Lance's Role

by Thrudgelmir2333

A 'shonen' fic that sequels Next Dimension and Lost Canvas. In 1960, the Pope of Athena receives three prophecies from an old enemy that irremediably set the course of his reign over Sanctuary's tragic history and almost two decades later a Saint of Pegasus finds himself put through the unfolding of a new age of violence caused by the Pope's actions. Please enjoy and review.

12. 1A: Decision

Notable Introduced OCs that I own: Pegasus Lance; Andromeda Shinta; Heracles Aguilon's Silver Saint Generation; Taurus Daniel's Gold Saint Generation;

Notable Introduced Concepts that I own: Pegasus Temple; Sanctuary Town; MMC; Sanctuary Fortifications; Sanctuary Villages; Mount Olympus Staircase;

Recurrent/Cameo OCs that belong to Jenny DeVic: Cassiopeia Cassandra;

Recurrent/Cameo Concepts that belong to Jenny DeVic: 88 Knights Festival; Golden Line Heritage; The Great Bodyguard Legend; Sanctuary Orphanages; Andromeda Island's geography and tests;

Author Notes:

Please enjoy and review

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Pope's Temple

Entrance Hall

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The group of Papal Guards entered the massive room and halted their march before the many already present guards. After a salute, the captain stated their purpose, "summon His Holiness. Announce that we have captured and brought Pegasus Lance and Andromeda Shinta to His Temple."

Without any sign of emotion, the guards followed the captain's command by opening the large wooden doors to the corridor that lead to the throne room and head inside. Obviously, their sense of discipline was stronger than their sense of wonder, a trait that Lance and Shinta found admirable.

The Pegasus Saint tried to follow the captain, but the remaining Papal Guards crossed their halberds between him and the door. The captain eyed him fiercely. "Drop your Cloths to the floor and raise your hands. You are not to be of any threat to anyone who returns from the Pope's throne room."

Shinta started obeying, but Lance shook his head. "Don't listen to them, Shinta! We're victims here; we don't have to do anything!"

"Nissan, please, stop resisting!" Shinta protested. He presented his Andromeda Cloth on the floor and allowed the Papal Guards to take it away. "I gave my word we would go quietly, remember? Everything will be fine if we-"

Lance brought his sneaker upon the Andromeda Cloth's Box before one of the Papal Guard could get it. "Shinta, they want to arrest us! They only brought us up all the damn steps so that they can get the Pope's green light to do so," argued the older Bronze Saint. He kept an eye on all of the Guards, especially the one who accused Lance of having caused his brother's death. "There's no way I'm surrendering myself to any of you. If you want our Cloths, you'll have to get the Gold Saints to force it off our backs!"

The Papal Guards kept their distance from Pegasus. Shinta growled in frustration and wished Lance wouldn't be so stubborn. He knew better than to dismiss his Nissan's protective advice, but his pacifist side was sure everything would be fine if they cooperated fully. The Japanese boy would have to use his words to make the best of the situation. "P-Please forgive us. We don't mean any harm. We just want to talk to the Gold Saints. If they say we have to give our Cloths… we'll give them away; right, Lance?"

Glances were exchanged among the guards. The sound of a large group approaching the steps, though, caught everyone's attention. The Papal Guards stepped away from the two Bronze Saints and rested their halberds and shields as the two teens widened their eyes at the sight of the approaching entourage.

Following closely behind the two Papal Guards that were returning from the throne room was the largest group of Gold Saints either of them had ever seen. A tight pack of six glittering, golden armors of different shapes and sizes marched towards them while surrounding none other than the Holy Father himself, Pope Arles III, who wore his typical golden helmet and black, red-eyed mask.

Shinta's jaw dropped and Lance gulped. They both felt incredibly diminished as the six men with their faces covered by black sock masks graced everyone in the Entrance Hall with their presence.

The two Gold Saints that stood out immediately was the Saint of Taurus for being twice as tall as the Pope and Aries for being twice as short. The only one that they actually recognized was the Gemini Gold Saint from the day he interfered in the battle with Bennu Yakos in Arcadia.

Shinta trembled in nervousness before the majestic presence and instantly got on his knee. "Y-Your Holiness and…and Lord Gold Saints! I…I salute you all!" he hurriedly said. "P-please forgive us for the commotion. We didn't mean any of it-"

"What is the meaning of this?!" the Aquarius Saint, the one with the long red hair, demanded to know. He stepped forward from the group and approached the two Saints. Both of them somehow felt the temperature dropping in the room, with Lance even going a bit pale and trembling more than Shinta. "How is it that these two Bronze Saints have the audacity to enter the Golden Zodiac without permission and then, worse, demand an audience?! This is an outrage!"

Shinta's eyes shook in horror before the sight of the enraged Gold Saint. He saw the sweat drops on the floor freeze into tiny pieces of ice. Shinta's head hit the ground. "P-Please forgive us, Lord Aquarius; we were just trying to-"

"No excuses! Regardless of your motives this is a severe breach of protocol." Malta added, merciless. "I imagined someone born in a society that valued honor would be more hesitant to do something like this, but I guess I was wrong. Saint Akiyama, your Master would be ashamed of you!"

Seeing the Gold Saint take advantage of Shinta's culture to tortured the Andromeda Saint, Lance stepped forward. "Hey, leave him alone! I'm the one who dragged him here!" Lance then got the Gold Saint's undivided attention and immediately felt coldness running up his body. He hesitated with this awful sensation and found words hard to pick all of a sudden.

It was the first time Aiolos and Mu were laying eyes on the Pegasus and Andromeda Saints. The young Lemurian boy didn't detect anything harmful from the terrified green-haired person, who seemed too scared and ashamed to lift his eyes from the ground. The taller, older Bronze Saint was a sharp contrast, keeping a front to Malta despite the clear hesitation in his red eyes.

The Capricorn Saint turned to the Pope. "I think this is enough to dispel all the doubts we had, your Holiness. Do we have permission from you to imprison these two?"

Shion turned toward the two intruders. "How did you get inside? You didn't attack the guards of the Aries Temple, did you?"

"We did nothing wrong!" protested Lance. "We followed a group of guards that was using a strange passage leading inside the mountain and all of a sudden we were at the Leo Temple being accused of trespassing."

"They were caught sneaking inside the Leo Temple, your Holiness, and accused us of attempting an attack!" denounced the Papal Guard Captain. "We brought them up here at the recommendation of the Saint of Leo."

For some reason, the Sagittarius Saint went tense. Before Lance could decipher his thoughts, the Pope made his inquiry. "No one was harmed, correct? No fists were raised and no blood was shed?" Both Bronze Saints and the captain nodded. "Good. Captain, take these two under custody. They are to be held at the Temple of Pisces until further notice."

The Papal Guards grabbed the two Bronze Saints by the arms, but Lance struggled. "Wait a minute! You can't arrest us! We did nothing wrong!"

"Nissan, don't-"

"No, Shinta, this is BULLSHIT! You can't do this to us!" Lance shouted. He pointed his finger at the Pope. "Ever since my fight with Kastiel, everything I do, you're like punish Lance for this or arrest him over that... oh... you want an upgrade to Silver... oh, you won the competition fair and square... well too fucking bad... let's throw one of the biggest, powerful Saints at you so you get jack shit! What the fuck is wrong with you?"

The Gold Saints all either widened their eyes or scoffed at the lack of respect by the Bronze Saint, but Shion remained calm. "You are quite right, Saint Pegasus. I have been unfair to you for the past two years. That is why I'm sure a night behind bars will make no difference to you anymore." He then gestured at the Papal Guards to enforce his command.

"Get your hands off me!" Lance struggled against the Guards and shoved them back. The tiny Aries Saint then suddenly raised his finger and a strange, telekinetic pulse struck the Bronze Saint, paralyzing his movements. "Oh, come on, this again?!" Harsh metal gauntlets closed around Pegasus' rigid arms before stardust shackles locked on his wrists.

"Let's go, punk!" The captain shouted.

The Gold Saints then watched as the Papal Guard unit picked up the two Cloth Boxes and dragged the Bronze Saint duo out of the halls and towards the stairs to the Pisces Temple. The large doors of the Pope's Temple entrance closed loudly, leaving the Pope alone with his Gold Saints.

There was a second of tense silence filling the big room.

Capricorn Kirin made his case. "Do you see now my concerns?"

Saga folded his arms. "That was, indeed, worrying."

"He was extremely disrespectful. I'm also surprised the Andromeda Saint would go along with all of this!" spoke Malta.

"Master, you're not really going to punish them, are you?" asked Mu. "You always told me that Gold Saints should be humbler and closer to the people and from what I could read of their thoughts, they were only trying to figure out what we were talking about in the throne room. You won't send Lance and Shinta to jail over this, right?"

"You sensed honest concern in their thoughts, too, Mu?" asked the Pope, who then seemed to sigh in relief. "I wouldn't send Andromeda Shinta, anyway, because I know his intentions are pure. Lance, on the other hand… is more of a matter of whether this hurts his promotion or not."

"What should we do, Master? Are we now deciding whether or not he gets the Cancer Cloth?"

The Pope fell silent for a moment, rubbing his chin in reflection and leaving the Gold Saints to try and guess his thoughts. "I was hoping… that with all your opinions the solution would have been clearly decided by now, but I guess with the Pegasus Saint, that won't be the case."

