‘’ They are fine ‘’

Shun nodded, smiling brightly at his friend. Mu had sent for June in the morning, and she had asked him to go with her, fearing the worst. Fearing the children that had been placed under her care had died. She had been certain of this. And even though he would never admit it, he had feared the same.

But they had been wrong, they realised that the moment Mu welcomed them into the Aries temple with a huge, yet tired smile on his face. And now that June returned from the room where the children were sleeping, he knew that they weren’t just fine, but also out of danger.

‘’ A miracle ‘’ she said, her masked face meeting his eyes, ‘’ Not one of the burns remain, not even a single scratch... Albinach even opened her eyes and smiled when I entered the room ‘’

‘’ I told you they were going to make it ‘’ he grinned, placing his hand on her shoulder, ‘’ Mu is a very skilled Saint ‘’

She shook her head slightly, walking away from him and into the morning sun, ‘’ He didn’t do it ‘’

Shun looked at her, puzzled. ‘’ A woman came with Milo during the night and healed them... Artemis, Athena’s guest. I told you it was a miracle, Shun... something only a goddess could have made ‘’

He walked to her side, knowing that it would be useless to tell her his thoughts about the stranger, just as it had been with Hyoga. Slowly but surely, she was making a name for herself. And despite he was grateful she had helped them, he couldn’t stop wondering why. Because he was certain she hadn’t do it just because they were in danger. He was certain she wasn't the kind of person that would help others just for the sake of it.

‘’ Deep in thought again, Shun? ‘’ June said, poking his shoulder, ‘’ They are ok, that’s what matters, so stop it with the serious face, ne? ‘’

Shun chuckled, shaking his head slightly at the way she had guessed his thoughts so easily. But what else could have he expected when befriending the best spy of Sanctuary?

‘’ That’s your friend’s cosmo, isn’t it? ‘’

‘’ Huh? ‘’ Shun followed June’s index to the training grounds, where Hyoga’s cold cosmo was shinning brightly, opposing a cosmo of similar nature.

‘’ It seems he’s training with Camus... ‘’ he whispered to himself, the memories of what had happened the last time master and student faced each other flashing in his mind.

‘’ Let’s go and see! ‘’ June closed her hand around Shun’s, leading him down the stairs.

‘’ Nani?! June, we can’t just barge into a Gold Saint’s training ‘’

‘’ Oh, come on, Shun! The training grounds are opened to everyone, you know that ‘’

He sighed, knowing she had probably rolled her eyes and smirked when saying that. ‘’ If they freeze us, it will be your doing, June ‘’

‘’ It’s a deal ‘’ she let out, running down the stairs. Shun laughed, glad that she was once again the spirited young girl he had met at Andromeda’s Island, and followed her suit. Even if that meant they were probably going to end inside a cool and conveniently unbreakable ice coffin.

June was glad she got to wear a mask when reaching the grounds. If not, she doubted she would have been able to hide her awe at the scene that was taking place before her.

Despite she had got used to the impressive manifestation of elemental saints’ cosmos, she had never seen the power of an ice saint, mostly because Aquarius and Cygnus were the only ones. And now she knew why.

Because the power that came from the ice was terrible.

A thick layer of ice covered the arena, and despite the weather at Sanctuary was warm, she felt as if she had just entered into a completely different place, the snowstorm that the clashing of their cosmos had summoned freezing her to the bone.

‘’ I told you it was going to be cold ‘’ warned Shun, sitting on a block of marble while summoning his cosmo to keep him warm.

June nodded absently, still taken aback. Sitting next to her friend, she moved her gaze from Aquarius to Cygnus and then back again. The Gold Saint was keeping a loose defensive stance, the gusts of icy aura that protected him dancing with his deep blue mane. On the other hand, Cygnus was maintaining a steady offensive, slowly forcing his master to attack back.

This didn’t take long.

‘’ It’s beautiful ‘’ she whispered, seeing the fight develop... it was like a dance, a beautiful deadly waltz.... Aquarius would dodge Cygnus fist and sparkles of ice would flow from his hand, just to be avoided by the younger saint with one fluid movement. They would move away, to later meet again in a cold reunion of fists, kicks and ice. Diamond Dust floating everywhere, enveloping everything.

‘’ It’s terrible ‘’ June looked at Shun, then nodded. Her friend knew that behind the beauty of the icy waltz, a deadly end awaited. A deadly end that had once taken both the master and the student’s lives in a cold embrace.

‘’ Shun, want to train? ‘’ she suddenly let out, wishing to cheer him up a little bit. Wishing to move away from the coldness of both ice saints, ‘’ A little mock-fight for the sake of the good old days ‘’

He met her veiled gaze, as if trying to read the blank expression of her mask then shook his head slightly. ‘’ I’m not in the mood for fighting, June... ‘’

She was about to tease him for saying something like that, when a voice as cold as Aquarius and Cygnus’ cosmos interrupted them.

‘’ Perhaps I could help you out, Chameleon Saint... if you think you can live up to the challenge, of course ‘’

June turned around, frowning slightly when meeting the owner of that voice. Standing a few steps from them, was a tall, incredibly pale, black-haired girl, dressed in tight black training clothes, similar to the ones female saints wore. But no mask covered her severe face, no mask hid her icy eyes. And Scorpio accompanied her. The man that had taken her sensei away from her was standing next to the stranger. The man she hated.

‘’ We’ll see about that.... Maybe it’s you the one that fails... ‘’ June ventured, smiling behind her mask when meeting Shun’s surprised look. What else could she have said? This was a friend of Scorpio, and she wanted to show him how powerful she really was. She wanted to hurt him, and if beating this girl around bothered him, she would certainly do so.

‘’ June... don’t ‘’ Shun pleaded, but she simply ignored him, standing up to meet the girl.

