Notes: Yay!!! Finally, an update. It took me a while to get out of my writer's block (and off my lazy butt) to get this update done. Manyfold thanks to my reviewers, big sis Nao-san, Phoenix-san, Keiya, irrelevantmaverick, and Icys. Also, thank you to everyone who has been reading my story so far. I hope my writing will still be as likable as before. Please leave a message if you like it, so I have inspiration to continue. Enjoy!
6. The City
The four Gold Saints paraded through the training ground of Sanctuary with much dignity and grace. The moment they exited Sanctuary, however, Milo turned to the others. "Race you to Athens?" demanded the Scorpio Saint.
"I'm not going to be beaten by some insect," replied Aiolia, taking off. "Later!"
"Hey!" shouted Milo, running after him. "You cheater!" Shura and Camus exchanged a glance.
"What's with those two?" demanded Shura. Camus shrugged.
"They'll never grow up. Never."
Some time later, Aiolia and Milo raced up to the main gate of Athens, panting and sweating. "I'm…gonna…win…" breathed the Leo Saint.
"Oh…no…you're…not…"
"Oh…yes…I—wha?" Aiolia suddenly interrupted himself. Milo followed his gaze to find Shura and Camus standing at the gate, with no signs of fatigue on their faces. Aiolia and Milo stopped running at the same time.
"How…did…you…?" demanded Milo.
"We took the bus," replied Camus dryly. Milo and Aiolia collapsed forward onto the ground and took deep breaths.
"So," said Milo as the gang headed into town. "You guys need to help me. I've got a bet going with Kanon to see who can get more girls." Camus rolled his eyes.
"You do that, Milo. Aio, Shura, and I are going to do something productive with our day."
"But…picking up girls is productive," protested Milo.
"Wait a minute," interrupted Shura, "Kanon's coming to town?" Milo nodded. "What about Saga?" Milo shrugged.
"I doubt it," said Aiolia, "Saga isn't interested in flirting."
"But…I bet a chocolate mousse on it," Milo added. Shura raised an eyebrow.
"Chocolate mousse?" Aiolia demanded. The Scorpio's eyes grew dewy and pleading.
"My special chocolate mousse…" Camus rolled his eyes again, with a surrendering look on his face, as if to say, 'Why me?'
"All right, Milo." The Aquarius Saint tried to sound gentler. "We're going shopping. But you can do whatever the hell you want during that time period, yes?" Milo brightened a little.
"'Kay." Camus gave Shura a what-can-you-do look.
Meanwhile, Sanctuary was beginning to come to life. Aiolia had gone to town, else he would have seen Deathmask passing through the Leo temple and giggling maniacally. Camus and Shura were also out, or they would have seen Aphrodite shrieking and running frantically from the Pisces temple, shouting about his lip gloss. And Milo was away, or he would have heard strange noises from the Virgo temple, including Shaka yelping in surprise, and some evil giggling that sounded oddly like Saga…
Aldebaran's temple was eerily quiet, and Mu was still playing hide-and-seek with Kiki. Or rather, Mu was counting off, and Kiki had already vanished to God-knows-where. Saga was in his own temple, reading Jules Verne's The Mysterious Island. Saori was in the Kyouko's Chamber, frantically searching for Kanon, who seemed to have disappeared. The Bronze Saints, finished with their day off, were once again on duty, though they were helping Saori look for Kanon at the moment.
Back in Athens, Milo was writing down girls' phone numbers at a fiery pace. Camus was glaring darkly at his friend and hissing through a forced smile, "I hate you, Milo." Milo grinned sweetly at Camus as a girl waved flirtatiously.
"You're just delicious," one giggled, tickling Camus's chin. The Aquarius Saint's face darkened.
"Milo, if you value your life, you will let go of my arm and allow me to leave." Milo grinned mischievously.
"Of course not, Camus. You're attracting as many girls as I am. Oh, I am so going to beat Kanon."
"Milo…you are three seconds away from being a human ice block."
"You'd do that to your own best friend?" demanded the Scorpio Saint, his face immediately the picture of innocence. Camus sighed exasperatedly.
"Sometimes I wonder why I even let you be my best friend in the first place."
"Oh, you love me, yes, you do," was all Milo said, throwing Camus another grin.
Meanwhile, Aiolia and Shura were spending some time avoiding Milo, though the two were attracting nearly as much female attention. Aiolia picked up a glass ornament from the shelf and examined it, attempting to ignore the two girls staring at him and Shura through the store window. "I'm developing an intense desire to throw acid at my face," muttered Shura a bit cantankerously. Aiolia smiled.
"You'd ruin your pretty face," he replied, "And then what would the fangirls do?" Shura stuck his tongue out at the Leo Saint. After hiding in the souvenir shop for a while, the two friends headed to a general store, where they purchased a large amount of food, a selection of soft drinks, and some alcohol as well. Alcohol was looked down on in Sanctuary, and forbidden inside the zodiacal temples, but some of the Gold Saints drank anyway, especially Milo, Aiolia, and Shura. And Shura was practically positive every Gold Saint had tasted alcohol sometime in their lives.
"Time to meet Milo and Camus," Shura reminded Aiolia, checking the clock.
After writing down phone numbers for at least half an hour, Milo had dragged Camus around town, saying that Camus needed to get a life. "Getting a life and getting a girl are two separate actions, Milo," Camus had replied. While Milo waved at the girls on the street, Camus had found a row of stores, which he browsed through. There was a greengrocer's, two clothing boutiques, a curio shop, a jeweler's, and— "Milo, what's that?" The Scorpio Saint looked to where his best friend was pointing, and raised an eyebrow.
"A gentleman's club? I didn't know you were interested in that kind of thing." Camus gave him a confused look, while Milo tried not to laugh aloud.
"Whatever," said Camus, reaching for the door and thinking to find out what a gentleman's club was on his own.
"Don't go in there!" Shura shouted quickly as he ran up to Milo and Camus with his hands full of grocery bags.
"Why?" demanded Camus. Shura whispered something in his ear, and the Aquarius Saint went pale. "Milo?! You were going to let me go in there?" Milo grinned.
"What's wrong with that? I thought it would be good for you." Camus shot him a glare, but Milo's attention had already shifted to Aiolia. "Did you get beer?" Milo asked excitedly. Aiolia grinned.
"How could I now? Mr. Titanic is coming to my party, after all." Now it was Milo's turn to glare.
Back in Sanctuary, Mu had finally come to the conclusion that Kiki had left the Aries temple, and was frantically searching for his student. Saori and the Bronze Saints had finally discovered a note that said 'Gone to town. Be back later. Kanon.' Aphrodite was beating up Deathmask in the practice grounds for stealing his lip gloss and painting giant pink skulls with it on the Pisces temple's exterior. Shaka was painfully pulling rubber bands out of his golden tresses, searching for the origin of the loud punk rock music that was blasting through the Virgo temple, and cursing whichever twin had done this. And Aldebaran was whistling a suspiciously happy tune as he passed through the empty temples on his way back to the Taurus temple.
Two hands appeared from behind Saga while the Gemini Saint was engrossed in his book. Very quickly, and with minimal noise, Saga was knocked out, bound, gagged, and taken away by the mysterious abductor.
Hehe... so the story takes a sinister turn...or does it? Who has kidnapped Saga, and what does the abductor want with our Gemini Saint? Why is Aldebaran suddenly so cheerful? Will Shaka destroy the world before all the rubber bands come out of his hair? And will Aiolia EVER have his party? Tune in next time to find out.