"Your Holiness, please, you must not still be seriously considering him as the next Cancer Saint." protested Kirin. "You know better than I do that someone of stronger moral fiber is required for this armor. The Cancer Gold Cloth's honor is already tarnished, picking Saint Lance as the substitute for-"

"Shouting more protests in the air without giving everyone a chance to think deeply about the subject will only murk the matter more deeply," said the Pope. "At the same time, we cannot ignore or postpone this matter any further. For the first time in years, we have found a Cancer-born gold rank Saint. It is imperative we fill the Houses with qualified Gold Saints." Shion then maintained the rest of his motives as mere thoughts. "Moreover, I must ensure I get the red-eyed person Hecate predicted to be important on my side. If Aiolos and Saga are proof of anything, is that there is truth to that witch's words. I cannot afford to let her warnings fall on deaf ears, for the sake of Sanctuary."

"May I suggest a voting, then?" offered Sagittarius Aiolos. "Your Holiness, give us a bit of time to think, first. An hour or two should suffice and then we'll return here with a vote to cast."

Capricorn Kirin interfered. "Your Holiness, while I concur a voting would be a fair solution, I insist that the matter is too serious to be left entirely on a popularity contest. Sanctuary has had enough despots and traitors elected democratically."

Shion nodded at both Gold Saints. "Saint Aiolos, I concur with your suggestion. It is only fair that it is the Gold Saint order to decide this matter and that it is done fairly. Moreover, Saint Kirin, I remind you once more I would not have called you here if I thought the matter could be easily settled by me alone." Shion looked at the Fire Clock. "Within six hours, the hands of the clock will strike midnight. Be here, by then, so that I may hear your decision."

"You won't be giving your vote, your Holiness?" asked Taurus Daniel.

Shion shook his head "I will abstain from this voting and, if Pegasus Lance does not gather the favor of at least four of the six of you, the matter will be dropped and Pegasus Lance shall remain a Bronze Saint with a Silver Cloth to conquer."

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Chapter 12

First Arc

Episode 8

The Decision

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The six Gold Saints said farewell to the Pope and left His Temple, each to head to their own destination. Taurus Daniel went back to the second House to guard over the Golden Zodiac and reflect on the matter in peace. Capricorn Kirin and Aquarius Malta made their own way out of the Golden Zodiac to parts unknown. As for Aiolos, Saga and Mu, the three young Gold Saints gathered at the entrance of Mu's Temple to discuss the matter on their own.

Mu was the first to speak. "So what do you guys think? I don't think Lance is a bad person, at least from what I saw at Master's temple."

The two teen Gold Saints weren't convinced. Saga tried to rationalize the question. "Well, let's look at this objectively. We know he has unlocked the 7th sense but hasn't mastered it, but that, according to the Pope, is merely a matter of having someone teach him the ropes of moving at the speed of light. He has never demonstrated actual maleficence, only a very rebellious attitude…He's a very experienced fighter, though."

"That all sounds to me like problems that could truly be summed up as the result of not having had a good teacher." commented Aiolos.

"My thoughts exactly." concurred Saga. "You and I did not have teachers, Aiolos, but then again we also awoke the 7th sense before we even left our orphanage, The Heart of Sasha. I do, wonder, however, what exactly the Pope would have in mind as a teacher for Lance. He seemed confident that he could get someone."

"It would have to be an experienced Gold Rank of great integrity to serve as a good role model." Aiolos concluded. He then folded his arms because he couldn't think of anyone who'd be a good choice. "Kirin suspects Lance too much. He'll never agree to teach him. I don't think Malta would be interested in it either, especially since he has Camus to take care of already. Daniel is already occupied with Aldebaran, but he might be the one who'd do it." Aiolos scratched his head. "I'm not sure about it, though…"

Mu then raised his hand in realization. "Oh, I think I know who it might be!" he practically shouted. "What about the Libra Saint, Dohko? Master told me he lives in the Mount Rozan in China and that he's a very wise old teacher! He could teach Lance how to become a great Gold Saint!"

"Libra Dohko, the Old Tiger? I thought he was just a legend." Saga mused to himself, wondering if it was possible. "A man said to have fought in the last Holy War and to have been blessed by Athena with long life…I've heard many stories about him, but never seen proof he existed."

"He's real! I have met him, Saga." Mu assured. "He spends his days sitting in front of huge waterfall fishing, but he's very powerful."

"If Lance was to be elected, then, he could receive proper instruction from Master Dohko." concluded Aiolos. He smiled. "Maybe his future isn't as bleak as I thought, admitting that Dohko really is who the Pope has planned to be Lance's teacher."

Saga turned away from his friends to reflect on the matter. Thanks to Mu's suggestion, it felt to him like having Lance as the Cancer Gold Saint to be far less of a risky choice. If anything he's ever heard about Dohko was true, there was also the chance that the Pegasus Saint would become a very fierce fighter under the Old Tiger's instruction.

Other factors came into mind that Malta, Kirin, and Daniel trained their students almost every day despite that they already unlocked the 7th sense. It seemed strange to him that the three Civil War Saints would spend so much time with their students only for them not to get Gold Cloths in the near future. After all, the Civil War Generation has had a rather small retirement age. Saga's own predecessor was said to have left the army immediately after the Civil War was over, at the age of twenty eight.

And now Pegasus Lance, a candidate only a couple of years older than Saga, was moving up the ranks to become the next Cancer. "It seems to me like a whole new generation of Gold Saints is being set up by the Pope to replace the old one. Whoever rises to the occasion to mark himself as the leading figure could stand a decent chance of becoming the next leader of the Gold Saints since all the experienced competition will be gone. Interesting…"He then recalled another important factor. "Lance is older and more experienced than any of the Gold Saints so far, so he'd definitely be one of the leading figures. I'm not sure if I'd like that…"

"I have an idea, Saga." said Aiolos. "Let's go for a walk."

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Several minutes later…

Mount Olympus

Second Step

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The three blurs of Golden light rushed up the passage hidden by mist and magic that connected the peak of Mount Olympus, as known by mortals, to the next level.

After all, unbeknownst to mortals, Mount Olympus didn't end at the Mytikas peak, at 2917 meters from sea level, but rather continued upwards the sky in a series of stacked, invisible mountains on top of gargantuan floating platforms, all hidden by an Olympian illusion of colossal scale.

Entering the second level was thus almost like suddenly entering a whole new world. The Three Gold Saints would have to leap high to the sky from the tip of the Mytikas, land on the invisible rock bridge and walk along it until they passed through the rift in the massive illusion located between each two levels. Doing so would allow them to come across a whole new mountain range before them.

The three Gold Saints looked up at the natural structure. It was much larger than the First Step, consisting of several cliffs and mounts closely packed together on top of a flying rock platform the size of a small country. January snow filled the rocky ground with frozen water up to the Saint's knees, making it difficult to walk around, and dry pine forests filled the rocky landscape wherever the mist wasn't too thick. When Saga and Mu looked up at the highest peak, their respective dimensional and telepathic awareness could already sense the rift that would lead to the Third Level.

However, only the Second Level mountain range interested them, as it was the limit of Sanctuary's jurisdiction in Mount Olympus as well as where the Pegasus Temple and, hence, Lance's Training Ground were located. All the mountain ranges from the Third to the last Level were all under Olympian control and trespassing on it was said to be an invitation to get a lightning bolt to the forehead.

Mu's short legs struggled to walk over the thick layer of snow. His Gold Cloth protected him from temperatures, but somehow he could still feel a tremendous chill infiltrating his skin. The sky was filled with dark clouds that threatened a snow storm at any moment, the shadows of the many dry pine trees casted a scary atmosphere in the mountains and the sheer desolation of the place made him feel like he was all alone in that dreadful place despite being with Saga and Aiolos.

Mu struggled to adjust his breathing pace. "Well, we're in a mountain alright. I feel like I'm breathing the scarce air of Jamir again." A sudden gust of wind made the nearby trees crank loudly. "H-how high are we, anyway?" he asked, already regretting to have come.

Aiolos' blue eyes surveyed the area as they walked deeper and deeper into the Training Ground. "I'd say about five kilometers above sea level. It is quite the leap between the First and Second Steps." Aiolos then looked up to the sky and saw it filled with clouds. "How could the weather shift so suddenly just from us entering the Second Level? The sky was completely clear when we left Sanctuary."

"Serves to show how little you know about this place, Aiolos." commented Saga. He pointed at the sky. "What you see above us is no longer our sky, but the sky of Mount Olympus' Second Level or Step. Only the First Step lives under the same clouds as we do. Each time we move up a level, it is almost like we enter a new mountain; perhaps it would be better to say a whole new world." Saga explained. "These worlds are all connected by rifts between each peak and mountain foot, essentially creating what is called a staircase of dimensions."

Aiolos gave his comrade a dirty look. "No need for sass. I was just asking."

"The difference is the most abrupt between the First and Second Steps, but next thing you'll tell me is that you didn't know it was possible to climb this staircase all the way to the Gods."

"That, I do know." Aiolos assured. He looked up to the tallest peak of the Second level, which was shrouded in dark mist of snow-packed clouds. "Can you imagine it, though? An endless staircase of mountains, moving through the sky across rifts in the air… and at the end standing the golden palace of the Gods; it makes me feel like the weight of the whole universe is supported by this mountain. Just thinking about it is enough to make me realize how weak and meaningless I am as a human."

Saga scoffed and led the way through the mountain range. "Don't underestimate yourself, Aiolos. For a human you've accomplished great deeds. Yes, Mount Olympus is a wonder of the Gods, but humans can create things just as spectacular on their own."

Aiolos smiled. If there was one thing he admired in Saga was how the blue haired Gold Saint firmly believed in human strength and potential. It was in great part of what fueled Saga's renunciation of Athena. The Gemini Saint never believed in praying his problems away and Aiolos, who had a firm faith in Athena's love, often found himself marveled at how he respected someone even more because of how different his beliefs and strengths were.

The three of them had to stop all of a sudden, however, when they encountered a huge crevice on the ground. "What is this?"