‘’ Shall we? ‘’

The girl looked at her, curving her lips in a sarcastic smile.

‘’ I won’t fight a masked warrior ‘’

‘’ It’s tradition, female saints have to wear a mask.... ‘’ began Scorpio, but she just waved her hand.

‘’ I know that, Milo. I don’t care. I am showing my face to her, she could at least show hers ‘’

‘’ It’s tradition ‘’ said Shun once again, while Scorpio merely shrugged, looking at Aquarius and Cygnus, who had stopped their mock fight and were now approaching the small group.

‘’ I give a damn about your traditions, Andromeda ‘’ she said coldly, her dauntless eyes not moving from June, ‘’ Will you fight me? ‘’

June looked at the girl, now angered by her attitude. So she nodded.

And coldness ran through her, shattering her mask.

‘’ Not bad ‘’ said the girl, smiling wickedly '' Let's hope your fighting techniques are as good as your looks ''

June didn’t back up. She didn’t even seem to care about the loss of her mask. She had guessed by now who the girl was. Someone who could ignore the orders of a Gold Saint, who could push one of the Five Bronze Saints over the edge. Someone who had the right to ask her to take off her mask. She was Artemis, the woman that had healed Albinach and Solovei. A Goddess. And she had agreed to fight her, to show everyone what she knew. And goddess or not, she wasn’t planning to let her go.

'' I could say the same thing about you '', she finally added, defying her once again.

'' You could ''

June smirked, walking to the frozen arena, knowing that Artemis was following her. This was her chance to show everyone that she wasn’t someone to be laughed at. This was her chance to show Scorpio that what he had done to Andromeda Island wasn’t forgotten. And this was also a chance to get beaten to pulp. But a saint had to take chances.

...

Shun cursed lowly, wondering what on earth had gone through his friends’ mind as to accept fighting that ravenous woman. Determined to stop all the madness before things got out of hand, he stood up, but a warm hand latched to one of his shoulders, stopping him.

‘’ She won’t like you doing that, you know? The Chameleon Saint is not the kind of woman that takes kindly into the myth of the knight in shinning armour ‘’

Shun looked at Milo as he sat next to him, his turquoise eyes fixed on the two women as they prepared to face each other. Camus and Hyoga soon joined them, the last one looking as if he knew what was going to happen. The green-haired saint sighed. It seemed June knew how to put her feet right into it.

...

‘’ So, cosmo or not cosmo ‘’ June asked, watching Artemis as she tied her long black hair in a high ponytail with a fluid movement born from practice.

‘’ I never knew a fight could be done without cosmo ‘’

June merely nodded, not letting the goddess get the best of her. Of course, Artemis just gave a damn.

Before June had summoned her cosmo, the goddess had dashed towards her, flames of white aura surrounding her body. Soon, June was on the ground, her stomach hurting like hell. By some miracle, none of her vital points had been hurt, and her bones were in perfect conditions. Unluckily, she couldn’t say the same about her back.

'' June! '' Shun let out, standing up.

'' Stay out of this! This fight is between her and me, Andromeda! '' June shouted, without moving her gaze from Artemis.

'' Perhaps you should pay attention to your friend, girl, at least if you are not planning to fight me seriously ''

Girl? She was as old as she was and she dared to mock her? Goddess or not, she was not going to let her make the fool of herself in front of them. She wasn’t going to let her humiliate her in front of Scorpio.

'' So you still have something to offer? '', Artemis said, looking at her as she stood up, '' Let's hope it is something worth the effort, I'm getting bored ''

'' Could you just shut up and fight??? '' she cried, burning her cosmo to its fullest and running towards her. Artemis dodged the blow easily, taking advantage of her low defences to hit her on the back with her elbow.

'' Don't tell me this is all! Andromeda would have been a better opponent! ''

This time June didn't even bother to answer, dashing towards her while she concentrated her cosmo and called on her constellation’s powers.

'' Chameleon's Disguise! ''

This time she had taken her by surprise, as her cosmo hid her body and made her disappear from her eyesight.

Taking advantage of her momentum, she attacked, trying to make her lose her balance with a kick on the back of her knees.

‘’ ... Diamond Dust... ‘’

Artemis’ voice was as cold as the icy current that hit June on the stomach, sending waves of pain through the saint’s body.

'' I told you, fight me seriously, June, I'm not in the mood of playing hide and seek ''

...

'' That was too much! '' said Shun, burning his cosmo, but Hyoga's hand on his shoulder stopped him.

'' Calm down, tovarish, she won't hurt her ''

'' How can you say that? Didn't you see her attack? That wasn't mock-fight! She's trying to kill her! ''

'' She's not, Shun, look, she didn't hit her on her vitals, she's just trying to make her react ''

'' React? With the Diamond Dust??? I saw you kill persons with just one of those hits! And she's a Goddess! And by the way, how on earth does she know your techniques? ''

'' Well, to be precise, they are my techniques, and I taught them to her ''

'' What? '' muttered Shun, looking at Camus in disbelief.

'' Old story. By the way, Artemis' Diamond Dust was just a sorry excuse of the real attack, Chameleon should have been more than able to avoid it ''

'' You say that because she's your pupil, you don't care a bit about June ''

'' You're right, I don't. But Artemis being my pupil has nothing to do with this. If I were thinking as her master right now, I would tell you she's fighting like hell, and is making herself look ridiculous. Any Saint with some basic knowledge on cosmo could survive her. Knowledge June should already master ''

‘’ Oh, she knows, Camus ‘’ purred Milo, staring at June with a sensuous smirk on his face, ‘’ She’s just trying to prove herself to me, that’s why she fails. She is not fighting Artemis, she is defying me. Interesting ''

‘’ Don’t flatter yourself ‘’ Shun snapped, despite deep down inside him, he knew the Scorpio Saint was right. Artemis had kept her cosmo incredibly low, under a silver saint level, and just as Hyoga had said, had never attacked her vitals. June was bringing herself down just because of past grudges. Just because she could not let go of the past.

