Here we go with Chapter five! This chapter also centers on Alone as he sort of catches up with Shun. He's just a step behind, but he'll catch up with him eventually, so don't worry about that. However, Shun and Kagaho are off to the Sanctuary where the armies are planning their counter attack...

Shout outs:

Demons of the arch angel (Anime at the moment because there's two of you xD)! Thanks so much for your continued support and really long replies. I enjoy reading them (and your amusing PM's). It's helped me continue to be inspired to write.

Also thanks to sophia .netto .7! Thanks for your words of support (even though I had to put it into google translate to read it). I'm glad to know people from other countries are reading and enjoying my story.

Chapter Five: One Step Behind

Alone was, admittedly, absolutely exhausted. They'd finally managed to make it to the area where Cheshire had sensed Kagaho battling in, and it had taken far longer than he'd thought it would. The sight that greeted him however made him pause with a little nervousness. It appeared to be some sort of replica of the coliseum, however it had been utterly destroyed by some sort of battle. If this is where Kagaho had been battling, then he had certainly been battling a powerful opponent. He felt his heart hammering in his throat.

What if Shun was hurt? He hadn't had any premonitions about what could have happened to him. Then again, he hadn't been sleeping. He'd been far too preoccupied with trying to reach Shun to actually sleep. What was he going to do if something had happened to him? Cheshire however noticed the Demigod's anxiety and quickly wrapped his arms around one of Alone's making the boy jump a little. Cheshire purred quietly so that no one else would hear the noise.

"It's going to be alright," Cheshire purred. "Have some faith."

Alone took a deep breath to calm himself and turned his attention to gathering as much information from his surroundings as he could. It would do him no good to keep freaking out like this. He could see that there had definitely been a huge battle here, and if he knew Kagaho the Specter had been involved. There were police officers all over the place, and many people had gathered to grumble and growl at the "tournament" that would no longer be happening because of the damage. Apparently too there was a full police investigation going on right now.

"I heard that the battle that destroyed this place wasn't authorized," a girl said to his left, gossiping to a friend as girls her age seemed to do. "It wasn't one of the usual battlers."

"So let me get this straight," the other girl said. "You're saying it wasn't one of the Saints, a Mariner, a God Warrior, or even that Angel?"

"That's what I heard,"

"No way,"

Alone froze and looked down at Cheshire, who had bared his teeth (which were fanged like a cat's). They were both utterly speechless. Saints, Mariners, God Warriors and Angels? Not to mention the fact that a Specter had appeared. Perhaps the people Kagaho had been fighting had been one of these people. But that didn't seem right. Kagaho was too loyal to his father to endanger future prospects of having them as allies, and he wouldn't want to put Shun in danger that way, not after his Wakening for the boy. Still, it wasn't normal at all.

"Did you hear that?" Cheshire whispered.

"I did," Alone replied quietly. "This tournament was set up with nearly all of the armies of the gods. Why though?"

"Maybe it's because when Saints fight it attracts other armies?" Cheshire offered. "If Kagaho and Shun sensed it they could have come here to see why. But that also means it could have just as easily attracted an Othrysian..."

"You're right," Alone realized. "That's probably it. They were using this tournament to draw out the Othrysians that were hiding in the shadows, and ended up getting more than they bargained for."

"If that's the case," Cheshire said quietly. "Then shouldn't we try to locate the person who set up the tournament in the first place? They might have more information for us."

Alone nodded. He knew that this was probably their best bet to finding out more about his brother, and where they could look for him next. If other gods were around, and they hadn't figured out his identity yet then there was a good chance that they had taken him in. Alone wasn't too sure how they would react to meeting Kagaho or Shun. Members of the Underworld army probably wouldn't be looked too kindly upon, and especially not a Prince of the Underworld. He hoped that they hadn't hurt Shun. Everywhere he looked seemed like another danger waiting around the corner. No where was safe for either him or Shun. They were -as far as he could see- surrounded by enemies on every side. This wasn't looking good for them. Alone looked around until he spotted a poster that had been ripped from a lamp post. He walked over and picked it up to examine it.

