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?

56. CENTAUR 7C: Cursed Scorpio Part 1

CENTAUR 7C: BY THE ORDER OF THE POPE (Cursed Scorpio 1)

FOUR YEARS AGO

An easy strut carried the twelve-year-old Scorpio through the small hall that would lead to the Main Room of the Pope's Chambers. The door swung open and there his Holiness sat, proudly on the large stone throne. His eyes caught sight of several pieces of torn lace on the side. It must be one of those types of nights again. Goddess, his ancestors must be spinning in their graves at the idea that there was actually someone that threw more parties than a Scorpio. But he keeps his lips pressed with a smug and loyal smile before he proudly knelt before the Grand Pope. "Your Holiness, what is it you have summoned me for?"

Saga, dressed head to toe in the very robes and helmet of the man he murdered, was hunched, hair as grey as ash, the eyepieces carrying a glow that was vibrant as the Colchian Dragon figure that was perched on top. "Disobedience has begun to claw its way among our ranks, Saint of Scorpio."

"Among the soldiers?"

"Among the Saints."

The young teen pressed his lips tighter, preventing a sigh from escaping. Normally, the Pope would send out any orders of anyone to be eliminated via a simple handwritten note on a platter unless it was to be secretive or high ranking. He had a feeling it was something very serious. It had been a year since the Sagittarius attempted to kill Athena, and Sanctuary had yet to move on from that mess. "Aiolos' betrayal should not be mimicked."

"No...it shouldn't. Holy War will be commencing within the next eleven years and our enemy should be Hades and his Specters and not those with who we share our wine and bread."

A heavy banging interrupted the conversation, before a Papal Guard, who had only been working there for two weeks after the last three disappeared, entered with the softest of steps inside and immediately fell to his knees. "Forgive me, Your Holiness and Saint Scorpio, but the Leader of the Silver Saints urgently wishes to speak with you."

Milo could tell that judging by the heavy bruise and the bent metal of his armor that Misty did more than simply request to come in. He expected the Pope to wave his hand and at the very least dismiss the newbie as quickly as the wind for such an insult. Unless Zeus was knocking on the front door, the meeting with a Silver Saint should never supersede a Gold. Instead, Milo was fixated upon the sudden jerky movement of the Pope, his body twisting and contorting like some doll that two children were fighting over. "Your Holiness?" he called out, his cosmos ready to call out the nearest doctor.

But any medical help was unwarranted, for the Pope's movements relaxed, arms clutching his chest for a bit before his masked face turned upwards and a strained tone followed. "He has five minutes."

The Papal Guard bowed and turned back to the door and pulled it open to allow the Silver to come forth.

Lizard Misty, one of the most beautiful in the ranks of Athena both among the men and Amazons, came down to his knees, his golden locks cascading around his perfect but forlorn face. "Your Holiness, I have received your letter of displeasure over the Saint of Cepheus' absence from your summoning." Truth was, displeasure is a bit of an understatement. The Pope's letter made it sound like Albiore abandoned his duty to offer blood sacrifices to Hades. "While I agree that it is a bit of a concern, the actions you proposed are a bit extreme."

At that moment, the Pope struck the arm of the throne so hard, his own white glove flushed red from the blood that spilled from within.

Misty was a bit shaken, never knowing how aggressive the Pope could be. While the cosmos was difficult to read, there was something terrifying about it. However, his comrade's life is on the line, and if he does not wish to join him, he must be delicate in his approach. "Your Holiness. He runs a training ground and while it is not professional, it is not a crime. We are all doing our best to ensure those that serve you will be ready when the Holy War comes. "

"THIS IS THE THIRD TIME HE HAS NOT SHOWN UP! I GIVE ORDERS! NOT CHOICES! Besides," he grabbed a scroll, a red sash with gold trim wrapped around it. "Better to be safe, than sorry," he spoke ready to drop it into Milo's hands to seal the deal.

Misty was all too familiar with the Saint of Scorpio's role as Sanctuary's assassin. In fact, many in Rodario are. To see the fifteen holes in a corpse was the equivalent of the word traitor upon one's forehead.

But Albiore didn't commit a crime. A loophole, yes. But not a crime.