...

June got up once again, staring into those cold eyes she was starting to hate. What did Artemis want her to do? She spoke of fighting seriously, of living up to the expectations, but what expectations were those?

'' It seems your friend over there is getting quite nervous, Chameleon, what are you going to do about it? ''

'' Nothing... This is my fight ''

'' You finally realised that, congratulations! ''

'' Stop being sarcastic! This is not a game! ''

Artemis’ gaze turned suddenly serious, as she shifted into an offensive stance '' You are wrong, my dear, this is, as everything that happens to us, nothing but a game. You just need to know how to play your cards well enough as to survive it ''

'' So you're suppose to teach me how to play it? ''

This time she laughed, ignoring the blonde’ confusion. '' You don't need a teacher, Chameleon June, you already know what to do. You just have to put that knowledge in use ''

'' For example, that 'Chameleon's Disguise' is a good technique but only if used in the right moment. It was foolish of you to use it in face to face combat, more when you realised that I was using my speed to attack you ''

Ok, she knew what she was talking about, but that didn't give her the right to tell her off. They had a combat to finish, and June was just getting started.

'' What do you say if we leave the lesson for later and continue this sparring session a little bit? ''

'' If you want to '', the black-haired girl shrugged, focusing her cosmo around her.

Artemis wanted to prove her something. Well, perhaps she could point her up some nice little things too.

Her cosmo started to spread all over the arena, thickening the layer of ice that Aquarius and Cygnus had left. It seemed this was going to be her last ‘lesson’. If she could hit her, of course.

'' Diamond Dust! ''

'' Final Dream! '' June cried, throwing herself into the icy current. For a moment, they stayed inches from one another, staring into the other’s eyes. Then the blonde fell.

'' June... '' Artemis murmured, holding her by the shoulders '' That was incredible ''

The saint looked up at her, smiling. A trickle of blood stained the goddess’ lower lip, dying it deep red.

'' Let her go! '' cried Shun, running towards them and pushing her away. She didn't resist, just stared at June with a satisfied gaze and a devious smirk on her face.

'' I'm... fine, don't worry '' she muttered, letting him slid one of his arms under hers to help her to stand up. '' Artemis and I were just playing ''

'' You must tell me where you learned that technique, it was a great idea to use my own attack as a path to reach me. Dangerous, but good ''

'' Never! '' June answered teasingly '' There are some things that are meant to be secrets ''

Artemis smiled at her, accepting the hand she was offering her.

'' It was a great fight ''

'' But you didn't use a bit of your power! ''

'' Exactly '' she said '' But it was great nevertheless ''

This time June laughed, ignoring Shun's intrigued eyes.

'' Well, I believe you girls had your fun for the day, I want to have lunch before all those trainees take over the dinner ‘’ said Milo, stretching.

Despite she hated to admit it, Scorpio’s idea was the best one she had heard all morning. Even though she could still feel the pain from the last attack, her stomach was starting to grumble.

'' Artemis, won't you join us? '' June ventured, waiting for her.

'' Sure '' she said nonchalantly, freeing her cascade of black hair in one fluid movement before walking towards them. But Hyoga stopped her, closing his hand around her wrist. June frowned. Seeing them together was something difficult to explain; they were both terribly cold and dauntless, their eyes showing no feelings at all. Shun had told her about Hyoga being a friend of the goddess. Although June couldn’t see much friendship between them right now.

'' You had your fun, what do you say about increasing the odds a little bit? ''

Artemis stared into Hyoga's eyes, and for a moment, June thought she would deny. But then, she pushed his hand away from her arm, stepping forward.

She stopped a few inches from him, her body almost touching his.

'' Do you really think you can handle it? ''

Hyoga smirked, stepping into the arena.

'' June, Shun, you'd better go ahead, we'll catch up with you later ''

'' But... ''

'' Shun, Hyoga's right, ice cosmos are not something to play around, and June is hurt... ''

Shun looked into Camus eyes and then into June’s. She knew what he was thinking of. He was about to see two of his friends fall before the same person, and it wasn't in his nature to allow it.

'' I'd rather stay myself, but if you want to, I could take June to the dinner... '' said Milo, grinning. Shun’s death glare stopped him.

'' Don’t. Today my best friends have decided to do things I don't approve, but that doesn't mean I must stay and watch how they get hurt. I'll take June, you two stay and watch over them. Hyoga is not playing ''

Camus nodded, sitting back on the place where he had been watching the girls fight. Milo shrugged, and sat beside him, his eyes locked on the goddess.

'' You know I can go by myself, Shun... '' June lied as he helped her up the stairs

'' I do. But I'd rather accompany you ''

June looked at him, puzzled, but then nodded, leaning against him not to lose balance. And then, when she knew he wasn’t looking, she smiled.

Artemis stretched, satisfied with the morning’s events. The Chameleon Saint had been a pleasant surprise, her ‘Final Dream’ technique being something she hadn’t expected in someone with such a basic cosmo. She had great potential, and with the right guidance, she could even be able to touch the seventh sense with ease. It seemed Athena’s Bronze Saints were full of surprises.

But now... now she had a new opponent before her. Someone whose power promised an even more entertaining battle. It wasn’t something new for her to fight Hyoga; they had faced each other many times at Siberia. But back then things had been different. Yes, they had been merciless, but they had also been friends. And that damned promise hadn’t been made yet...

