"Souls, seperated from their bodies eat, sleep, play, exactly like the living, with this
difference that their fod and objects have no material consistance. A soul can go back into its
body with the help of a priest. 
 A soul can will different forms, or reincarnate in a animal form. It is said that if an 
ancestor reincarnated himself in the form of an animal, even that of a dangerous one, like for 
example a shark, the descendants of the same family have nothing to fear of it.
 When there had been a violent death, the priest was given the duty of finding out the cause.
In order to do this, he went into his pirogue and paddle slowly the long of the river to see
the passage of the soul. If the dead had been condemned by the gods, the soul appeared 
surrounded by a flamme. If he had been killed by a weapon or poison, the soul was accompanied b
y a red feather.
 All these souls reincarnated or not, erred for a certain lapse of time, without a specific
goal, before going to the "Po", or the resting place of the souls. This place was a place of
paradise, full of laughter and songs. There was no "hell" nor a slection between "good" and 
"bad".
 The period of transition was considered as an "extension of time", during which a soul could go
back to the land of the living. If the soul of a dying met the soul of a friend, she was then
brought back to life by this family soul. It was then thought thta the dying came back of a long
period of unconsiousness."

Beliefs relative to souls.

***********************************************************************************************
DISCLAIMER: Saint Seiya and its characters is the property of Masami Kurumada, Toei Animation
and whichever other company that has its rights. All characters withing this fic that are not
the copyright of the above mentioned are the copyright of its author, Jacintha, November 1998.

                  
				   TO SETTLE A DEBT LONG FORGOTTEN
				   A Saint Seiya fanfic by Jacintha

 
 Chapter 3: Ikki's dilemna
 
***********************************************************************************************
 					 
Saori:

Cool water on my forehead.... refreshing me... somebody was wiping my forehead with a damp 
cloth. A drop of water fell and glistened on my face, leaving a trace as it slid down my cheek 
and disappeared at the end of my chin. I opened my eyes feeling dazed. A blurred figure was 
staring at me, concern showing in her eyes. I squinted my gaze to make out more clearly who it
was. Atanua. I touched the ground around me. Sand. I was on a beach. But why?

And suddenly, I remembered.

I got up painfully and just sat on the white ground as I rubbed my eyes.

"Are you o.k?" Atanua asked.

I stared at her, as her body blocked part of the sun, covering me at the same time with her
shadow. I didn't answer her, but looked around me. My saints, as well as Artemis and Demeter,
were still lying on the sand,having been knocked out by Atanua. Tuli was looking and examining 
each of them, as if to see wheter they were hurt.

I grinced. My head hurt. I shifted my gaze further and looked just beyond Shun. There, laying
side by side and hand in hand were Hina and Kaea. I didn't have to be told that they were dead.
I knew it. Sadness overcame my heart. They were brave after all. Their bodies were still but
their faces looked happy. Strange.

I looked at Atanua again.

"They?" I asked silently.

She nodded sadly.

"Dead."

She helped me up and as I leaned against her arm, I fixed her coldly.

"You'll have to account for this Atanua and you better have a good explanation or..."

She bowed her head, saying nothing, but I knew that she had understood my threat. I was not
sure about her anymore, and was not prepared to trust her as I did before. If she hadn't a good
reason for this... well... we would leave her to confront Taaroa alone.

I smiled wryly. I didn't like being made a fool of.

My saints slowly awoke, apparently, they were having the same headache that I was. I winced as
my thoughts turned back to my primary concern. Ikki. I couldn't feel his Cosmos anymore. As I
realized this, I started to become worried. This was not normal.

"Where's Ikki?" I asked, sounding anxious.

Atanua looked at me reassuringly.

"He's fine. Don't worry." she said. She must have seen the look of distrust I had on my face
because she continued saying "He's in the Po. With Esmeralda. He will come back."

I stopped and stared at her, my face pale with anger.

