes flickered red.

"Oh," Aiolia uttered in surprise. "I didn't know. But you liked Futaba."

"She was wonderful. But, so was he as well." Aiolos rubbed his face and used the sweat off his palm to check the reflection of his eyes to make sure they were back to being blue once more.

"Ah sure, that's fine, "spoke Aiolia a bit surprised. It wasn't that he was opposed to being gay...or rather bi. But what did surprise him was as to why Aiolos didn't tell him sooner? This was Rodario. It was many things, but homophobic definitely wasn't one of them. If anything, being straight tended to make one the odd duck of the group.

Aiolia noticed that it seemed like Aiolos dated a guy in the past.

But with who?

Most of the Zodiac was too young before the great betrayal, the guards and Homer were far too old.

Couldn't be Galan since his former caretaker made it clear he knew the difficulty of being one of the few straight ones out there.

Definitely not Kanon either...

…

…

…

…

Aiolia swallowed hard. He looked up with frail hope. "So, did you and Kento ever date?" his voice cracked, hoping that Aiolos' old Japanese tutor/ Hidden Dagger protector from Tokyo was it.

Aiolos shook his head no.

…

…

…

At that moment, Aiolia's old memories of when Aiolos would spend far too long with the older Gemini came up… every time Aiolos ever told him that he was letting Saga stay the guest room or vice versa… all those times he would find the two conveniently sitting next to each other in the bath…

…

…

…

That one time Saga was wearing Aiolos' red headband...

...

Oh Goddess…

Oh Athena…

Oh Hera….

Oh Aphrodite…

Oh Demeter…

Oh Artemis…

...

Anyone but him...

…

…

Even after all that happened… all those times he came to the Pope's Chambers and Aiolos was sitting by the unconscious Gemini and was holding his hand….

….

….

….

Now Aiolia knows how Seiya felt the first time he forgot to lock the bedroom door.

The Leo whipped out his old wooden bow with one hand and grabbed the reins. "Alright... Enough talk...let's go kill something."

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

Gemini: Defying Gravity

6D: I'm a Believer

BOLD: Cursed Mode

BOLD AND ITALICIZED: Ares speaking

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

? ? ?

The Pope takes his bloody hand and flicks the carcass off to the side to be properly consumed by the roses of Aphrodite's garden.

Several bodies lay strewn over the floor, the result of another day where there were just too many failures during the new training ground regiment for the foot soldiers.

Paz gasped at the horrible sight that now seems more like a daily occurrence. She clutched her old stuffed owl, the fur, long matted from constant tears, and the fluff is long gone from squeezing it hard during the seemingly endless parties.

The Pope turned his head as she stood there in her long white gown and her purple wig. "Paz, please return to your room," he spoke, hints of the curse, breaking through his voice.

But the young teen of fifteen years old has now blossomed into a beauty that was starting to cause others of her own age to turn their heads, not just because she was pretending to be a Goddess. But with age, came other, not so pleasant, aspects of being a teenager. The Chilean rolled her eyes and heavily sighed. She wasn't a child anymore. "Saga, that is the only place I ever go to now when I am not needed. We don't do anything together! You used to teach my lessons, now I have to have someone else do it! We used to read by the balcony! It's been two months since we last opened Les Miserables. Can we find out what happens to Cosette?"

She watched him pace back and forth, one of the newer habits that he had attained. He doesn't do it because he was thinking, but rather a mental war was going on.

"Go back to your room until Friday. I will see your meals delivered at your door."

Paz's lip drooped. She shook her head no before the words came out. "That's five days. I can't do this anymore! Please, I feel like I am in a prisión!" She gasped as she drew her hands to her lips.

But the damage was done. The Pope jerked his head. A few years ago, Saga would calmly talk to her about it. But now, such control was gone. "Prisión? Do you not mean prison? How many times have I told you that you cannot reveal your accent! The GODDESS IS GREEK AND SHE SHOULDN'T SOUND SPANISH!" Before he realized it, his fist involuntarily tightened and a flash of red lightning crackled over and struck the girl in the center of the head, to make her more obedient now that she was her rebellious teenage stage.

If it was a Saint that received the Emperor's Fist, even a Bronze, they would follow the order without question. But Paz was just a normal girl from Chile and the moment it struck her, everything simply went blurry, as if her mind was melting. She collapsed to the floor, her mouth slightly agape, blood pooling down her nose and eyes. "-Sssaa…" she tried to utter his name as the wig clumsy slid off her head. "I…"

The Gemini felt his hair turn back to blue and he rushed over. He picked her up, gently tapping her cheeks. "Paz...no...no no...I'm sorry…"

"Saaa…" she tried to say, but a bit drool pooled out of her mouth before she went limp, dying a day before Seiya and his friends invaded Sanctuary.

She was his final victim.

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

"Saga? Are you okay?"

The Gemini turned his head and realized he was back in the guestroom of Orphee's house. He turned his head to see Galan sitting there, wearing the red headband on his head. While the servant still wore it to support his friend, it didn't make him feel any less guilty, seeing the familiar red tails waver in the air. "Huh?" Not the sharpest reply, but his mind felt groggy.

Galan sighed. "You were talking in your sleep."

"What did I say?"

Galan hesitated for a moment, knowing the Gemini wouldn't like it. "You kept saying,

help me…

help me…

stop me...

kill me…

kill me…

oh Paz...no no no...I'm sorry," he spoke with a dry matter-of-fact tone as if it would ease the disturbing words that came out.

A sick feeling filled the Gemini's stomach. Except for the last line, none of it was what was said, but his feelings. He cared about Paz, his fake Athena. Back in Sanctuary, some days he was grateful that he took her out of the orphanage. How could anyone not feel sorry for her? She was separated by her identical twin because she was the ill one with asthma, and if her account was true, Kanon was there and took away her brother Io too. He couldn't leave that place and leave her behind too. But at the same time, the dream reflected his greatest fear that she too would fall, victim, as many others had.

