Our Ambitious Blue Sins
It was a cloudless dark night in Athens. The Mediterranean Sea was shining like a polished hematite jewel while the olive trees gracefully danced on the fields nearby. Up in the sky, the silvery Moon wasn't shining on the Twelve Temples because she showed her darker face to the earth. Hidden in the shadows, a slender figure crawled up the Sanctuary's slope towards the Temples with determination. This miserable bleeding creature was barefoot and dressed with worn out training clothes. His battered stinky body and wild mane were covered with sweat, blood and mud. It was so quiet that only distant owl's cries accompanied his muffled footsteps.
Stealthily, the creature approached the entrance of the Gemini Temple with clenched fists. The huge marble building was quiet and welcoming. In front of him, its huge wooden doors were open. With extreme care, he went inside lurking in the shadows. Before he got into the main room, a wonderful golden light nearly blinded him. Almost with pain, he opened his eyes and with a nod, he recognized what was in front of him: the mythical Gemini Gold Cloth that shone in the core of the temple with extraordinary brightness.
Actually, the Gemini Cloth was proudly standing in the center of the main room. The extraordinary piece of handcraft was the most beautiful thing he had seen in his young life. With incredible splendor, its four arms were lifted into the air like shooting stars through dark skies. At each side of the golden helmet, the two beatific faces smiled to him. It was said that the extraordinary light of the Gold Cloth could destroy all darkness and evil. The mighty Gemini was both frightening and sublime.
Like a lifeless puppet, the miserable creature fell on his knees as his eyes feasted on the outstanding Gold Cloth. It was a special cloth, indeed, because it was related to the legendary twin brothers Castor and Pollux. The first was the mortal son of Tyndareus and the second one was an immortal demigod because he was the mighty god Zeus' son. They were so alike but their fates were different. At the end, they were granted to share the same fate due to an act of devotion and love. So these twins were considered the symbol as well as the purest and most generous expression of brotherly love, whose spirits were the essence Gemini armour.
But this isn't the case!
The creature bitterly said under his breath. Finally, he sighed as he fell down. Hot tears came down his dirty face as his clenched fists hit the marble floor. The story of brotherly love was a stupid fable. Twin brothers were ambitious and selfish. In fact, he was turned down: Gemini had doomed him after all.
Full of hatred, he tried to forget the scenes which still haunted him: two tall skilled warriors fighting each other, using all their deadly attacks on the battlefield, so similar and equal in beauty, strength and power. The ominous tall figure of a masked old man sat on a stone bench, the one who silently watched them fighting. A pair of bright blue sapphire eyes challenging his turquoise ones with indescribable contempt until his aching body was bent on the floor and his cruel opponent put an end to this bloody battle with his utter defeat. The fight for the Gemini Gold Cloth was over and there was a winner. All in all, there were no second chances for losers. The loser twin should sink into oblivion far away of the venerable Sanctuary and cut off the blessings of Athena.
Why did I lose? Am I the doomed Dioscuri?
He stared at the polished golden armour and their finely crafted pieces. It might have been his reward. An intense feeling of longing overcame his defeat and made him shuddered as another flow of salty hot tears fell on the marble floor.
He may be famous now, cheered by the soldiers and the crowds, welcomed by the Saints but he'll sink into oblivion…. That damned demigod!
He looked back at what he had lost. However, when looking at the shining Gemini Cloth, he couldn't refrain from the desire to touch the mighty armour. Although his confrontation with his older twin ended in his defeat in front of the masked Pope, he knew he had all the qualities and power to be the chosen one. He could have been acknowledged as a Gemini Saint, too. So he stretched out his arm covered with sweat, blood and mud, his slender fingers trying to caress the polished surface of the cloth as a lusty lover would do it with a beloved one. But before he could reach it, someone sharply screamed.
- DON'T TOUCH IT!
The creature stopped. He felt frozen and it was the same feeling as when the stern Aquarius Saint Camus had punished him with his Diamond Dust for stealing the apples of the Pope's orchard. It was an unfair punishment because young Milo was the one who forced him to get into that damned orchard. As it used to be, it was him who got the freezing waves. All in all, it was the petty Shion's fault, that old man whose foul toothless mouth was watering while the twins deadly fought for the golden armour. Very slowly, he turned his face to the one who screamed. Again, a pair of bright blue sapphire eyes confronted his turquoise ones with intensity, anger and a bit of sadness.
- It's enough, Kanon! – A disheveled Saga swiftly approached him. His silky blue mane was wet and some drops of water fly freely in the air as galaxies exploding around him. It seemed he had been interrupted because he used to appear well-dressed and tidy. All in all, he looked smart and alluring with the simple cotton white tunic. Although it was a simple tunic, the fabric was an expensive one because Saga's tunics were made of the finest Egyptian cotton thanks to Pope Shion's largesse.