The rift was enormous, splitting the road down in half, and sided by the steep mountain walls that seemed impossible to climb. The sunlight cleared the mist at its bottom to reveal the macabre spectacle of countless, steel-tipped pikes sprouting out of the ground. Countless skeletons filled the deep hole, many of them still skewered on the pikes.

"W-wow, it's just like in Jamir." Mu commented. He saw a square-shaped indent on the floor right at the edge of the rift that seemed to allow a Cloth Box to fit. "Hey, look guys, it's a trigger mechanism! I bet a bridge of some sort shows up if you put a Cloth in here."

Saga saw an identical imprint on the other side of the rift. "I see what's going on here. The path to the Training Ground is on the other side, but this rift seems too big to leap over even with a Bronze Saint's cosmos. I'm guessing it's here to prevent students from leaving the mountain without having obtained the Pegasus Cloth or getting escorted by a Saint."

"In other words, someone like Lance, who was abandoned here, wouldn't be able to escape the mountain until he got the Pegasus Cloth, even if he managed to unlock his cosmos?" concluded Aiolos. Saga nodded before using his light speed to leap over the rift to the other side. Aiolos and Mu followed. "I was wondering why he never tried to just escape this place. He had no choice but to stay until the end."

The three Gold Saints started walking up the snow-filled path among the cliffs and forests that would lead to the inner valleys. Mu quivered with the sight of the naked trees dancing with the wind and the sound of howling at the distance. "A-Aiolos, do we really have to come here? Everything looks terrifying here and it's so cold."

"Mu, this is the one place relevant to Pegasus Lance that no one knows anything about." reminded Aiolos. "I'm sure we'll find something that will help us make a decision about him, here." Aiolos grabbed the six year old Lemurian by the hand. "Stick close to us and take tall steps. This terrain is tricky."

The young child seemed to ease up as he held hands with the Sagittarius Saint. Saga noticed this and realized how warm a figure that Aiolos could be to the younger ones. It was not just Aiolia who admired his big brother; everyone else from Aldebaran to Camus seemed to smile a bit more often in the presence of the Sagittarius Saint. He knew he was far superior, but the Gemini Saint had to admit Aiolos had a different kind of magnetism to him that would surely make him a leading figure of the next generation, together with himself and Lance.

Gemini Saga also had to agree that the Mount Olympus looked harsher than what it sounded by its reputation. "No food in sight, no escape; all rock and loneliness. I bet the water you could get from the snow never gets a chance to warm up either. Is this really just a B-rank Training Ground? How does the wild life even survive here?" He wondered out loud. "Well, at least there are no active volcanoes like in most A-rank areas."

The distant sound of many wolf howls was heard, interrupting Saga's thoughts and striking Mu's face with a new shade of pale white. Saga and Aiolos remained calm. They were Gold Saints after all, and armored ones at that. They had nothing to fear from packs of wild animals brought up there by Sanctuary Masters. The quivering on Mu's lips disagreed with that, though.

After several minutes of going up the same road, the path finally turned downwards into a valley located between the main mountains.

The vast, rocky terrain of the valley was filled with leafless forests and completely dressed in snowy white. Paths marked by parallel, withered fences split these forests apart, creating a simple road network in the area. The little light that penetrated the clouds reflected on the snow, making the whole scenario shine to the Gold Saints' eyes.

It would also be quite the breathtaking sight were it not for the loud sound of the chilly wind and the total absence of activity that made the place look desolate and dead.

The three Gold Saints walked down the simple paths and eventually came across what they were looking for. Standing in a crossroad among the trees was a small, wooden cabin of boarded up windows and a stone chimney. The wooden door was severely damaged with several boarded up holes. It had all the aspects of being an abandoned miner cabin.

Aiolos touched one of the many scratches on the heavily damaged door. "Something had a grudge on this house…" Another distant wolf howl was heard from somewhere in the mountains, as if to punctuate Aiolos' words.

Saga pushed the door open, making it creak loudly, and was the first to enter. The darkness of the cabin's innards made it hard to tell anything apart at first, but apparently it was in even poorer state than the outside. The wooden floor was mostly broken or removed, exposing the rocky ground of the mountain. An old, dirty sink was pushed against the wall next to the door they came in, a stone fireplace of blackened floor let chilly winds from the outside through the chimney and an old drawer chest could be seen in a corner.

One wall was marked by calendar scratches. A single door was detected leading to a tiny bathroom, right next to a medical cabinet, to where Mu instantly rushed inside and closed the door behind him.

"Well, let's see if we can find anything." said Aiolos. The two of them then spread throughout the miniscule house.

The Gemini Saint inspected the sink by the entrance of the room. Saga's attention was immediately drawn to the many marks of dry blood and encrusted meat in the sink, as well as the improvised hunting knife consisting of a broken piece of iron stringed to a chunk of wood. He took the knife and analyzed it. It was very crude. The iron was sharpened to form a sort of an edge, but Saga had found much more appropriate cutting tools at the Heart of Sasha orphanage's play fields.

He also looked over a shattered cabinet beneath the sink, but asides from the cobweb-filled pipes and a chew stick improvised out of a fray ended twig for dental care there was only what looked like a necklace of animal teeth. He cringed and took it.

Aiolos opened the cabinet by the bathroom in search of medical supplies. He was surprised to find little more than a set of old, decaying, dirty bandages left and a small number of empty disinfectants. There was no note from Kastiel on how to use them, either. Aiolos also found it extremely unlikely that the present empty bottles would be enough to take care of all the injuries of a four year Saint training, much less the standard six and, in Lance's case, the expected eight.

As someone working at Sanctuary Town's hospital, Aiolos was particularly disgusted. "I don't care how harsh the Training Ground is, even A-rank grounds provide constant medical support. This is awful!" He closed the cabinet just so that he didn't have to look at its contents. "How did he even train properly?! He couldn't possibly take care of himself in these conditions!"

"You think that's bad?" asked Saga as he looked over the rest of the kitchen. He pulled out the necklace consisting of a string running through several fangs and canines of different shapes and sizes. "I think he butchered wolves and snakes here for sustenance, but that's not something Masters teach you. How desperately starved do you think an untrained ten year old gets before wolf packs start looking like sensible targets?"

While Aiolos cringed at the sight of the necklace and engaged Saga in another discussion over their contrasting beliefs regarding survival situations, Mu's curiosity dragged the young boy to an old, broken drawer chest where an object sat on top of the furniture. "Guys?"

"I'm just saying this is inhumane! Lance was absolutely right in confronting Kastiel; you and I would probably do the same!" argued Aiolos.

"Damn it, Aiolos, I'm not saying I wouldn't, but-"

"Guys!" shouted Mu.

"What is it?!" asked Saga.

Mu pointed at the furniture he was inspecting. "Would you figure that a tough looking guy like Lance would keep something like this?"

Saga and Aiolos turned from their discussion to the object. Standing on top of the furniture was a half-full glass of water with what appeared to be a much withered daisy on it. Despite its poor, old state, it was quite a beautiful plant, with a single row of white petals surrounding a vibrant yellow center.

"Huh!..." mused Saga. "Not exactly the kind of thing I'd imagine finding in a place like this."

"A flower?" wondered Aiolos. He scratched his head. "Boy, maybe he was really lonely here."

"Where did he even get this?!" Saga demanded to know. "This mountain is desolate and infertile and it snows most of the year!"

Aiolos sighed. More and more, Mount Olympus sounded like the kind of place a lonely kid without cosmos would never survive in. He went to take a look at the bedroom, but found little more than a pillow and a bunch of thin ragged sheets and furred pelts on the floor. He then noticed how the windows were all damaged and boarded up with bent nails, even though there was no hammer or tool kit in sight.

Mu searched over the drawer chest a bit more thoroughly and, after moving a way a couple of broken drawers, found a black withered book. "Hey, a journal!"

"Can I see it?" Saga was offered it by the Lemurian and flipped the pages. The first thing he noticed was the old state of the pages and the different hand writings. "Hmm, doesn't seem like it's exclusive to Lance's training. This probably covers several students." Saga then saw a drawing of an emaciated wolf and frowned.

"Is there anything on Lance's year?"

Saga flipped the pages all the way to the last writings. "Doesn't seem like it. There are a couple of notes by Kastiel on the first five days about how Lance wasn't making any progress, but it stops even though reports say Kastiel stayed for the entire two weeks required by Jason's Exile's terms." Saga then came across the end of the book. "What the… where are the rest of the pages?"

Mu looked at the ripped state of the page's gutter. "Looks like someone tore them off. Maybe they're around here somewhere…Weird."

"This is all very strange, Mu. The state of the house doesn't seem fit to keep warm at night, either." Sagittarius commented. "He has a fireplace, but he can't stay inside all day, especially to train."

"Mu then gasped and trembled with the gust of wind that ran down the chimney and filled the house with cold. "It's r-really cold in here, too! Guys, can we leave now?!"

Aiolos sighed once more. He was hoping he'd find more than evidence on how harsh Lance's stay in Mount Olympus was. "Yeah, okay, let's go before any storm starts." The three youths left the cabin to the outside.

As they made their way out of the valley, Saga looked back at the house and noticed once more how all the windows were boarded up. Many of the boards had countless scratches on them like the door. "Maybe this placed was attacked by the wolves on a regular basis. Lance was probably the only good chunk of meat they'd find in this place, after all." The necklace Saga found inside the house, though, made him think that the red eyed Saint eventually found ways to resist them.

Mu blew his breath against his hands, watching the cold turn it to a fading mist. "Sorry, Aiolos, I know you wanted to get better conclusions about Lance from coming here."

The Sagittarius disguised his frown with a forced chuckle and patted the Lemurian's head. "It's okay. I think this trip let us know a bit more about him than before."