"In the Po? With Esmeralda? Ikki is dead isn't he?!" I wanted to burst out and call her a 
traitor, but I managed to control my temper. My headache took me again. It hurted terribly.

"Being in the Po doesn't mean you are dead." 

I looked at Atanua, waiting for her next explanation.

"Esmeralda is a tupapau that has been brought back to life by Moegaroa. Apparently, she has a
'debt' with the Phoenix Saint or had had a relation of some kind with him."

"She was his best and only friend when he was training on Death Queen Island."

"Death Queen Island?" Atanua surprised at my answer.

"This is the place where he got his armor." I explained.

She thought for a moment before finally saying "That would explain a lot of things."

"What things?"

"Death Queen Island is the harshest place on Earth to live. It is Earth's version of a living 
hell. At the same time, it is the ideal place to gain maximum powers and forge a mighty Cosmos.
An Aito that has been trained at Death Queen Island is considered as the strongest of his kind,
and capable of surviving the harshest pains ... if his sanity is not lost in the process of 
course. To my knowing, nobody has ever survived Death Queen Island in the past ... until now 
that is. This island was borned of fire, when Maui brought if from the underworld. Thus, as
fire is beneficial or destructive for mankind, so is Death Queen island for a person who would
like to become an Aito. Death Queen Island is good and bad at the same time. And a person who
goes to Death Queen Island will immediatly see that. Whatever path that person choses is up to
him. Ikki is that person. The good must have been presented to him under the form of Esmeralda,
but who is the bad?"

"Esmeralda's father. Ikki's teacher named Guilty" Shun said quietly. 

By this time, everybody was gathered around Atanua, listening to what she had to say.

"I supposed Esmeralda was killed and Ikki became dominated with hatred in his heart?"

"How did you know?" asked Shun, surprised.

"Death Queen Island is an extreme" replied Atanua calmly "There is no pure Good, as there is no
pure Evil in each person. You could say that we are not white or black, but that we are all
gray. But not in Death Queen. Death Queen represents the focus of all that. To win the armour,
to become an Aito that is, one can only achieve it by feeling pure love ... or pure hatred. But
nobody has ever managed too, not in that way I mean, or were killed by the harsh training."

"Nobody... but Ikki" said Shiryu.

Atanua nodded.

"Yes. Now I understand why Moegaroa revived Esmeralda." she looked at Shun "To Ikki, Esmeralda
personnified the good of Death Queen Island and her father the bad."

"But that still doesn't explain a lot" Seiya said.

"No, but wait, let me continue. The aito who manages to survive Death Queen, and at the same 
time earn his armor, automatically goes under Maui's protection."

Atanua suddenly looked very angry, as her eyes shoned and flashed brightly.

"Damn Tiare!"

"Huh?" asked Seiya again "I think I missed something here."

"I knew Tiare was a bad sign" Atanua muttered and then, looking at Seiya she said "Tiare is 
very clever. She wants Ikki to be Taaroa's Aito. If Ikki becomes Taaroa's Aito then Maui can be
resurrected again and join forced against us!"

"Who's Maui?"

"The strongest warrior that has ever lived."

"But I thought that Moegaroa could raise anybody up from the dead?"

"He can. But not Maui. See, Maui cannot be forced in a thing he doesn't want to, not by me, not
by Taaroa, and certainly not by Moegaroa. But if Ikki becomes Taaroa's aito, Moegaroa will 
easily be able to convince Maui to get involved in this battle, invoking his long past oath."

"What oath?"

"Something about protecting the warrior that comes out of Death Queen Island. It would be too
long to explain." Atanua stared at them worriedly "but if Maui joins in the battle, then we're
doomed for sure!"

"Ikki will never join Taaroa. I have faith in him." said Athena calmly.

"I know Niisan" continued Shun "and he would never betray us."

"HA!" Atanua let out painfully "You think so? Who tells me that he is not going to fall for
Esmeralda again and go against us?!"

