Many thanks to Kittyluv for her great betaing job

Chapter 2

"Shun?" Ikki whispered in disbelief. Then, with delay born from surprise he caught his bearings and freed himself from his shock. "SHUN!" he shouted, went to his brother and took him in a tight hug. "Oh Gods, thanks," he whispered. Then he held him at arms length, looking him over. "Are you all right?"

Seiya and Shiryu came closer too, staring at the youngest Saint in surprise. "Shun? How...what..? Seiya started, before a huge grin stole upon his features and he practically grasped the green haired boy from Ikki to give him a bear hug himself. Shiryu smiled happily. "Great to see you, Shun. We have been worried about you."

Ikki scrutinized his brother closely. He felt unreal. There was joy about seeing his brother, worry for his health, relief that nearly stole his breath and fear to ever again face the pain he had felt upon losing his little brother. "How are you?" he asked, while he tried to stare the truth out of Shun. Or at least prevent him from lying, should that infernal woman have hurt him.

Shun laughed. "Happy to be out of Natasha's company, but I'm fine, don't worry." He was laughing, even though his eyes were moist with unshed tears. Ikki relaxed slightly. Shun was obviously alright and all too happy to be back. He had never been very good at hiding even his most basic feelings. Ikki had better success in holding back the stinging tears of joy. Well, at least he thought so.

"What happened? How did you escape, and what about the bombs?" Saori asked with narrowed eyes. "By the way. It is good to see you."

Ikki couldn't believe his ears. He balled his fists and did his best to stay calm. He had his brother back, that was all that really counted in the end. Still, he couldn't hold back his thoughts from forming. "Getting your priorities right, aren't you?" he mumbled under his breath.

Seiya threw him a scanting look, but said nothing.

If Saori had heard his comment, she didn't react on it. Shun ignored it as well. He probably didn't mind her choice of words. Shun almost never read anything bad in other people. Still it bothered Ikki somewhat as his brother turned to her and answered with a gentle smile. "It was actually quite easy to escape once Hyoga disarmed the bombs… "

"Hyoga?" Seiya interrupted. "Did you just say Hyoga?"

Shun nodded and looked over to the spot he had come out of the woods.

Only now did they see the second figure standing there, half hidden by the shadows. Hyoga stepped forward a couple of steps until he stood in the light. Saori and the Saints just stared mutely at the Russian. Of course, Ikki recognized him right away, just like the others certainly did, but he, like them was more than startled by his new hair color and short hair.

Ikki blinked twice. So Hyoga had indeed gone to get Shun out. But how? Natasha had said that she would know the moment somebody would penetrate her lands with a developed Cosmo. How had Hyoga gone around it?

"What have you done?" he heard Saori's barely controlled, angry whisper behind him. He turned around and saw her look at Hyoga with hard eyes. What was her problem now? He didn't think she would be so upset about him cutting and dying his hair. Not that it was her business anyway. Hyoga had rescued Shun, and none of the bombs had exploded in the process. So what was she mad about?

Hyoga seemed to know what she meant, because he was looking at her with a painful expression. "I'm sorry Athena. But there was no other way to get him out."

"What? What are you two talking about?" Shun asked perplexed. " Why are you all acting so surprised? Hyoga, you said, that Saori sent you."

Hyoga looked over at his friend, smiling painfully. "No Shun. You assumed that it was the case. I just didn't contradict you. I acted alone. This was, what I had wanted to talk about in the plane."

"I'm mad at you, because you disobeyed me." Saori spoke again. "But that is something minor, which could be forgiven, since you got Shun back, but what you have done besides that is unforgivable. You have betrayed me and any Saint worthy of his name."

Hyoga's only reaction was lowering his eyes to the ground in front of his feet.

"Saori? What are you talking about?" Seiya asked with a frown.

"Reach out to his Cosmo," Athena said with an icy voice.

Seiya exchanged a short look with Shiryu before they reached out with their Cosmo, only to get no answering vibration from Hyoga's. "What is the meaning of this?" Seiya asked.

"I thought it was not possible to hide a Cosmo?" Shiryu added. His face showed an unmovable certitude. Ikki had to agree that he, more than anyone, would have known if there were a way to do that. But then the dragon Saint's eyes grew wide and he stiffened as if a terrible suspicion had started to form in his head.