His dare had taken her aback; she had to admit that. Even more after the way he had been behaving since her arrival. She had thought he wanted to ignore her, to pretend she wasn’t there. She had thought he was behaving like a fool. And now he wanted to fight her. To spar with her. No, this wasn’t a friendly fight. This was something different. This was a battle. This was her chance to teach him a lesson. To teach him that she wouldn’t allow him belittling her.

She grinned, knowing how battles helped her to concentrate, to relax. And this could also be a chance to end the ‘Cygnus issue’ once and for all. She knew how much his power had grown; her cosmo had been with his since... since always. This little battle promised to be more interesting than what she had hoped for. The last time they had sparred, he hadn’t even attained his cloth... now; he and his friends had accomplished deeds that no other mortal could brag about. They had defeated Gods, so ancient and powerful as the world itself. They had vanquished Poseidon and Hades, the Kings of the Sea and the Underworld. Gods as powerful as her father. Yes, this battle was going to be something worth remembering...

They needn’t tell each other to get ready, they were used to the other’s marks. Their cosmos flared into white shinning tongues, thickening the ice layer that already covered the grounds. Artemis couldn’t but feel a pang of worry at Camus and Milo staying, but it was their choice. Besides, they knew how to take care of themselves. As long as they didn’t get in the way, they could do as they pleased.

Artemis grin deepened when feeling Hyoga’s cosmo to its fullest. It was just as she had dreamt it would be; a terribly powerful source of energy. An undying storm. She tossed her hair against her back, shifting into a loose offensive stance. He reached the seventh sense so easily now... it was almost second nature... it seemed he wasn’t going to make the fight an easy one for her. Better still.

Artemis allowed her cosmo to burn higher, loosening her grip over it. Of course, she didn’t allow it to burn to its fullest. She never did, not against a mortal; not in this kind of fights. She wanted to enjoy the possibility he was offering her, not to crush him. She wanted to feel his power, and the only way to do so, was by keeping her powers below his. That was the only way she could feel alive.

It was a shame Shun hadn’t stayed to see this. If he hated her already, he would have despised her when seeing her fighting seriously.

What if she liked to play around? What if she liked to humiliate others? She was good at that; she was good at hurting others. And she was proud of that. Because victory suited her. And this time... this time she wanted to win.

She started the fight, dashing against him with the grace of a wild animal, her cosmo increasing her speed. Artemis grinned when he dodged her first blow and stopped the second, Hyoga taking advantage of his momentum to try and hit her on the chest.

Of course, it was only a try.

She leaped away from him just enough as to dodge his fist, falling on her legs and arms. Slowly, deliberately, she lifted her gaze to meet his. And then she arched her back and roared.

Artemis chuckled inwardly, amused when seeing him frowning. Had his hate made him forget her moves? Had his hate made him forget her?

‘’ As your friend, I died, you made sure to kill that part of me. As a Goddess... are you willing to face the Goddess? ‘’ she thought out loud, as she sunk on her knees and pressed her hands on the ground, her eyes shinning with cosmo as she whispered...

‘’ Diamond Dust ‘’

The ice crystals flowed from her hand almost naturally, this time showing her skills and years of training as they danced the waltz of death in perfect sync. She had played with June... now she was determined to vanquish Hyoga.

He leaped just in time to avoid the icy current, standing on a small heap of snow, crouching to gain speed as he later dashed against her, his fists glimmering with ice.

‘’ Still using the diamond dust at ground level, Artemis? ‘’ She warded off the blow, moving behind him in a fluent movement.

‘’ It makes it more difficult to dodge, besides... it works when hunting, swans fall so easily into it ‘’ she whispered in his ear before he turned to hit her, the black-haired laughing at his reaction.

‘’ Still getting easily mad, Cygnus? ‘’ she teased, loosening her stance, ‘’ And I had thought all these years had changed you ‘’

‘’ How could you know? ‘’ he replied harshly, deflecting a low kick with ease, ‘’ Weren’t you too busy at the hunt? ‘’

Artemis frowned, her eyes darkening. But then she smirked. And laughed. ‘’ No, my dearest. The hunt has just begun ‘’

And as way to prove her point, she lowered her body and dashed against him, avoiding his high diamond dust, and stretched her arm over his half-opened defence, her cold hand closing around his neck.

‘’ See? I always catch my prey ‘’ she whispered, standing to her full height, her eyes being almost at the same level than his. And then he hit her on the stomach. Hard.

‘’ Nice ‘’, she let out, tasting her own blood in her mouth. Yet she wouldn’t let go of her hold on him. ‘’ Now tell me what do you think of this... ‘’

She pulled his head down, while raising her knee. After the first hit, she released her grip and stretched her leg into a high kick. And as he fell on the ground, she returned to her loose offensive stance, pushing her hair away from her face with one practised movement.

‘’ I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did ‘’

But then, when she was about to put an end to the game, she couldn’t. It was as if her body had decided not to obey her anymore, completely fixed on its place. ‘’ What...? ‘’ She knew she hadn’t hurt him, she always took care of not hitting any vital point when sparring. She always took care of keeping her cosmo burning under her partner’s. There was no way for him to be seriously wounded by her kick... yet again, why she couldn’t help feeling worried?

‘’ Shit... you can out beat Camus’ Aurora Execution, don’t tell me a mere high kick knock you down... ‘’

...

'' They are nothing but fools ‘’ muttered Camus, sitting forward, his elbows resting on his thighs and his hands clasped before him, ‘’ They are both terribly strong, but do nothing but follow their emotions and fight like nothing but clumsy trainees ‘’

‘’ Now, now, Camus ‘’ Milo started, grinning, ‘’ I can take responsibility over half of Artemis’ moves... but Hyoga is your problem ‘’

The deep blue-haired saint glared at his friend, then returned to analyse the fighters’ techniques.