"Niisan wouldn't" said Shun certain.

Atanua let a wry laugh.

"Man does strange things for love. There is no noble man. Even if Ikki resists, the Po will 
make him forget all of you."

"Ikki is my saint and our friend." I said "do not be undully worried."

"Ikki is not totally your saint." replied Atanua. "His armor was maybe created by you, but it 
was bathed in the fire of Death Queen Island, in the same fire Maui brought on Earth. As such,
he is not only your saint, but belongs to us too."

"I will take responsibilty for his actions. I trust him." I said confidently,

"Good, because I won't" replied Atanua "Especially not if there is Maui involved somehere. I
leave you now Athena. I need a place to think quietly. Tuli?"

"I'm coming." Tuli replied.

"You still own me an explanation" I reminded. I didn't quite fully understand why Atanua was 
worried, but I was less than pleased with the situation. I had been knocked out, along with my
saints, Hina and Kaea were dead ... and Ikki was gone.

If Atanua had looked embarrassed a while before, she certainly wasn't looking it now. A frown
had replaced her face as she looked worried, fidgeting with her hands.

"Mm." she said uneasily "Don't worry, you'll get your explanation."

I gripped my head with my two hands and groaned softly. This had turned out to be a lousy day.
A *really* lousy day. And I had the feeling I was not going to enjoy the rest of it either. I
turned my back and took at last look at the bodies of Hina and Kaea. The sea was moving up, 
eating up the sand and washing the blood that had laid minutes before. The two bodies' hair was
intertwined, and they were floating, rocking back and flow as the waves gnetly played with them.
I stopped again.

"What about their bodies?" I asked, nudging at the two beautiful and pale corpses.

"Teiti" she said sharply "Dispose of the bodies and see that they have a decent burial."

The aito just nodded, not a trace of unhappiness to be seen in his eyes.

I sigh again feeling suddenly weary and tired, simply tired. This was particularly long day, and
one that I was not to forget so soon.

**************

Ikki:

I looked at my surroundings questionningly. Where on earth was I? And what was I doing here? 
Here and there, only happy faces surrounded me. Sounds of songs resounded blissfully in my ears.
Why were they so happy? I walked uncertainly for the first time in my life and walked towards
a beach. Or at least, what I thought was a beach. I looked below my feet. I was walking on sand
of course, but it was strange sand. Of a pure white, it ... radiated? Not of a bright light that
would harm your eyes, but rather of a pale brilliance, gentle and soft. I touched it out of
curiosity. It felt soft, and rather silky. I let out a laugh. Silky brilliant sand? It seemed so
unreal! But then this whole place seemed unreal. This beach, this sand, this sea, those coconut
trees that were standing in front of me had a supernatural feel to it. All was too beautiful.
I shook my head sadly. No, all was beautiful except for me. I walked towards a party of people
nearby as I listened to their singing. It was a song of the isles, an old air that I had never
heard before, and yet found familiar. I listened to it carefully:

"Pahoho o te miti, te avarua
 Wa tua titi hia avarii
 I te tiare apetahi
 Tiare una una
 No to u aia here hia, te aue
 Uturoa mata aia, mato tea te nina,
 Te pua, te raro, pahoho...."
 
I walked and looked at the smiling faces. It seemed like they were having a traditional party
on the beach. There was 2 men and 3 women, all tanned and well-built. They were eating mapes
and cooking taro, fishes and what I guessed was wild pork in a sort of traditional oven they
had built. One of the men was holding a sort of bizarre instrument of what looked like a
guitar, but was much smaller in size. I guessed it was the intrument they called pahoho. They
were all dressed in colorful pareos and were singing to the tune of the instrument while
beating to the rythme. One of the women got up and danced tamure, which looked at bit like the
hawaiien hula-hula, only much faster. She was swaying her hips in a very quick and her long,
black brushed against her body, in accordance with the rythm of her movements.