The idea, that he would lose enough control to the point that he would carelessly kill her, made him sick. Should he ever do such an act, then he truly would be irredeemable."It was so real."

The caretaker narrowed his eyes. "How real?"

The Gemini drew his hands to his dyed blond hair. "I could feel the stone marble of the throne...the wet warm blood...her words…"

"-take it seriously...see it as a warning," Galan snapped without hesitation. "The night before...when everything happened I woke up to hear Aiolia screaming. I ran to him and there he was, in a cold sweat and gasping. For him, he was visiting his brother and Aiolos was sleeping. No matter how hard he tried, Aiolos wouldn't wake up in the dream."

Saga nodded. "Athena says the same thing. To follow our dreams. As if there was a reason our spirit seeks it."

Time after time, just when he could receive a night of rest, either the death and destruction from the past, or a future yet to come, won't stop haunting him. "Why did you come here?"

"Athena asked me to come ask you if there was anything else you need?" It wasn't just the Goddess, but he desired to as well. Time was running out. It seemed like even simple trips like fetching a cup of tea wastes precious seconds that were direly needed to find a way to end the curse.

Saga shook his head no and he watched Galan begin to turn. Suddenly, something came to mind. "Wait!" Caretakers in Sanctuary were well known for taking care of all the needs of a Gold Saint. However, what is not as well known, is their ability to procure just about anything for a Gold Saint. He raised his hand and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle and held it to the servant."I'm getting low on my sane pills. Another servant used to fetch them for me from my house by the beach. I've been running low and I've thought about skipping every other day to conserve them."

Galan's only hand twitched, holding back the urge to smack the Gemini with the bottle. "I've already seen how you act without them!" He still recalled the three of them back in the quarry, the Gemini frantically switching wildly from suicidal to anger. Right now, they can't afford to have Saga go into another manic episode."Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Saga shifted his eyes away. He tapped his hand and took a few heavy breaths. "I'm...ashamed...I am one of the twelve, one the Goddess' perfect protectors...and let's face it...I can't function without it."

Galan rocked what little medication was left in it. Maybe Saga caused a lot of trouble from the curse, but it is very clear that he has been sincere in working hard to undo it. "I'm missing an arm, so I wear a prosthetic to make me whole. I have no shame in that. If you need medicine to make you whole, you shouldn't feel ashamed either. Don't worry. I'm sure I can go over to a Shrine for Hermes and ask an old woman." he spoke using footsoldier slang for the black market.

At that moment, as Galan turned away, perhaps because he too shared the same Greek curls and seeing the familiar sight of the long red tails of the headband, he couldn't help but stare at them. "Lucas…." he muttered as if the whisper would magically summon him. For a moment he thought back to the last page in Aiolos journal of the archer thinking of asking him out, that still made his heart flutter a little when he thought of it. He wants that happiness once more, but right now, he needs to have Aiolos back, and not some mindless doll of the curse.

Saga sat Shion's journals down. It was at that moment, he had an urge to visit the Room of the Golden Ball. He didn't feel depressed or anything. But after reading all of them, he just had an urge to visit there. Besides, in some ways, he liked coming there and seeing Dr. Krios and Quon/Secretary Not-Crane-Yuzuriha. He positioned himself by laying his head on the table and relaxing there. After all the return trips, he was certain if he was like this, it won't give him whiplash. He traced the symbol before everything grew bright.

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

ROOM OF THE GOLDEN ORB LOBBY

The Gemini turned his head back and forth. "What the?" The lobby seemed a little brighter than usual. His head turned toward the desk and noticed it was strangely empty. Usually, Quon would be there, but she was absent. Perhaps she was busy or took the day off?

Saga's head turned toward the magazines and picked up what was on top. "Hottest movies of the summer." He turned the page, curiously. He may not have seen one in years, but he always found it fascinating on what was considered popular. "50 Shades of Red. Anastasia and Christian Grey take BDSM to a new level when Christian brings home a golden dagger." Saga's brow wrinkled. "Let's see the review...hmmm…. Incredibly kinky...but tame when compared to a typical Saturday night in the Pope's Chambers." He paused. "Runtime: 5 minutes. That's a bit...short. Either Anastasia dies early or Christain doesn't last long."

"The actor is from Ireland, so it is certainly the latter," spoke the unibrow British as he mysteriously appeared next to the Gemini, reading the morbidly, yet fascinating, synopsis for Titanic 2: The Musical.

"You're still here?" The Gemini gasped in shock. "How many observations will he need to become a psychologist?"

"Hmmm, let me see." Mr. R set his clipboard and magazine down, pulled out a calculator, and tapped wildly upon the buttons. "I say, assuming he has been living in a studio apartment with three other people while sustaining his nutritional needs solely on generic ramen and tap water, I believe this final observation should be just enough to clean out the last of his student loans. By the might of Hades, we certainly do not want to cross that line and risk something as obscene as loan forgiveness."

Saga leaned his head back. "Well anyways, do you know where the secretary is? She should be at her desk by no-" he paused mid-word before he got up and approached the front.

The Room of the Golden Orb must draw on certain aspects of Saga's mind to craft this place. Sensing that Saga realized that something was not right, it placed Quon there, but due to the tremendous energy loss, it does its best to compensate.

Saga stares at the marble stone statue of the Lemurian girl, no life beyond the smile she always gave every time he came there.

Suddenly, the door cracked open. "Good morning, Sag-" Dr. Krios looked up and spotted the statue. It was just too much, and he felt his composure crumble. "Excuse me," he muttered before he took the door and quickly closed it, not too hard to be rude, but enough to show it troubled him.

Saga ran over. "Dr. Krios?" he asked through the door.

There was a long silence.

"Saga, I'm...just..."

The Gemini turned toward the stone statue next to him. "Does it have to do with Quon?"