‘’ Even though you are right... none of them is fighting for real... they seem almost afraid of hurting the other... ‘’ Milo shrugged, brushing a violet lock away from his face. ‘’ That’s your fault, I’ve always told Artemis to crush the ants if she had the power to do so... and she’s certainly not doing that... It seems the loss of Ortygia affected her more than she let us know...‘’

‘’ Milo... ‘’, interrupted Camus, shaking his head slightly, ‘’ This has nothing to do with Ortygia. I would understand that. But it is her inability of getting to terms with her own feelings that if making her fight like that. It’s a weakness, and a goddess can’t allow having weaknesses. Any pupil of mine can’t allow that ‘’

The Scorpio Saint looked at him, arching one of his brows quizzically, hoping he had somehow misunderstood his words. Yet Camus wasn’t the kind of man who spoke just to make conversation. He only spoke when having something to say. And he meant all of his words.

‘’ She doesn’t have any weakness ‘’ he let out, frowning, ‘’ She is my trainee, Camus, I should know that ‘’

Camus looked at him, about to correct him, after all they had both trained her; she had wanted it that way. But he knew how much Milo cared for her... and how he still resented him for being the one the girl broke to when Ortygia was taken. Despite it had happened years ago, the Scorpio Saint still felt as if Camus had taken his sole trainee away from him. But Camus could understand that. He could understand feelings, even though he did not feel them himself. And he knew more than anything that Milo was his best friend, no matter what had happened or would happen in the future. So instead of lecturing him, he merely stretched his arm towards the arena. ‘’ Judge for yourself, Milo... ‘’

...

Artemis felt relieved when Hyoga got up, despite his gaze had been less than welcoming. Her strength came back in a wave of raw power, and she was able to move again. Perhaps all had been a trick, a moment of doubt. But now that was over, and she was ready to go on.

So was he.

Hyoga dashed against her, his speed surprising her, forcing her to avoid his frantic attacks instead of blocking them. His fists; covered by cosmo, left icy drops on her hair and clothes, as he pushed her slowly to the edge.

And then she fell. It had been the most stupid thing she could have done; the first lesson both Milo and Camus had taught her. To keep balance.

‘’ Shit... ‘’

'' Diamond Dust! ''

Hyoga's voice echoed in her ears, the hate that seemed to live in that voice taking her aback... there was so much hate... hate towards her. And she deserved it.

'...Move...'

' BY ATHENA, MOVE! '

Milo’s cosmo reached her seconds before the current hit her, giving her the chance to block it, ice covering her right arm up to the shoulder.

For a second, Hyoga’s eyes met hers, his anger meeting her doubts, his hatred facing her....

‘’ Ochi! ‘’ she let out, resting her weight on her left hand to leap backwards, Hyoga moving away in time to avoid her knees. She stopped, panting, her cosmo making her black hair dance around her as it burnt higher. He couldn’t understand, he just couldn’t... she should have never expected him to do so... No one could... She was alone. She smirked grimly, shattering the ice that covered her arm with her cosmo.

‘’ I give a damn ‘’

And he also did, as he was soon trying to attack her again, his cosmo burning brighter, so much brighter than back then...

' ... Artemis... '

' ... I won't let him, Milo. I WON'T!... '

She ignored her master’s words, his cosmo, his warnings. All she cared right now was to crush Hyoga. To crush him and win.

Stepping right into his diamond dust, she took hold of his fist, using her cosmo to resist it and nullify it.

'' Why... do you keep on doing that? '', he panted, his aura burning higher still.

'' What? '' She knew far too well what he meant to, but she wasn’t going to accept it that easily. She would never accept it. She’d rather crush him.

With an outburst of power, she was able to push him away, her hands covered by a thin layer of ice. She stared at them in disbelief. No one had ever been able to do that, to make that technique strong enough as to affect her...

'' What?!! Feeding my cosmo with yours, Artemis!!! '', he cried, reassuming his attack, his blows getting more and more ferocious.

She avoided his gaze as she tried to block him, unable to answer. Unable, because he was right. The more she pushed him, the more power she gave him, even though he hated her... he had let her go... but she had failed him also...

‘’ Won’t you answer me??! ‘’

‘’ Because I fucking promised, that’s why!!! ‘’ She let out, her icy eyes burning angrily as her memories returned to her mind, pushing her down. Crushing her.

...

'' This has gone too far... ‘’, said Milo, standing up.

But Camus’ hand stopped him. The Scorpio Saint closed his eyes, his fists trembling by his side, but then nodded, sitting once again.

‘’ She’s not defending herself... ‘’ he whispered, pressing his fingers to his temples, ‘’ She’s allowing him to crush her... ‘’

'' Milo... I know. And I also know that unless you want to fight her, you shouldn’t get between them. She won’t forgive you for that...’’

'' What? '' he asked, his anger shinning in his turquoise eyes as he turned to meet Camus’ steady gaze.

‘’ She won’t forgive you for making her look weak in front of Hyoga ‘’

Milo frowned, shaking his head slightly as he looked back at the arena. Artemis’ cosmo blared around her, so pale compared to the way it had shone on her arrival. Hyoga’s, on the other hand, seemed to be made by thousands of glittering diamonds, growing higher and higher as he attacked. And she didn’t seem to care. Despite he was slowly pushing her into defeat, she wasn’t even defending herself. She was defeating herself.

...

'' You give a damn about your promises, Artemis! Your promises are worth nothing!! But what do I care? Keep doing as you please, you always did!!! ''

Artemis saw his cosmo growing higher. She saw him shifting into an offensive stance. She saw the shimmering path his fist left as it moved towards her... she saw the attack and all the little details about it, as if it had been on slow motion... and she didn’t dodge it.

