A/N: To all my readers, thank you so much for your support. Special thanks to Fuego for her wonderful review.

Disclaimer: Saint Seiya belongs to Kurumada Masami and others, not me. Greek Mythology, though, belongs to all people… me included. I don't profess any credit for of the wonderful and mind-blowing products of human creativity mentioned above.

The following contains lots of tears, some corniness and fluff. Deem yourselves warned!

5.

Infused with grace and power, Athena from the myth was favored among the Goddesses. Of all the progeny of Zeus, she was the only one not born from a goddess or woman. She was her father's child and only his. A part of him, his pride and joy. She never constrained herself with the restrictions imposed on womanhood; she was a ruthless warrior and never tolerated any intent, by god or mortal, to bring her to ignominy. However, she was gifted with the talents of femininity: among the weavers she was the most endowed, and all justice and wisdom were held by her.

To be worthy of the best of three worlds (that of men, of women, of the gods) meant she could never forfeit herself to weaknesses attributed to women, for no man could ever be the master of her love and passions. She should remain distant, up in her quarters close to Heaven, up on her throne or on the altar of her temple. Away from the Land she ruled, and away from the dwellings in Olympus. Unlike other gods, she avoided any association with the men and women at her service, and demanded from them a chaste way of life and complete devotion to their sacred duty, virtues of which she was the archetype.

And she was not tied by any human feelings, or by gods' boundaries. She was her own sovereign as well as ours.

By binding us to her rules, she was free.

But then… it was you, the one I know, the one I love. You were different in many ways from that Athena of the stories I heard in my childhood.

You decided to be a human being as well as a goddess. Maybe you learned this kind of goddess-like humility through many re-embodiments, or maybe you decided to behave differently in this lifetime, in order to learn more about mortal hearts. I don't know… I could never question your motivations. You let yourself allow the love of your Saints, and feel love for them the same way as you loved Earth and Humanity.

Your consecrated eyes shed tears because of our suffering; your heart ached for our safety. You knew us, and loved us… and then decided to spare our saintly obligations and give us human lives, and for that reason you secluded yourself.

You traded your freedom for ours.

To me, freedom without you was only bitter and futile.

She called me selfish and I guess she was right. I was the only one among the 'yet breathing' saints who couldn't bring myself to accept your gift. I wished you didn't do as if you knew what was best for us… But then I thought about my siblings, and I realized you were right from the beginning.

Most of them returned to Japan, to take care of the 'family business', waiting for your return, or trying to preserve the old man's legacy… or whatever. They are all good boys, even that blockhead Jabu. I heard he's the boss now, and even Tatsumi bows before him. Go figure.

Seika also went back, but for different reasons. She wanted to go to school, always a smart girl. She made it into college, got herself good grades and a good man. Last time I went to the Far East was to give her away… a brother's job, that's what everyone said (and 'everyone' is whom she invited). I can't say it was easy for me, she was the only thing in my life that, for a long time, I thought of as my own. The mere idea of finding her had been, on many occasions, the one thing that kept me going… and that was fortunate, now that I think of it. Your promise to help me find her was what made me stay at your side after the Galactic Tournament.

I was glad to see her happy and did my best to look like I was doing great without her and my life was just wonderful, and she really didn't need to worry about her insane little brother. It was a good thing that I brought Shun with me a few days after her wedding, because he dedicated his share of time to assure her (in what I consider to be an excess) that he would look after me and that she shouldn't worry about a thing. Oddly it worked like a charm, because she was truthfully relieved. Thanks all you Gods for him.

Of course there's Shun, but also Shiryu, and Hyoga… I have to thank you for the three of them. They are my half-brothers in blood, but if it wasn't for you I would never have gotten to know their true selves. Because of you, they are my brothers in every sense of the word. They are dear to me as only you can know… and back then, because you set them free, they were finding a place of their own in the world you made for us and were discovering new kinds of happiness. I was supposed to be happy for them as well, but then I didn't feel compelled to accept your imposed freedom. To me, unwanted independence was nothing but a different kind of submission, one I crafted myself and for me only.

I was selfish, of course I was… how could I not, if the light of my life chose to conceal herself from me… and leave me in darkness. What else had I left?

You believed I could have much more, didn't you? That's why you always kept her close… I said it before, I knew the two of you were up to something, but back then I never figured it out. You, instead, didn't have any trouble reading me like an open book, and you knew that if someone aside from you could bring me back to life… well, you know the rest. Nonetheless, I will tell.

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The day after we made up, she moved in with me. I didn't plan it, really, it just happened that way.

I opened my eyes that morning and saw her face, peaceful in sleep. Her eyelids were swollen from crying too much and I figured mine wouldn't look any better, given that what we mostly did the night before was cry our eyes out. We held each other and talked about all the hurt we both kept in our hearts, torturing us for so long. We talked, and cried, and clung as if we were the other's lifeline, and fell asleep.

I was feeling exhausted but much relieved, as if something pressing on my chest from the inside had finally struggled its way out. My hand was holding hers, so much smaller than it seemed during the battle. Calloused and armed, a strong hand but a woman's hand; I stroked it with the back of my fingers and found unexpected joy in it. She opened her eyes and touched my face with the same hand, I closed my eyes as she explored my features with her rough fingertips, and shivered at the tenderness of her touch.