Saga scoffed. "Like what? If anything, this place serves to show how crazy he must have been when he returned to Sanctuary. Four years here… I can't imagine anyone not going insane."

"Well, Saga, I say it shows his strength of character." argued Aiolos. "Remember, Kastiel left him all alone in these conditions, yet, when he had the chance, Lance didn't kill him."

The three of them halted their march. Saga folded his arms, interested in Aiolos' reasoning. "Hmm, you may have a point… If it was me I don't think I'd contain myself."

"And they were in a duel, right?" asked Mu, eager to take part in the conversation. "Lance could have finished Kastiel without going to jail. If he was truly insane from this place he would have killed Kerberos without a second thought!"

Saga's finger tapped on the arm it rested on. He couldn't say he disagreed with this logic. "Let's look over the time line once more, okay? He leaves this place and beats up Kastiel for abandoning him here. Even though it was all under the rules, the Pope punished him by assigning him the worst missions the MMC had to offer. Six months pass and he even goes to Death Queen Island, from where he returns with two corpses of a Saint and a young girl."

"Yes, but no proof of his guilt on those deaths was ever found." reminded Aiolos. "No one's sure what happened in Death Queen Island, but Lance was never convicted of anything."

"Meanwhile, his popularity suffers a tumble because the fight with Kastiel and the fights he has with several people in Sanctuary Town branded him as violent and untrustworthy. Suspicions get worse when he returns from Death Queen Island." progressed Saga. "The Pope then decides to assign Andromeda Shinta, a patient, pacifist rookie Saint, as his partner in an experiment to see if they'd rub off on each other."

"Which goes great because, according to Master, the incidents around Lance decreased in frequency and the success of his missions also gained a boost since Shinta became his partner." concluded Mu. "They then went to Ismara and Arcadia where they both defeated a large group of Specters and Skeleton Soldiers with the assistance of Cassiopeia Cassandra."

"Yes, Mu, I know, I was there." dissed Saga. "Andromeda Island followed, casting Saint Kirin's suspicion on Lance. He argued that there were too many coincidences around both events and that Lance was a spy of Hades. It would make sense were it not for the way Pegasus Lance fought side by side with the Saints and how he contributed for both Specter groups' demise."

"And then there was the fight with Aguilon, where he confessed to not have any liking towards Sanctuary and the Gold Saints and proved that he reached Light Speed." recalled Aiolos.

Mu scratched his head, confused with something. "So…did Lance actually commit any crime ever since he got out of Mount Olympus?"

Saga thought it over. "No, I don't think so. In fact, most of the violent incidents involving him are reported to have been started by the people he beat up."

"Then why does everyone hate him?!" Mu demanded to know. "I've heard about him many times, but today was the first time anyone actually explained to me anything about him and I see nothing wrong with him being a Gold Saint. You said it yourself to Saint Kirin, Saga; there was no way Lance was a double agent because you saw his wounds and how shocked he was by the destruction of Arcadia, right?"

The two older Gold Saints looked at each other, pondering on the much younger Gold Saint's words. Saga was the first to argue back. "Well, Mu, saying it like that, there really is nothing wrong, but-"

"But what?!" Mu practically shouted. "Master Shion once told me Saint Daniel got his Gold Cloth after a duel with Saint Aguilon and that all the Gold Saints of his generation killed tons of enemies during the War. How does that make them different from Lance?"

Aiolos saw Saga at loss for words. He ended up chuckling at the thought of young Mu having beaten the brilliant Saga in a contest of logic. "It serves to show how the point of view of a child is less clouded than our own, right Saga?" he provoked. The Gemini Saint groaned and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I think it's time to go back. I was hoping to find more here, but I think I've made up my mind already about the Cancer Cloth's future."

{======================|0|======================}

Three Hours Later

Golden Zodiac

Temple of Aquarius

{======================|0|======================}

The Fire Clock struck the Capricorn sign, signaling nine o'clock. Night had fallen in Sanctuary and Capricorn Kirin joined Aquarius Malta in his office, where Malta seemed to be busy writing on a parchment of some sort. Malta's servants closed the doors of the study to let the two Gold Saints have some privacy.

Without taking his glassed eyes off his writing, Malta waved his free hand at an empty chair. "Take a seat, Kirin. You wanted to talk?"

Capricorn Kirin nodded as he sat down. His falcon eyes looked at the parchment Malta was spending so much energy on and deduced it was an annotation Aquarius was making on the day, particularly the long discussion they had. He saw the moon rising high in the night sky through the large windows. "Yes, I hope you are not too tired for it."

"I will stay awake. In three hours we have an important decision to make after all." commented Malta.

Kirin sweated in exasperation. He'd really wish Malta wouldn't be so diligent with his work to the point of not looking at his friends as they addressed him. "Yes, of course… that is what I wanted to talk to you about. I just met up with Aiolos, who told me he, Saga and Mu had gone to Mount Olympus for a bit."

Malta seemed particularly interested by this, as he put down his glasses and the document aside. "That explains their sudden absence after the meeting."

"I imagine they went there to get some sort of conclusion regarding Saint Pegasus." said Kirin. He folded his arms and looked back on the meeting. "I don't think they're hostile to him in any particular way, despite the ruckus he caused at the Pope's Temple. There is a high chance they will all vote in favor of him."

The Aquarius Saint, however, wasn't so sure. He leaned back in his comfortable chair and shared his two cents. "Aiolos and Mu, yes, I agree… Saga, however,…"

"What about him?"

Malta chewed on his glasses and looked away. "He's older and smarter than the other two. He made good points throughout the discussion, most in Lance's favor, but I think he knows better than following the same bandwagon Aiolos and Mu are in for getting a new comrade." His cold eyes narrowed at the thought of the Gemini Saint. "There is just something about that boy…Ever since Shion-" A clearing of throat was heard from Kirin. "Ever since Pope Arles brought him to the Third Temple, I could just see something in him different from the others."

"Really?" wondered Kirin. "I do think I see that same hidden ambition that Akassius, his predecessor, had. Saga has that confidence someone with a plan usually does, doesn't he? So you think he'll vote against Pegasus?"

"I think he'll spend more than two seconds thinking about the subject." commented Aquarius. "Aiolos ponders his actions, but mostly on the moral side. If he sees nothing evil in Lance, he'll definitely vote for him while Saga will probably ponder how useful each option is to him. I want your opinion on something, Kirin. Aries Mu,… how far do you think his decisions are influenced by the Pope?"

"A great deal; they are Master and student, after all, and Mu is a child." argued the Capricorn Saint. "For as little as he contributed to the discussion, I get the feeling Shion's interest in Pegasus rubs off on Mu."

"Have you talked to Daniel yet? What are his thoughts?"

Kirin's eyes narrowed further. "I think there's a chance he might vote for Lance, too, and just for the simple reason of 'why not?'. Athena knows I respect that buffoon, but, for the goddess' sake, he's not nearly as inquisitive as he should be! Then again, all he cares about nowadays is training Aldebaran. It would take solid evidence against Lance to make Daniel seriously invest himself in this discussion."

"And I'm guessing your earlier argument regarding Lance's possible involvement with the Specter would suffice to get Daniel's attention, were it not for Saga's intervention. Even so it does not mean he won't take your road. Besides, Daniel's merely trying to focus on passing on what he knows and believes in to a new generation, Kirin. You and I should understand that, right? Or are you having second thoughts about teaching Shura all you know, too?"

Confronted with this logical perspective, Kirin had no choice but admit defeat. "Fine, you have a point, but he should still concern himself more-"

"That being said," interrupted Malta, who rested his arms on the table to approach his comrade. "I do find it very convenient how the three of us had the full support from Pope Arles, right from the get go, when we each brought our student candidates before him." Kirin widened his eyes with the sudden shift in Malta's mood. "No questions asked on why, where or when we got them or even how much of our precious Gold Saint servitude time would be spent on these strange kids. In my case, it was almost like all it took was showing Camus' picture to convince the Pope to let me spend some time in France."

"And the timing…"

Malta took out a document he had written on the time of Camus' presentation, which showed the date. "Yes, all of it right around after Saga and Aiolos were brought to the Temples and Mu was recruited as the Pope's protégé. I hear from Saint Lotus he also has his eye on a strange child who's been passing for a prophet in India as well as that tour guiding kid who's been pestering my student. Now, all of a sudden, he brings up Pegasus, too…"

"You're not suggesting that-"

"Kirin, I think it's time we admit out loud once and for all that it is no secret that the Pope has been preparing for this new generation's takeover of our own. His strange support of Lance probably has its roots on the fact that, for quite some time, Arles has been making preparations to replace us all." The red-headed Gold Saint let his words sink in with Kirin.

"And… does that not bother you?" Kirin demanded to know. "Does it not bother you that one of the new Gold Saints is Lance?"

"Of course it does. Pegasus Lance is a troublemaking element, no matter the armor he puts on. Someone who breaks so many rules and so much civil order, going as far as entering the Golden Zodiac uninvited under the guise of following suspicious soldiers, is not the kind of person I'd like in my order. I had enough of that from Paris!" he complained, referring to the deceased Scorpio Saint.

Kirin cast him a dirty look. "You know I don't mean just that."

Malta spent a few seconds staring at his comrade in silence. "…Kirin, what is really bothering you about Pegasus? I could understand back when you made your point on the two Specter attacks, but is there something else?"

"You need to ask?!" the Catalan warrior protested. "Weren't you at the meeting? Didn't you hear about everything he's done?!"

Malta shrugged his shoulders. "He caused a lot of fights and is not as mature as he should be, but is there really any cause for excessive zeal-"

In a sudden fit of outrage, Kirin hammered the study desk with his hand. "Of course there IS! Don't you know what Gold Cloth he's running for? Don't you know who he is replacing?"