Considering all that occurred with Sagittarius, he will not allow the same descent that is going on with the Golds, befall the Silvers. But if reasoning wasn't working nor being direct. All that was left was just a simple plea from the heart. "Albiore has continued all other duties expected of him and his rank. He's a good man."

Milo stared at the golden handles of the scroll, his face shining back mere inches from his face. He wasn't sure if he was hesitant to grasp it or if the Pope was holding it back, but at that moment, whatever fate was inscribed for the Saint of Cepheus, was reduced to ash before his eyes, the thick handles tumbling down, striking the tile and echoing in the large room.

Saga turned down to the skeletal remains of the scroll, waving his hand and spreading the ash in the wind. He rested his blackened gloves, the wet blood that soaked through, smearing the metal mask. "Dismissed...both of you. Leave me."

They did. A bow, a quick turn, and a smooth slip through the cracked opening of the large doors, giving the peace that His Holiness desired.

But once outside, Milo turned and watched Lizard Misty run over and gave a small group of Silvers that were waiting outside a thumbs up. He stared at them a bit. They were hugging each other, and praising Athena a bit, relieved their comrade made it through.

In a way, the Scorpio envied it. The Golds were once like that and perhaps even more. They studied and trained together.

Not anymore.

The Twelve Houses might as well feel like the Twelve Planets at this point with some even rearranging their schedules to avoid crossing paths. He can't even recall the last time he's chatted with Saga.

The meeting is over now. He should just enjoy his party that he was going to host tonight. It was supposed to be a large one too. In fact, a brothel owner was going to debut their newest raunchy comedy: That's not the Brazen Bull Next Door. A pity Mrs. Schfurwatt told him he had to wait until he was older before he could invite brothel entertainment over even if he could pass for an eighteen-year-old now.

But Misty's words still remained in his head. "A good man," Milo knitted his eyebrows before he used his lightspeed to return back to his House.

There he immediately entered his Inner Chambers, passing the long line of portraits of past Scorpios… his predecessors…

His ancestors.

His father.

A long line of trained assassins whose function was to prevent war by providing...peace.

Deep in a large library, the Scorpio mused a bit, pacing back and forth trying to expel today's meeting away. After all, it was over. Everyone left satisfied and he wasn't going to miss out on the acting debut of a male stripper named Excalibur.

He should just drop the matter altogether, but somehow, he couldn't. Instead, he crossed his arms to remove his Cloth and return back to its statue form. He walked over to one of the shelves and shrank his nose a bit when he had trouble locating what he needed. "Mrs. Schfurwatt!" he called out.

The pleasant head servant came out, a platter of one of her famous desserts in her hands. "Yes, Milo?"

"Do you know where the books containing the logs and records of Silver Saints would be?"

"Oh, you left it over in the corner, the fourth book at the bottom of the sixth pile!" she cheekily spoke.

"Ah yes, that's right." Milo mused, grateful for the eighty-year-old's legendary memory. The woman was so sharp, she once accidentally triggered the trap in the House of Gemini. Others would panic or wait until Saga deactivated it, but somehow, she managed to navigate her way out in record time, just to ensure the baked pasta for Aldebaran didn't go cold.

The caretaker's face suddenly frowned. It felt very suspicious for the sudden interest in Silvers. "Now Milo, please tell me you aren't planning anything. You're fourteen years old and too old to be playing tricks."

But Milo shook his head, an honest flicker of doubt in his deep blue eyes. "No...just… wanted to do a bit of research."

The old woman stood there for a second. "Should I go and contact everyone and let them know the party is canceled?"

Milo folded his arms and shut his eyes. "It's perhaps for the best. The anticipation of celebration could be a bit too distracting."

"Very well. I'll do that and watch a bit of television. There is this one soap opera that I just have to find out what happens next. Milo dear, you should try it."

"I'd rather not. All soap operas are the same. Every week, the lead man finds himself with a new woman and the lead woman somehow finds herself in the hospital."

Mrs. Schfurwatt waved her wrinkled hand dismissively but watched him produce a charming smile back. "Anyways, what should I do with all this tiramisu? I made four kilograms of it!"