On the poster were the dates and times of the battles and some details. There were also pictures however that quickly caught his attention. There were photographs of Cloths (the Aries, Crane, and Pegasus Cloths), a God Robe (Alioth Epsilon) and a Scale (Siren) all in their resting position and taking their unused forms. There was however a single other picture in the center of a young woman. She had long purple hair and a kind smile, and blue eyes. She was wearing an all white dress and carried a staff in her hand that had an owl on the top with its wings creating a circle above it. Cheshire gasped quietly when he saw the woman.

"That's Athena," he gasped. "I'd recognize her anywhere! She's the one behind this? I thought the gods wanted to keep their armies hidden!"

"Apparently they decided otherwise," Alone replied.

Alone quickly scanned the poster until he found the words "hosted by" and saw the name beside it. Saori Kido? That must be the human name that Athena was known by, seeing how she was hosting the whole tournament. There wasn't any other information about it on the poster, but he bet (seeing the sheer scale of the project and all the angry fans) that she was rich and well known in town. He doubted she would be hard to track down. He rolled up the poster and turned, making sure that Cheshire's hold was still strong on his arm, before pushing his way as politely as possible (which was mostly just him bumping people out of the way) out of the crowd.

As they left the crowd behind Alone glanced around. Asking for directions wouldn't be a good idea here, especially considering the fact that there was apparently half the town thinking that some unknown soldier was behind all of this. It would make him look suspicious if he started asking questions to go to Saori Kido's house with all of this going on. He'd better go somewhere where there was less of a chance that he would end up getting himself blamed for something that he hardly had any connections with at all, and definitely something he'd had nothing to do with until just about right now. He pulled Cheshire with him down a side street and away from the main bustle of activity.

Soon they found themselves on a much quieter street. Most people were rushing the opposite way that they were going, trying to get close and get a glimpse of the devastation that had once been the coliseum where the armies were playing their baiting game. The two went largely unnoticed, which Alone found refreshing about the modern world. In the past when a member of any army had walked past people would see them and could usually sense some sort of power about them and often feared them. In this modern world people had their noses in their phones or were too busy with their own hectic lives to care much. It was the perfect way to hide, by not hiding at all.

Well, he said that, but there was always that one person who was different from all the others. There was a gray and bent old man sitting at the side of the road. There was an old newspaper stand in front of him, and with the way people were filing past him it was obvious that he wasn't getting much business now. However his old brown eyes came up and spotted Alone watching him. There was something highly intelligent in those old eyes, something watching. Alone turned and made his way right over to the old man, looking down at him.

"We need to get to Saori Kido's place," Alone said bluntly. "There's someone I need to see there. Do you know how we can get there?"

The old man said nothing at first, simply looking over the young Demigod and the Specter. His eyes seemed to miss nothing as he watched them quietly, as if sizing them up. He seemed satisfied by whatever he had seen though because he suddenly smiled and nodded, meeting Alone's rather severe gaze with no fear in his own.

"You have such serious eyes," he said. "But you don't seem to be a bad person. You don't have that feeling around you. I'd say you're more like those 'Saints' or whatever they were called. Powerful probably, mysterious definitely, but compassionate all the same, if you can get deep enough. So you're looking for someone eh? Mind if I ask who?" Alone for some reason felt he could trust the man. He was obviously nothing more than a mortal, however his insight had impressed him.

"My brother," the Demigod replied. Cheshire glanced up at Alone then towards the man, but he could see why Alone seemed so at ease around him. He was a strange mortal to be sure.

"Well then," the man said, pointing one ancient hand down the road. "You'll want to go that way. It's not too far a walk if you have the legs to make it. Five minutes or so you should see a large manor on a hill. That's where you'll find your brother, if he is with Ms. Kido."

"Thank you," Alone said.

"Good luck young man," the old man replied, looking forward again to await the small percentage of people who would stop by to see him for his wares.

"Good luck to you too," Alone said quietly.

