Echoes of Humanity

Part III:

Mu looked up at the sun just breaking through the clouds after a late-afternoon thundershower, and sighed. Down at the path leading to his temple, he could already see the small group of figures who were making their way up to Sanctuary with deliberate steps. He would need to go down and greet the goddess, soon. It was his duty at one of the gold saints, after all.

Speaking of which, Mu looked behind him, to where Shaka stood quietly. His eyes were characteristically closed, but he acknowledged the look anyway. “She probably will not be pleased if there is no one to greet her.” He said. Mu nodded.

“I know.” Mu said. “Has there been any word from the others?” He pulled at the edge of his cape, trying to center it.

“They will come.” Shaka said, opening his eyes and regarding Mu calmly. “You need not worry.”

Mu thought for a minute, then pulled the edge of his cape back the other way. “I’m not sure that’s what I’m worried about.”

Shaka cocked his head, looking at Mu for a moment. “It’s straight.” He said quietly, head tipping towards the ground in the strange combination of arrogance and respect that seemed particular to Shaka alone.

Mu froze, hand still gripping the edge of the long edge of the fabric. “What is straight?”

Shaka smiled then, walking up beside Mu and watching the slow procession. “You’re worried how you will appear in front of Athena.” He said. “Your cape is straight.”

Mu blinked. He hated blinking. Shaka had made him do so a lot in the past few weeks, as they’d spent more time together. The five remaining gold saints had spent more time with each other in the past few weeks than most of them had over the past few years. It had been necessary that they work together to repair the parts of Sanctuary that had been destroyed by the fight with the bronze saints, operating side by side to fix those parts of the temples that had just been too personal to allow common masons to labor on. At first, they had only worked, not even looking at each other, but as time had continued on, they found that it was far easier to converse than to ignore each other. During that time, they had talked on every topic imaginable, from battle strategies to favorite foods. The one only thing that had been consistently ignored were their pasts, any mention of the events which had brought them to Athena carefully being avoided. Mu wasn’t completely certain whether they would have been discussed, given the chance, but none had been willing to take that risk.

Now, with the repairs on Sanctuary nearly complete, and the bronze saints miraculously stable, Saori Kido, newest incarnation of Athena, was returning to Sanctuary. Her visit thrilled the saints, most of whom had not seen her since they had battled against her, and at the same time terrified most of them. At least, Mu hoped that the rest were terrified, because Mu himself could feel his heart beating in his chest, and was fairly certain he could hear it as well. He glanced over at Shaka, realizing he still hadn’t replied to the unexpected teasing.

“I…” He paused again, looking back down towards the procession. They were nearer than before, entering the area that was widely accepted as the true entrance to Sanctuary. “I need to get down there.” He said, hastening away and leaving Shaka to wonder whether the joke had fallen flat or simply been ignored.

By the time the party had reached the Aries temple, Mu was standing quietly by one of the pillars of his house. Without a word, he approached the goddess, sinking to his knees in front of her. “Sanctuary welcomes you home, Athena.” He murmured.

A happy cry from the back of the party ruined the solemn atmosphere of the moment, and Kiki appeared from behind Saori’s formidable bodyguard, bouncing on his heels and wringing his hands. Raising his head just the slightest amount, Mu fixed his student with a glare that could only have one meaning. True to form, the red-haired child stopped bouncing, but his eyes still sparkled with an energy that seemed to indicate that he was ready to start again as soon as Mu looked away. Mu raised an eyebrow at his over-exuberant student, than turned back to Athena, ready to apologize.

To his surprise, he found that the purple haired girl was smiling, and quite obviously trying not to laugh. Waving a hand in front of her face, she gestured that he should rise. “It’s alright, Aries. Your student has been eager to see you for a while now.”

Mu rose to his feet, head still bowed, and Saori hesitated for a second before leaning down to Kiki, whispering something in his ear. The child looked up at her, then grinned suddenly. He walked up to Mu and looked at him for a few moments.

“Athena said I could.” He said in a voice that was filled with the arrogance and surety only a child could use, and they could only muster in the moments they know that they are right. It was the only warning Mu got before the red-haired youth threw his arms around Mu’s knees.

Mu was shocked. For one, the hug was unexpected, the gesture exceedingly rare between students and masters. He could remember distinctly each time his own master had blessed him with such. Secondly, as Mu looked up at Athena, he saw that the avatar was giggling openly now, and looked pleased. Mu got the strange feeling that he’d just been played. He shook his head, and reached down to place a hand on Kiki’s shoulder.