"That is a problem," Milo mused gazing upon the delicate whips of mascarpone and the subtle scent of rum and ladyfingers. He reached over and plucked the four-kilogram brick from her hands. "Enjoy your show!" he merrily decried before carrying the gigantic desert on his forearm as if clutching a cinder block.

He moved into the corner and sure enough, the book was where she said it was. He pulled it out of the stack and set it upon the old, marble table. One hand turned to the page he needed while the other to take the large serving spoon to scoop out a generous serving into his mouth. With over 46 grams of fat per serving, he may not have been born with a weak heart like Kardia, but he was doomed to be stuck with one if his need for sweets remained. He supposed it doesn't matter. Unlike the others in his family, he won't live past twenty-five with the Holy War coming. Might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

He licked the spoon clean as he read the logs and accounts about the trainer of Andromeda Island. He could tell he seemed to be an intellect, polite, friendly, and a gentleman… almost like Camus if the Aquarius would show his true colors more often. Without a doubt, it seemed he was very well respected, even in the eyes of the Pope.

A good man.

That was what Misty called him.

Milo knew from tales that anyone who dares try to defend a target runs a risk of being associated and labeled a co-conspirator.

He's not supposed to question the Pope and his orders.

Absolute trust was a must.

But he kept thinking back that if Lizard Misty wasn't there, Albiore's head would be the one to be paraded around Rodario, the newest symbol of what happens to traitors.

Maybe because he wondered why none of the Golds do it?

Why didn't any of them stand up and ask to wait even an hour before declaring Aiolos a traitor?

"If Aiolos was so determined to kill a baby, why didn't he abandon the one in his arms to save his own life?" These are forbidden thoughts, one he dares not allow to pass his lips in fear of him and his entire household being killed just like what happened to his neighbor upstairs.

He needs to eradicate them for his own sake, but he couldn't help but think that Aiolos was a good man too.

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

PRESENT TIME

OFFICE OF THE HIGH ADVISOR- POPE'S CHAMBERS

Lunchtime for the traditional Greek was typically the largest meal of the day, and for the past few days, it was the time when Saga allowed most of it to go cold. It was all unintentional. The Gemini didn't like to see the melted butter on his fish go cold or the feta becomes warm, but it was due to the fact that he was scheduled to meet with Aiolos to discuss any interactions with the God of War, now that the curse had returned back to him.

When he first regained it after Aiolos was purified, Saga expected that he would be bombarded with dark thoughts and restless sleep as was before. He had pulled out an old unused journal that was one of many gifts he received as the Pope with the full intention of detailing every word, thought, and the whisper of Ares.

But ever since coming back, Ares was unusually quiet and all he could ever do was leave the pages blank.

Oh, the Geminism of it all. Before he prayed to the gods for Ares to leave him at peace and now he sits at his desk, awaiting the undead God like a cheap psychic at a seance.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

"Mail time!"

Saga jerked a bit, the wooden owl cap tumbling down and shattering the peace with a heavy echo. "Come in, Tyren." He watched the door swing as not only one of the newest Papal Guards, but essentially, one of the newest recruits. He could tell. Sanctuary was not immune to trends and one that took hold a few months ago was the idea of picking a name of the Zodiac but using that language's variant. Tyren was Norwegian for Taurus and it shows. Saga watched the hefty two and a half meters at only fifteen-year-old's thick fingers pinch the handle of the door like a lady and her teacup. There was definitely Asgardian Giant blood running in his veins. "Thank you," said the Gemini before the large guard left him in peace.

Saga reached in and began to sort out the correspondence. He separated the massive amounts of letters from requests for blessings, daily reports from the commanders, and various other envelopes. The Gemini sighed as he gazed upon the offer for some overpriced movie club. "Oh Ares, thanks to your wicked influence, I and every other Pope that follows Aiolos are now cursed to receive junk mail," he moaned before he opened Another Dimension and tossed that envelop into the sun.

Suddenly, he paused as he eyed a familiar pink envelope, written in English on the outside but clearly came from Japan. He swallowed hard. Aiolos told him that he still wanted to stay in contact with her, but it seemed these letters were becoming more frequent. He brought it to his nose. "Flowers?" he whispered as he inhaled the scent upon it.