He turned then and made his way in the direction that the man had pointed out. He didn't have any other idea where to go, and for some reason he found that he liked the man. He seemed oddly trustworthy. He supposed though that the people closest to death often were because they had nothing much to lose. Cheshire pulled himself closer to the young Demigod and began purring quietly to him. His eyes however were constantly flicking along the road carefully. There were several powerful cosmoses ahead, and he wasn't sure he wanted to find out who they belonged to. There was something that was bothering him though.

"For the whole Sanctuary having come here for the tournament," Cheshire said. "I don't sense nearly enough Saints nearby. Why do you think that is?"

"I'm not sure," Alone said, frowning a little. "Maybe it has to do with the tournament having been called off."

"If that's the case," Cheshire said. "Then they all might have returned to the Sanctuary. Where do you think Shun could be then?"

"Depends on whether or not anyone recognized him," Alone said. "The Othrysians already know about me. They might know about Shun, and gods have always been protective of their children, even ones that aren't technically their own."

"They might just take him to the Sanctuary then," Cheshire said. If he would have had a tail to flick, it would have been. "I suppose that would be safe enough, as long as they don't consider him an enemy. I mean, how much could a couple of infants have had to do with the Holy Wars anyway?"

"They hate us," Alone growled in a sad way. "All of us. Even though we weren't even alive during the Holy Wars they'd hate us for who our father is. If they find out who Shun is then there will be trouble. Even though we want to help them in this war, and we're not what we once were, I doubt they know the truth of the matter. We're surrounded by enemies on either side." Cheshire nodded sadly.

"If this keeps up," the Specter said. "there won't be much left of the Underworld. We want to help, but I doubt they'll let us easily. It might be the death of us just to bring this invasion to a halt."

"I wonder," Alone said quietly. "would they think so badly of us then? When the Underworld ceased to be?"

A sad silence fell between the two of them as they continued down the road. They couldn't deny anything that they'd just said. Well, it was rather hard to say what anyone was going to do in this strange war that had just started. However they were more than willing to do anything it took to keep the Titans sealed away in their prisons.

Tartarus had been the responsibility of the Underworld, and they had been unprepared for it. There was no way that the other armies could be prepared for it. How were they supposed to defeat an army that could stand again just like the Specters? Another problem was the level they all fought on. It was so high! They doubted the lesser members of other armies would be able to handle them.

Alone looked up to try and distract himself from the depressing thoughts, and realized that the streets and houses had grown far more fine as they had gone along. The houses around them were beginning to thin out as well and be replaced by rows and rows of perfectly planted trees to add a "natural" beauty to the place. However just farther up the road was the large manor that had been described to them earlier. Alone paused and looked up, and the Specter's eyes soon followed his. They both blinked at the sheer enormity and size of the place. Sure, they'd both lived within the walls of Hades' Castle, but that had been a long time ago, and this seemed far too large for a normal person.

"That's it then," Cheshire said. "It certainly is big. Still, if we're going to look for clues, it would be here."

"I know," Alone said. "But I'd rather not be spotted."

They stood there for a long moment, wondering what they were going to do about the whole situation. They needed to get the information, but walking up uninvited around a bunch of Saints and gods knew what else wasn't exactly the best first impression or the best way to go about things. They'd have to be smart about it, but there was still getting the information. How could they do so without raising suspicion?

As they stood there debating however, both Alone and Cheshire were suddenly alerted to a powerful Cosmos drawing closer to them. They quickly leaped for the perfectly straight rows of trees and ducked behind one. It was poor cover, but it would have to do for now. There wasn't much else they could do. Alone quickly cast a spell of concealment, and both he and Cheshire suddenly went very still. If they even so much as moved an inch it could give them away. Otherwise it would keep them hidden from everything but the most attentive of foes.

He paused as he saw three Bronze Saints walk into view with their armor completely on. One glanced in their direction, a young male who was about average height with bright pink hair, blue eyes, and pink armor with chains on the gauntlets to match. He frowned a little as he stood there. Two more followed, one in silver armor that had brown hair and brown yes, and one with blonde hair and icy blue eyes that wore silver armor as well. The pink haired one's eyes narrowed, however he saw nothing because of Alone's spell. The other two Bronze Saints frowned at him when they saw how he appeared to be staring off into space.