“As I said, Athena.” He repeated, “Sanctuary welcomes you.”

This time the avatar nodded, acknowledging the words. “I am glad to see you well, Aries.” She said. “Sanctuary looks…better than the last time I saw it.”

Glancing behind him, Mu wondered if it really did. Sanctuary was old, and her most glorious years were long past, having been killed when the gods stopped walking the earth, leaving it instead to the will of humans. Despite the masons, and the care the saints lavished upon the sacred grounds, much of Sanctuary was in disarray; the stone not easy to repair. Still, it was not his place to argue with his goddess. “I’m glad you approve.” He murmured.

Saori nodded, eyes moving up the mountain, and her expression grew serious. She turned to her bodyguard. “I would like you to stay here, Tatsumi.” She said, the words a quiet command that seemed to contain no room for an argument. Nevertheless, the huge man tried.

“Ms. Kido, I…” He trailed off as Saori fixed him with a glare, behind which Mu was certain he could see the power of the goddess.

“You will stay.” She repeated firmly. “I am in the center of my own temple, and what I need to do does not concern you.”

Tatsumi backed down, nodding his head, and stood glowering at Mu, as though the Aries Saint had been the one to command he stay.

Saori then turned to the others who had accompanied her. “Nachi, Jabu,” She began, “you are welcome to come, if you like.”

The two bronze saints shook their heads instantly. “We will remain here.” The Unicorn Saint said quietly, but surely.

Mu couldn’t help but respect the decision. He had observed the bronze saints who had been left to guard Athena during the battle for Sanctuary carefully while Pegasus and the others had fought their way through the temples. Then, he had seen that they were as fiercely dedicated to the Goddess as any of them. Now, it appeared they knew their place as well. This pilgrimage that Saori had chosen to make was one of remembrance and tribute, as well as business, and the place that these saints had to remember was at the base of the hill, a few short feet from where they now stood. Gently, Mu squeezed Kiki’s shoulder, getting his student’s attention. He gestured over to the Aries temple, and the child made no argument this time, nodding at the assembled party before silently walking into the Aries temple. Saori turned to Mu.

“If you would be so kind?” She said, gesturing to the narrow path leading up the mountain. Mu nodded.

“Of course. The others await your arrival.”

Saori nodded, turning back for a second, dismissing Tatsumi and the two young saints before she gestured at Mu to lead the way up the path.

The Aries Saint hesitated for a few moments, than stepped forward, leading his goddess up the path that had nearly destroyed her, the last time it had been walked. As they walked, Mu glanced over at Saori, trying to observe her without intruding on whatever thoughts she may be having. The goddess placed herself at his right, and walked beside him, showing no fatigue from the already long walk she had made to the edge of Sanctuary itself. A question burned within Mu, and when Saori smiled at him kindly, he couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“The bronze saints...how are they?” He asked hesitantly. He knew only they weren’t dead, but very little else by way of information had come to Sanctuary.

Saori shook her head. “They are in pain, but at least they can get out of bed now. Some are better than others. Shiryu has returned to his home, and Ikki longs to do the same. I believe Shun is the only thing keeping him from doing so.”

Mu paused for a moment, mentally sorting through the names. He was used to referring to them by the cloths they had fought so hard to obtain, rather than their given names. Even among the gold saints, he still thought of most of them by title rather than name. He wasn’t surprised to hear that the Phoenix Saint was feeling restless. From what Shaka had shared with him, the eldest bronze saint was scarred, and the fact that he had remained by Athena’s side was, in itself, a miracle every bit as spectacular as the bird after which his cloth was named. He would have inquired further, but there was business to attend too, and the goddess had said in her note that she greatly desired to come, but she did not have a lot of time. Still considering the past, Mu used the time it took to walk up the mountain to take care of that business, informing Saori of some of the events that had taken place in the past weeks, and gathering what he could from the avatar about what she expected to take place. The only time she hesitated was when passing the steps of those houses whose Saints had died for her during this last battle, but that was only to offer a short prayer before continuing on. After a few minutes, Mu ceased talking, silence falling between them as they ran out of conversation; the true business remained until the others were present.