Suddenly, the music stopped as the woman dancing stared at me. They quickly talked between
themselves while laughing and smiling. The woman who had been dancing suddenly grinned
mischieviously. The, the music started again ... only this time, the second man was holding
between his legs on the sand another type of instrument. It appeared to be like a very short
piece of carved trunk wood, with the inside hollow. He was holding two pieces of small stick in
each of his hands. Then, the music began again. Only this time, it was, slower, more languorous
and more ... sensual. The woman started dancing again, slowlier this time, moving her hips and
hands accordingly. Her body was one with the music and her eyes were cast demurely down. Yet,
for some odd reason, I felt that this was only a facade and that beneath this exterior, she was
laughing at me. Time seemed to slow down as I watched her as she performed this entrancing
dance, made to charm men *and* charming men, if I looked at the two men playing those
instruments. It was evident that they were clearly enraptured by her. It was then that I
noticed something. While dancing, she had slowly been approaching me and was now standing very
near me, and she was smiling mischieviously. She continued her seductive dance, brushing 
slightly from time to time her hair and touching gently with her body mine.

I was embarrased. I, the Phoenix Saint, clearly was embarrassed. I felt uneasy and
uncomfortable, not really knowing what to do. I couldn't move because each time I made a go in
one direction, her body would stop me. And I didn't want to run away because, after all, there
was no need for it. I cursed myself for my embarassement, but, not knowing what to do, I did the
second best thing I could. I blushed. I must have blushed furiously because I felt my cheeks
getting warmer.

The woman in front of me started then gesturing teasingly to me, inviting me to join her in her
dance. I shook my head and blushed again. She smiled. It was not a smile actually, more kind of
like a big grin as she continued to dance and inch close to me. Her friends started laughing
at this spectacle and I wryly thought that this was one of the most embarrassing situations I
had ever been in my entire. But I stood straight and tried to look as dignified as possible. 
And stress the word *possible*.

She suddenly went away from me, still dancing, laughed at good-natured childlike kind of smile,
and winked at me. I was wondering why when suddenly another man, his waist draped in a pareo
with the others started dancing with her. She smiled at him, and they danced the tamure together
sensually, an inch close to each other, caught in the love dance, their bodies making one with
the music.

Suddenly, I felt a gentle hand touching my shoulder.

"Where have you been Ikki? I've been looking everywhere for you." a soft voice gently reproached
me.

I suddenly turned back and saw her. I saw Esmeralda. As lovely, no, lovelier then ever, lovelier
than ... when I last saw her, before she died. And then, everything came back to me. How I had
seen hear after Moegaroa had left, draped in her armor, and armor that she had taken out for now,
and how after that .... nothing. I searched in my memories, puzzled at the fact that everything
had been a void after that. I tried to remember, but all was in vain, I just couldn't remember.

I looked at Esmeralda again. She was wearing her dress again, her favorite dress. The one she 
was wearing when she had been killed by Guilty. My stomach tightened as I thought about this
again. But Esmeralda was standing here in front of me, smiling sweetly. 

"I know you have a lot of questions Ikki, would you like to ask them."

I nodded.

"Esmeralda ... why are you alive?" I asked hoarsly.

She laughed a twinkling laugh.

"Ikki-chan" she said smiling broadly "you're the one who's dead."

This news hit me like a bullet. Of course I was dead! Why would she be standing her in front of
me if not! I was dead, and I couldn't believe it.

"I'm dead." I said again, still a bit shocked though, for one doesn't take the news of one's
dead without some shock.

"Yes." she said calmly, but deadly serious "Yes you are."

"If I'm dead" I continued slowly, trying to gather my thoughts "then where are we?"

"This, is the Po." she said simply "the land where your spirit goes to after death. The land of 
the dead. The land of eternal happiness."

"Eternal hapiness?"

"Of course! No worries, no cares, just life as carefree as you want it to be, with no one to
control you or say what you want. Just singing, dancing and enjoying yourself."