As he stared at it, while he didn't know what any of the Japanese characters meant, but there seemed to be several hearts inside.

The smell. Goddess, it's so strong and sweet like flowers. Even he was enraptured by the delicious perfumed notes upon it. But why is it like this? Why would a friend send something like it? They're friends.

He said he just wanted to be friends with her.

Why don't you open the letter from Futaba to find out?

You have access to translators.

You have Another Dimension and can easily slip it out and back in without him knowing.

I can see that you are very tempted. You want to know if Aiolos would go back on his word and go back to someone normal than the neurotic mess that you describe yourself to be, Saga.

Saga clenched his jaw, to avoid wrinkling the letter. "Of all times, now you show up," he hissed as a light red flash appeared in his pupils, the tips shifting to the color of ash. He rubbed his temples, returning his hair and eyes back to their normal blue hue. In some ways, it is easier to fight off his influence now that a great deal of guilt has been lifted. He took a peaceful breath, his mind braced for any attempts by the God of War, ready to deflect any attempts to hijack it. "I may have struggled with my sadness before, but that neurotic mess that I was before was done by your hands."

It is your jealousy that is triggering all of this.

Futaba probably won't even last a day here, not by the cruel culture of the Army of Athena, but by your poisonous hands, seeking to eliminate the competition…

...once more.

You've killed many. You know how to get away with it. You've seen her face,

You know where she works. With a little thought, you could even calculate the route she takes to go home. As you used to say, better safe than sorry.

"Since you can't influence my decisions as a Pope, you're now trying to govern my love life." Saga hunched down, the gloves ripping at the seams as his tense fingers clutched the edges of the table. Even if the letter was very suspicious, to give into Ares meant he was trusting that bastard over the man who was willing to risk his soul to save him. "You are so pathetic. You come back to try to get me to open a letter. What exactly are you trying?"

You wanted to write every word that came from me in your book. Now you have it.

You want everyone to know more about me.

The truth is, everyone will know more about you and the jealousy that still grips upon you.

Shadows are never truly gone just because the sun is pointing in a different direction.

They always return.

Now...write.

Saga's eyes widened. Normally Ares spoke in short bursts. No wonder he was far more intricate and detailed.

…

…

…

"…bastard…"

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

CENTAUR 7C: BY THE ORDER OF THE POPE

The Book of Centaur

Bold- Cursed mode

Bold and Italics- The dead are speaking

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

Ten minutes later, Saga left his office, entering the main throne room of the Pope's Chambers. There were at least six Papel guards, dressed in the shinier, but less protective armor, and knew what was going on. He moved toward Aiolos as he sat at a small table with several scrolls on top and offered a bow to him. "Heading out to the orphanage, Your Holiness?" he spoke, keeping up the formalities expected when the two were in public.

"Of course," Aiolos lied as he gestured for the Gemini to stand up. "It's one of my favorite things to do," he spoke honestly. Greek or Japanese, children are far more fun to hang out with over stuffy nobles. A pity that wasn't his real purpose for today. That was when Aiolos stared into Saga's features, still as mesmerizing as ever. However, there was a shadow of trouble that seemed to darken the Gemini's eyes. He knew that look because it was molded on Saga's face for many years due to the horror that Ares had brought to him. Aiolos tilted his head, spotting the large journal sticking out of the large pocket of Saga's robes. "Any word from Ares?" he asked through the cosmos with curiosity, before an awkward glance followed. "Khris?" he asked through the cosmos.

"No…not..." the Gemini trailed before swallowing hard. "It's nothing important."

But Aiolos shook his head quickly. "No...everything he says and does 'is' important."

"I KNOW!" Saga barked, the same thunderous deep voice that was still capable of whipping the Papal Guards into shape despite the demotion he had received. He threw his hand over his face, wishing he had a metal mask to hide his painful expression. "Go to the orphanage. We aren't planning to purify your brother until after his child is born in three months." He swallowed hard. The pages were still blank. In the game of wills between him and Ares, he was the one who blinked.