As she followed Mu up the mountain, Saori remained silent. Despite the fact that Sanctuary was supposed to be her home, and she was technically the benefactor of the gold saints themselves, she still couldn’t help but feel a bit of a stranger. It was an extraordinary feeling, especially after having stood at the top. Standing there, she had known, deep within her heart, that she was where she belonged. She knew, and yet she still felt a stranger in her own temple. So, rather than speak, she took the time to observe one of the saints which she knew so little about. The Aries Saint, with whom she had spent time with directly after the battle, seemed truly uncomfortable in her presence. It seemed as though he expected her to punish either him or his student, when Kiki had done nothing more than show an eagerness to be reacquainted with his master and father figure. From what she had gathered, mostly from tales of antiquity told to her by Shiryu, who held a wealth of knowledge gained from his ancient master, it may have simply been an expectation built from generations of service. The Dragon Saint knew little about Mu’s race, when Saori had asked him, but he did know that they were both ancient and closely tied to the gods. Of what Shiryu knew, Saori knew less, and Shiryu knew less than his master. Saori hoped to visit the ancient hermit at some point, to learn of the heritage and wisdom that Ares had sought to deprive her. Without that knowledge, she had still defeated the war god, but she could not even begin to think that the victory had been hers alone. Without Seiya and the other bronze saints the journey would have been meaningless. She would have been a cold body on the stones near the Aries temple, dying a failure and considered a fraud by the great and honorable man who now climbed beside her and bowed at her approach, and by the others who awaited her at the top, who were now coming into focus as they stood, silently watching her approach.

Mu stopped watching Saori to observe the Saints that waited for her. They looked tense – not that Mu could blame them – and seemed to be unsure how to act. The Scorpio and Leo Saints were close to fidgeting, and their gazes kept switching from watching Athena, to watching the ground, as though they were afraid of being rude. Shaka was motionless, but Mu could practically feel the Virgo Saint pacing in his mind, his empirical senses telling him quite a different story from his instinct and higher senses. Or maybe he was simply assuming. He had spent a great deal of time with Shaka over the past few weeks, and Mu had realized a while ago that what Shaka was feeling wasn’t necessarily the same as what he was thinking. There was a big difference between not feeling, and pressing down one’s emotions. Mu liked to believe that he felt, but didn’t allow his emotions to influence him. In the short time that he’d known him, Mu had gained the disconcerting view that Shaka seemed determined not to feel his emotions in the first place, no matter how much his heart objected. For a brief moment, Mu was startled that he’d actually thought about the Virgo Saint enough to have formed such an opinion, but the next instant Aldebaran was catching his eye, eyebrow raised in curiosity and a small amount of concern. Mu smiled at him and shook his head, and the Taurus Saint returned his attention to Saori, who had stopped, and now stood only a few feet from her Saints.

Surprisingly, Milo was the first to kneel, bowing so fast that Mu couldn’t help but get the feeling that perhaps the Scorpio Saint was trying to avoid making eye contact with the goddess. Aldebaran waited a few seconds longer, and knelt almost simultaneously with Aiolia, the former offering a smile of greeting and reassurance Saori as he did. Mu almost smiled, himself. From any of the other Saints, the smile would have seemed almost condescending but, coming from Aldebaran, it was a warm and friendly gesture that was as much meant to say he welcomed to goddess’ presence as it was something to reassure the girl herself.

Saori shifted, and inclined her head in acknowledgement of the respect her Saints were showing her, and smiled at their bowed heads. “I am pleased to see you all well,” She said, “And I appreciate you taking the time to see me.”

“We are honored by your audience.” Shaka said quietly, his voice noticeably shaky. Saori didn’t comment on it, however.

“I feel as though I perhaps haven’t given any of you the attention you deserve. You have all shown exemplary performances in the service of Sanctuary and I thank you for that.” She said, and the words could have been a reply, or simply part of a pre-rehearsed speech. Saori Kido was a perfect aristocrat and diplomat; and the power that surrounded her only added to the impression she presented to the world. She was a goddess and a modern-day princess, and that gave her an air of ambiguity in whatever she did.

Either way, the expression may not have been the best choice. Shaka tensed at the words and Aldebaran looked to the side. Aiolia managed to meet her eyes but, even from where he stood to the side – wondering if he should be on his knees as well - Mu could see the haunted look in his eyes darken for a minute. Milo reacted the most violently, turning his head away as though the Goddess had slapped him. Mu himself winced. Perhaps she wasn’t quite yet the perfect diplomat. She was trying so hard to prove to them that she wasn’t angry and understood what had happened that she was completely avoiding the fact that most of them had done nothing for her as she lay dying on the steps of the Aries temple. They would have been perfectly content living in the deception that had been set in front of them, unless Ares had made a mistake that had exposed him to all of them at once.

