A/N: So here is part two of the story. While part one focused heavily on early Sanctuary, this part will be kind of a mid-Sanctuary fic. It will focus a lot on the friendship between Manigoldo and Albafica, as well as friendships and relationships of the other gold saints. Sorry for the wait, I had a very busy holiday. But now I am back and ready to start bi-weekly updates. =) Enjoy!

"Y-you're kidding, right!?" Manigoldo hadn't felt so horrified in years. He searched his master's face for any sign of deception.

He found none. Sage stood stonily, a dagger held calmly in his hand.

"You heard me, Manigoldo. That's the final test of Cancer. You have to kill me and bind my soul to Cancer Temple."

Hadn't Sisyphos said years ago that the tests often involved the death of the master?

Sage held the dagger out to his student.

Manigoldo took it in his shaking hands.

"Do it quickly. A fast slash across the throat should do it."

Manigoldo gripped his beloved master's shoulder and lifted the dagger to thrust it into his throat. Sage didn't even blink.

"I-I can't" Manigoldo gasped, letting the blade fall from his hand. "I'm sorry, Master. I can't go through with this test."

Sage turned around so that his back was to Manigoldo. His hands were folded behind him and he stood tall and straight. Manigoldo had no way of reading him or guessing what would come next.

"So. You are absolutely refusing to take my life?"

Manigoldo gawked. What kind of a question was that?

"Of course I refuse! How could you even ask me to do such a thing!? I want the cloth, but not if you have to die!"

"Then I must say congratulations."

"Huh?"

Manigoldo frowned in confusion.

"You passed the final test."

"I...passed?"

"Yes. Cancer works so closely with the dead and the underworld that a Cancer saint could forget to appreciate life. Normally with this test the Pope would step in and kill the student before he killed the master if the student shows intent to kill."

"But you're the Pope. Who would have stopped me?"

"That would have been me."

Asmita stepped out from hiding.

"Congratulations."

Manigoldo watched in awe as the Gold Cloth pieces left Sage's body and closed around his own. It didn't seem to matter that at fifteen, he was still shorter and thinner than Sage. The armor fit perfectly.

Sage stood before him, once again in his Papal robes.

"That was the last time I will wear the Cancer cloth. It's yours now. Treat it well, Gold Saint Manigoldo of Cancer."

"Is there no way I can convince you to let me go with you to see Albafica's test?" Manigoldo asked.

Two years had passed since he was awarded his cloth and on a cool day in late February, Albafica was taking his test.

"No. You stay here and wait."

Manigoldo sighed. He was worried about Albafica. His friend had been acting strange the past few days.

"If he passes his test, he's going to need you later. This is a very difficult test-the hardest one, in my opinion."

A cold chill went down the Cancer saint's spine. Worse than his?

"What's going to happen to him?"

Sage sighed.

"If Albafica passes, Pisces Lugonis will be dead. And Albafica will have killed him."

Manigoldo frowned.

"He-has to...kill. Old Man, that will destroy him."

"He'll likely be sick and delirious at first. See, master and student will swap blood with one another. The one with the weaker poison will die."

"So if Albafica fails, he will die?"

Manigoldo hated the concept of the test. How could such a thing be allowed?

"I don't think Albafica will be failing. He's got a poison that is exceptionally strong."

Sage turned and left Manigoldo alone. The Cancer Saint could do nothing more than wait.

To say Albafica would be sick had been an understatement. Sage brought the new Pisces Saint back in a state of semi-consciousness. His beautiful face was flushed with high fever and he was soaked with sweat.

Manigoldo had never seen anyone look so vulnerable before and he understood why Atticus had not wanted him to see him in his final days so many years before. Gingerly, he cradled his friend's hand in his own, unable to pull his gaze from Albafica's face.

"Is he going to die?" Manigoldo blurted out.

"No. He just needs some time to absorb Lugonis's blood and poison into his own."