Secrets and jealousy were what got him in this mess in the first place, but he couldn't bring himself to admit to Aiolos that he was a bit jealous and even suspicious. While his mental abilities were strong, his mental state was not. "Please. I would rather talk about it later tonight." Maybe he would gather the courage or even figure out a way of telling him what Ares spoke of without it becoming too awkward. Normally he expected Aiolos to be fine, but it was his turn to be shocked at the awkward silence. "That is alright...isn't it? We have a few months before the attack?"

Aiolos had learned to keep the lower half of his face as still as the mask that covered the top half. He could tell that Saga had spoken to Ares, but what the Gemini didn't know was that he was going to meet up with the others to go to the Collective today. Was Ares speaking to Saga because he knew they were coming or was it a coincidence? If it was the latter and Aiolos told him now, they risk the safety of Milo and Camus. Unfortunately, he couldn't risk it. "Yes, it's fine. We'll discuss it later when you are up for it," Aiolos lied once more and smiled back. He turned to one of the men pulling out Zephyr, the horse covered in gaudy plates of gold like some trophy than the spunky war horse he was.

He climbed on top and gestured for the others to follow, watching Saga use Another Dimension to teleport himself over to the balcony, as he typically did.

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

LATER

STAIRS BETWEEN SCORPIO AND LIBRA

Aiolos rode down the stairs, his guards following close to him. His eyes focused on the entrance of the House of Libra. At this speed, he would only take about six seconds to travel through the main hall of the Seventh House. "Get ready everyone," Aiolos ordered as he could see a more focused look come over the other guards.

The first second, the group stayed together.

The next second, the two outside flanks opened up.

In the third second, Aiolos slowed his riding speed to move out of the group

The fourth second, another guard, dressed in the robes of the Anti-Pope on top of a sandy stallion moved into his spot.

The fifth second, Aiolos pulled the reins, stopping Zephyr, watching the outer flanks move back together around the Pope-Decoy.

The sixth second, the group leaves the House of Libra without missing a beat, heading over to Heart of Sasha Orphanage to offer blessings and pass out small gifts.

Aiolos watches from afar. It was the first time he actually performed a switch like that. When he and Saga trained at doing it with Shion, it was simply a matter of one hiding behind one pillar and slipping in. Things are more complicated with a horse, but it would appear too suspicious without it since all of Rodario were familiar with him going around on horseback. Besides, the switch was not done to fool the locals, but Saga, whose duty as High Advisor required that he be aware of where he's at all times. He turned toward the gentle light of a glyph on the wall before an entrance appeared next to it.

"Are you ready, Your Holiness?" spoke Mu as he halfway stepped out of the entrance.

Aiolos removed the heavy helmet and placed it in a side bag as well as the fancy blue stoles and jewels, leaving him with his simple plain robe. "I am if Aldebaran, Milo, and Camus are here."

"They are. Your timing is good since Camus arrived about twenty minutes ago."

"Twenty minutes?" Aiolos questioned.

Mu nodded. "I know. Normally he is extremely early when it comes to this. I thought he would be there last night. Do you think he and Camus have been fighting?"

Aiolos threw his hands on his hips. "Milo is still a bit brittle with Camus hiding the fact that he knew about Saga being the Pope." It was a bit of an understatement. Ever since he took back Sanctuary, Milo hasn't scheduled a party nor gone out to the bars or Delphi as if a cloud had been hovering over him. "But I think they are trying to work things out again. Besides, they had no problem coming together during the last meeting so perhaps it is something else. Whatever the case, let's head down."

He took his reins and guided his horse toward the entrance before Zephyr suddenly jerked and stiffened his strong legs, a loud painful neigh followed. "SHH! Quiet!" Aiolos attempted to get the horse to move, only for the sandy stallion to spin around and bolt to the opposite side. Aiolos clicked his tongue and pulled the reins a bit more before the horse could leave the House and ruin the ruse they had earlier. The last time Zephyr was like this...was when the dagger was out in the open. While Aiolos was careful not to open up the jeweled box the dagger was in, it made him wonder if there was something else.

As the old saying goes, an animal's instincts are far greater than a human's. If the horse is worried...trust the horse.