On the other side, the doctor sobbed because for the first time, despite the wars he had fought, all the lives that were sacrificed throughout the centuries, he had finally understood the true horror that humans described when a parent loses their child. "It does." He turned toward the Golden Orb. What was once a solid burst of light, now it wavered as every so often. "I...just need a little more time." It wasn't that he didn't want the Gemini here. Quite the contrary, he was always welcomed. But humans tended to reciprocate emotions that they see, and he felt that if Saga saw the smudges of tears in his glasses, the red that filled the whites of his eyes, it may make him sad as well. "Tell me, Saga, what brings you here today?" he asked, trying to have a normal tone.

But Saga was not fooled. He was a Gemini, one who knew how to wear a smile as a mask beneath layers of sorrow. Still, he liked Dr. Krios and he plays along. "Alright," he spoke as he turned around and put his back to the door.

Mr. R pulled out his clipboard. "Hmmm, interesting tactic. He asks for a verbal agreement to start in order to begin charging by the hour, while still prolonging the start. +10 points."

The Gemini ignored him. Instead, he focused on why he was there. "You said you would lend an ear when it came to my search for the curse."

"Of course."

"After our last meeting, I heard Shion's voice, and he told me about his journals. I read them, and I just couldn't stop thinking about them."

This caused the young Lemurian to turn his head curiously. "Why is that?"

Saga folded his arms. "It was like going back in time. For a Saint who lost nearly all of his friends and forced into the position that he didn't understand, he was...brilliant early on. Rodario was absolutely leveled, and no one wanted to come back to it in fear of another Holy War. So he had what little forces he had, rebuilding Demeter's bakery and the House of Worship. The people came for the bread, stayed for prayer, and they too began to clear away the debris and start anew. A lesser ruler would bribe the people, yet he understood the message of Athena, that a human's spirit was not to be underestimated, and trusted them that they would not leave their homes, despite the horror they experienced."

"But you have made Rodario wealthy once more as Pope. You crafted programs to help the needy."

But Saga shook his head. "It is true, but while I merely pruned the tree, Shion was the one who grew it from a sapling, both admirable tasks, but one carries a greater weight of importance."

"All good things must end. You hear the people. The Pope is so old and senile. The Old Man needs to retire. For every Euro he uses to help out the poor, ten euros will always go for the wealthy. You and Aiolos are forced to clean up older legislation. But at least he is kind…," Dr. Krios muttered just a handful of things that he's heard over the years as if being old meant being deaf.

Saga took a deep breath since he's heard the same things and even said some of it too. "Such things were said," he paused again. "I've said such things because I could never understand why someone as smart as he could perform so poorly as Pope. But now I do. It wasn't his age or he wasn't qualified, but it was simply the fact that with every encounter he had with the curse, he became more determined to end it. When he wasn't ruling, he was researching. But the role of the Pope does not afford the luxury of free time. So he directed his duties towards the nobles. While at first, they were honorable, slowly they chipped away and would present things that were on the surface, good for the people, but lined their own pockets. They would write about things that should happen but never did anything about it. By the time he learned that Sanctuary was no longer being led by him, but by greed, it was too late. The nobles didn't care, because they knew Shion would receive the blame. But yet, Shion didn't care, because he understood the curse was more important to fight against, while I on the other hand focused on restoring the reputation of the Pope, and giving up. When I should honor him, and continue his search."

The door suddenly opened and the Lemurian awaited him there with gentle eyes. "Saga, I think he would be truly touched that rather than look back at his life and delighted in how far he had fallen, you sought to understand him. However, to say that he was righteous and you were selfish when it came to the duties of the Pope, well I think he would say that is certainly not true. A man with an ego does not equal a selfish man. You wanted what was best for the people, and I'm certain Shion would be very proud of that," he gestured for him to come inside.

The Lemurian turned his head over toward the Lobby and frowned a little. Quon is gone because she was crafted straight from the Golden Orb, but Mr. R remains since he originated as one of the complex layers of Saga's mental guards.

Saga looked around, sensing a different atmosphere within the room. Before it felt safe, yet so rigid like any other modern office...yet there seemed to be a pleasant yet dream-like atmosphere now. Everything felt so soft, especially in the light. A gentle wind filled the room now, with several outdated encyclopedia books flapping around up high.

His head turned toward a bowl that his mother used to hold the fruit in the kitchen. But instead of a bunch of bananas and oranges, it was a large tree with thirteen golden apples hanging from it.

The Gemini looked up toward the only window to see a sandy stallion sticking its head out of the window. It felt like it was specifically watching him. He wanted to pet it, and he was nervous it would leave if he didn't.

Horses.

One of the few animals out there that will go against its survival instinct and charge forward in war rather than run away.

This place felt different with every encounter, but it was the first time there was a sense of peace from within. It was the first time he truly felt comfortable at where he was at.

But the psychologist knew. The Room of the Golden Orb must rely upon the state of mind of the Gemini, and since finding peace with Athena not too long ago, Saga's spiritual side, another aspect of his persona that he stuck deep within his soul, was awakening.

The room reflected Saga.

He first came, with both a desire to run away and destroy it, an atmosphere that only one who was suicidal could understand.

Now he came, not out of trouble, but because he chose it.

And thus, Saga was beginning to accept himself.

Dr. Krios looked back up to the horse. "No more distractions right now."

The horse snorted before it reluctantly turned and ran back into the pasture while the two took their normal spots, the doctor in his chair, Saga on his couch.

Mr. R searched for a place that created the most ominous presence, discovering a very tall barstool in the corner. He pulled out his clipboard as a paper origami butterfly landed on his shoulder.

"So Saga, enough of Shion's life. He's gone and it seems he's forgiven you. It's time to move past that."

The Gemini looked up as a paper butterfly landed on his foot. "I know, but I still wish I could see him one more time." He mutters.