"Is that possible?"

"It is in the Po."

Esmeralda suddenly pouted adorably.

"Come with me now, some of my friends are over there. Give me a smile will you?"

"I can't" I replied "I have to go back, to see Shun, to help him against Taaroa."

Esmeralda took my hand.

"I've been waiting for you this long Ikki, and I'm certainly not going to let you go away from
me again. I only want you to be happy, do you understand?"

"I'm sorry Esmeralda" I said, feeling guilty "if it wasn't because of me your father ..."

Esmeralda quickly put a finger on my lips.

"Shhh Ikki-chan" she said softly "don't talk about the past today alright? Not when I finally
have you besides me."

I nodded gravely.

"But Shun..." I started saying again.

Esmeralda let out a sigh.

"Taaroa" she began "will not attack in the next two weeks. So you have all the time in the 
world."

"How do you know that?" I asked, puzzled.

"From the Po" she answered "you can see everything and you can know everything. What you must
also know is that a year in the Po in the equivalent of a week in the world of the living. So
you see Ikki-chan, you can stay here a while in peace."

"If you say so..." I said hesitatingly.

Esmeralda gave me a disarming smile.

"Please stay Ikki-chan?"

At this smile, the last barriers of resistance that where in my heart disappeared. Go, a little
voice was whispering to me, what harm could it do? Do you really want to abandon Esmeralda a
second time again?

"Alright" said I slowly "but not too long o.k?"

Esmeralda smiled and took my hand. I smiled. It was good to be able to touch her hand and feel
it's warmness again.

"Come along Ikki!"

She brought me to where the small group of men where.

"Iaorana everyone!" she said, greeting them.

The group stopped singing.

"Iaorana!" they all exclaimed laughing "Come and join us with your friend Esmeralda!"

"Yes." said cheekily the woman who had been dancing around me "I have rarely seen such a fine
man. You have been keeping secrets from us Esmeralda. It is not good."

Another woman winked at me and added.

"Yes Esmeralda, it is selfish of you not to share your man with us, don't be stingy and keep
him from us!"

And with that, the whole group laughed again. Esmeralda joined in the laughter. I just smiled,
embarrassed again by all this teasing.

"Ah but what is this?" the man who had been playing the pahoho exclaimed "would it be that he
is shy?"

"Stop it Tiurai!" chidded the third woman smiling "You're embarrassing him even more!"

"I am not embarrassed." I tried to say, as detached and dignified as possible.

"But he has spirit this little one!" the second man, the one who had been playing the sort of
carved hollow truck exclaimed.

"Spirit?" the third man, the one who had been dancing, laughed "Let him pass one night with Taia
and see wheter he still has spirit!"

Taia, the one who had been dancing laughed.

"I wouldn't mind it one bit!" she said insinuatingly "but for the life of me I wouldn't dare to
cross Esmeralda! Her anger would be more than I can handle!"

Esmeralda laughed out loud.

"Stop it all of you!" she said smiling widely "or I'll go away with Ikki!"

"Oh Esmeralda, but it was just a joke!" said Tiurai "do not deprive us of your beautiful 
company!"

Esmeralda pulled out her tongue.

"Tiurai you are incorrigible!" she joked "I'm leaving you!"

One of the woman got up and pulled Esmeralda beside her.

"Stay Esmeralda." she said smiling "don't care about Tiurai, he's only a taurearea, not yet a 
man!"

"E poara Maeva!" exclaimed Tiurai, choked with indignation. 

"E poara yourself Tiurai!" Maeva said jokingly as she continued to speak.

I looked at the scene with amusement. They were all so childlike, so happy, as if they never
knew a day of unhappiness and as if no sorrow plagued them. Strangely, I could understand all
that they were saying. Maybe it was because I was not alive any longer, but a spirit. Maybe
it was because we all spoke the same language of the spirit. Maybe it was because...