"There is none." Saori said. "But there is a legend that a Cosmo can be destroyed. But it is forbidden to do that, except on the orders from Athena herself. And never for any personal reasons. Because there is no way to restore a Cosmo once destroyed."

Ikki gasped upon hearing this. He would never have thought that Hyoga would have done anything like that. He had given up being a Saint and betrayed Athena for his brother and for their friendship? He felt a sting in his heart. 'Oh Hyoga,' he thought. 'What have you done?'

"Saint Hyoga," Athena said with high head and stern voice. "You have given up your Cosmo for your personal feelings. This is unforgivable. You have acted upon your own emotions before and it was and it is unworthy for any Saint to do so. You have a duty to fulfill. An oath you took upon your cloth. I can not tolerate your latest actions, and risk the well being of the people I'm supposed to protect with such a liability as you are. You have become a Saint for personal reasons, and your being a Saint will end for personal reasons.

"You are a disgrace.

"You could have failed and killed thousands of innocent people. People, which should be your higher priority than your friends. You are a traitor to Athena and you know the sentence for that crime."

Hyoga looked up at her sharply. There were unshed tears in his eyes but he only nodded. Ikki stared at her in horror, his expression mirrored by the other three boys. They all knew about the way traitors were treated. They knew about the Cap in Greece, which had seen the death of hundreds of warriors in Athena's service, being found culpable of being a traitor. Without Cosmo, Hyoga had no chance to survive the prison there. People with Cosmo had succumbed to the high tide before.

No, she wouldn't do that. Hyoga had done it all for Shun, for God's sake. Ikki wouldn't have hesitated to do the same, had he known about it.

He would not let her do that to Hyoga, and if he had to revolt against her to protect him, he would do that. One look at his brother's tear-streaked face and pain-filled eyes, staring at the Russian, was proof enough to know that Shun would not tolerate it either.

Seiya's eyes wandered from Athena to Hyoga and back. He seemed just as startled as Ikki himself. Not that he could blame him. They had done so much for Athena. Sacrificed everything for her cause, especially Hyoga, and now she was sentencing him to death? Looking at the dragon Saint, Ikki saw him close his eyes and clench his fists, hard. He didn't like what she was saying as much as they did.

"I will not forget what you have done so far, and how much you have helped me before, so I will let you live," Athena continued. "But you will leave this house and never ever come back to the Sanctuary either. I will give out order to kill you at sight, the moment you try to penetrate there. Also will you not return to your training grounds. These lands are property of the Sanctuary and will be off limits for you from now on. From this moment on, you will cease to exist for me and for the others. If you ever come close to any of us, you will be killed instantly.

"Tatsumi," She addressed the big man by her side. "I want you to clean out Hyoga's room. Burn and destroy everything. Erase his existence."

"As you wish, Miss Kido," he said. His voice was neutral, but in his eyes laid a predatory, satisfied look. Of course, that brute would only too happily comply her orders. He never made a secret out of the fact that he hated all the Saints. Ikki watched Tatsumi turn to carry out his orders.

stsstsstsstssts

Hyoga was completely overwhelmed by shock. He hadn't expected such hateful words. He had known that he would be scolded, but her words were harder than he had expected.

She was sending him away. She called him a traitor. He felt his surroundings start to spin and a nauseous feeling cramped his stomach. He fought it and looked at his friends. Shiryu had his eyes closed, but his hands were clenched in tight fists, trembling slightly, obviously trying to control his anger, Seiya looked at him with wide eyes, shocked. Ikki's gaze went from Athena to him. Fury burning like fire in them. But what broke his heart completely was Shun's tear stricken face, looking at him with a mixture of shocked resentment and pity. "How could you do that?" the Andromeda Saint whispered almost inaudible. Almost.

His friends thought like Athena. They resented him. He realized with a start that it was over. Everything. Athena was right. He had risked the life of thousands because of his feelings. He felt as if somebody had slammed a knife in his heart and was taking a great pleasure twisting it. His betrayal had cost him all he had left on this planet. His friends.