The doctor began to draw a skeleton with the Cloth of Cancer upon its body in his notes. "We'll see, but we must move on. So tell me, what did you interpret from his research before his passing?"

The reply surprised Saga. He expected him to give him a speech about how forgiveness works and he was in Elysium, yet he phrased it as if such a possibility could come true. But there was so much to take care of right now. "When I first started reading, I was wondering why didn't he tell me any of his research?"

Dr. Krios nodded. "That is a good question," he spoke as he lifted his head and adjusted his glasses while an origami pigeon landed on his shoulder. "Did you ever discover why he didn't?"

Saga nodded. "I did. When I delved deeper, especially the later years in the journals when he began writing the titles he went through, it became apparent that he couldn't find anything, despite reading nearly everything from the Pope's Chambers' library, and therefore read almost everything from the Archive itself. I was shocked! How can he go through so much and not find hardly anything? There are centuries of books! Ares is not some minor myth, but one of the Pantheon. So why is there hardly anything on him and why would he craft a curse? Where is the Golden Dagger in the history of Sanctuary?"

The Lemurian rested his pencil on his paper. "I'm certain Shion thought the same thing. Considering how old he was and how thorough you make him sound like, probably the only things left are irrelevant topics like sewing patterns, children's books, collections of receipts of bartering between spices, and puka shells. Now, what will you do?"

Saga was surprised at how on the nose the psychologist was when it came to what was left at the Archive. He grew suspicious, but any thoughts of who the doctor might be, whether just hearing the way he spoke to him to his green hair, caused his head to feel muddle, deterring him from thinking about it. The Gemini folded his arms. "Honestly, if you would've asked me that a couple of months ago, I would call Shion a fool. I would think that his senile mind must have surely missed something in the vast amounts of books over the history of weapons, the art of curses, and such and use his journals to recheck every book he's ever looked at… just to prove that I can find something he could not in those texts. But now…"

Dr. Krios looked up, a bit more interested in how the Gemini saw him. "Now?"

"He cares more about Sanctuary than anyone else I know. I think he would sacrifice everything, from his boy to his soul to see us have a brighter future than the one he had lived. I think he checked every word, every nuance in them, and I'm going to trust that perhaps there was nothing in them and search all the places he had not. It is a long shot, but we can't waste any more time in the real world. So, I'm going to put all my trust in him, and continue the remnants of what's left."

Dr. Krios smiled.

Saga smiled back.

"Bollocks!" Mr. R cursed as he sat in his ominous corner. All of these smiles and pleasantries between the two men without any hint of yaoi made him want to throw up. What's next? Everyone will gather in a circle and begin clapping while shouting Congratulations?

He plucked the origami butterfly from his shoulder and began to rip it apart, tossing its remains like breadcrumbs to the carpet and watching the flying encyclopedias flutter down, tucking their heavy covers like wings before their spines began to peck down and eat the tiny bits of paper. "Do you really think the answer is going to be found in an ancient Greek recipe for Pasteli? You know that deep down, Shion was a fool and Kanon's butt is a hell of a lot nicer than yours!"

Saga felt fire in his eyes as his record for longest streak of cool collectiveness shatters. Kanon may be the more intelligent, powerful, and certainly the saner of the two, but by Athena, everyone knows that the Third Guardian had the finest ass in all of Sanctuary. "Are you done with your observation? Is he able to become a true psychologist now? Exactly how many points does he need?"

Mr. R scoffed. "We are a long way off. This here Lemurian requires at least 8,997 more points to pass."

The doctor's jaw dropped, for he too wished Mr. R to leave, thus removing the persistent mental guard of Saga's mind. "But you've been granting or taking away only 10 points at a time!"

"Indeed, that is true. Although as I told your loon of a patient here, this is my last visit. I did grant a bonus of a hundred points because when I went to use the bathroom, your toilets actually used a handle and not one of those silly motion sensors that trigger every time I turn my body. However, you still have a long way to go and you must reach that amount before the end of this session. However… If you would like to speed up the process, there is an assessment with three questions worth 2,999 points each."

Saga raised a brow. 2999 x 3 equaled exactly the amount they needed. It sounded a bit suspicious since it was as convenient as a Golden Snitch, but they clearly had no choice. He turned his head. "You don't have a choice, do you?"

The Lemurian nodded. "No, I don't." Perhaps going through this, was Saga's mind accepting him here. "Very well, let us take this three-question assessment."

Mr. R let out a deep hearty laughter that echoed throughout. His eyes glowed yellow. "Very well!" He hissed as his teeth grew sharp like fangs and every shadow pulled from the room and swirled around him, causing his body to grow enormous, the room slowly expanding to compensate for his size. His skin shifted from its pale flesh to black scales, his blond locks into horns, his blond unibrow remained, but had now become just as long as the couch! A pair of leather black wings sprouted, knocking the bookshelves over. Right before the two, Mr. R had transformed into the largest Wyvern that they had ever seen. His long tail curled four times around the room, his claws were as long as their bodies, and his head could easily fit the two of them inside.

The two of them, sweating a bit, but without fear in their heart prepared their bodies, Saga spreading out his hands ready to banish the creature or blow it up, while Dr. Krios moved his hands toward his head, to craft Crystal Wall if necessary.

However, the black beast's tip of his tail pulled out a standard manual and brought it to his golden reptilian eyes.

"Before you begin! Remember to use a number 2 pencil! Fill in all bubbles until they are HEAVY...

AND….

….DARK!"

They stood there frozen in place, eyes as wide as dinner plates. Dr. Krios raised his writing utensil. "I...prefer to use only 3H pencils."

The dragon shot a flame out and reduced the wooden object to ash. "Very well! Originally I carried a spare pencil, but since my clothes have mysteriously disappeared with my transformation we shall have...a verbal test!"

Saga bit his lip. "What happens if Dr. Krios gets any of the questions wrong and fails?"

