~ Cancer Death Mask
Ms. Seiyaka stood in the front of her class teaching mathematics to her class. She always seemed to smile and kept an air of happiness about her. No one could be near her without having the urge to smile too. She always kept her flame red hair neatly combed, letting it frame her brown eyes only a little. Seiyaka is hardly ever angry or even ticked off. She was really gentle and kind. That’s why everyone in Kamiya likes her so much. That was why every person in class paid extra attention to her. This woman was quite an enigma. You never know much about her. She was incredibly beautiful though. Plus she was younger than most of the teachers in the school who were older and more experienced, but she managed far more than anyone who had taught 10 years. This was what Seiya learned about his new teacher so far. He found it quite funny how he always got a red head for a teacher…and a female to boot. Seiya’s mind snapped from his thoughts of Seiyaka and back to reality when the bell rung. It was lunchtime. He and the others had promised to meet up with the Gold Saints at that time in the courtyard. Seiya quickly picked up his things and exited the class, side glancing once at Seiyaka.
* * * * * * * *
Hyoga walked beside Ryoga as they both traveled to the courtyard. Both were smiling and having fun talking to each other. Both of them had the same interests, same heritage and the like. And if it weren’t for Ryoga’s blue color in his hair, Ryoga and Hyoga could have been twins. And there was something else too… “So…you knew Camus as well?” Ryoga asked, opening the door for Hyoga to go first. Hyoga thanked Ryoga and walked through with Ryoga behind. “Yes…I knew Camus…I was the one who had killed him as well…” Hyoga said sadly. He remembered of the day the Bronze Saints had to fight at Sanctuary. It was grueling 12 hours for them all and lives were lost in that fight. And in Hades it was no different. Hyoga shuddered at remembering these memories. “It seems that you’ve had your share of emotional scars as well…” Ryoga whispered. Hyoga nodded. For a while they were silent until they got into the courtyard where Seiya and co. stood waiting.
“Hey…Hyoga…?” Standing in front of Seiya was not one Hyoga, but two…except one had blue hair and the other was blond. “Uh…Hyoga?” Seiya asked unsure a little. He knew Hyoga was blond, but now he was very uncertain. He became more confused when the look a likes laughed. The blond stood forward and gestured to the blue mop. “Seiya…this is a friend from my class Ryoga. Ryoga…this is my younger brother Seiya.” Ryoga smiled from where he stood and waved friendly at Seiya and co. “Hi. Nice to meet you.”
Camus couldn’t believe his eyes. There in front of him was Ryoga. The one who didn’t make it. He was now taller and better built than when he was two years previous in Siberia. Ryoga now seemed to keep an aura of cool air around himself and carried himself in a more mature way than he used to as well. Ryoga seemed to have cleaned up his act in a hurry.
Ryoga noticed one of the older men behind Seiya and nearly gasped. “Camus…? Camus is that really you?” he asked in disbelief. Camus stood from his side, blinking. “Camus! It is you!” Ryoga exclaimed in happiness. Running to his former master. “Camus…It has been too long…when Hyoga told me about you earlier…I couldn’t believe it…it is really you!”
* * * * * * * *
“Hey…is that Ryoga? And Hyoga…? And those other Saints of Athena?” Venus asked mostly to herself, gazing outside. She preferred eating inside than eating outside, so Antoinette and Artemis were with her to keep her company. Artemis followed Venus stare and found that indeed Ryoga was with a group of Athena’s Saints. “Hm…so my sister is alive?” she inquired. Antoinette only shrugged and continued eating her souvlaki that she had made in the morning. “What do you expect? Athena was always one to be the survivor.” Antoinette commented, looking out the window as well. Antoinette and Artemis were twins and of course were sisters and sometimes Antoinette would be jealous of Artemis’ connections to the other Greek gods and goddesses. She especially didn’t like Athena the most. Artemis would once every while drone on and on about how great Athena was. Antoinette would always have an earful and end up sighing throughout the conversation. “Wonder what they’re talking about…” Venus said, snapping Antoinette out of one of her spells. Venus finished the last of her lunch and began heading towards the door. “Where are you going, Venus?” Artemis questioned. Venus turned around and faced Artemis, smiling brightly. “I’m going to meet up with Ryoga of course…”
“I’m coming, too.” Anthony said, coming from behind the door. “I’d like to have a little talk with Seiya.” She added. Venus nodded in agreement and followed Anthony out the door and to the courtyard. Artemis sighed and casted her gaze back to the window. Some pink petals appearing out of nowhere.