She could taste her blood in her mouth, its sweetness making her stomach cringe. She coughed, trying to get rid of it, but the flavour wouldn’t go away. Her legs went weak under her weight, as she took her right hand over her rib cage, the pain making her flinch. As Hyoga moved away from her, she fell on her knees, placing her hands on the floor to stop her from going down completely.

'' You’ve grown so much... ‘’ she panted, watching the drops of blood against the icy ground. Just like last time, but back then it had been their blood... now it was just hers... ‘’ More than what I had expected.... Well... done, Hyoga... It seems you... '' She hadn’t the strength to go on, new coughs making her body tremble. She closed her eyes tightly, forcing herself not to pass out. She couldn’t allow herself that pleasure, the pleasure of oblivion. She tried to get up, her legs trembling when resting her weight back on them, as she took some steps backwards, unable to keep balance.

But Hyoga’s arms stopped her from falling, allowing her to lean against him, his body feeling so different now that the cold fury with which he had attacked her had ended.

‘’ I should have won... ‘’ she thought out loud, her hands closing into fists. But she hadn’t been able to do so... she had lost. The Queen of the Hunt, a Goddess... a wave of sheer pain forced her to clutch his shirt tightly, to hold something real so her conscience wouldn’t abandon her.

'' Artemis... '', he muttered, the anger and hate in his voice mellowing, sounding so husky... almost like the wind between the glaciers...

‘’ Ochi... ‘’ she let out, unable to face him. Not wanting to face him. She knew what would happen if she looked into those eyes, those piercing diamonds that could see into her soul. And her soul was damned. The things that lived inside it had cursed her, had turned it into something horrible. Her own actions had killed her soul.

'' What's happening to me... '' I muttered, '' What was I thinking of?!! ''

Her cosmo exploded to its real levels, shimmering white flames that burnt and froze alike stretching all over the arena, killing the pain of her body, killing her thoughts, her mind, and whatever remnants were left of her soul.

‘’ Leave me! ‘’ she cried out, the strength of her cosmo pushing Hyoga to the ground and forcing Milo and Camus to cover his eyes because of its intense brightness. ‘’ Leave me alone!!! ‘’

And she ran. She knew, somewhere deep inside her, that what she was doing was wrong, that she was betraying everything her masters had taught her... that her masters had been watching her... were watching her... But she didn’t care. She had learnt not to care after those she loved left her. She had learnt not to care when she realised no one cared about that either.

Dictina stood in the middle of the Outer temple, running her fingers over the silver throne. When had she last entered the temple? Three years ago? Four? After Artemis had left, Aphrodite had ordered them to build a new temple, far from the one her sister used to dwell. Away from the remnants of her aura. And now, after all that time and without really knowing why, Dictina had felt the urge of returning to the abandoned temple, to cross the forest and abandon her shrine to feel the Huntress’ aura again. She looked behind the throne, to the heavy stone door, carved with figures of stags, moons, wolves, bears and all that her sister cherished. Making sure she was alone, she walked to the door. She knew what lay behind it, she could picture it perfectly. The rock walls, the underground lake, the thriving plants, everything. Just like the last time she entered it. Just like the day Artemis left. With trembling fingers, she rested her hands on the surface, following the rough carvings, and lit her cosmo. Nothing. Not even an answer. The door didn’t move, staying bolted, just like that day....

She shuddered, moving away when remembering those harsh words. Before leaving, Artemis had sealed the Inner Temple, leaving the Armoury and the Grotto away from their reach. Aphrodite and Eros had tried to break the seal when they took over, but to no avail. The Huntress’ aura had taken with her all that was hers, and shunned it, just like they had shunned her from their hearts. And what for? Because of Jealousy. Because of blind jealousy when seeing they weren’t the only ones she cared for. Because they had been afraid of losing her. Because they feared she had decided to leave them. Because they blamed on her their own doubts and fears. So before she could hurt them, they decided to give the first stroke. They took her heart and soul and broke it, just because they thought she would have done the same with them.

They had been so blind... so wrong...

‘’ Priestess ‘’

Dictina turned, surprised when hearing that voice, so empty of emotions.

‘’ Harpy... ‘’ she whispered, as the blonde walked from the shadows to kneel before her. She had also changed, all of them had. There was a time when she used to be certain she could call all Chosen Ones her brothers and sisters. Her friends. Now they were warriors under the orders of Aphrodite. Now they were the Keepers of Peace... whatever that word could mean now that the one that ordered them had left. They were strangers.

‘’ Why are you here? ‘’ she finally asked, trying to keep her voice even.

‘’ Probably because of the same reason you are here. To remember the traitor, what she did to us. To remember her sins, so my hate for her won’t stop burning ‘’

Dictina frowned slightly, looking away from the tall Guardian. It was strange how the way they thought had changed so much... Egeria, the most fearless Hyperborean, had ended up being the one with the greater hatred towards their goddess.... her, when there was a time she couldn't stay away from Artemis, following her wherever she went like a stray puppy. And now, all that devotion, all that love; had turned into a fire that would not be put off until the day Egeria had Artemis’ blood. And what was worst was that they were all acting like that, as if their Goddess had committed a terrible sin, when all she had done was accept their judgement. They were the ones to blame. They had lost her.

‘’ Hate is everything, isn’t it? ‘’ Dictina whispered, resting her hand on the back of the throne.

‘’ Justice is. Peace is. Hate is just a tool to accomplish those porpoises. Hate is a tool to use against those that break Peace. Against those that are as unfair and ungrateful as the Traitor ‘’

‘’ What... what do you mean? ‘’ asked the older guardian, looking at the blonde with worry in her eyes. What she had felt.... what she had understood by those words... it had scared her...