"Yes, of course I-"

"Two dozen people murdered; two dozen people gone and the honor of the Golden Zodiac thrown into the trash because the last owner was a power hungry maniac who couldn't handle Karkinos!" Kirin shouted, referring to the Greek name of the Cancer Gold Cloth. "You know as well as I do that almost every poorly chosen Cancer Saint in Sanctuary's history has gone insane or violent or evil or corrupt, and the Pope is bringing a kid with this kind of record-"

"And what are we supposed to do, Kirin, wait for the next Great Bodyguard of Athena to show up so someone pure of thought and soul can take that Cloth?" asked Malta, also losing a bit of him composure. "Kirin, we are on the verge of entrusting the next twenty years of Sanctuary's safeguarding to a group of preteens! Someone has to play the older role model to them and Saga and Aiolos are not enough. I'm not saying Lance is someone I'd choose, but I won't reject him for such an impertinent reason as comparing him to his predecessor."

"You've seen the Pegasus' eyes, haven't you?" confronted Kirin. "You've seen the look on them!"

Malta opened his mouth to answer, but halted himself. He gulped, reminded of an old myth of evil. "I did…but I won't let folklore shape my thoughts. We are better than that! I'll make my own decision about him and I'll base it on what I rationally think it's best for Sanctuary; not on standards of chivalry and bedside stories."

Silence fell in the room for a bit and the two old comrades refused to be the first to let go of the stare they then shared. It took a knock on the door from one of the Temple's servants to wet the fuse.

The door opened to reveal a woman in her forties dressed in a maid costume. "Master Malta, is everything alright? I heard shouting."

"It's fine, Mrs. Schafurwatt. I was just having a talk with Saint Kirin about an important matter to our order. He was just leaving." The stewardess nodded and offered to escort the Gold Saint. "Saint Kirin, let's see each other at the Pope's Temple at midnight. There's no need to go make such an important voting with heated minds, correct?"

Kirin seemed to have calmed down, having realized that he had been pushing the subject too hard. "Yes,… of course. I'll see you there, then, Malta. Hopefully, we won't regret our decisions."

{======================|0|======================}

Midnight

Sanctuary, Golden Zodiac

Pope's throne room

{======================|0|======================}

The massive doors closed behind the six entering Gold Saints, leaving only the light of candles and of the moonlight coming through the stained glass windows illuminate the huge room where the discussion had taken place. The six Gold Saints took the same spots as before; the younger generation to one side of the Pope and the older generation to the other.

Shion got up from his Goddess' throne and confronted them. "Welcome back, Gold Saints of Athena. Earlier this morning you were summoned from different parts of the world to decide whether or not my proposition to have Pegasus Lance promoted to Gold Saint status had any wisdom to it." he resumed. "As we agreed, you've all had six hours of personal reflection after all was discussed about the person in question. We will now proceed to an oral voting to make the final decision. Are there any doubts? " Mu raised his arm. "Yes, Saint Mu?"

"Master, if it were to decide that Saint Lance was not to become a Gold Saint, would he keep the Kentaurus Silver Cloth or lose that one, too?" he wondered. "Saint Aguilon never gave his evaluation, right? What happens to Lance if he doesn't get Cancer?"

Taurus Daniel raised his hand. "May I give the answer, your Holiness?" Once given permission with a wave of wand by the Pope, Daniel addressed the younger Lemurian. "Saint Mu; that will depend on said evaluation and on whether or not the Kentaurus Silver Cloth accepts Lance based on his fight with Aguilon. After a brief talk I had with Saint Aguilon, who encountered me a few hours ago in my Temple, he affirmed that Saint Lance has his approval depending on the Silver Cloth's opinion."

"Did he state why he approves Lance?" asked Aquarius Malta.

Daniel nodded. "Aguilon claims that after looking over how the fight ended, he changed his mind both about Saint Lance's capacities and his integrity."

Saint Malta seemed satisfied with this, but Saint Kirin protested. "How exactly did he judge Saint Lance's integrity?" Capricorn asked.

Daniel expected Kirin's skepticism and prepared himself for it. "A warrior can tell much of what other warrior feels and thinks just from a battle fought between them. Aguilon believes that Saint Lance complains louder than he should, but that his heart is in the right place." This sparked exchange of glances amongst the Gold Saints. Daniel was quick to quell uprisings, though. "Take this merely as a comment from someone outside this room, not from me; merely pertinent to Lance's potential promotion to Silver Saint, not to the Gold Cloth."

The room calmed down with this and the Pope took the chance to advance the matter. He used his telekinesis to lift six pieces of paper and pens and floated them to each Gold Saints hands. "Here's how we shall go around this. You shall all write a 'yes' or 'no' I our paper and turn over the pen. Alphabetically, starting with Aiolos and ending with Saga, you will present your choice. The reason I'm doing this is because I want you all to have the chance to give your final words about your ultimate decision, but without having them influence that of the others. Do you consider this fair?"

"Yes, your Holiness."

"Yes, Master Shi- I mean, your Holiness!"

"Very well then, you may proceed." Shion then let the Gold Saints take their time writing their vote.

As silence filled the room and the Gold Saints put their decision on words, Shion took the time to attempt to decipher the thoughts in their faces. The three older Gold Saints were pretty much stoic, but Shion could clearly see the concealed concern in Aiolos' eyes.

If there was one thing that proved to Shion that Aiolos really was Sisyphus was how Aiolos realized the importance of each decision, particularly on the moral and ethical senses. How he gritted his teeth and softened his eyes with each polemic and how he tried to predict every consequence that could possibly be harmful to others. To Shion, it was the same incorruptible standards in the young Sagittarius Saint he had seen in Sisyphus two centuries before that would not allow either Sagittarius Gold Saint to make a mistake they could avoid.

Saga, on the other hand, showed confidence in all his thoughts; much less bothered his decision making process than Aiolos', so the Gemini Saint was usually much quicker to arrive at better decisions. As such, it was with great surprise that Shion saw the blue-haired boy keep staring at his paper even way after Aiolos was finished.

Was the youth undecided? Was he perhaps seeking advice from his Gold Cloth? The Pope had half a mind to ask him if something was wrong, but out of respect for the voting, the old Lemurian chose to let Aspros' reincarnation to his thoughts.

One by one the voters surrendered their pens to the Pope and held the paper in front of them so everyone could see no second thoughts. "Has everyone decided already?" asked Shion. There was a collective nod. "Very good; Aiolos, you're the first. Please step forward, present your vote and give voice to any comment you may have."

The Sagittarius Saint did so. "Certainly, your Holiness. After much deliberation over the factors I believed to be most important… I have decided to grant Pegasus Lance my approval." Aiolos then unfolded his paper on top of the Cancer Cloth Box, revealing a "ναί" written on it, Greek for 'yes'. "In my opinion, Saint Lance possesses none of the faults that would bar him from being a good Gold Saint under proper instruction. I do not believe in blaming people for consequences of their upbringings. Saint Lance deserves a better opportunity from Sanctuary than he got in Mount Olympus. I do make this decision, however, on the condition that he does undergo further education."

Though there was no surprise in the room for Aiolos' decision, glances were exchanged when the Sagittarius Saint gave voice to his concern. Saga had half a mind to engage the Sagittarius Saint in mental conversation if it wasn't for the fact that the Pope could easily detect it. When Aiolos mentioned Mount Olympus, though, both Saga and Mu realized Aiolos' choice was probably greatly influenced by what they saw in the mountain.

Shion watched the room for any signs of protest or indignation, but while Malta and Kirin seemed a bit worried at first with Aiolos' vote, the youth's final words seemed to have justified his position well enough to make them understand where the young Greek Gold Saint was coming from. "Very well, Aiolos, your condition is duly noted. Saint Daniel, you're next."

The enormous Taurus Saint stepped forward and dropped the paper on the Cloth Box. "Your Holiness, after all this discussion and all I've witnessed yesterday at Sanctuary Town's Coliseum, I cast my vote as a 'yes', as well." He then unfolded the paper, revealing another "ναί". "It was not an easy decision. I remember the first months of Pegasus Lance's Sainthood and how he almost drove you insane with all the headaches he caused. I also remember when he came back from Death Queen Island and his reputation hit such an all-time low you and I considered preparing the renunciation of his title. However, for the past year and a half, we've seen only progress, both in usefulness and behavior. I have the same conditions as Saint Aiolos does, but for now I support this investment."

This time, Shion was sure he detected a frown from Kirin. So far, Taurus Daniel was the one everyone was most unsure how he would react. Though assumptions tended on the positive, there was always the chance Daniel would renounce Lance. His justification, though, struck heart with Shion, who had indeed watch with Daniel how Sanctuary's Town headache mellowed out with each month under the influence of Andromeda Shinta. "That is two votes in favor of the promotion out of four required. Saint Kirin, you're next."

The Capricorn Saint followed the same procedure as the other two of unfolding his vote on top of the Cancer Cloth Box. "Your Holiness, I cast my vote as 'no'." He then revealed the 'Όxι' on the paper for everyone to see. "I still believe Saint Lance to be unready and untrustworthy and it would be very difficult for me to choose otherwise unless he proved himself in terms of valor and attachment to Sanctuary. I know you all understand my choice so I won't justify myself any further."

While the Pope was saddened, he was neither disappointed nor surprised. All votes in favor so far, in fact, had been made under the condition that Lance receives further analysis from a proper teacher, so no one so far was really sure of Pegasus' integrity. "Understood, Saint Kirin. Saint Aquarius Malta, you're next."