* * * * * * * *
Seiyaka had been in the library when she spotted sakura petals falling from a nearby window. It couldn’t be…She walked to the window and found a dark haired man in a black uniform walking through the gates, sakura petals bellowing around him. Oh, no! She thought. She dropped the books she had taken out at the librarian’s desk and ran out to the courtyard as fast as she could. He can’t come here. He can’t…she thought desperately, running down the staircase. As she ran down another flight, she bumped into Keitalina who was heading for the 7th grade class. “What’s the matter, Miss Seiyaka? You’re pale.” The young exorcist asked. Seiyaka took a while to take a breather, then told Keitalina of a man in a black uniform coming towards the school. And that he had sakura petals around him. Keitalina gasped at this news and started running alongside Seiyaka to the courtyard. “Are you sure it’s him?” she asked, a stern tone in her soft, melodic voice. Seiyaka nodded and followed her favorite student outside. “Yes…that sakura surrounding him is not easy to miss…especially in late summer!”
As Seiyaka and Keitalina got outside, they were soon intercepted by Ryoga and Seiya. “Hey, Kei-chan…I’d like to introduce you to-“ Keitalina ran right past Ryoga, saying nothing, but Seiyaka, remained to talk with Ryoga. “I think Miss Kusanagi already met up with your old sensei…at the moment…she’s kind of detained.” Ryoga looked at his math teacher questioningly. “Detained?” he asked in his heavily accented Russian tone. Seiyaka smiled and nodded. “Although I wouldn’t mind meeting with your teacher.”
Keitalina continued her long run and met up with the man at the gate, before he could actually get far enough into the school grounds. “What are you doing here?” she demanded of the man. The man looked down at Keitalina, since he was almost two feet taller than she was. He grinned and adjusted his glasses. “I just wanted to see you before it was too late.” He simply replied. This message made Keitalina’s ire rise, but she didn’t respond idiotically. He wanted her to get angry. “It’ll be too late for you right?” she asked mockingly. The man laughed harshly and grabbed Keitalina’s hand. He found that she began wearing gloves as well. Like someone he knew in the past. He grinned maliciously and took the glove on her hand off. Keitalina’s expression was emotionless and she didn’t react. When the glove was off, there on Keitalina’s hand was a black star. The man licked his lips as if he were craving and yearning for what was in front of him. This made Keitalina feel a little sickened, but she still didn’t make a move.
Camus saw what was happening to Keitalina and wondered if he should help the girl. “Don’t bother…she’ll be fine.” Seiyaka assured Camus, grinning. “Kei-chan has her little ways.” she added. Camus nodded and watched the event with a seemingly emotionless face. “I hope it’ll turn out better this time.” Ryoga added to the conversation. Dohko raised an eyebrow, curious by Ryoga’s words. “You mean that this has happened before?” he inquired. Ryoga nodded. “Yes, quite a few times.” He replied, sighing. “I hope they don’t start a 1000 days war…if that is possible of course…considering Keitalina’s situation…” Seiyaka corrected him. Ryoga nodded. “That’s right…Keitalina never made it as a Saint.”
“Looking lovely my dear…quite healthy aren’t you?” Seishirou, the assassin of the Dragons of Earth sneered in Keitalina’s face. Keitalina glared at the man and pulled back her hand. “The time has not yet come, so leave now…” she ordered him. Seishirou laughed out loud. This made Keitalina almost grimace, but she wouldn’t give the man the satisfaction of it. “Leave? Why should I leave my favorite prey without a little kiss…after all…she has never been touched before.” Seishirou said menacingly. Keitalina turned away in disgust, beginning to walk away. Sakura petals and a strong arm slithering around her waist stopped her short. Keitalina took no hesitation; she elbowed the older man and materialized a sacred sword of some sort into her hand. She held it threateningly against Seishirou’s throat. “You touch me again…I swear I won’t hesitate to kill you…I’m not like Subaru.” Keitalina said through clenched teeth.
“My…she has changed over the years…” Dohko commented as a sword suddenly appeared in Keitalina’s hand. He almost gasped when the girl threatened the strange man with it. “Changed indeed. Usually she would never lift a weapon against anyone.” He added. Seiyaka nodded. “She never had to…this man is the only exception to her rule. He killed a friend of hers…and now he’s coming for her…so you see her position now…” Seiyaka looked at the Saints, old and young, including Ryoga. “And he’ll go through anyone in order to finish his business…even if it means he has to invade the Sanctuaries.” Shaka turned to Seiyaka, seemingly interested with Seiyaka’s words. “You know much of us Saints…how is that?” he inquired. Seiyaka grinned. “If you teach a bunch of students who just happen to worship a deity from mythological times…you’d start to get the idea.” Seiyaka said, hiding some other important fact as well. She added a nervous laugh for good measure, turning to see Keitalina give a good, menacing glare to Seishirou. “Anyways…with a student with as much problems as Miss Kusanagi…who wouldn’t find out?”
“Kill me? If you kill me…you would end up taking my place…and where would that leave you?” Seishirou taunted. Keitalina narrowed her eyes at the man, contemplating his words. She soon removed the blade from his neck and began walking towards her friends who had just arrived on the scene. “Leave now.” She said simply. Then walked away.