Egeria smirked, standing up, ‘’ Aphrodite is so merciful... she already sent Iphigeneia and Hippolytus to prepare her a little surprise... she will certainly have what she deserves after that display of power she made when reaching Sanctuary... ‘’

‘’ You are going to attack her?! Have you gone insane? ‘’ snapped Dictina, taking her hand to her mouth. Her fears rose, not just for Artemis, but for the reason they had forced her to leave... Aphrodite, the merciful Aphrodite and her beautiful son Eros had always been the ones to order them what to do... to suggest them to ask Artemis to leave... they had always been the ones playing the strings... And what if they didn’t have the best interests at heart as they had made them believe? What if all this time they had been playing with them? Being the puppeteers and them, the nine Guardians, nothing but puppets?

That display of power Egeria talked about, that warmth embrace they had all felt when Artemis burnt her Cosmo at the Athenian Sanctuary, had helped her to see... to understand how mistaken they had been... had made her realise how much she missed her. She was her sister, by Leto! She couldn’t believe she had let her go... She couldn’t believe her love for her hadn’t stopped her from telling her such horrible things...

‘’ Even though the Traitor would deserve to be attacked, we are not going to do so... we are just going to warn her... to tell her to leave...''

'' Where? To disappear into oblivion once again? She has nowhere to go to, we made sure of that! What if she went to Athena? The realms are in peace, she can do as she pleases ''

Egeria looked at Dictina, her fuchsia eyes glowing with hate.

'' As she pleases?? She's with Phoenix!!!! She betrayed me! She promised she'd take care of me, of all of us, that she would always be there for us... And she lied! She chose that assassin over me! Knowing what he's done!! ''

'' Listen to yourself! Vengeance is talking, not your mind. Think, on Artemis’ name, think!''

Egeria’s blow caught Dictina out of balance, pushing her to the ground. The lilac-haired woman looked at the blonde, taken aback. Egeria also seemed surprised, staring at her fist in disbelief. Never had a Guardian rose a hand against another Guardian. That was what had made them strong. Their bond. And that bond had died when Artemis left.

'' ... Egeria, what's happening to us...? ''

'' ... I... I'm sorry, I never meant to... to hurt you... '' But she had, deep in her eyes Dictina had seen it, the thirst for blood and death Egeria used to have before meeting Artemis, when she had tried for her Tunic. Of all Guardians, Egeria had been the one to suffer the most, her training having taken place in a realm no one would thread on if they could avoid it. She had trained in Elysium.

Only Artemis' cosmo had been able to tame her, to show her that death wasn't the only thing worth fighting for. Only her had been able to bring back the person she used to be before Hades. But now... Aphrodite was making her go back, feeding her hate towards Phoenix and using that to make her hate everyone and everything. She was turning her into the ravenous Harpy Artemis almost died to heal.

''... We... we can't let things go on like this... ''

'' Like what? Dictina, I-I will pretend you never said that, we must not reveal against our Goddess ''

'' But... '' she muttered, confused '' We already did, we failed her... ''

'' Nonsense. We, Aphrodite’s Guardians, had never deceit her, and never will. Remember that, you might be the High Priestess, but I won’t let you break the peace... ‘’

Dictina watched her go, unable to believe what she had just heard. Unable to believe another Guardian had threatened her. Unable to believe Egeria had called Aphrodite their Goddess. Things were changing, so fast now... She had to do something... talk to the others... Atalanta and Orion would probably understand her... so would Iphigeneia, Narcissus and Pentesilea... Hippolytus would do as she said... and the rest would follow Yes, that was the only solution... bringing back that bond between the Guardians.... Trusting their friendship...

'' Dictina... ''

That velvety voice... Dictina turned on her heels to greet him, falling to her knees and lowering her face to the ground.

'' My Lord Eros '', she murmured, holding the hand he was offering her and kissing his golden rings.

'' You don't have to do this... beautiful women should never kneel before a man... they should walk proudly among them, gracing them with their sight... And you are a demi-goddess, Dictina, the blood of the Gods runs through your vein... we are family... equals... ‘’

She blushed as she looked at him, standing up slowly. As always, she found herself breathless when meeting his gentle emerald eyes.

‘’ Don’t you think so? ‘’

‘’ I think what you think, my Lord ‘’ she whispered while lowering her head, unable to sustain the sight of his beauty. The only glimpse of his silky lavender hair had mesmerised her, making her wish to run her fingers through those perfect locks that graced his delicate face. She knew she couldn’t look at him. She knew she shouldn’t think of him that way... it scared her... to be so helpless at the mere sight of this golden-skinned god.

‘’ You always know what to say... ‘’ he said with that voice of his that sounded sweeter than the most beautiful symphony, while he moved his hand to her face, lifting her chin to make her look at him in the eyes.

'' That's better ''

He smiled, making her heart jump. A part of her told her to run away, to move away from the god... but it was too late now. She would rather fall prey to whatever scheme he could have for her than stop looking into those gentle eyes.

'' Now, I believe something is bothering you... Want to talk about it? ''

It was strange. She was sure something was bothering her. She was sure she had been about to do something... something related to him... and his mother... but... now that memory seemed so far away... that she couldn’t remember. All that she cared was staying there, next to him... all she cared was feeling his soft skin... tasting his delicate lips...

'' No ... I mean... there’s nothing wrong... nothing bothers me '' she let out nervously, taking a few steps back.

He smiled again, walking nearer to caress her cheek. '' I'm glad, sorrow doesn't fit you... but if someday something does bother you, you will tell me, don’t you? You know you can trust me... ‘’

The lilac-haired woman nodded, suddenly comforted. What could go wrong now that the God of Passion was holding her in his arms?

'' You have the most adorable smile, it's a shame you don't use it very often... '' He whispered in her ear, his fingers moving gently over her lips. She let out a low sigh, feeling his warm kisses on her neck, his hands roaming over her defenceless body...

'' Lord Eros...''