I leaned my forehead against hers and sighed. I don't think I ever knew this kind of contentment before, in my whole life. It was like going through a dreamless sleep, in which there were no doubts or sorrow, no regrets or guilt. I was in a place where I wasn't a Saint or a Warrior, and there was no grief for the absence of my Goddess. The space was occupied only by two people who could not offer much to each other, aside from company and solace. I realized I didn't want to live away from it, anymore.

"Shaina," I whispered.

"Yes, Seiya," she answered sleepily.

"Come live with me."

"Uh?" she opened her eyes wide and sat up, startled. "Seiya…" she bent her head down, closing her eyes, and then breathed, "That's what you really want?"

I sat up and turned to her, saying nothing. When my answer didn't come, she lifted her head. Her eyes were trembling, just like the first time they saw me. She was the same girl I found without wanting it, all those years ago, and could never forget. Those innocent eyes… so much suffering and incredulity, for such a young creature; and the lovely face that printed its image in my mind.

I climbed out of bed and stretched. "Do you have any coffee?"

"In the cupboard, over there," she answered absently.

I made coffee while she pulled on a pair of sweatpants and went to wash. I looked around the one-room cabin, and realized how everything she had (aside from a couple of pots with plants and a few books) was meant for a functional purpose, and there was an obvious lack of… stuff. She lived in very neat and tight modesty; her devotion to her duties as a Saint could be seen even in her residence arrangements. I wondered how she managed to live here by herself all these years without being bored to death.

Maybe she did enjoy this life of simplicity and contemplation, certainly rewarded with a great deal of respect inside the Sanctuary and in the surrounding towns. She was a natural leader, but the main reason why she was so reverenced was the way in which she lived, in every aspect. I knew she had more reasons to reject my proposition than to accept it… after all, like everything I did those days, it was rushed and impulsive. She had a lot to lose, and I had nothing to offer… but then, what did we have to look forward to, the way we lived back then? And what would happen if we stayed the same? I knew what would happen: we would both remain lonely, longing for each other until our lives faded, never knowing what could have happened if we had dared to give it a try… to give us a try. So, I decided to start trying, but the choice was hers. I owed her that much.

I poured the coffee into two mugs and offered one to her. She took it and sat in a chair in front of the small table, her feet up on the seat, embracing her knees with her free arm. I sat in front of her, on the only other chair, watching her sip the brew.

"It was Cassios' favorite, that mug," she said, indicating the one I was using.

"You think he minds?" I asked.

"I don't know… maybe…" She smiled coyly.

Let me tell you, Goddess, she could be just adorable if she wanted. Was she really flirting with me, or was she just letting herself show her kind nature? I knew I was the only man that had seen this side of Shaina, or the only one alive, as she so candidly reminded me. In that moment I understood that I fell for the girl before me as much as for the demon-witch so keen on kicking my butt. And there was also the good friend I could always count on, and the brave woman that never hesitated in the face of a fair battle… and the one that would die for me without a second thought. They were all her, and on top of everything she was breathtakingly beautiful.

I was having a great time just sitting there with her, but I knew I hadn't answered her question; therefore she wouldn't answer my proposition either. "What I want… is this," and I couldn't help but smile, "but not only this: I want everything."

"Everything…" she echoed.

"Yes, everything that makes life worthwhile… like breakfast!"

"Like breakfast?" she smiled, amused.

"And… doing the laundry, having pillow talks, going for walks on the beach… and babysitting for Shun, and arguing about silly stuff… All those things, and everything else, I want to do with you."

And then, oh Goddess! She was crying again… only this time she was smiling. I stood up and went to her side, I held her face and wiped her tears with my thumb. "Shhh, shhhh… don't do this to me. I don't have a lot to offer you, but I don't think my proposal is something that terrible!"

She giggled between her sobs, nodding.

I wondered if I was scaring her, I could understand if she didn't want to rush things. "Hey, you know what? We could date! Take things slow, Ok? I don't want you to think I'm forcing you to do anything."

She just looked at me with a puzzled stare. I kissed her forehead and walked towards the door. "I better get going, while it's still early. You don't want people seeing me leave your house in the morning, they could talk… you know how it is… Anyway, think about what I said, ok?"

I went out and started walking, but a moment later I heard her calling from the doorstep. "Seiya, wait!"

I turned and saw her, barefooted and shaky, and then sprinting towards me. I began walking back, and barely caught her when she leaped in my direction, seizing my neck with her arms and my waist with her legs. She didn't give me time to react, I felt her lips crushing on mine… she tasted like coffee and incense. I froze and felt dizzy, barely managed to remain standing, but I do remember her parting from me and whispering: "Let them talk."

My Goddess! I forgot my own name. I couldn't really think of anything other than her lean body held close to me, in my arms. I kissed her, eager this time… and the memories, the hurting, the past, the duty, and the earth under my feet, everything else in the world disappeared, then it was only her.