Anthony and Venus had just arrived outside when Seishirou left and Keitalina walked by. “What happened?” Anthony asked in worry, eyeing the sword in Keitalina’s hand. Venus saw it too and also began to worry. Keitalina smiled warmly, not wanting to worry her friends, she sent her sword back to wherever she had kept it previously. “It’s okay…no big deal…just got a little mad…I think Ryoga’s waiting for us?” she said taking them over to Ryoga and company. She didn’t need the pity of others. Especially when it involved exorcist business and not Saints at all. Anthony, as usual, clung onto the young woman’s arm, snuggling closely to her reluctant love. Venus only sighed and followed behind as always. “I hope so…I don’t know what I’d do if you got hurt, Keita dearest.” Anthony mumbled against Keitalina’s black blazer. Keitalina and Venus rolled their eyes in response. Anthony always had this quirk.
* * * * * * * *
“That was almost frightening…Keitalina-san seems more like the peaceful type than the fighting type.” Shun commented as Keitalina met up with Anthony and Venus. Seiya nodded and turned to look at Hyoga. “Seems like everyone here has a second side to them.” He said. Ryoga waved his hand dismissively as if this whole ordeal was nothing new. “You’ve obviously never seen her mad before…not she would hurt you…she’d just freeze you in place.” He said. He waved Keitalina and the other girls over to them to join the conversation. Of course, Keitalina couldn’t deny one of her favorite people in the world and walked over to them. “Hey, um…sorry all of you had to see that…an old…kind of…grudge thing…I hate that guy.” Keitalina said in different pieces of sentences. She laughed nervously and studied her feet, as if they were interesting. For a little while, there was an awkward silence, until Seiya broke it with a bit of laughter. “Huh…ah, well…shouldn’t you Gold Saints be heading back to the mansion? I think your first priority is protecting Saouri-san.” He repeated the orders they had been already told in the morning. Dohko and Camus shrugged with some indifference, while Shaka turned his attention to some students, who were somehow splashing each other with water. Seiyaka saw where the Man Closest To God was looking and began explaining some things. “Nearly all the students here were candidates for being Saints, are Saints, or were going to become fighters for the other Gods.” She told him. “Those two…were going to be Marinas, but…since Poseidon and his Saviour are missing…” Keitalina sort of flinched and her heart clench slightly in her chest as she heard this for probably the 100th time. “Yes, well-I think we have some things straight-excuse me.” She said hastily. She unlatched Anthony from herself and ran back into the school.
“Okay…odd.” Anthony said as Keitalina ran back to school. “You’d think she didn’t like me or anything.” She added. Ryoga scoffed and stared directly into the petit blonde’s eyes. “That’s because she likes me best.” He told Anthony. In response, Anthony pouted and glared back at him. “Yeah, well…at least I don’t going around moping about it as if I was going to die!” she retorted. Ryoga began flaring his cosmos slightly, as if he were going to freeze the girl. Anthony felt the cosmo and began flaring her own, to gain energy for her attack. Venus looked on a little bit desperately, thinking of a way to keep them from using their attacks in a public place. Fortunately enough, the bell rang, signaling that classes would start. Ryoga and Anthony both cursed and sped inside immediately. Venus sighed in relief; she turned to the Gold Saints and bowed before leaving for classes as well. Seiya and co. sighed, bidding farewell to their superiors before joining the others with Seiyaka. As they all left, the Gold Saints gave the school one last look and teleported back to Kido Mansion.
* * * * * * * *
All the while at the mansion, Saouri was enjoying a cup of tea on the parlor. It was quiet at the mansion without Seiya and the others there. Sure, the Gold Saints were there, but most of them could hardly turn a cheek to her. She was their Goddess. She was Athena. And it made things quite boring for her. Maybe sending the Saints to school wasn’t such a good idea after all. She nearly jumped ten feet when she heard something snap in the middle of the woods. She stood up and went to inspect what it was, instead of calling one of the Gold Saints to check it for her. To her shock, it was a face from the past. That light blue hair and its waviness. The exact same tint of blue in his eyes, that red robe... Could it be? How did he come back? “Abel?!”
After the trip to school, Camus, Dohko and Shaka had just arrived at the Mansion. Just in time to hear their Lady Athena scream. Of course, all inhabitants of the Mansion heard and all scrambled to help Athena. And only the lord could know what had happened to her.
The Gold Saints had arrived just in time to find their Goddess safe and sound. She was sitting on the grass, looking a little bit shaken. Shaka and Dohko went up to her and helped her off of the ground. “Are you alright?” Dohko asked. “I’m…….fine.” she answered. Dohko scanned around the surrounding forest and saw no one in it. He then searched for cosmo and he found. One that hadn’t been seen in a long time, one that he feared that would be back. “Lord Apollo is here…” he said to the other Saints.
“They’ll be coming.” Saouri said. “They’ll all be coming here…” she whispered. Milo and Camus looked at each other in confusion when they finally met. “They’ll be coming here who?” Milo asked. “All of them…Poseidon…Ares….Hades….all here. For a summit of the gods.”