A Secret to Keep

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Two years ago, before that starry night

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Aiolos had just entered the gate of Sanctuary, back from a mission, when Patriarch Shion summoned him, directly being teleported to the highest temple.

"Please assist Kanon to take care of Saga. This is the festives month and Saga was already scheduled to represent me in Rodrio."

Shion's order should be interpreted as Kanon would be parading around as his popular twin, and that Aiolos should take care of a wounded Saga.

"May I know what has happened, master Shion?"

"Like you, I've sent Saga somewhere to practice and deepen the understanding of his technique and power." Shion crossed his hands. "In Saga's case, apparently he somehow had encountered a projection of Chronos who then gave him this gold dagger." The Patriarch showed Aiolos a box with a beautiful golden dagger inside it. "And Saga brought it when he was practicing the usual technique of opening the dimensions. It appeared that the dagger had intervened with Saga's power in a mysterious way, making his technique stronger and different usual. It was there that he met Ares who provoked a battle."

"Receiving a gift from a god and fighting another one whilst on a learning mission. What a training time. I am almost jealous of him, master."

"You will not be jealous after you see him later." Shion frowned. "He barely escaped the fight. And…" Shion paused, "and he is in a bad condition now, physically and mentally."

"By goddess! Would he survive, master?" Aiolos was afraid for Saga.

"We have tended his wound and gave him the Panacea. He would be fine. It is his mind that I am most concern of, Aiolos. That is why I want you to take care of him in Kanon's place. You are almost a family to him beside his twin."

"Of course I will, master Shion." Aiolos was the only one who knew about the existence of a twin brother of Saga, apart from an old maid who raised them since they were young.

From the very beginning, the Patriarch forbade Aiolos to speak about Saga's twin to anyone. Not even to Aiolia, his younger brother who joined him later in the Sanctuary. According to the great Patriarch, it was one of his tactics for the upcoming Holy War.

Surely, no one dared to open the secret. Even the naughty Kanon could obey it for loving the idea of him as Sanctuary's secret weapon.


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It was after two weeks of having Saga as his patient that Aiolos learnt about a secret Saga has kept from his twin. It was what Saga had learnt during his fight with Ares.

That night, Saga was having fever and nightmares, crying like a baby. The Gemini was at a lowest point that Aiolos could make him talked into it, confided his fears in his best friend's arm.

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"Sssh…don't worry, my friend. Whatever Ares has told you, it was a trick to confuse and defeat you."

"He didn't need to trick me, Aiolos. He could have killed me there had he wanted it. He said...that he liked me as a vessel. And it's because of the nature of us, the cursed twins of Athena's soldier since many many times." Saga sobbed. "Then Ares took me through my own technique combined with the golden dagger to bend and manipulate those times."

"And what did you see, Saga?"

"I saw the extend of the curse upon the Geminis, those of the highest rank of Athena's soldier. All throughout the histories. We were cursed to be a joke of the gods since the beginning." Saga massaged his right-side temple. He had terrible migraines since that battle with Ares. His right eye was bleeding when he collided with Ares, trying to escape from the distorted dimension. And when the bleeding finally stopped, the iris was tainted and permanently lost its Aegean-sea color that used to melt most of people while talking with him.

"What did Ares show you, by goddess?" Aiolos gave Saga an ice pack to cool down the burning pain. He gently wiped the tears on Gemini's face.

"One time, he showed me a monster living like an animal inside a burning lava. And another time, we were living as parasites, as a monstrous tumor on each other's body. There was also a giant monster destroying Sanctuary...I lost the track of time or lost the counts of in how many dimensions I've been." Saga threw the ice pack onto the wall. "And in every other time... every time ...we would end up killing each other. Be it as brothers or sisters. It's all the same." Saga abruptly sat up and grabbed Aiolos by the shirt. He cried in anger. "And while you can watch your little lion grows happily with your family nearby, Aiolos, I have to watch Kanon lives in the shadow and gradually turns into whatever monster he is destined to. Then it's either that monster kills me, or I will have to kill my brother. THAT is the great destiny of us the Gemini saints. How funny is that, huh? Explain it to me!"

"Saga! Saga….hush...calm down, my friend." Aiolos hug him. Eventually, the Sagittarius saint cried with Gemini. "Ares was messing with your mind." But even Aiolos doubted it. Ares is known to be a god of war who lusts for direct and open wars. That god is rarely been described as deceitful. But if Ares was not being deceitful, what a gruesome destiny that both of his favorite twins were facing.

"I refuse to live a cursed life that is flawed from the beginning, Aiolos!"

"You and Kanon will not have that kind of life. Be sure of it. Master Shion might know a way, Saga."

"That old man was just staring at me when I confronted him about this. He said nothing when I asked him if it was true, if he ever met a Gemini gold saint who didn't have this kind of path, at least during his era." Saga was hateful.

"He must have said something, Saga. It can't be that master Shion said nothing to guide you. Maybe, please don't punch me, maybe you were too upset at that time and didn't hear what you should hear."

"Heh, he said something trashy like all those Gemini ended up noble, and how important it was what I would choose for my future. Was he deaf? Kanon and I cannot choose not to be cursed."

"Stop it, Saga. Don't take this hateful path. You must defy it. Athena will protect you."

"Oh, and not even once I saw her there defending us the cursed ones."

"That can't be true. Ares would not want to show it, of course. Please think clearly, my friend. Pray that our goddess Athena would arrive soon in Sanctuary." Aiolos lifted Saga's chin to face him. "Listen to me, you said you didn't see any Athena in those eras? That's precisely the key. Perhaps you have to be as closest to Athena as possible to defy the curse."

"As closest as possible as a Patriarch of the Sanctuary?" Saga tried being cynical. Lots of people had whispered it to him in praising.

"I'd say, you are on the right path already." Aiolos nodded, seriously. "You and Kanon will beat the curse that way. And I will use all my power to help you achieve it. I would sacrifice myself if that could stop you two from killing each other."

Saga blinked, and finally loosened his grip. "Will you really promise me to achieve that highest place?"

"I could even swear it, Saga. You have my word."

Saga gave a tired smile. "Generous Aio, lucky me...lucky Kanon."

"Stop mocking me. I'd hate to see you dying, Saga. What a waste of a great future warrior, oh, I mean a great Patriarch." Aiolos continued sheepishly. "Well...I don't have any other best friend that I can talk to like we do. Also, our Sanctuary would be too peaceful and lonely without you two fighting each other in the shadows."

"You have your loud wild lion. And just wait until our little Milo comes of age and jumping around beating all her admirers. A peaceful Sanctuary, indeed."

"A disaster." Aiolos laughed softly, feeling relieved to see his comrade finally found his sense again. "And you are lucky to have a twin like Kanon. He really cares for you, sometimes in his own way."

"Never tell him this. Yes, he is a gem, when he wants to." Saga shifted his body to lay on the bed again. The migraine still lingered there. He took the wet and cold cloth Aiolos gave him, to wipe his face into freshness. He pleaded. "Aiolos, promise me, too. That you will never tell Kanon about what I've seen, and about the curse. Like...never ever. Please."

"You can count on me, Saga." Aiolos patted Saga's shoulder. "Now rest your body. I'll be watching you until Kanon gets home."

The Gemini Saint caught Aiolos' hand and held it while he started closing his eyes, trying to sleep. "Do you know what they say about a true best friend you could find in the world?"

"That it's a rare gem of life?"

"You are, Aiolos, mine."

"Yes, Saga, I am." Aiolos smiled back. "I can say the same for you, pal. Now shut up."