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

Aldebaran, fully armored in his Cloth leaned against the wall, his eyes as well as Milo and Camus' turning toward the sound of Aiolos deep voice chatting with the Lemurian not too far from them. A bit of anxiety filled the pit of his stomach. He was worried about his fellow Golds since Milo and Camus weren't going to another country but possibly another dimension.

But Aldebaran knew the two had been trained to go into the unknown, in fact of all the Saints, it was practically a specialty and he had to have faith in their safe return. "You two ready?"

"Yes. Ivan has lessons lined up for the next year for Hyoga and Isaak...if it comes down to that," spoke Camus as he was sitting on the floor, filling his bag with all sorts of tools. Normally he wasn't too nervous on these long outings since the Crystal Saint was very good in his duty. It was Hyoga he was nervous about and whether or not he would try to sneak in a visit to his mother while he was gone.

"I was ready when we talked about going back to the Collective in the House of Capricorn," Milo spoke as his thumb rubbed the index finger that contained Scarlet Needle.

"To get a Cloth upgrade?" mused the Brazilian.

An amused smile caused the bright white teeth of the Scorpio. "That...but other things too." He sighed. "This may be the only time I get to see my family… mainly my father."

Aldebaran let out a smile. It was rare to see Milo being sentimental like this, and such a confession shouldn't be shunned but praised. "That's right. If he's dead, he should be there."

"He should. Mrs. Schfurwatt spoke highly of him."

"I don't blame you. I too wonder if my Master will be there… but I suppose I have a long time to wait and see about that," spoke Mu as he climbed down the stairs, the Pope following behind him.

Aiolos watched as the others' bodies stiffened at the sight of him, not only because he was their Pope, but most likely due to the fact that it was time. His head turned toward the Cloth of Libra, set in its statue form, in the same spot it was placed at since Saga and he went into the Collective. It was rare for any of their Cloths to be out of their Pandora's box this long, but perhaps out of fear, superstition, or both, Dohko had chosen to leave it in its same spot rather than bringing it back to China. "I know you are excited to see your family, Milo, but this is all about gathering information. Any questions before we start?"

"Do we have to be cursed out here or can we wait until we are inside the Collective and then curse ourselves. Save us quite a bit of trouble if we can do it later," asked Camus.

Aiolos sighed. "No… I don't think so. Saga couldn't trigger the door when he was uncursed while I could."

"Aiolia said he couldn't even enter inside the doorway," murmured Aldebaran as he turned toward the wall behind the Libra Cloth was covered in thousands of fist-shaped markings with remnants of dried blood.

Milo produced a nervous look. "Alright, so how do I...get it?"

Aiolos' gloved hand gestured for Mu and Aldebaran to turn away and put some distance. The last thing they needed was for the wrong Saints to go down there first. In fact, he didn't want to share the means of accessing the curse, in fear someone would steal the dagger and venture on their own. He turned back to Milo and asked him to sit directly in front of him. "Let me tell you how Saga told the story to me. Years ago, he and Kanon were training, using Another Dimension to bring over random things from that junkyard near the quarry. The two brought in old clunkers, furniture, and sadly, even a couple of bodies by accident. One day they teleported a fancy chest and opened it to find this box." His sweaty glove reached over and pulled the lid, revealing the cursed dagger before them.

Milo gasped at the luminous glow, mesmerized by the intricate engravings upon the blade. But despite it being made from such a soft metal, no scratches appeared on its smooth surface. "By the Goddess, that is beautiful."

The Pope agreed. "The twins thought the same thing, but with different purposes. Kanon wanted to sell it, figuring some noble would pay for quite a bit of gold or favors for it. Saga wanted to do the right thing and return it, thinking it was some lost family treasure. At the same time, he wanted to impress the late Pope Shion and wanted to clean and polish it before bringing it over." The archer's shaking hand delicately picked up the dagger as if clutching the tail of a cobra. "He still regrets it to this day."

Milo turned downwards as Aiolos grabbed a white soft cloth and began to buff the surface. Fear began to pool in his heart. "Your Holiness….be careful. You don't want to be cursed again."