"Ikki-chan!" Esmeralda exclaimed "Stop brooding and come and sit beside me!"

I smiled. This was one voice I certainly couldn't resist.

***********

Athena rapped her fingers on the chair. She was not happy. In fact, she was *far* from being
pleased. The room was silent. The four remaining saints sat quietly, serious and thoughful.
Artemis and Demeter were with them, not wanting to disturb Athena who was in the middle of her
thoughts.

Demeter tried to look at her, hoping to sooth her mood. In vain. She was ignored. Shun looked
very worried, Hyoga was fidgeting with his fingers, Shiryu was unusually sullen, Seiya 
strangely calm and Artemis was looking elsewhere.

Athena was sitting in the middle of the room. Her saints were at one end and Atanua and Tuli were
at another. Teiti had not yet returned from his "assignement".

Athena was frowning. Athena was tapping her fingers impatiently. Athena was in a foul mood. But
this didn't seem to preoccupy Atanua or Tuli who were also deep in reflection. There was an
unearthly silence in the room. A disturbing, unpleasant silence.

Finally, Artemis could not take it anymore.

"Hey" she said, venturing hesitatingly into what she felt was a loss conversation "So, what are
we waiting for?"

Her voice broke the spell of silence as all gazes turned at her.

"I think" said Athena gazing coldly at Atanua "that we were waiting for an explanation".

"Yes" replied Atanua "I think you were".

"So?" asked Athena "Your explanation?"

"You do realise" replied Atanua "that we have bigger problems on our hands than a simple 
explanation?"

Her words anger Athena. She rose from her seat, beautiful and magnificient in just anger.

"I *do* realise?" she said, her low voice sharp and menacing "A *simple* explanation? Is this
 what this is for you? Nothing? You beat my saints up, you beat my allies up, you beat *me* up.
 You let Hina and that other girl Kaea get killed, you obstructed me from saving the Phoenix
 saint and now you tell me he is *dead* while Taaroa had promised that he would *live*. Because
 of you, I lost one of my *best* and most *loyal* saint. You lied to me Atanua. You *lied*. I
 accepted a lot of things from you because I trusted you. I believed in you. I can excuse a lot
 of things but this lack of Truth, no, this simply cannot be excused. If I cannot get a full
 explanation today, I will not aid you in your quest anymore."
 
Flammes seemed to come out of her eyes. Athena was furious and she barely controlling it. She
gripped Atanua's two hands and squeezed them manacingly, not letting off her gaze for a single
second. Atanua lowered down her eyes at such an anger. She tried to go away from Athena, but the
other wouldn't let go of her. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Athena want back and sat
on her chair. She crossed her legs imperiously, clasped her hands in a mighty way and regained
her composure.

"You have five seconds" she said calmly "five seconds to explain your reasons. Or else."

Atanua flashed her eyes angrily at her for a moment but quickly, a mask of indifference veiled
her eyes and covered her face. Athena's anger was comprehensible, even though she didn't like
being the target of it. And what was at stake was too important for pride to get in the way. She
couldn't afford to lose such a powerful ally. Not now.

"I apologize for my behavior" she began slowly "but my reason was valid. I couldn't let you get
in the way of Hina and Kaea. Death was the best solution for them"

She looked around, but got not reaction. They were waiting for the rest of her explanation.

"Hina and Kaea were sworn-sisters" she continued "but because of something Hina did, Kaea died
as a result."

"She was killed by Hina?" asked Seiya, shocked.

"You could say that Hina killed Kaea indirectly" Atanua aquiesced "nevertheless Kaea's soul
became a restless spirit, a tupapau, a ghost, so she couldn't go to the Po. From what I know,
she became a vengeful spirit, seeking peace but not finding it, having to fight off the attacks
of other tupapaus who wanted to control her. She could have remained this way if not for the
fact that Taaroa delivered her soul by putting it in a body. Hence, she became his aito and 
fought by his side during our last battle between each other."