Alone was a little surprised. The powerful cosmos he had sensed had come from these Bronze Saints? He supposed it could very well be the case. He'd heard of Bronze Saints before with the power to rival gods, and they reincarnated. They might be young enough to not have their memories quite yet as Saints, however he didn't want to take the chance and jump out into the open, especially not with one of them seeming to be so on edge because of his presence. Cheshire nuzzled closer to Alone's chest, a movement that was only just out of sight behind the tree. The Bronze Saints saw nothing and turned to look at the other two.

"What's wrong Reda?" the brown haired one asked. "You sensing something?"

"Knock it off Seiya," the blonde one said, rolling his eyes. "You know that Reda can sense cosmoses better than even the Gold Saints."

"Which is exactly what makes me so nervous about Shun, Hyoga," the pink haired one, presumably Reda, replied. "I can sense that he has a dark cosmos, and I don't like. It's too much like that Othrysian or whatever it was. And I can sense one nearly the same around here."

"Well," Seiya said. "I'm sure there's a perfectly good reason for that."

"Many gods and goddesses have cosmos that could be called 'dark'," Hyoga added. "It's possible that his cosmos is like his immortal parent's. Besides, Saori is sure Shun is absolutely a DEMIGOD and not a DEMITITAN. So I doubt there's anything to worry about."

"Then when is he keeping so many secrets?" Reda asked.

"Reda," Seiya sighed. "He's hiding something because obviously there's something bigger than we realize going on and if he reveals his true identity it could be dangerous. We're not all like you and can just say everything we need to."

"My master taught my that secrets only lead to discord," Reda said.

"Yeah well," Seiya sighed. "You're the only one causing the discord. I don't sense anything wrong with him. Even if his cosmos is darker, he certainly is the most innocent and well, kind person I've ever really met."

"Still," Hyoga said, looking at the frowning Reda. "What's with this other Cosmos you sense? Do you think it could be Shun's immortal parent?"

"I don't think so," Reda said, shaking his head. "It's powerful, but it's too close to what I sensed from Shun. I don't think it's his immortal parent."

"So you're saying Shun has siblings?" Seiya asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It could be," Reda shrugged.

The three Saints seemed to pause a moment, thinking about it. Could there really be someone like that floating around? Alone however was a little surprised that they not only knew of Shun, but apparently seemed to know him. Reda had no idea how correct he was in saying that his and Shun's cosmoses were both dark, but he had no idea what this could mean for him and the rest of them. Shun had been found out by the other armies, but he had been keeping his secrets very well. They didn't even know that it was their father who was the immortal parent, keeping them from narrowing it down. They were close enough to touch the truth and didn't even know it.

The three Saints seemed all lost in thought as they continued to think for a long moment. However at last they all seemed to look up and meet each other's gazes. Their eyes were very serious, that both Cheshire and Alone could easily see. They seemed rather burdened for Saints that were considered the weakest of all the Saints, though Alone thought again of the powerful Cosmos he had felt. It had to be coming from one, if not all of these three. Perhaps there was far more to them than he had originally thought.

"Well," Hyoga suddenly said. "Did either of you see anything?"

"Nope," Seiya replied. "It seems like the one Othrysian was the only one who showed up."

"And the fact that the Specter is still hanging around means that he's not," Reda said. Alone paused, watching them. An Othrysian? And the Specter was probably Kagaho. Then why were they so at ease with the whole situation? Didn't they hate the Underworld? Seiya suddenly bristled.

"It's unforgivable," he growled. "Now that we know what's really going on, I definitely can't forgive the Othrysians!"

"We know Seiya," Hyoga said with a level head. "Perhaps it's our own fault, but we know how you feel. But if you don't keep a level head when can't prevail."