It was indeed the turn of the red-haired cold warrior. "I also vote against Lance." He declared, presenting his paper to the Cancer Gold Cloth. To Shion's surprise, it was Kirin of all people who widened his eyes. "I do not believe Saint Lance will make a proper Gold Saint to begin with. Saints of Gold are paragons of virtue in Sanctuary; it is not merely power and mastery of the 7th sense that grants them the right to bear one of these golden armors. Factors such as loyalty, respect and maturity are just as important. To cite my case, I would like to remind your Holiness that many Gold Saints in the past have been picked before their mastery of the 7th sense was consolidated because their level of integrity and what represented to the people as symbols of grown values spoke higher than battle capacity. In other words, I choose 'no' not for weakness, not for untrustworthiness, but for simple lack of worthiness to begin with."

"Ah, I see. Good words from a wise man. I respect your reasoning, Saint Malta." commented the Pope. He then turned to his small Lemurian apprentice. "Saint Mu, what is your decision?"

Mu rushed to the Gold Cloth Box. There were a couple of seconds in which he exchanged glances with his Master as part of the habit he had to check his thoughts with his teacher, but knowing he had to show he made his first independent decision as a Gold Saint, Mu buckled up and unfolded his paper. "After much thought…I decided to choose 'yes'!" he declared. "Your Holiness, I believe Saint Lance has done nothing truly wrong throughout his career and that he can be a very good Gold Saint if he tries, I… think so."

Knowing that Mu was making a serious effort to stand before all those older eyes and present his vote, Shion decided to dismiss him quickly. "Very good, Saint Mu, your decision is also duly noted." He watched Mu rush back to his spot before turned to Saga. "That leaves us with three votes in favor and two votes against. Saint Gemini Saga's vote will be the one to decide this whole matter."

He stepped forward and placed his vote on the Cancer Cloth Box, but did not unfold it just yet. He instead looked over his comrades. "I… gave this matter much thought. I tried to think about what could possibly go wrong with each alternative and how our order could benefit from my vote. This is not my first decision as a Gold Saint, and hopefully not the last, but I sensed throughout this day that this is probably one of the most important and splitting ones I've faced."

"And so you have become the God of Lance's fate for now, Saga." thought Shion. "Have you made him a Gold Saint, or have you thrown him into the whims of the Centaur Silver Cloth?"

Saga started unfolding the paper. He felt all the eyes of the room on his fingers and realized he had all the power in the room right now. He would now decide for five Gold Saints and the Pope if Lance would get his reward. There was much indecision throughout the day. Lance was strong, but hard to control. Lance was reliable, but uneducated. Saga wasn't even sure how his presence in the Temples would alter the dynamics between the Gold Saints and, in a way, he felt like this was the most important factor.

The blue haired Gemini Saint raised the paper high for everyone to see what he wrote on it.

{======================|0|======================}

Moments later

Pisces Temple main hall

{======================|0|======================}

The stardust shackles felt tight against Shinta' wrists and the cold stare of the Papal Guards made him sweat nervously. He was being held together with the shackled Lance in the large room, having waited for almost six hours for the Guards to make up their mind about whether or not they'd throw them into the Temple's catacombs or just behind the bars of the Stardust Prison located near Cape Suinon.

The Andromeda Saint was no stranger to Sanctuary's shackles and chains. He was a bit of an expert on it, even, as he experienced them in his first month in Andromeda Island as part of his pretest and later on would spend his career using the extensive knowledge he obtained in how to beat up people with metal links. The stardust veins of the object, however, made him feel weak as they drained any cosmos he burned dry. They had been sitting there on the floor for hours now with no end in sight and Shinta started feeling like he'd fall asleep there before anyone decided their fate.

His own suffering, however, seemed small compared to the broken look in Lance's eyes. The Guards were rough to him on the way back from the Pope's Temple and the six hours of having his strength drained by the shackles' silver veins, combined with the fact that they still ignored what exactly was being discussed by the Gold Saints seemed to have broken down the Pegasus Saint. "Lance, it's okay, I'm sure everything will be fine."

The slightly dizzy Pegasus Saint only barely responded with a tired nod of his head.

Shinta tried to start a conversation. "B-boy, these shackles sure are something, huh?"

"You'll be fine… you have Nebula Storm's cosmos to draw on…" Lance commented.

"Right..." Shinta's eyes darted left and right. He hated to see Lance so down. Seeing him all stoic and mean was the norm Shinta was used to. "But he lost his chance at the Silver Cloth, got beat up by Saint Aguilon and now the Gold Saints are probably discussing how to punish us. Lance hasn't even properly recovered from that fight. No wonder Lance feels terrible. Shinta leaned on Lance and started burning his pink aura. "Here, maybe I can lend you a bit of it so you won't feel so drained."

Lance, however, winced in response. "Ugh, knock it off!" he complained.

"Oh, are you still getting headaches from it?" Shinta asked. It was so weird. Ever since the fight with the three Specters in Andromeda Island, Lance got this weird sensory pain in his head every time Shinta started burning his Nebula Storm cosmos. "You haven't been getting any better at all, right?"

"Not really. In fact, I think that Heracles bastard hit me harder than I thought because now it feels worse." He saw Shinta soften his eyes. "Damn it, Shinta, don't feel bad over it! It's not your fault. I've just… not been feeling like myself ever since Andromeda Island. I think I had it a couple of times whenever Aguilon burned his cosmos to higher levels, too. I guess…I've just been growing more sensible to cosmos in general."

Shinta nodded. It did make sense that, over time, Lance's ability to sense cosmos from his foes would grow. He even imagined it was a result of all the training he's been doing for the past year. "You've been working very hard, Lance. I was so sure you'd get the Silver Cloth. I'm sorry you couldn't beat Saint Aguilon."

The Pegasus Saint grabbed his pained chest, which still hurt from that fight. "It's alright, Shinta."

The Andromeda Saint's eyes diverted. "Lance, prior to your fight with him, I thought about how much effort you were putting just to get that promotion and I made a decision." This got Pegasus' attention. "I… I decided to apply for the Silver Cloth, too."

Hesitation in Lance's reaction silenced the room for a bit "…Shinta, that's…"

"But then you lost the fight and…and I feel like I shouldn't go through it anymore." Shinta confessed. "I'd feel terrible if I went after the Silver Cloth knowing you lost yours. I'm not sure-"

"What, Shinta, don't be ridiculous!" Lance interrupted. "Have you forgotten why you accepted becoming a Saint in the first place?! You're after your mother, aren't you? You won't get access to Sanctuary's database unless you get the Silver Cloth."

"Well, yes, but-"

"Shinta, don't you dare patronize me over this! It doesn't matter that I didn't get the Cloth, you shouldn't feel bad to the point of not going after what you want." Lance scoffed in frustration. "Jesus, you stupid kid, why aren't you more selfish? So what if I didn't get the Cloth? I'm not even sure why I went after it in the first place…"

"W…What do you mean with that, Lance?"

Lance sighed. His red eyes looked over the Papal Guards watching them and the vast room they were in. "The Silver Cloth, Shinta. Why did I ever even think I needed that piece of crap? Why did I ever think it was a good idea to climb Sanctuary's ladder; so that I could get a better chance at going into reserve? God… what was I thinking?"

The Andromeda Saint blinked. Something was wrong. "What is it, Lance? Is something on your mind? You can talk to me if you want to."

It was Lance's turn to look away in a manner that resembled so much a gesture of guilt or shame. "I'm done with Sanctuary…"

It took a bit for Shinta to absorb this. "Done? What do you mean, 'done'? Do you want to leave Sanctuary?"

"Shinta, I told you all I ever wanted since I got out of that stupid mountain in the sky was to cut ties with this place." Lance reminded him. "But then the Pope punished me with missions and stuff just kept piling up and after a while, I just I got used to this place… but two years of being shouted at, insulted, told to leave and accused while at the same time doing my best in every mission and even putting up with you… and what did I get in return? I failed my shot at becoming a Silver Saint because I got paired with a Gold Rank handpicked by the Pope to kick my ass."

"Lance, don't talk like that, you-"

"Now he even gathered the Gold Saints to discuss whatever about me. Did you see the way they looked at us at the Pope's Temple, Shinta? Even with those masks you could tell whatever they were talking about inside the throne room wasn't good. It's obvious that Sanctuary doesn't want me… and to tell you the truth, I don't think I ever wanted Sanctuary, either."

The Andromeda Saint tried to argue back, but found himself at loss for words. It was true that Sanctuary never gave Lance a friendly sign. Ever since he got paired up with Pegasus, Shinta has only been told by people to stay away from the red-eyed teen. Even normal people such as that nice girl at the shop he used to get food from and the Saints he trusted in, like Nam and Cynthia, had nothing but warnings and concerns about Lance.

"Then why did you become a Saint in the first place?" Shinta demanded to know. "If you're just gonna give up… No, Lance! This isn't like you at all! Why are you talking like this?! What are you going to do exactly?!"

Lance rubbed his temples. "I don't know…"

Before the discussion could continue, attention in the whole room was turned to the large wooden doors from where none other than the Pope, the Gemini Saint, Sagittarius and the short-sized Aries Saint came out of. All three Gold Saints still wore their black sock masks.

The Papal Guards saluted them. "Your Holiness!"

"Is everything fine here?" asked the Pope. The guards nodded. "Very well, you may leave us." Everyone watched as the Papal Guards left the room, leaving the two Bronze Saints alone with the Gold Saints and the Pope. Shion cleared his throat. "Well, we've sure had a long day. I bet everyone's just dying to get to bed."

Shinta was too nervous before the four authority figures to say anything and the Pegasus Bronze Saint just spared a faded out 'fuck you' look to the old Lemurian and stayed quiet.

Shinta still tried to make a case. "Y-Your Holiness, please forgive us! Saint Lance didn't mean any harm! I…I…Please don't take Lance's Silver Cloth away!" He closed his tearful, guilt ridden eyes. "I know we caused a big mess, b-but-"

"Calm down, Saint Shinta. Mu, if you pleased?"