He turned around without any further word and hurried as fast as he could out of the small forest to the entrance of the mansion, with unshed tears troubling his vision.

stsstsstsstssts

Shun watched his friend turn around and leave. He took a step to follow him, but Athena's voice held him back. "Shun. Stay here. Nobody will follow him."

Ikki turned towards her, fuming. " What the hell do you think you're doing sending him away. This is Hyoga whose life you just destroyed. Have you forgotten what he has done for you in the past."

"No Ikki. I haven't. And that's the only reason why he will live. For the crime he committed he should deserve death."

Ikki snorted. "The only crime he committed is saving my brother. I don't consider that a bad thing, as you seem to do."

"I don't understand either Athena," Seiya addressed her. "I thought that we meant something to you. We fought for you. We died for you. How can you do something like this?" Seiya tried hard to stay calm, but wasn't doing a very good job. He usually showed his feelings openly. Right now, he showed nothing but betrayal by Athena. Something, Shun knew, was exactly mirrored in his own eyes. Okay, Hyoga had acted against her will, but it had worked. Why had she been so cruel to him? Giving up his Cosmo must have been hard for him, and punishment enough.

Athena was not acting as he would have expected she would in such a situation. He had a bad feeling about it all. Her treatment of Hyoga resembled the way Saori had treated them as kids and when they had first come back with the cloths. He didn't like it at all.

"I don't have to justify my actions but I will do it so you'll understand. Of course I'm happy that Shun is back. But the way Hyoga went about it was wrong. He has endangered innocent people and he has betrayed his duty as a Saint. Hyoga has always been too emotional and mentally weak. A ticking time bomb. I have a responsibility towards mankind and I can't let my personal feelings endanger this duty. Neither can any Saint. Hyoga would put your safety above anything else, and I can't let that happen.

"I rarely order anything but now I order you to stay put here. Don't talk to him. At least not for a while until he has rebuilt his life. You would be no help to him."

With that she turned around and walked away, following the direction Tatsumi had taken.

The others looked after her. "Sounds more like an excuse than a explanation, if you ask me," Ikki grumbled.

"This is all my fault," Shun whispered.

Ikki swirled around, facing his brother. "What are you talking about?"

Shun looked up at him, tears still flowing down his face. "He did it to save me. If I had not been kidnapped, all this would never have happened."

"Don't ever say anything like this again," Ikki said in a stern voice. "First of all, it is not your fault that that crazy woman kidnapped you, and what Hyoga did, he did out of his free will. He knew what he did and what consequences may come of it."

Shun's face only darkened more at his brother's words. "Did you see the look on his face? He was devastated. She shouldn't have treated him so hard. He doesn't deserve it."

Seiya nodded. "I agree with you there. I don't like disobeying Athena, but since I used to do that all the time as a kid she should know that I would. Let's go catch up with Hyoga and talk to him. At least he'll know that he has our support. "

They all nodded in agreement and walked off in the direction Hyoga had gone.

When they reached the Gate of the estate, Hyoga had already disappeared.

"What now?" asked Seiya.

"We don't know where he went," answered Shiryu. "There is no use searching for him. He could be anywhere. I'm sure he will find a way to contact one of us. He will probably show up at Seiya's place, since he has no other place to go."

Seiya nodded. "I better go there, so I'll be home when he arrives."

"I would like to come with you, Seiya." Shun said hopefully.

Ikki laid a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Athena forbid us to talk to him. She will get suspicious if you leave with Seiya."

Seiya nodded. "You look tired Shun. You need some rest yourself. And you have to let Saori know the locations of the bombs, since you said you know where they are. I will let Hyoga stay with me for the time being. Come to me tomorrow morning, then we can talk it over and see what we can do."

"I hope you all know that you're disobeying Athena's orders by helping Hyoga." Shiryu threw in.

"You have anything against it?" Ikki asked defiantly.

"No, I only wanted to make sure everybody knew the consequences. Athena has been acting out of character and I'm a little nervous about it."

Seiya nodded again. "My thoughts exactly. Something is happening here. Something we have no clue about. And I don't like it at all. We'd better stay on our guard, that's for sure."

T.B.C