"I shall do what a normal college professor will do! I WILL BITE OFF HIS HEAD!" The dragon smeared as it pressed its snout against the Lemurian's forehead. "But worst of all… I will deny him any refunds and he will be forced to retake the test in the Spring during a tiny testing window of only three days with no advertisement to ensure he misses the deadline to reserve his spot and pays the late fee!"

The Lemurian wasn't sure what was worse, him biting his head off or spending three months with Mr. R as a teacher."Don't be afraid, I have studied quite a bit about human society and psychology. I am ready!"

'Very well, question 1:

Arthur is painting a wall in his bedroom. The wall is 8 feet high and 12 feet long. You shoot Daniel in the head because he wants to use a silly lavender tone. To make it all red, one can cover 36 square feet with 1 gallon of his blood. How many more pints of blood will you need to finish painting the wall?"

Their jaws dropped. "What in the world does that have to do with psychology?" Saga gasped.

"It is my test and I can put on it whatever I please!" The British dragon retorted.

Saga rolled his eyes. "Spoken like a true college professor with tenure," he thought. He turned his head and used his cosmos. "So what are you going to tell him?"

The Lemurian looked back. "Isn't it obvious? The answer is to call the police!"

But the Gemini folded his arms. "That is logical, but this is a standardized test. You have to answer the question."

Dr. Krios sighed. Humans were so strange. "Very well. Assuming Daniel is a Dragon Saint, you will need 24 pints of his blood to finish the job."

The dragon sneered. But he was certain they will get this next one wrong. "Fine, but I merely wanted to start with something easy. Question 2:

You have a golden apple. Who is the most beautiful woman in the worl-

"Frida Kahlo," The Lemurian answered without hesitation.

"Impossible!" Mr. R gritted his teeth, arching his enormous unibrow. "How did you…" He gritted in frustration before regaining his composure. "very well… last question….

WINTER IS COMING… whose eyes turn blue?"

Saga gasped. A pop culture question? How in the world will Dr. Krios know that! Deep down, he knew the Lemurian wouldn't watch TV or stray into human fiction books where every other page had a dick joke. He's not going to know about The Night King or about white walkers!

The dragon could see the puzzled look on the Lemurian and the panicked face of the Gemini before he began to gleefully cackle. "MWHA HA HA! I KNEW IT! I KNEW YOU WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FIGURE IT OUT! YOUR STUDENT-DEBT-RIDDEN SOUL IS MINE IN THE SPRING SEMESTER-"

The Lemurian looked up and shrugged. He's fought the real Radamanthys and this version was a joke. "Oh? I wasn't confused. I was just trying to figure out where to place my diploma. The answer is easy… it is a reindeer."

The dragon's eyes widened in a stupid expression. "Wait what?"

The Lemurian nodded. "Oh yes. Their eyes are golden in the spring to handle the continuous daylight in the arctic and they turn blue in the winter to handle the neverending darkness."

The dragon furrowed his unibrow in shock. "Oh, I never knew that. Very well, I am forced to accept your answer. But don't get cocky quite yet! There is still the Master's program… and I will be waiting!"

With that, the dragon faded away and the room shrank back to its normal size, with a framed diploma formalizing the Lemurian as a psychologist next to a picture of Mu with fairly short hair, sitting on Mount Everest, smiling proudly with his newly earned Gold Cloth.

The two looked at the nice shelf. The Lemurian glowed, while Saga was a bit curious as to why Mu was there at all? It could be that only Lemurians were invited to the Trial for the Aries Cloth. Perhaps Mu could tell him more about Dr. Krios? But there was no need for questions for this was a proud moment. He turned to the Diploma and shook his head. If that was what it was like to take a college final, he was so glad he never went in the first place."Congratulations!"

Dr. Krios nodded, "thank you! It was...unexpected...but I am happy that it is all left behind." He turned his head curiously. "You know, I was technically not a Doctor up until this point, yet you continued to call me that. I doubt that was a mistake on your part. Why is that?"

Saga looked back at him and then turned his head to see the sandy stallion back to popping its head out the window. "When I was declared Assistant to the Pope, I was so angry when I should've been more accepting, especially when Aiolos never once treated me as second." After he had killed Shion and was impersonating the Pope, Aiolos kept insisting that he be there with him in case the archer died.*

(See The Event Finale 5b: Aiolos*)

The Gemini looked at the diploma. "It was just a title, and I took it far too seriously. It cost me...everything. Because with your skill, all it was is just a fancy title and at this point, it was just a formality. I have to go back to the real world, but now that Mr. R is gone, our sessions should be much more peaceful."

The Lemurian felt his shoulders lower. He knew it was something that needed to be said. "Saga, I'm afraid the next one, will perhaps be our last."

"What do you mean? What happened? You're a psychologist now!"

"I am, but the thing is, the Golden Orb itself has lost nearly all of its power."

Saga turned his head and gazed upon the golden sheen. It was true. Its light is fading! "But…" he was at a loss for words and panic began to set in.

The Lemurian could see it too. "Saga, I'm so proud of you. This has perhaps been a side of you that I've never seen," he lied, for in truth, it was the wise and calm side that came before the curse and when Saga was properly taking care of himself both in rest and medicine. "I have completed my ultimate test and have defeated the dragon, now it is your turn. The Room of the Golden Orb is a safe place where time doesn't exist and only a mere ten seconds pass in the outside world. But like a child who must learn to swim, like a bird that must leave the nest, like… a man's...confession of love... there must be danger, there must be a time where someone cannot catch you." Dr. Krios had a feeling that there will be some regression. That was the cycle of depression but part of learning to overcome it is granting him the opportunity to learn to cope on his own. Besides, he didn't want to condition Saga to always run to the Golden Orb when he was sad.

He knew of many Lemurians who fell victim to retreat to a place where time stood still and everything was safe and perfect.