The Aries Saint nodded and pointed his finger at the shackles. After using his telekinesis, there was a clicking sound and both Bronze Saints widened their eyes when the shackles fell off their wrists to the floor.

The Andromeda Saint rubbed his sore wrists. "Y-your Holiness, you're letting us go?"

Shion ignored Shinta. "Saint Lance,… do you like crabs?"

Silence filled the room. Lance blinked repeatedly. "I'm sorry, what?" Mu laughed but a side glance from his Master's mask quieted down the child. "Is this some sort of joke?! If you want to take my Silver Cloth away, just do it!"

"Oh, Lance, don't be like that. Why would I do such a thing?" lamented Shion. "Gold Saints get automatic claims on any Silver Cloth they've tried on so long as they have no other owner."

Now Lance and Shinta were really confused. "…Gold Saint?! What are you talking about?! Why don't you just tell me already what's going on?"

"Please, Lance, I know we've had our ups and downs, but-"

"We've had ups?!" Lance practically shouted.

"Lance! Please!" The Pope then waved his hand at the Gemini Saint. "You're making Saga regret voting on you for Gold Saint of Cancer!"

Silence once more filled the room and the most dumbfounded expressions of their lives struck both Bronze Saints' faces. For a second, Mu wondered if Master Shion had paralyzed the Bronzes again with telekinesis as both seemed stuck with their jaws dropped.

Another glance from Shion then reminded Mu of his task. "Oh, right!" The Aries Saint then suddenly seemed to vanish from sight and then reappear with a large, cubic box made out entirely of Gold and stardust and engraved with the image of a crab with its pincers locking on a pull handle. "Here it is, Lance! Your new Cloth!"

The two frozen red eyes stared at the object. "I…what-"

A sudden, high-pitched scream of excitement cut his flat lined thoughts short. "OH MY GOD, LANCE! YOU'RE A GOLD SAINT!" Shinta then locked his arms around Pegasus in a hug. "You're the CANCER GOLD SAINT! THIS IS AMAZING!"

For a moment Lance did not register all of this, but the world soon began to resume its march in his head. "W-what?! W-wait a minute! What the fuck is going on?!" He pushed his friend off. "Calm the fuck down, Shinta! What is this Cloth doing here?"

The Sagittarius Saint explained. "Well, I suppose I understand your confusion. You see, the discussion the Gold Saint order was having in Athena's throne room was over whether or not you'd join our rank. It was never our intention to take any Cloth away from you."

"B-but…why? I…"

The Gemini Saint then interfered by approaching Shinta. "I'm sorry, Saint Andromeda, but your part here is over." Saga then waved his hand and, before Shinta could even react, he instantly sent Shinta to Another Dimension. "There you go, your Holiness. We can talk in peace, now, though we should have done this from the start."

"Hey, what did you do with Shinta?!" Lance demanded to know. "Where is he?!"

"He's currently at the Taurus Temple, where Daniel will explain to him more of what's going on. The Pope wanted us to speak in private to you, but he also wanted to break the news of your promotion to Shinta as well, to compensate the six hours he spent here cooking with you." Saga then took off his large, two faced helmet and his sock mask, revealing his large, blue mane, blue eyes and young face. "Saint Lance, I am Gemini Saga. We've met before in Arcadia, but this is our first introduction."

Lance took a minute to absorb what was going on. Just earlier he was contemplating his bleak future in Sanctuary, and now he was being promoted to Gold Saint, introduced to a surprisingly young Gemini Saint and saw Shinta vanish in front of him.

"…Those stardust shackles sucked me dry, didn't they? This is a coma dream!" The Aries Saint then pinched his arm and laughed. "OW! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Mu took out his helmet and mask, revealing his neck-length lilac hair, Lemurian brow dots and his chubby childish face. "Hi, I'm Mu! I'm from Tibet." He then started waving his arms. "This is a dream, Lance! You will give me lots of candy and buy all the items at my workshop-"

The Sagittarius stepped forward. "Don't mind him, Lance, he's just playing around. Lemurians of his age can be quite energetic." Sagittarius then also revealed his face, that of a teen as young as Saga with a red bandana around his forehead and curly brown hair. "I'm Aiolos. You haven't met me but you've met my brother, Aiolia, at the Leo Temple." He offered Lance his hand. "Pleased to meet you, Cancer Lance."

Lance reluctantly shook his head. After taking in the details in Aiolos' features, he did look like an older version of Aiolia, the child at the fifth House. "…Pleased to meet you, too." He responded. "So… you're all Gold Saints? You're so young. I…" He rubbed his temples. It was still a lot to digest.

"Lance, I imagine this is a lot to take in in such a short time," admitted the Pope "and I hope you don't think badly of me for making you go through all this suspense. Goddess, you even went as far as infiltrating the Golden Zodiac with your mission partner. I hope your worries have been put to rest by this. That being said, Aiolos, Saga, Mu, will you leave us?"

The three Gold Saints nodded and made their way out of the room. Before he closed the doors on Lance and the Pope, Saga shared one final glance to the new Cancer Saint. "I hope I don't regret this… No, I'll make this work in my favor." He vowed.

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The loud sound of the doors being closed by Saga, leaving him alone with the Pope, sounded like a huge knock on Lance's world that finally awoke him from the dumbfounded-ness that had struck him when his promotion was announced. He found himself standing alone with a Cancer Gold Cloth Box and an awaiting Pope.

He had no idea what to say. "Pope Arles, I-"

"No need to call me that in private, Lance. That is not my name." To Lance's shock, the Pope then also took off his mask, and for the first time he the face of one of the men that would have the greatest impact on his life. It was a withered, old face filled with wrinkles and spots. Two faded Lemurian dots much like Mu's took a spot above his eye brows and long hair of grayed green ran down his shoulders. "My name is Shion and I was the Aries Saint during the Lost Canvas War and the Suikyo Incident, two hundred years ago."

Not claiming to know anything solid about Sanctuary's history, Lance took the Pope's words to be true. He tried to think of what to say, but only one word came to mind. "Why? Why me? Why all of a sudden…"

"You may not realize it, Lance" explained Shion "but during the finale of your fight with Aguilon, you struck him with a blow that made use of cosmos a Silver Rank shouldn't have access to. Let me ask you something, have you been feeling unusually sensitive to cosmos, like you can detect it in other much more easily and at much greater range."

Lance nodded. "Yes, I have but,… what does that have to do with anything?"

Shion stared at the red eyed Saint. Knowledge of the 7th sense wasn't usually taught to trainees and Bronze Saints. It was a piece of information usually only Silver Saints have access to. They had the choice to teach it to Bronze Saints and students, but normally refrained from doing so. It came as no surprise that Lance was completely ignorant from it, especially considering the way Kastiel treated him.

"That growing sensibility, Lance, together with the fact that you were able to generate enough cosmos to attack Aguilon at the speed of light, are symptoms of an unlocked 7th sense." explained Shion. He waved his hand so as to project illusions of galaxies and Saints burning their cosmos in the back ground. "7th sense is the sense that 'feels' cosmos, but it also acts both as the source of it as well as the ability with which you control your cosmos. Everyone has it, because everyone has cosmos. Simple isn't it?"

Lance nodded.

Shion continued. "However, most people's 7th sense are locked and dormant. To awake cosmos is to awake the 7th sense, just like you did in Mount Olympus, but all that power, including the ability to sense and control it, is still locked. To unlock the 7th sense is the second step to gain access to its true capacity."

"Wait a minute! You said I attacked Aguilon at the speed of light?!" Lance protested. "That is impossible! I can barely reach over Mach 5!"

"With the 7th sense, Lance, you can go much, much beyond Mach 5. It is normal that you did not realize it because you were tired and you were instantly knocked out by Aguilon after that attack, but you left a trail of your body's image behind you and even went past Aguilon's light speed movements so as to hit his chest. There's no doubt about it, Cancer Lance, you moved at the speed of light."

Once again, Shion had to take a moment of rest to let it all sink in for Lance. He didn't blame the Pegasus for being confused and incredulous. It was quite a fantastic thing to be promoted to Gold Saint. More people have won the lottery, after all.

Lance walked over to the Cancer Cloth Box and touched it's golden surface. It was brimming with warm cosmos that ran up his skin, making his arm hairs stand up. He shivered and backed off immediately.

"Can I see it?" The Pope nodded and Lance carefully grabbed the handle. There was a moment in which he just stared at it in hesitation, but after a gulp and a buckle up, he pulled the chained handle just enough for the top lid to open up.

His red eyes widened at the sight of the object sitting inside. It was a large, magnificent metal crab with blue triangle marks on its shell, a pair of large pincers of unsymmetrical size and six legs made of the waist piece plates. The light of the large room's candles reflected on its immaculate gold, making it shine beautifully, and the metal outlines of several parts, including the shoulder plates and arm protections, were spiky or of sharp edges, giving the armor a very aggressive look.

Lance closed the lid on the box and felt Shion's hand tap his shoulder. "Congratulations, Saint Lance of Cancer. You are now of the twelve Gold Saints, namely the fourth of an entire new generation of protectors of the Golden Zodiac. Once you meet the three older ones, I know you'll also recognize some of their faces."

"I can't believe it! A Gold Saint? I…"

Shion then made sure Lance knew something important. "I am sure you understand the magnitude of this, Lance, which is why I ask you refrain from making your promotion public. Andromeda Shinta is trustworthy, so it is fine with him, but, from now on, you'll be living a secret identity. Moreover, Pegasus Lance will disappear from the streets of Sanctuary for you'll be living in the Golden Zodiac."

Lance widened his eyes. "Disappear? Just like that?"