"What about Hina" Athena asked curtly.

"Upon hearing of Kaea's death, she almost committed suicide. I met her by accident, stopped her,
consoled her and made her feel less remorseful. It was, after all, not her fault. She became my
aito, and fought by my side in the last battle."

"And you are telling me that death was the best solution for them I suppose?" asked Athena 
coldly "How convenient for you."

Atanua barely restrained herself at these words. She looked at Athena, this time with anger
appearing her her face. She then said in a strained voice:

"You think I wouldn't want them to have been alive?" she glared "You think I like sending one
of my aitos into battle knowing that she would probably die? You think I'm unfeeling? Is that 
it? Is that what you think?"

Athena looked at her silently.

"I'd have thought better coming from the Goddess of Wisdom Athena" Atanua said lowly, her furor
barely restrained "Do you think I liked standing there, watching the spectacle? Do you think I
wouldn't have tried to save her if I could? Let me tell you this. I hate it! But did I have a
choice? Neither of them would betray one of us."

Atanua suddely turned pale, as her voice started to grieve.

"... neither of them would betray one of us." she repeated letting out a sad laugh "And both
of them were damn too stubborn to let go. To quit. But now, it's over for them. They killed each
other."

Shun approached and put one of his hands of her shoulder silently. Atanua suddenly looked very
tired.

"Death isn't such a bad thing you know. When you die, you go to the Po. And at the Po, you 
forget everything. The Po makes you forget everything. Everything. In the Po, you have no more
memories, no more pain, no more sorrow, no more bitterness. The Po makes you forget. I envy them
actually. The Po makes you forget, the Po makes you feel better, the Po..."

"Atanua, you are rambling again" said Tuli gently. She had too had approached her friend and 
held her firmly, as if supporting her. Atanua had lost all vitality, her face taking a wishful
expression, becoming lost in thought.

"That will be all for today" said Tuli firmly as she guided Atanua back to her room. She came 
back a few seconds later and simply looked at Athena, as if expecting something.

Athena looked a bit ashamed. It was obvious that Atanua had been more deeply affected by Hina's
death then what she had thought. She didn't know what to say to make things better.

"Atanua I ..." she said slowly, embarrassed.

Tuli looked at her, bearing her eyes deeply into Athena's.

Athena looked hesitant for a moment.

"Would you," she said slowly "Would you please ... apologise to Atanua on my behalf? Tell her
... to her that I'm sorry and that ... and that I would like to continue and help her as much
as I possibly can."

Tuli nodded. 

"It would be best if you said it to her yourself." she said " Not today, she is too exhausted
to her anything from you. But tomorrow."

Athena nodded.

"You have been hard on her" said Tuli sternly "and you have judged her too quickly. Atanua only
wants what's best for each of us, as hard as it may seem. She is equally worried for the Phoenix
Saint. You must understand, she always tries to bear everything on her shoulders, but it is a 
heavy responsibility. The stakes are high ... higher then you realise. Not only do we stand to
be killed, but your life, and the life of your saints are also on the stake, along with those
millions of human beings on Earth. Atea the light-god is not an ally we can rely on and Taaroa
has increased in power tremendously. Moegaroa is old but powerful and his daughter Tiare is
especially treacherous. All in all, this doesn't help our chances of winning."

"I understand" said Athena calmly "And I apologise again for my behavior. But I'm worried for
Ikki, worried that something might happen to him."

"The Phoenix Saint has nothing to fear" said Tuli "If Taaroa brought him to the Po, it must be 
because he needs him for something. Probably to attract Maui. What you have to worry about is
not if he will live, because he will, but if he will remember."

"What?" asked Athena surprised.

But Tuli had already left the room quietly.

"Whatever did she mean?" asked Shiryu finally.

"I don't know" said Shun worriedly "but I really have a bad feeling about all of this..."


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End of Chapter 3

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