However, back when he was alive, it was his fault that he never spoke to the Gemini and made him feel alone in that aspect. He won't do that again. "But I will not abandon you. I never had, and I never will. Remember, there is one last visit. Use it only in your most direst of times.

… good luck Saga."

DING DING

The Gemini lifted his head from the desk, feeling that foggy and slow sensation when one oversleeps in the middle of the day.

"How did it go?"

Saga turned toward his goddess as she held a platter of food. "How did what go?" he asked, seeking clarification.

The soon-to-be seven-year-old held her hands. "Both. The book and the Room."

Saga bit his lip. "Wait, you know about the Room?"

"I only know it exists," replied Athena. It wasn't by divine intervention. Aside from her eyes being able to see the invisible glyph upon his head, Mu confessed to her while she was at the Pope's Chambers, fearful that he had done the wrong thing. She assured him that it was the will of his Master and he would be proud of his disciple.

Deciding there was nothing to hide, nor should he in front of his Goddess, he confessed. "It went well and honestly, despite the more stranger elements today, I- miss it." While Orphee's house was quite pleasant, especially with the various wildflowers that Eurydice and Athena had proceeded to fill the inside with, it didn't compare to the Room of the Golden Orb. The place seemed surreal with warm colors, warm lights, and…

...his mind thought back to the sandy stallion as it kept gazing at him.

While he could think about the horse all he wanted here, sadly time flowed normally and he can't afford to allow his thoughts to wander. "As for the books. I found out that many of them had already been searched through." He looked down. "But...I feel like there is something within Shion's writings. Some sort of...feeling… like part of the answer we seek is right here," he said, placing his large calloused hand over the pile.

Athena took her hand and placed it on his. "Then trust it."

Saga bit his lip. "But I'm running out of time! I am…"

Athena knew what his next words were going to be. He was going to call himself a madman….insane… crazy. "Saga, that feeling that you are thinking of is called intuition. It is different from an ego, for ego is driven by a sense of internal fear and distrust by those around while intuition is driven by confidence and deep personal trust from within. So if your intuition is speaking to you, then trust it."

He nodded. "Alright, I'll go through them again," he spoke before he looked up. So this was the wisdom of Athena. It feels so odd that it came from a mouth that comprised half her baby teeth.

She placed his plate down. "Here, make sure you eat before you leave for the Archive again," she spoke before she left.

Saga turned toward his dinner. He knew they were a bit shocked when he asked for a salad. However, he was sick of salted fish, and he wanted something fresh. Galan didn't disappoint when he told him he wanted a real Greek salad: Plenty of tomatoes, red and green peppers, bricks of feta, lots of olives, olive oil drizzle, and absolutely no lettuce. They were men after all, not rabbits. This was probably going to be the last fresh food he has once he returns to the Archive….a thought he dreaded, but it must be done.

He took a bite while staring at the journals.

What the hell was in them that was driving him nuts?

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

RODARIO

Aiolia was gently tugging the horse's reins, guiding it back to the Sanctuary's stables to return it. He smiled a bit. It was quite a nice trip, one that the two agreed to repeat for next week. The only exception was learning of the hidden aspect of his brother's love life. The Leo rolled his eyes. Oh Goddess, he really hoped it wasn't true. Unfortunately, that was another big question he needed from Saga.

His fists tightened.

Unlike the last five years, he had finally received a true official mission in which he was in charge of something big: Find Saga. Even though it was mostly to figure out what was wrong with Aiolos, another part was to do something he could take a bit of pride in.

It wouldn't be a lie if he honestly thought more about Saga and his brother than Marin and the baby for the past week.

He felt a sudden halt and noticed the old white horse spotted a bunch of dandelions growing through the cracks and began to eat them. Aiolia waited in his spot, allowing the beast to take in what he assumed was a special treat.

Aiolia bit his lip. The hard part was that they had to find Saga without causing panic within the people. He never told his older brother, but the people of Rodario not just hated Aiolos, but were extremely afraid of him too. The idea of a rogue Gold Saint left many ill with fear. Neither Aiolos nor Aiolia didn't want to cause problems making the people think that two rogue Golds were out there.

But there were only so many foot soldiers he had to spare.

He really needed the normal people to search for Saga as well, especially since his instincts were telling him that Saga was in Delphi.

The Leo's eyes widened as he stared at an old bulletin board where an old faded paper was at. He brought his face closer to it as an idea sparked in his head and nothing but bliss filled his head.

"Oh Saga...I got you now!" He snatched the rest of the dandelions and lifted it to the horse to help it eat faster. He then hopped upon its back and rode the horse toward one of the few places that offered printing.

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

?

Aiolos relaxed by the balcony with a large bucket of warm water next to him. It was true that the Golds loved their baths, but there was a sense of etiquette to it. If one is covered in a lot of blood and mud, it was expected that they scrub themselves outside of it, to avoid any mold or green from growing in them, especially since he clearly couldn't help scrub the large marble tubs with the servants anymore.

In terms of hunting, aside from a handful of mushrooms, the two left empty-handed. But that was because, in regards to enjoyment, it was probably the best time he had in months, and the two brothers pretty much chatted the whole time, scaring off every deer, pig, and duck for miles.

It was one of the few times he didn't care. He was going to be an uncle and the two brothers agreed they should repeat the trip next week, albeit a lot less noisy and excited.

The archer's head turned as a loud neigh echoed. Aiolos froze in place. It could only come from Zephyr, but it was far too loud to be a simple fright. Another neigh followed but suddenly cut off sharply.

"Aiolos!" called out Aiolia as he threw the door open. "It's Aphrodite!"

The Sagittarius gasped. "What about him?"

The Leo ran over. "He heard what you did to Deathmask and he'-" his words stopped halfway when he flinched forward, blood splashing out of his mouth and he fell to one knee with a white rose sticking from behind his back.

