Black clouds have lain on the
ground. It's lightening above Athena's statue in Sanctuary. The reflection
of the flash falls upon the old Coliseum in the foothill. Thunders are roaring in the black sky,
the earth is shaking. Under the pillars of the Pope's Palace, people
stand with fear in their hearts, watching the rage of the infuriated
nature.
-
Marin, this doesn't bode well ! - lowly said a youthful female voice,
- I no more feel their Cosmo !
The
thunder banged just above them, lighting up, in a moment, three slim
female forms, several douzens of steps parted from a mob of people who,
with the tremendous fear, were following a further course of the storm.
No
answer came from Marin. Her mask's stiff glance is aimed downwards,
toward the blackness of the abyss where, in the bottom, waves are crashing
onto the steep cliff. The third figure spoke in a fearful voice, instead:
-
What does it mean, Shaina ? Seiya... he's fine, isn't he ?
The
green haired girl she had addressed to gave her a sad look, shaking
her head :
-
Ah Seika... I'm afraid... - she hadn't finished saying that, when Marin,
hastily leaping off forward, dissapeared in the abyss. Shaina swiftly threw herself after her :
-
MARIN !!!
From
the group that was standing aside, rushes out a young man with a short,
brown hair and, as quickly as a lighting, disappears over the edge of
the abyss, following Shaina closely. The rest of them came running to
Seika who, with her eyes riveted to the opaque darkness in front of
her and her hands suppressing the scream, is an incarnation of the silent
horror that slowly begins to dawn on them.
-
Natchi, do you see them ?
-
It's impossible... it's a pitch dark !
-
Jabu reacted quickly, I hope he made it in time...
Seika resignedly
listens to the voices around her. She hears them, but nothing reaches
her. Nothing, apart from the awareness that the end of the world is
there, right in front of her eyes. That it is swallowing everything
she knew and loved, that she will be following the same destiny, in
a moment.
-
I'd never thought Marin would opt for such a thing ! - a creaky voice
said.
-
Blockhead ! What did she need that for ?
-
Don't waste words ! The way the things look now, we won't last much
longer, either.
Shivering
voices fell silent, and all glances instantly rose towards the black
firmament, that darkens every hope. Still, their attention is caught
by some strange agitation in the sky. Dark clouds start to circle above
their heads, slowly at first, then quicker and quicker, while bolts
of lighting dart in the middle of this heavenly maelstrom, colliding
in the terrible roaring. The blackness thickens in the center, as if
the sky were sucking in itself. Somewhere far away, where the sky unites
with the sea, blue color emerges, clear as a crystal. At first it's
just an outline of a previously invisible horizon, but slowly it becomes
more thicker, compressing the darkness.
-
Ban, am I hallucinating this, or...
- One' d say...
-
Yes ! The eclipse is passing !
-
They made it !
-
I can't believe it ! Ah, they're such mighty fellows !
-
They brought Hades to his knees !
The
blue azure has already colored the half of the sky and is now spreading
in enormous speed, chasing away the blackness that, just a moment ago,
seemed more unavoidable than destiny. Light is coming back to earth,
the rays of the Sun are braking through, illuminating the smiling faces
of the people in Sanctuary, filled with joy.
A
hand appears over the edge of the cliff, grasping a clod of the grass.
Everybody jump up to it. Seika watches first as Ban lifts Marin's lifeless
body, while Itchi and Natchi help Jabu and Shaina to climb up.
She watches Shaina taking
few moments to regain her breath before approaching her. The closer
Shaina's image is coming, the more it is indistinct before her eyes.
Finally, those shapes she was still trying to distinguish, corroded
into grayness, and her exhausted consciousness abandoned her...
* * *
Marin's
eyelids are flickering under the Sun's bright rays that are entering
the room through a window. She would open them, but she can't - light
is too dazzling, it painfully cuts into her brain. She tries to drag
her hand to shield them, but weakness absorbs her at the very try and
she stays put, with her eyelids tightly closed. Then she heard the sound
of the drapes, and the room sank into the pleasant shadow. Marin slowly
opened her eyes.
-
I thought you would never wake up. - a familiar voice came from the
silhouette that was standing beside the window.
-
Shaina... it's you. My mask... What happened ?
-
That's a question I wanted to pose to you. Do you remember anything
?
-
The eclipse... then the storm... Shaina! Tell me that it isn't true,
that they didn't... - she fell silent, not being able to pronounce the
terrible thought out loud.
-
I wish I could, Marin... - Shaina lowered her eyes, - but at least they
have made it... at least the world is safe...
-
And you tell me this... that calmly ?