Aiolos shook his head as he rubbed the surface of the blade, over and over. "I'm purified. Trust me, I've held this dagger a couple of times, checking upon it." But nonetheless, he could feel his heart thundering in his chest. "I feel fine… the first time...it was like my soul was on fire." Suddenly, his hand slipped, and the sharp edge sliced through his glove and his finger, blood leaking through. It seemed the more he wiped the more stained it became. "But if the worst happens...use your common sense… ignore what I say and do what must be done."

He polished and polished… staring so intently at the engravings that it almost felt like his eyes were going to pop. Finally, his body froze into place for a moment before he set it down. "Nothing…" Aiolos swallowed hard, ready to throw up. "Praise Athena," he whispered before he handed it over to Milo before grabbing his own hand to use his cosmos to heal the wound and remove the bloody glove. "Sorry," he apologized.

Milo turned downwards toward the red-stained weapon. "I've seen worse… and more of it too." He reached for his white cape and began to polish the weapon. His eyes trained at the golden shimmer.

So far, he felt fine as well. Aiolos said it was like his soul was on fire, but he felt the same. It seemed like the more he polished, the more at ease he felt. No wonder the guards spent quite a bit of time polishing the tips of their spears while they were bored. True he had to be careful to avoid cutting his hand, but this was nice and one could say, even phallic. In fact, it was almost relaxing. Very relaxing.

...

...

...

Milo stopped and wiped his sweaty brow. He didn't realize buffing a dagger could be such a workout. He held up the blade to his eyes. He twisted the blade around and shrugged. "It's not working." He raked a hand into his purple hair, his head growing hot with frustration and anger. "What the hell am I doing wrong?"

He turned up and gasped as Aiolos began to crumple over, twisting and wringing around, his hands grasping his face. He tossed the dagger to the side and tried to reach over for the Pope, only to witness his Holiness spin around and pull back, his blue eyes shifting to a blood red.

Sheer terror filled Aiolos' face as a wicked smile came about. "AHHH! NO! NO! NOT AGAIN!" Aiolos gasped before he threw cursed arrows at Aldebaran, Mu, and Camus, causing their eyes to glow as red as his.

Milo pounced upon the Pope, his brow sweating so profusely that it rained upon Aiolos' own cheeks. Goddess, this wasn't supposed to happen! "AIOLOS!" He screamed. "WAKE UP!" He slammed the archer to the ground and grasped his wrists so tightly that he could feel his own nails sink deep into his flesh.

"Don't you want to be friends again, Milo?" cursed Aldebaran grinned as he began to charge forward.

"SCARLET NEEDLE!" Milo shot out three shots at his knees, causing the Second Guardian to collapse down.

This wasn't supposed to happen.

At least it was enough to halt the Taurus' movement, the shock of the blows enough to knock him unconscious.

"How can you do that to your friends, Milo?" gasped cursed Mu as his hands glowed.

Milo tightened his jaw, his cheeks burning red. "Forgive me...SCARLET NEEDLE!" Milo shouted once more, this time, firing another three at Mu before returning his hands back upon the Pope. He turned toward his head at Camus, seemingly stunned in place despite being cursed. His head darted toward Aiolos on the ground, gazing at the tears that streamed down his cheeks. "Aiolos!"

The Pope's eyes, which flickered back and forth from red to blue, shifted upwards, tears dripping down his face, "Milo...do it…" he whispered. His head wrenched back and forth. "Please...I can't...I don't want to be cursed again."

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

REALITY

"MILO! LET HIM GO!" gritted Aldebaran as he could barely move, his blood flooding the floor all over as he tried to stop the bleeding, eyes fixed on the once purple hair now an ash grey, eyes as red as the flaming scarlet needle on his finger. He tried to pull himself once more but it was no use. He growled as he tried to move, but the pain of Scorpio's needle was at least ten times more powerful than normal. His eyes rolled back before he slumped, his horned helmet falling upon the ground in a heavy thud.

Even Mu could barely focus. One moment Milo was polishing and suddenly he started attacking, first Aldebaran and then him. If he hadn't raised Crystal Wall, he would be dead, instead of falling into a psychic shock from his defensive technique shattering like glass. But he too couldn't move. His legs felt as if he was walking in the sun. He reached his hand attempting a good psychic jerk to pull his Holiness away.