Aiolos went pale. This couldn't be happening. Not again! Not again! NOT AGAIN!"SAGA!" he screamed out loud, praying that this was another illusion just like when he was in the House of Cancer.

But the cry was met with the head of a sandy-colored stallion being tossed near his feet.

"No, Aiolos. It's not him. Who knows where he is, but that doesn't matter," Aphrodite spoke, his body clad in his Gold Cloth with a white rose between his teeth. "All that matters though is that when the two of you are dead, Saga can regain his rightful place."

Aiolos gritted his teeth. Watching the stem of the white rose began to expand and contract as it drank his brother's blood. He knew not to pull, or else it would kill Aiolia instantly, but there were only two people who could remove it safely. "If you're going to plan on assassinating me, JUST DO IT! LEAVE HIM OUT!"

Aphrodite chuckled lightly. "Oh no...'not this time'. Before the cub served as a clueless scapegoat, the perfect figure to direct all the hate of Rodario while we did as we pleased. But now that he is...aware...well that's a problem. Don't worry, we'll make sure you two are together forever...saves us the trouble of digging two holes instead of one."

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

? ? ?

The figure watched as Ares stood in front of the viewing globe, gazing at the archer's dream in front of him. He ached for the moment his God reached this step but knew the timing was everything. If Aiolos was bombarded with too many dreams, they would lose their effectiveness.

Ares stared with his ruby-red eyes, an image of Aiolos holding his bleeding brother in his arms while a white rose also protruded his heart. His lips curled, his words coming out of dream Aiolia's mouth. "I'm sorry brother...I should have known Aphrodite would do that…"

O|======|O

Aiolos stared at his brother's blue eyes as the light was fading from them, his own blood draining from his heart.

"I'm sorry brother….I should have known Aphrodite would do that," spoke the Leo as his body felt like it was shriveling.

O|======|O

The God tilted his head lovingly, "Brother...protect Marin…" his heavy voice sang.

O|======|O

Aiolos shook his head, "hold on!"

But Aiolia's eyes were filled with tears. "Brother...protect Marin..."

O|======|O

"...watch over my child. Don't let Sanctuary fall into chaos and allow him to live the life that I suffered when you were declared a traitor," Ares finished as he watched the scene play out, seeing the archer wail in sorrow before the brother dies in his arms.

Ares' fingers snap to end the dream.

The God wanted the archer to kill Saga, and cross the line to shatter his humanity as the Gemini did with Shion.

The God thought the archer would kill Deathmask, and while it was close, it was clear that Aiolos sense of justice was enough to help prevent that as well.

Ares had been observing humans from his globe for centuries and while he had a sense that he must approach Aiolos differently than the Gemini, these two actions had helped solidify such reasoning.

The God watched Aiolos flinch and stumble about.

Everything was now in place. Much like training a new recruit to attack a dummy over and over, he had been training Aiolos to fire crimson arrows at foot soldiers over and over.

"It is not enough that foot soldiers disobey orders and not perform their duties. The Saints do it as well. You know that Aphrodite bends the knee to Saga. That is not how the order of Sanctuary should function. Now Aiolos…' protect' Sanctuary."

Ares' eyes glowed red as he filled the archer with his own energies to ensure the task was met.

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

ARCHIVE BUILDING-DELPHI

Saga carefully compiled a list. What was nice about the old storage room/his mini-office is that there was an old framed sign that listed how each of the sections was divided along with the subcategories like how the weapons section was divided between blunt and musical. It may not have the secret books like the old journals that all Golds were expected to keep about their lives, but it is a good start.

He wrote it all down and grabbed the journals, crossing off each category. Already, he could tell that Shion was extremely meticulous, but it should come to no surprise since he delved into alchemy. In his journals, he wrote every book title, author, and the version, and he never moved onto a different section until he scoured every book within it.

But Shion had time. Lots and lots of time. Saga did not.

The longer he was working on his list, the more worried he grew. What was left were not exactly areas that he would think of first when it came to curses from cookbooks to whittling, a term that he didn't even know about until he and his brother reached Rodario.

Saga paused when he spotted the old disposable Tele-Cam, a model that he had Galan procure from the black market, begin to ring. Sanctuary, for centuries, was designed to block and/or intercept messages through the cosmos. It was effective for a long time but became a bit obsolete when technology came about. Aphrodite was the only one who knew the number since he was the only one he contacted him with and was only instructed to use it if any major symptoms of the curse arose.

The Gemini used Another Dimension so he could pick up the Tele-Cam quickly. "Room service?" he said, just in case it was someone else.

"Saga, it's' horrible!" Spoke Aphrodite on the other end. "Aiolos is pulling Deathmask out of jail for a private execution!"

The Gemini dropped his pencil and brought the device closer. "For what?"

"He wants to cleanse all evil from Rodario and is starting with him! We have to go save him!"

Saga nodded, but yet, he wasn't going to grab his bag quite yet. There was something, not quite right, but still, he will play along. "Where is he?"

"I'm not sure! Aiolos sent his brother to fetch him, but that was all the details I had! Where are you?"

At that moment, all the concerns from Saga's face faded. He's seen Aphrodite panic, and right now, Aphrodite sounded more annoyed about hearing his best friend was about to be killed. Still, he played along.

A test was in order!

He closed his eyes. That was one nice thing about being Pope was that he had a general sense of the layouts of some of the more isolated villages.

Saga turned his head and gazed at the various unused appliances from a coffee maker to printers that no longer function. Saga used Another Dimension upon them along with the trash that he kept neatly in the corner. "In Alinda, in the small red house. I've been using it as my base since I left Sanctuary. Meet me there in a couple of hours," he lied.

"Alright. Be there! We have to save Deathmask!"

The phone clicked and Saga immediately grabbed a bunch of old papers before he used Another Dimension to leave.

