Saint Seiya: The Legend of Seiya

14 - Yours Ever

Paralyzed, Ikki was on her feet, eyes lost and glazed over the horizon. The wind from the cold valley crossing everyone within that tense silence.

"How does it feel to be striken by your own diabolical blow, Phoenix?" asked the Cygnus Saint. "This is how you die."

The Cygnus Saint cocked his fist of ice to end Ikki's life, but two voices rose in protest and the Nebula CHain surged forward to hold his fist in the air, preventing him from ending Phoenix's life.

"What is this? Release me, Andromeda!"
"I can't let you kill my sister!"
"Cygnus, don't do it, please." asked Saori too.
"But...she won't hesitate to kill either of us. Not even you, her own brother!"

Before the discussion could continue, however, Cygnus found himself violently attacked by Ikki, who had awakened from her delusional trance; the fist of fire hit him full in the stomach and brought him to his knees, spitting blood.

"Cygnus!" shouted Saori from where she was standing.
"How did you...?" muttered Cygnus.
"I told you, Cygnus. I lost everything I held dear. The Phantom fist couldn't rip my mind apart, as it's already destroyed within."

She threatened everyone with blood running down her face.

"And now, with a single flutter of my wings, I'm going to finish you all off!"
"No, Ikki!" asked Shun.

Everyone around her watched in amazement as she ascended her Cosmo to grow and burn in flames, conjuring a tornado of fire around her, throwing the feathers of her Cloth and the braids of her hair against the infernal wind. Her voice echoed loudly in the valley.

"Phoenix's Flaming Wings!"

The fiery tornado that once only caused her armor to glow and flutter broke free from her cosmos to lift everyone around her in a whirlwind that ripped the stone from the valley and threw the Bronze Saints into a blazing inferno.

As the tornado died in Ikki's fist and the hot winds gave way to the cool breeze from the valley, she saw around her the bodies of the four Bronze Saints suffering from her devastating technique. They were beaten. She had succeeded and now she could move forward with her goal.

But the Helm she kept from the Gold Cloth was no longer where she had left it.

Behind her, a golden glow cast her own shadow on the ground, and as she turned to whoever was behind her, she realized with amazement that the Gold Cloth had mounted the winged figure of a centaur wielding a bow and arrow. The Helm at the top of the figure.

And behind the armor, there was someone.

"What does that mean? Coult id be that the Gold Cloth protected you?!" she said, disgusted. "This is all your fault."
"I didn't choose this fate." said Saori stepping beside the Gold Armor.
"No one did, but unlike you, we had to suffer through hell to fulfill your grandfather's whims!" and then Ikki walked towards Saori. "Splitting brothers and sisters. Capturing children left and right. Sending them far across the seas to a terrible fate!"
"I can't change the past."
"But you can pay for it!" threatened Ikki, but noticed that the Gold Cloth moved to aim the arrow in her direction."What is this? The Gold Cloth... is it really protecting you?"
"I'm so sorry that you've gone through years and years of terrible suffering. I can't change what's been done, but I can be on your side from now on. I can do everything I can so that no one else has to suffer because of me. Let no one else sacrifice for me." There was a sadness in Saori's eyes.
"Perhaps the best thing for you to do right now is to die for everything that was done in your name!" roared Ikki.
"But I want to live." said Saori harshly. "And I won't accept being told what my life should be anymore. I will decide my fate from now on. And if I have to die, let it be my choice. Not yours or anyone else's."