But cursed Milo darted his head over, and in his head and eyes, sees a cursed Lemurian attempting to perform Starlight Extinction. "SCARLET NEEDLE!" He screamed before he shot another bolt into the Lemurian.

Mu collapsed on the ground. "Shaka!" he sends out a psychic cry before he losses consciousness.

"MILO!" Camus screamed, but the Scorpio ignored each of his cries and pleas. He looked into his friend's eyes. It's almost like Milo was in another world. He had to be careful. It seemed anyone who approached or used cosmos was attacked. Mu and Aldebaran were down and Aiolos was pinned under the Scorpio. He had to approach this differently. He turned his head toward the dagger and picked it up. His mental abilities far exceeded Milo's. It was a risk, but if Saga was proof, maybe he could control it enough to at least get the two of them into the Collective. Camus ripped a piece of his cape and was buffing the dagger so hard he swore the friction would melt it. "Come on!" he gritted as he moved as fast as he could. "MILO! STOP!" he screamed frantically in between buffs as he stared hard at the blade trying to get the curse to come to him.

Aiolos' blue eyes were wide, fixated both at the cursed red eyes of the Scorpio and the drops of Milo's blood that dripped down from the now swollen red nail. "MILO! FOCUS! FIGHT IT!"

But Milo couldn't hear and see reality, his mind lost in the initial stage of the curse. "Don't say that. I'll take you to the Collective. I can't use Scarlet Needle on you. It would haunt me. Back when Saga was Pope, I've lost track of all the times he ordered and retracted the death of Cepheus Albiore. I swear, that Silver had more lives than a cat. But every time I was called there, I knew if the Pope didn't retract the order, I would be killing a good man. You're a good man… I don't want to kill you. We'll purify you again!" Cursed Milo muttered, gritting his teeth as he fought back his tears.

Aiolos, sensing the Scorpio was trapped in the web of the curse, changed his approach, his eyes gazing at Camus trying to gain the curse. "Milo...I know...you may be a prankster, but damn it, you are one of the noblest people I know as well. Let me go, and we can go together," he said, playing along. "The First Sagittarius may be there, and I can be purified," Aiolos spoke, trying to buy Camus sometime.

The First Sagittarius is gone. I can't be purified.

"You're cursed... Forever?" gasped Milo.

"Milo! I'm fine!" real Aiolos yelled in a panic.

Milo! I'm doomed.

"Milo! You have to fight it!"

Milo! I can't fight it.

Cursed Milo's red eyes blinked. His eyes shifted toward his finger. "I won't let you suffer. Don't worry, Aiolos. I won't be slow. If I use all of them at once and Antares… you won't feel a thing. Scarlet Needle is known for its pain for the first fourteen, but when combined with Antares, it is so swift, it has been called the ultimate form of mercy. I WILL GIVE YOU MERCY!"

But while cursed Milo sees a smiling cursed Aiolos, real Aiolos was hyperventilating as he could see Milo turning his finger directly into the center of his chest. He couldn't move, not from this position. Scorpios were known to follow orders. He's going to have to be more direct. "Milo, by the order of the Pope...!"

MILO, By the Order of the Pope…

"...STOP THIS!"

...KILL ME!

"SCARLET NEEDLE… ANTARES!" Cursed Milo screamed as he released his grip and fired all fourteen needles and the killing blow directly at the archer. He stared at the white robe, watching it bloom in a flowery patch of red.

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TO BE CONTINUED

Coming in November

After firing all fifteen points into the Pope, Milo and Cursed Camus descend into the Collective.

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Author's Notes

As mentioned earlier, I wanted the chapters to be shorter in this next book to allow a bit more focused characterization. That will be necessary since all Saints have to go through getting the curse. It's nice to focus on Milo again after Love You, Kill Me. He's not as playful due to the fallout of finding out the Pope was Saga, but I try to sprinkle it here and there. I also try to figure out what role their place would be when it comes to Sanctuary and how it affects them. Hope you enjoy, and make sure to read and review.