THE RED HOUSE- ALINDA

Five minutes later, Saga leaped out of the Another Dimension time rip, clutching Hera the cat. If this was going to work, he needed to make it look like he lived there for a long time. He placed his cat down and using lightspeed began to arrange the broken items around before taking the spare pieces of paper and writing random things and stacking them neatly upon a table. He was leaving a lot of cosmos, but the more he spread, the better to signify that this was his base all this time.

He spread out an outdated map on the wall and just began making random marks and lines. Finally, he turned to his precious orange cat and was saddened heavily. He didn't want to do it, but he needed to make this place as convincing as possible, including the fact that there was a missing orange cat from the House of Gemini. He lifted Hera up and gave her a hug. After all, before Dr. Krios, after Kanon separated from him, and when Aiolos was not there and Shion was too far, Hera was always happy to see him. The deep purr, a sign that the furry Queen of the House of Gemini missed him, was loud. He was nervous, but he had sent out hundreds of missions like this as the Pope and he can't imagine they would try to injure Hera.

However, Saga could already sense various cosmos approaching.

He used Another Dimension to teleport the litter box from Orphee's place before he jumped through another rip in space to transport himself to a distant hill.

It was nighttime. At first, it was difficult to see anything but then a set of Golden glows filled the air. Saga stared as the glow of the Cloths of Pisces and Cancer were there along with several foot soldiers.

Their heads turned and for a brief moment, he saw the faint red glow in their eyes before they and the others ran inside. The Gemini watched as Deathmask kicked the door and Aphrodite filled the room with a very faint pink flurry of petals before disappearing inside, perhaps ready to subdue him with a paired attack.

He continued to watch, a breathe a sigh of relief when a foot soldier carried his cat out, the feline clearly in a deep sleep, and not twitching and foaming from the mouth as if she was poisoned. He had a feeling she would be okay, but still he was uneasy with having her there. But after that, he immediately teleported out of there.

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

ARCHIVE BUILDING-DELPHI

Saga felt his body slump, his eyes still wide with horror. "He did it...he actually did it…" he muttered, his jaw still agape.

Perhaps that was why he had that dream? His mind was so far gone that he used that strange technique on even Paz.

If Saga was at that stage, he would probably kill Aphrodite.

Aiolos, on the other hand, had converted him into a puppet.

Last time when he was struck, it didn't affect him. Was it because he was cursed in the past? Was it because the curse was not strong enough yet? Who knows. But all that mattered was that Aiolos had tried the crimson arrow on Aphrodite and Deathmask and he knows it can work against Golds.

Even though the Sagittarius couldn't walk, he can aim. Oh goddess he could aim! The Pope's Chambers was perhaps the best place for striking any of them. Worst of all, the Sagittarius Bow was meant to pierce through Cloths and it seemed like those crimson arrows only needed to hit anything to be effective.

The entire Zodiac was at the archer's mercy, and it was all his fault.

Perhaps Aiolos can fight it off for a while, but time is running out.

The Gemini felt his spirit begin to sink and the dark thoughts begin to creep in. He was doing so well, but the urge to die was always in the back of his mind. Unfortunately, he couldn't just run to the Room of the Golden Orb. He can only visit one more time. He will have to deal with the dark thoughts on his own. "I could get some air, go on the rooftop and meditate and pray." Deep down he felt guilty for taking five minutes away from the search for the curse, but it was best to take care of himself.

He opened Another Dimension beneath him where he freely tumbled down before opening up a tear on top of the roof.

He felt the nice breeze run through his hair. The nice thing about the Archive roof was that it was flat and roomy, with a tall ledge that made it difficult for people to look up and spot him as long as he didn't get to close. It also provided a nice view of Delphi, where he could see the tall majestic buildings and white marble statues. In a way, this place was perhaps the closest thing to what Rodario would look like if it was allowed to grow, instead of being destroyed about every two hundred years. He still remembered when he and Kanon would go to school and when he got older, he wanted Rodario to be just as large and successful.

Saga took a deep breath, feeling the dark thoughts slowly back off, and not only that, but he's avoided losing his temper. Perhaps he doesn't need to meditate? Maybe he was reaching a point where he could control his emotions at last?

His serene blue eyes then caught a strange sight from afar. It was a pair of guards, dressed in leather gear just like those from Rodario and not the more contemporary look that resembled a cross between the modern Greek Police and army that the foot soldiers from Delphi would wear. His guess was that they must have come here in a hurry, but why? The Gemini continued to watch and noticed they were repeatedly putting a flyer on every surface they could find, even taking the time to pass out papers to people walking by.

He carefully waited for the crowd to clear up before he opened Another Dimension near the paper, suction caused by the hole in time and space caused the sheet to suck right inside before he collected the piece of paper in his hands.

His eyes widened, as he realized it was a MISSING Poster for his brother Kanon with his own picture featured in the "Aged Up" photo.

Clever bastards.

Putting a Gold Saint on a Wanted poster would cause calamity and fear.

But restarting a Missing Child case of someone who happens to be their twin would unite the people.

The people will look for Kanon, but in truth, it was a way for Sanctuary to find Saga.

Right in the corner, was the symbol of Leo, written in marker as if Aiolia had personally autographed each one just to piss him off. At first it did, his face beaming red in fury!

The Geminism of being a twin, he loved having someone just like him, but he hated how everyone mistakes him for his brother as well.

Now the damn cub had weaponized it!

"Well played, cub…" He spoke as he tucked the poster in his pocket.

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

COMING SEPTEMBER 19-21

The secret of Ares is revealed and an unexpected trip is planned.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: The nice thing about The Room of the Golden Orb, is that it let's me use my weirder side. Originally Mr. R was going to be a one chapter character but Radamanthys is just so much fun to write and so he got to hang around a bit longer and provide an opportunity to perform more of a boss fight than simply having a normal couch session.

Slowly but surely, we are reaching the point of The Prologue to the Epilogue.

The next chapter should be a little quicker due to it being a bit shorter. Hope you enjoy and read and review.