Kanon watched at him with contempt and grinned, too. Life had treated them in such a different unfair way that it was just unbearable. He had been the cursed second twin, denied by the Pope and despised by his fellows. His older twin was the angel and demigod, the one respected and loved by everyone. When Saga had all comforts to be educated and trained, he just carried on with the least, crawling along with his sorrow and loneliness in the shadows of the huge Sanctuary. This didn't change now. While he was trying to survive after his embarrassing defeat, his twin had been enjoying the luxury of a scented bath and maybe a massage after their deadly fight in the Gemini Temple.
- Congratulations, Saint Saga! – Kanon bitterly said and mockingly bowed. – I just came to pay my respects to the new powerful Gemini Gold Saint.
- I say it's enough! Now that the Pope gave me the Gemini Gold Cloth, our rivalry is over, Kanon. – Saga calmly added, locks of wet blue mane framing his handsome face. - It's time to work together for Athena.
With fury, Kanon's turquoise eyes flashed with disdain. – You're right, Saga! It's time to prepare ourselves to take our places in this Sanctuary.
Although he wanted to forget it, Kanon was the only one able to make him lose his temper. But he must be patient with the loser twin now. Kanon could be an asset in the next Holy War. So, with a gentle smile, Saga nodded. – I agree with you, Kanon. We must get prepared now. In the following weeks, Athena would come to the Sanctuary as a baby. Then the Pope would choose his successor. I pray that I'll be considered to take his place…
– Praying? To Athena? - Kanon's handsome face was distorted with a sneer as he shouted. - Saga, why are you waiting for that stupid old man's decision? You should act now!
– What are you meaning, Kanon? - The older twin stared at his younger brother with a mix of shock and disbelief. - We must wait for Shion's choice. He's considering to step aside before the new Holy War begins so he'll have enough time to train the next Pope…
- HA, HA, HA! - Crossing his arms on his chest, the younger twin laughed aloud. – Are you going to wait for this mummy's decision? Are you nuts?
- Kanon, we should respect Pope Shion! He's Athena's representative! With his wisdom and Athena's guidance, he'll choose the best one of us. I pray I could be the chosen one.
Laughing aloud, the younger twin mocked his elder brother. - HAA, HAAA, HAAAAAAA! You try so hard to hide your ambitions, Saga! But you risk to be turned down by that dirty old man! I bet he'd choose Aiolos because that wily Sagittarius would bend better to his desires! HAA, HAAA, HAAAAAAA!
Saga became angry and retorted. – You're wrong, Kanon! Pope Shion would choose me to be the next leader of Saints and I would fulfill my tasks in a wonderful way.
– Great plans for you! Look at me now! What do I get after years of sacrifice and training with you? - Slyly looking at his elder, he asked. – What about me, Gemini Saga?
Fixing his blue sapphire eyes, the Saint realized that his brother was suffering. Now he was dirty and tatterdemalion with wounds still bleeding. Nobody took care of him after the battle and he forgot to ask about his whereabouts. He felt sorry for his other half and beloved twin. – I'm sorry, Kanon. I should have taken care of you after the battle. But you're in my plans. When I become the Pope, I would grant you the Gemini Gold Cloth so….
Spitting the words, the younger twin said. – Listen to me, Saga! We both are ambitious and capable fellows! We can be rulers instead of waiting for that mummy's decision! We can kill him now! Then, we can deal with that baby Athena…
- STOP! – Saga screamed aloud while taking his head in his trembling hands. – Stop this nonsense, Kanon! I don't want to hear more of your poisonous talk!
- You're the most powerful Saint who ever served Athena! - The twin eagerly replied. – It's you who's the natural leader of this bunch of weirdos! You're wasting the chance to be the ruler of the Sanctuary! The demigod must take the place he deserves! You should not bend your knee…
- SHUT UP! – The Saint howled as he launched his attack against his twin. Although Saga didn't use all his power, it seemed that part of the Temple would collapse as pieces of marble and bricks fell down.
Afterwards, there was a big hole where the younger one was standing. Looking at what he had done, Saga seemed to go mad with sorrow and regret. With teary eyes, he approached the spot. Looking carefully, he realized that Kanon had escaped him because there weren't pieces of muscle tissue, bone or blood. Just dust.
Meanwhile, Kanon was crawling down the slope covered by thick layers of dust. Later, he listened to an inhuman war cry which belonged to his twin. He knew Saga would hunt him down mercilessly because he didn't want to hear what his ambition screamed aloud. Nowadays, it was time to escape far away to avoid punishment. With the complicity of the Moon, he disappeared.