"Well, I imagine it's not like you'll miss being the target of everyone's hatred, right?"

Lance scoffed and his lips curved a bit upwards. The implications of the promotion started settling in. Just even now, in his dazed state, he was considering the possibility of giving Sanctuary the finger once and for all and leave Athena's holy grounds, but now the Pope had given him a place to stay. "No, I definitely won't. But… what will I do now as a Gold Saint?"

The Pope chuckled and made his way out of the room together with Lance and his new Gold Cloth. "I wouldn't worry about that for now. There is also a period of preparation and instruction I want you to go through, but, for now, you can just enjoy your promotion. I hope it makes up for all the 'hell I've put you through for the past two years'."

As they exited the Temple of Pisces and entered the stairs, Lance saw the Pope putting his mask back on. "Your Holiness, why did you show me your face? I thought the Popes needed to maintain secrecy."

The old Lemurian paused. "There are a number of reasons, Lance. I think the most important one was that I wanted to put a face to the person who's been controlling your life for the past two years. Hopefully, one day, you can forget about all I told you through."

"Then… why put so much investment in me?" Lance asked. It made no sense to him that the Pope would give him so much attention, especially after all the trouble he caused.

Shion then took note of Lance's red eyes, a symbol of evil in many parts of Sanctuary. "…Let's just say I had a feeling I could turn you around, which isn't to say I succeeded the way I wanted to, or even at all." he lied. No good could come from telling people about Hecate, much less Lance. Shion had learned that lesson a long time ago.

"Your Holiness-"

"It was a leap of faith, Lance. I make many in my job as the Pope. Hopefully, together, we'll make the best out of it. " Shion interrupted. His eyes then narrowed inside his mask. "Yes, I will make sure I get you on my side Lance. I must get you to Dohko, where you'll learn the arts and standards of the Gold Saints and, may the Goddess will it, you'll come back to the Golden Zodiac as one of its great defenders for the times to come!"

The Fire Clock struck the first hour of the morning, treating their walk to the usual sound of booming tocks. At the distance, watching the Pope and the new Cancer Gold Saint reach the House of Aquarius and meet its defender, a Little Owl cooed ominously and left the scene.

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Meanwhile

Hades' Earthly Castle

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The blow was powerful and overwhelming, sending him flying across the room. The window of the large castle tower crashed with his weight and the young Specter screamed, coughing out blood and falling down the enormous height to Hades' oblivion. He felt the winds hitting his back and the green fire erupting from below heating the air. Was this it?

His armored back crashed against the stone brick floor of the bridge going over the green fire chasm and Rhadamanthys dragged through the floor until hitting the passage's edges. His whole body screamed in pain and blood rushed out of his mouth to his chest. He trembled in pain and rolled over to his hands and knees, raising his head only to see the green fires of hell rushing up at him from below.

He turned over and saw the mass of darkness land before him, emanating purple and red energy. Its head raised to lock eyes with him and the young Wyvern felt paralyzed against his will.

The sweating, bloody apprentice stood up with much effort and pain and confronted the person as the darkness around him faded away.

His eyes were blood red and his hair was long and silver-colored. Fine, young features of a late teen were hardened by battle and experience on his face and his tall, muscled body hid within his Surplice. His armor was obscured by the veil of black, darkness cosmos tainted with purple he emanated, but a large cape of black back and blood red front hanged down his back.

The man looked down on the struggling teen. "Your youth should be no excuse for your weakness, Wyvern Rhadamanthys." His cold, harsh voice said. "I know you have joined the army only little more than a year ago, but all the time I spend with you should be creating results by now."

Wyvern's arms trembled as he tried to stand on his hands, and he managed to raise himself above the ground only a little before a dark, greaved foot hit his chest, sending him back to the ground again. He was now trembling all over from the exhaustion, and wasn't sure how long he could endure before the training session killed him.

Words of respect that the boy hated to utter struggled to leave his mouth. "My apologies, Lord L-Lucifer..." He then felt like spitting on the ground.

The young boy looked into his master's red eyes and the defiance in his heart turned into a sense of inferiority. His long, silver hair made him look a lot older than the rest of his body suggested, but Rhadamanthys knew that the hair was actually the only true hint to Lucifer's true age, even if it was just his natural color.

The devil spoke. "When Lord Hades awakens...he'll demand from you maximum loyalty and efficiency at all times!" said Lucifer.

"Y-yes, Lord Lucifer, I know!" He then banged his chest with his fist. "It's what I will give to him!"

The more powerful Specter narrowed his eyes. Lucifer's knee simply bumped against the boy's belly causing him to gasp from the pain, coughing blood. "Is this all, Rhadamanthys? Don't make me think that you're all talk! Where's the arrogant kid who said that he would become Hades' fiercest? Where's the heroic Wyvern that would strike fear in the hearts of the Saints of Gold? All I see is a child who can't stand right!"

Wyvern snarled in defiance and swiped Lucifer with a kick that was easily dodged thanks to the boy's exhaustion. More and more, he felt like he was trying to attack a transparent mass of darkness, as hard it was getting to hit Lucifer. "I will get that Surplice! It is my destiny just like it is of Lord Hades to conquer the world!" he declared, enforcing his vow. "I will destroy all of Lord Hades' enemies and make inferior Specters like you bow to me!"

Lucifer stared deep into Rhadamanthys' eyes. "Fool, you know nothing of destiny!" he mocked, knowing much better than the anger-filled youth. His fists tightened and dark cosmos focused on them. "Destiny, Rhadamanthys, is not something you claim with your words and notions, but make with your hands. Otherwise, what will you do when destiny turns against you? What will you do, when destiny decides you're not meant to defeat me? What will you do when you realize… your destiny is a facade?! I will show you first hand the pain of weakness and destiny, as you call it, and hopefully it will be a lesson from you you'll retain!"

Lucifer's cosmos roused wildly and Rhadamanthys prepared himself to engage his hated Master. He refused to go down without a fight. He would not accept this man's words without throwing back some of his own.

"Daemon Lucifer, Celestial Star of Pride!" a soft, female voice called.

The mass of energy surrounding Lucifer vanished into nothing in a vortex of threads and his attention turned away from the blond English Specter apprentice to a teenage black-haired girl who had arrived on the scene.

She was a beautiful woman of long raven hair, pale skin and purple eyes. A small devious smile marked her lips and a black dress of large sleeves adorned her body. A twirl ring shaped after a serpent wrapped her finger and a long trident with a similar serpent around its pole was held in her hand.

Both Specters bowed. "Guten abend, Lady Pandora…" Lucifer greeted, while Rhadamanthys kept quiet. "Is there something you desire?"

"Lucifer, you are the Dark Prince of Hades, one of the two men chosen by his Majesty to lead his armies and be his Left and Right Arms. Moreover, you are my Dark Knight, my servant and protector. Do you not think you have enough tasks in your hands to lose time training Rhadamanthys?"

Lucifer respectfully got on his knees and looked down. It always sickened Rhadamanthys how a man who could assert himself as so superior to Wyvern was the lap dog of a woman like Pandora, who earned only the favor of his Majesty through the ridiculous claim of being His sister.

Lucifer gave his typical gentlemanly answer. "My lady, you are as right as you are graceful, but Lord Hades has entrusted me with the task of training this youth. Though Surplices inherit the power of their previous owners to pass on to their new ones, thus eliminating training time, that weakens character and discipline. If Rhadamanthys is to become a Judge, he must learn to be strong, not just claim to be."

"I see. It's good to know you are in control of things. Lord Hades has been quite assertive to you ever since Bennu Yakos and Basilisk Maia's rampages. He does not wish you to lose control of the army."

Lucifer stood silent for a moment, wondering how Pandora got her hands on that kind of information. "Rhadamanthys, take your leave." He ordered. He watched the young Wyvern pass by Pandora and snort in disgust at the woman. Once he was gone, Lucifer addressed Hades' Sister. "Who told you that, Pandora?"

She lost her smile. "Lord Thanatos comments the most vicious things about you, especially after the loss of his favorite nymph… what was her name? Eurydice?" she wondered, her previous smile replaced by a serious look.

Lucifer grunted in frustration. His red-eyes looked away. He would not lie to her. Daemon Lucifer, the Star of Pride, hated lies! "The replacements are a delicate crowd to control…but there is nothing to worry about."

"So I won't go to Lord Hades with more news of… defection and betrayal?" she asked.

"Why should you?" Lucifer inquired as he walked over the bridge edge and watched geysers of green, spectral fire bursting upwards. "The same way I recognize Lord Hades as my Master and my God, there shall be no more events such as Yakos' massacre of those villages and forts or Maia's attack on Sanctuary, even if I have to screen the whole army for traitors myself."

"I'm sure you'll live up to that. Your demotion to my brother is rivaled by few Specters."

"…My loyalty to him is to be absolute. He has taken care of me since I was a little boy. I owe him everything in my life."

"That's good! I was worried that you would get punished by Thanatos just because those worthless replacements have been hissing lies about you and rising up against our Lord." said Pandora, her neutral tone of voice suddenly returning. "I would not tolerate that. Those men have no right to question your loyalty to our cause and your devotion to me and Lord Hades."

Lucifer scoffed. "Don't worry, Pandora. The words of worms hold no sway in this world." assured Lucifer, before he thought to himself. "For now...Just you wait, Hades! I won't be your second-in-command here forever... It won't be long now...Once I'm done training my student and I find your seal...you'll regret the day you've bound me to your will!"

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Chapter End

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Next Chapter:

First Arc

Episode 9

The Aristocrats

Pope Shion takes Lance to a palace dinner to commemorate his ascension to Gold Saint of Cancer and to introduces him to some of the most illustrious members of Sanctuary's society

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