Shaina's
glance shone with anger. She rarely had an opportunity to see Marin
without the mask, and at those times she would always admire the extraordinary
beauty of her features. But now, that pretty face was drenched in tears.
Deep dark eyes were painfully looking at her, while the red lips trembled
in the vain effort to stop the sobs.
-
And what would you want me to do? To wail ? Or maybe you think you're
the only one who has a hard time ? But if they gave their lives, they've
done it for those they loved, so you and the rest of us could go on!
Do you want to tell me that this is the way to thank Seiya ? To commit
suicide, you who he respected the most in this world?
Marin
lowered her head, sobbing silently, while Shaina ardently continued
:
-
And you were ready to abandon Seika, whom Seiya had been looking for
all his life? Very nice, Marin! You think a desperation is a proof of
love. And I will tell you one thousand times that it isn't ! But the
struggle and sacrifice. That's why the Saints have given their lives,
and that's also our duty, if the need arises !
Shaina
wanted to add more, but was stopped by the expression on Marin's face.
Looking at her, she no longer saw a warrior, but a weak woman, completely
absorbed in her pain. She couldn't believe this was Marin, the same
brave and wise one, whom everybody respected because of these virtues.
No,
something else was wrong here, and Shaina was feeling a premonition
of what that might be. She slowly walked to the window and moved the
drapes away, just as much as to cast a look at the summer day that was
boiling in beauty and lightness. When she spoke again, her voice sounded
much softer :
-
Is this about Aiolia ?
These
words stabbed Marin to the core. A convulsive cry seized her, her body
starting to shake under the violent sobs, to the extent that Shaina
got scared about her. She quickly sat on the bed and hugged her, trying
to calm the girl down. Shaina had a fierce temper, but her heart deeply
ached whenever somebody close to her was suffering. And in time, Marin
became the closest person she ever had, Shaina's only friend. And now,
with a lump in her throat, she felt her friend's pain passing onto her.
However, she managed to suppress the feeling. The priority was now to
ease Marin's sorrow. So she let her friend have a good cry on her shoulder,
knowing the tears were the best medicine for heartaches....She was surprised,
though, for this was something she hadn't been expecting. She knew that
there was some kind of a bond between her and Aiolia, and the young
man often discussed with Shaina the ways to approach Marin who seemed
so distant, always occupied, either by her own training either by Seiya's
problems. Shaina couldn't help him, because Marin, to all her questions,
kept replying that, apart from friendship, there was nothing between
her and the Leo Saint. It just turned out that it wasn't exactly like
that and Shaina wondered how such a thing could slip by her. Now Marin
was trying to say something and the green haired warrior pricked up
her ears to hear Marin's hoarse and broken voice.
-
It's all over now, Shaina... He's dead and I will never get a second
chance... to tell him how much he meant to me. Oh God... I knew he was
probably going to his death and I still didn't say anything. Damned
this pride of mine !
- But why didn't you
? You knew how he felt about you. Moreover, we all knew.
-
Yes, I knew, but near the end, he wasn't as open anymore. You can't
reject someone over and over, without repulsing him in the end. And
that was exactly what I, fool, did. He retreated by my wish. I hoped
he would forgive me and forget my behavior from before if I ever changed
my mind, but now the first step was totally up to me. And that step
was something I never gathered enough strength for.
Shaina
sadly looked at her. She understood, better than anyone, that sense
of pride, and she well knew what a mess of one's life it can make, if
ever allowed to grow. Marin continued her confession, sighing relieved
and grateful that Shaina understands and is helping her to lift the
load off her heart. The heaviest load she had ever been carrying.
-
So I kept expecting that he'd humiliate himself once again and offer
me his heart on a silver plate, like so many times before, but that
just didn't happen, and I hated him for that. Why hadn't he tried just
one more time ? Everything would be different now...
-
Because a Golden Leo Saint also had a pride. - bitterly said Shaina.
-
I knew that. And the more I regretted hurting him, the more was I convinced
that he must have hated me for that, and that he would be the one to
reject me, if I dared to change my mind. That's why I pretended I was
firmer than a rock in my decision, while only I knew how I felt...
-
Ah, Marin... Why haven't you at least talked to me ?
-
I was, not only a stupid, but a coward too. Oh, I should have told him
how I felt about him, even if he turned his back to me a thousand times
!
-
Aiolia's chest, as broad as it was, was still too small for his heart,
Marin. You're wronging him if you believe he'd possibly think of that,
ever!
Marin
turned silent, closing her eyes. For the small smile on her lips, it
seemed as if she had flown into the realm of memories. Shaina kissed
her forehead, and slowly left the room.