Saori, for her part, shifted awkwardly as her attempt to put the Saints at ease did exactly the opposite. She had to admit that standing in front of these men, who held the power to destroy the world and literally worshipped her, was far harder than staring down the various men who disrespected and refused to see her views simply because of her age. But than, she had Tatsumi at her side when she was trying to influence those men and force them to see her view. Now she was alone in a role she barely knew anything about, looking at a group of decent, powerful, and respectable men who would die for her. This was not a situation of money, but of survival, and she was terrified.

Shaka was the first to look up. The blond raised his head and looked directly at her. Despite his eyes being closed, Saori was certain that the Virgo Saint could see her perfectly. Or was at least able to see whatever he considered important. She took a deep breath, and met his gaze squarely. Perhaps it was the way he carried himself, but Saori could practically see the power that flowed through the Virgo Saint. Or maybe it was simply that, in some way, she feared him. She recognized and respected the power and abilities of all her Saints, but Shaka had defeated Ikki, and she could fully admit that she would always be scared of the Phoenix Saint. She understood his devotion to her, and had no doubts of its strength, but the image of him on the balcony, threatening Tatsumi, who no one dared threaten, was burned deeply into her mind, as was the expression on the face of each of those who had faced him and failed to bring him down. Shaka had defeated Ikki, and that left her wondering exactly what sort of creature the Virgo Saint truly was. Despite her apprehension, she stood firm. These were her Saints, and she was their Goddess. They served her, and even in her nervousness she had to remain strong. Perhaps not for herself, but for the Saints before her, and even for humanity. She owed it to the world to fulfill her destiny, and owed it to the Saints to be the Goddess that they tried so hard to serve.

Behind Saori, Mu shifted uncomfortably, unsure where he should be or what he should be doing. With the others kneeling, it seemed as though he should be doing the same, but his position at Saori’s elbow would have made it awkward, were he to do so. Eventually, he settled for backing off a few steps and bowing his head, watching the proceedings curiously though his eyelashes. Shaka seemed to have rediscovered the heart and strength that made him such an amazing Saint. He was quite literally studying Saori, and judging her as Athena. He was searching for the line that defined them, and Mu had to smile. He had done the same thing, and had come to the conclusion that there was no difference. Saori Kido was Athena, despite the difference in their roles. She would answer any call for the goddess that might come, and she would pour her entire heart into it. She was strong, and powerful. Shaka had asked him once, what it was like to speak with Athena, and Mu hadn’t answered. Now, Shaka was finding out for himself.

After a few seconds, Shaka seemed to find the answer he was looking for. His head tipped forward, and he resumed looking at the floor. Mu was intensely surprised to see the tension that left Shaka’s shoulders in that moment, as though he had not expected to find whatever he sought in the goddess, and it was a great weight off his mind to see that she was real; that they really had found their goddess again. But than, Mu admitted that he might be seeing his own feeling reflected in Shaka. Athena had been the root of all his dreams and nightmares for twelve years. Now, for the first time since the Aries Cloth had accepted him as Shion’s successor, the dreams had begun to outweigh the nightmares.

The tension in the air dissipated when Shaka bowed his head and, cautiously, Saori smiled, waiting for the others to look up before beckoning that they should rise. If she noticed that the Scorpio Saint refused to look at her, she assumed nothing. “If we can continue, I have much to do.” She said, and her voice was clear in its command. The Saints murmured assent, and stood aside to let her pass into her temple. Saori stepped forward, and the Saints fell into step behind her. Aldebaran took a place at her right shoulder, and Aiolia paused, than indicated that Milo should take the other. Then, easily, Shaka and Aiolia placed themselves behind her, and Mu completed the formation as he stepped behind them, creating a inverted phalanx of sorts. Together, they stepped into the temple of Athena, fulfilling their roles as true guardians as the Goddess returned home in peace, for the first time since any of them had gained their Cloths. Somehow, the Goddess and her saints had just put themselves through a test of their own design. They had not even known the rules when the started, but they all felt as though they had passed. Athena had the complete loyalty of the saints, and their trust as well; and Sanctuary finally had a leader worthy of the saint’s trust.

End Part III

(Part IV includes, but is not limited too - Milo bitching, Saori being confused, Aldebaran being fatherly and Shaka being introspective. Oh, and Mu gives a lecture somewhere in there too)

A/N: I am completely flabbergasted by the fact I have fans, but am desperately hoping that none of them are overly disappointed by this part. I realize it\'s all abiguity-filled and doesn\'t really go anywhere. Nevertheless, I felt that I really needed to post something, and this is the first thing I\'ve been able to write in over a month. This isn\'t what I promised, isn\'t really what I wanted to write but...it\'s something that will get me to the next parts, which *aren\'t* pure drivel.