Saint Seiya: The Legend of Seiya

16 - To Fight Once More

Days after of an apparent peace.

Seiya and Xiaoling vie for the last piece of dessert delivered to the common room, as they began to call it. It was the place where the Saints gathered every night to talk about their days, their favorite injuries, their worst trials in training, the worst scolding they had ever taken, which Cloth was prettier.

The first day was difficult, as Seiya didn't liked being left out in the Urn rescue mission, but Alice explained that he and the others were still too weak. Xiaoling agreed with Seiya that he would have been great at digging the earth. Seiya was outraged.

The following days were better as Saori was a very smart kid. She started offering food in the hall as well. Until the food disputes began.

The television was on; Xiaoling loved watching cartoons.

"Hey!" she complained when Alice switched channels.

Alice was the oldest and most serious among them. She was also the only one who knew there was something serious going on with the Foundation.

The TV News was reporting recent local match scores when the afternoon's lead story came in: a series of attacks on cargo ships en route to the Caribbean. Alice turned up the volume to find out more about what was going on.

A group of environmentalists seemed to be surrendering many ships to protest the oil spill in the region killing the marine fauna.

Seiya and Xiaoling interrupted their discussion over the pudding when Saori entered the room. She was very serious.

"Miss?" Alice lifted.
"What happened, Saori?" Shun asked.

She finally started talking with those kids eyes on her.

"One of the Foundation ships has been hijacked."

An atmosphere of surprise spread in the hall, first because they didn't even imagine that the Foundation, owner of that Mansion and organizer of an incredible Tournament, even had a ship in the Caribbean.

"The responsibles for this kidnapping are demanding that the Gold Armor is to be taken in exchange for the ship." continued the girl, giving very serious news in her girlish voice.
"What about the crew?" Alice asked worriedly.
"Looks like they've all been released, with the exception of the Captain. That's how we got the message."

It was, in a sense, absolutely unbelievable; Seiya tried looking at the television again as the local news continued debating and running images of ships in a vast ocean. It was out of place.

"This ship, I was told, is equipped with a nuclear reactor. The hijackers threaten to blow up the reactor, which would cause the extinction of marine life in that region for thousands of years."

Seiya had no idea what a nuclear reactor was or what nuclear pollution meant in the life of an ocean. The words coming out of Saori didn't even seem to be hers, as if she had memorized it before entering the Hall. It was as if she were the face of the Foundation not only when it was necessary to speak to the televisions of the world, but also to them.

In any case, he saw in the girl's face an immense sadness and disappointment.

"I don't believe they would do that for the Gold Armor. Sacrifice an entire ocean." she said.
"Miss. Rest assured that Mii and I are going to kick those idiots in the butt!" said Xiaoling.

The little girl's apparent good mood didn't dissipate the tension in the room and Saori had to sit on a bench, to recover from it.

"It doesn't end there." she continued ruefully as she looked at Seiya and the others. "They also demanded the presence of all the Bronze Knights."