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Seiya growled. "The Underworld had the only army able to stand up to the Othrysians. Not only were they defeated, they were destroyed. I can't stand the way they're flaunting it around in our faces! Maybe we did forget about the Rage, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to beat the crap out of some of them when I get a chance."

Alone and Cheshire were both absolutely stunned. Not only did they know the truth, apparently the Saints were very angry at the Othrysians for having defeated the Underworld army. Not only that, but they were wanting revenge against them. That certainly wasn't the reaction they were expecting at all. Alone found himself relaxing a little bit. Even if they did find out who Shun was, he was sure now that he wasn't in any danger from the other armies. They weren't their enemies, though he understood why Shun kept so many secrets. If the Othrysians found out...

"We'll need a way to defeat them first," Hyoga sighed. "Even the Specters couldn't hope to defeat the Othrysians with just their strength. The fact remains that we can't defeat them. And let's not even get onto the subject of the Titans..."

"Which is why Saori is taking Shun to the Sanctuary," Reda said, a growl returning slightly to his voice. Alone detected though that it was more protective than aggressive. "I don't trust it. She won't let him out of her sight though."

"But it'll give us a chance to regroup and gather the full strength of the gods," Hyoga said calmly. "Going to Greece will give us that strength, because the armies of the gods will be mostly stationed there, as well as most powerful there. Athena's also going there to see if she can find any of the rest of the army of Hades. If they're going to regroup, it's going to be there."

"Come on then," Reda sighed. "We'd better go. We don't want to worry Saori. There's not much time before the plane takes off."

The three turned and made their way silently away from the silent Demigod and Specter, though Reda paused a moment more before glancing back in their direction. He could definitely sense their presence, but since they were hidden, he couldn't pick out what this presence was closest to. Alone doubted though that with as young as he was he would recognize him. He probably didn't have his memories as a Saint yet, so he doubted he would recognize Hades' cosmos (or one very similar to it). However there was one thing he'd yet to realize about him or Shun: Their cosmoses were very close to the same level as their father's, meaning they could rival and defeat many gods. One perk of being the son of the "strongest god" he supposed.

After the Saints were out of sight, Alone ended the spell and he and Cheshire very carefully stepped from out behind the tree. Cheshire was absolutely stunned by everything he had learned. Alone could easily imagine big black ears pressed as far back as they could go against his skull. The Specter let out a surprised hiss as he turned to look at Alone.

"Did you hear that?" he gasped.

"I certainly did," Alone said. He frowned. "Seems like we're just a step behind. But I'm not worried for Shun's safety anymore. I'm confident that the Saitns will watch over him for us. Do you know where we have to go now?"

"To Greece?" Cheshire asked. Alone nodded.

"Exactly," he said. "With any luck mother and father will be there gathering the rest of the army. We'll certainly need it with the way things are going now. I think it's high time the Underworld army appeared and began helping the other armies against the Titans, as we should have done."

With that Alone turned and began walking back the direction he had come. He had a lot of things to think about. For one, how were they going to get all the way from Japan to Greece? The sheer technicality that was involved moving from one country to the next (especially with no human birth records or ethnicity) was going to be a challenge to be sure. He had to get to Greece, to find the rest of their army as well as his brother. He wished he had the guidance of his parents more than ever. They would have a much better idea of what was going on. However as Cheshire ran up to catch Alone's arm and wrap his small ones around it, Alone felt another purpose.

This time, he wasn't just looking for his brother. Since he knew for sure that he was safe there was something else, something very important he had to do. He had to defeat the Othrysians. And the first step to doing that was getting to Greece.

I love this version of Alone. I can't help but love him. He's cool, even if he's kind of dark. He's still very much a loveable character. Though, he definitely has a one track mind...

Alright next chapter will center on Hades and Pandora as they're gathering the army and focusing on what they need to do to see their children again. Then after that we'll go right back to Shun. Shun is technically the main character of the two twins in this story, so the story will mostly follow him. However when all these characters finally meet up you'll be seeing much more of all of them.

I hope you guys enjoyed, and feel free to leave a review below.