He cupped her head in his hands, looking into her eyes, ‘’ Come with me... to the Temple... This place... it gives me the creeps... ‘’

She looked at the place she had called home not too long ago. At the only place she had felt safe. The place she had grew up in, where she had played and trained with her sister... with the Traitor... it was a horrible place, rough and filthy... tasteless... horrible... Cold.

'' As you wish, my Lord ‘’

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Artemis didn’t take long to reach the female saints’ training grounds. That was good. She didn’t know how much longer she could have kept that pace, coughing blood despite she was covering her mouth. Fortunately, no one had seen her. And if someone had, she was sure they were used to seeing bloody persons running around.

‘’ Damn... ‘’ she let out, slowing down now that the shape of the small temple started to appear in the horizon. ‘’ I should have won... I should have crushed him... all I do is fail... ''

‘’ Look out! ''

Artemis stopped just in time to avoid running over a blue-haired man.

‘’ I’m sorry... ‘’ she muttered, but stopped when meeting his eyes. She had run over Phoenix. Just perfect. That was probably what she got for not using her cosmo to get to the temple instead of running like a madwoman. Another mistake to add to her endless list...

‘’ First time a Goddess tells me she’s sorry ‘’ he grinned. She arched her eyebrows, straightening so she was standing to her full height, mentally cursing Hyoga for hitting her on the stomach, now it hurt her like hell staying like that.

‘’ Don’t tell me I broke your little record? My mistake ‘’ she smirked, determined to follow his game until her body stopped her.

He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. ‘’ Ouch. Who would have thought there was fire burning inside this ice sculpture ‘’

Artemis gave him a crook smile, resting her left hand on her hip. ‘’ Defying me, Phoenix? ‘’

‘’ Nah... at least not yet. You look like hell. Are you all right? ‘’

She didn’t answer. She just walked past him and headed to the temple, not wanting to be pitied by anyone. Not wanting to be looked down. So she left the Phoenix to himself, and began walking faster, until she was dashing to the temple.

Temple. That word certainly was an understatement. The small building was more of a ruin than an inhabitable temple. But she gave a damn. As usual.

This temple had been consecrated to her when she was appointed to look over the balance of the realm, just like the other temples that were in each realm. A symbol of Peace. No, not of peace. Peace was nothing. A promise to keep the balance. A promise no one kept.

‘’ Arcade! ‘’ she let out, as the huge wolf jumped to greet her. ‘’ I’ve also missed you... did you find something interesting to do in Sanctuary? ‘’ she added, scratching the back of his ears. But then the pain on her stomach forced her to bend down and lean on him as blood filled her mouth once again. The wolf looked at her, worry shinning in his yellow eyes, and then started whining, licking her hand.

She smiled weakly, patting his head. ‘’ I’m fine. Now rest ‘’ she ordered, as the wolf walked to a pile of marble blocks and curled between them, yawning. Then she entered the temple.

Once inside, she locked the gate and let herself slid on the floor. Using her cosmo, she made the torches start burning, lighting the small marble hall.

At least Marin hadn’t lied, and the place seemed to be much better than she had hoped for. Despite the hall could barely be called that way, being nothing but a small room, she found herself admiring the amber walls, the vivid murals that adorned them, and the way the flames of the torches made those murals change.

It was beautiful.

But now what worried her the most was if the bedroom and the bathroom were going to be as beautiful as the little room.

‘’ Zeus... ‘’ she growled at the pain, leaning against the wall to stand up and slowly make her way to the bedroom. The path from there to the bathroom was easier, the furniture working wonders as canes.

She sighed when closing the door behind her, leaning on the sink. The reflection the mirror gave her wasn’t a cute one, but she had looked worst during her training years. Trying to ignore the pain, she took of her shirt. At least it seemed she didn’t have any broken ribs, she wasn’t in the mood of using her cosmo for healing purposes, not after draining herself with those two children from Andromeda Island.

She ran her hand over her stomach, frowning when noticing her skin was already darkening, which could only mean that in no time she was going to have a huge, probably dark violet, bruise.

‘’ You deserve it ‘’ she told the reflection, before opening the water. She then started to wash her face, glad to be able to get rid of all those trickles of blood. She couldn’t help smiling when imagining what Phoenix had probably thought when seeing her, she was a dreadful sight. Not much for the Queen of the Hunt at least.

A rasping cough forced her to lean over the sink, the feeling of blood in her throat drowning her once again. When she was able to raise her head, she found herself staring into her eyes. There was a time when she could see her soul inside of them. Now they were empty.

‘Are you all right? ’, Phoenix had asked her. No, she wasn’t. It had been more than four years since the last time she was ‘all right’, and even back then she had had her share of problems.

And now... now things were getting worse. It didn’t really surprise her, she had known they would, she had known the consequences of helping Athena. She had known it would force her to...

The knock on the door startled her, forcing her to stay away from her memories. Closing her eyes tightly, she breathed slowly and got out of the bathroom, and into the hall.

‘’ If you aren’t bleeding to death or Sanctuary isn’t burning to ashes, get the hell out of here. No, wait, forget the bleeding part, let’s leave it at Sanctuary ‘’

‘’ Not just fiery, but also incredibly sweet ‘’

Artemis rolled her eyes, leaning against the door. ‘’ Damn you, Phoenix, burn Sanctuary, then I’ll open ‘’

No answer. So he was gone now. Better still, she didn’t feel like talking to anyone right now.... Yet...

Her mind went back to the reflection on the mirror, to that image where she couldn’t really see herself. Cursing inwardly, she opened the door, finding Phoenix leaning against one of the pillars.

‘’ How did you know I was going to...? ‘’

He grinned, running his hand over his dark blue hair. ‘’ A wild guess. I was bored and you are the nearest person around. So, do you have something to drink in this ruin of yours?

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SE FINNI