Sage brushed Albafica's sweaty, matted hair away from his face and wiped it with a damp cloth. Manigoldo noticed the film of tears in his master's eyes.

"I hate this test" Sage admitted.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Manigoldo asked, changing the subject.

"Go down to the kitchen and ask Erin to prepare some weak broth-as watery as she can make it. And some tea. He's lost quite a bit of blood and will need fluids to replenish his supply."

Manigoldo nodded, relieved that he was able to help and get away at the same time. He didn't understand how Sage could stand to be right next to Albafica. The scent of roses hung so strong in the air that it made him nauseous. His head pounded, his stomach was churning and a cold sweat was breaking out on his forehead and palms.

He fought against the relentless wave, willing himself to hold it together. He was seventeen, almost a full-grown man, and a Gold Saint. His master didn't need to have to take care of two sick people.

Once outside, he sucked in deep lungfuls of cool air. Slowly, the nausea passed.

He didn't have to be smart to realize what was happening. His body was reacting to Albafica's poison.

His head still pounding, he made his way into the kitchen and located Erin. He told her what had happened and what Sage was needing from her. The young maid set to work immediately preparing the items requested.

"Are you alright?" she asked, taking in his pale, pinched features. "You don't look so good."

Manigoldo pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Just a headache. It'll go away soon, I'm sure."

How is his poison having this effect on me? I've been around him, even trained with him, and it's never bothered me before.

The Cancer Saint shook his head, attempting to clear it. The movement only caused the pain to worsen.

He sank down to the floor and pulled off his helmet. The decrease in pressure did not have the effect he'd hoped for. The pain was quickly becoming unbearable. He rested his head on his knees as the nausea came back.

Erin set a basin in front of him.

He weakly glanced up at her. Her face looked fuzzy.

"You shouldn't fight it. Vomiting is your body's way of ridding itself of toxins."

He squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to fall to pieces, especially not in front of Erin.

The maid touched his shoulder.

"It's just the two of us here. Stop fighting it."

She turned away from him then, to give him his privacy. True to her prediction, he did feel a little better as soon as he stopped fighting his body and let it take care of itself.

He pulled himself to his feet just as Erin was finishing the broth. She poured it in a bowl and set it on a tray with the tea.

Manigoldo grabbed the tray and offered her a weak smile.

"Thanks, Erin."

"You may want to wash your hands first. You have dried blood on your right hand."

Manigoldo glanced down at his hand and saw it. A small smear of dried blood on his palm.

Albafica's blood.

Suddenly, it all made sense. He also knew he couldn't wash his hands in the kitchen, just in case his body had not absorbed all the poison.

He adjusted the tray in his grip.

"It's nothing. I'll wash it off as soon as I get back to the temple."

Before she could say another word, Manigoldo zipped out of the kitchen and made his way through to Pisces Temple.

It took a few days for Manigoldo to recover completely from his brush with Albafica's blood. He asked Sage not to tell the younger boy what had happened. He was also impressed. He had no idea that someone's blood could cause him to become that sick.

Albafica's condition improved over the course of a week. Sage and Manigoldo took turns staying with him during his recovery, as the toxins would have killed off anyone else.

"This pain" Albafica asked on the seventh day. "Does it ever go away?"

Manigoldo knew immediately he was talking about the death of Lugonis.

"No." Manigoldo answered honestly, thinking about Atticus. "It doesn't. You just learn to accept it and deal with it as time goes by."

Would he be able to learn to accept it if Sage died?

"How?"

Albafica's voice was small and weak.

"I got angry. I cried. I even tried to resign from training."

I almost broke El Cid's nose.

He didn't speak the last thought, but it brought a rather inappropriately timed grin to his face.

Albafica frowned.

Sage breezed into the room before Manigoldo could say anything else to make the situation worse.

"Hope everyone's feeling well. I have a mission for you two."

This got Manigoldo's attention. A mission?

Albafica sat up straighter in bed to give the Pope his full, undivided attention.

Sage crossed over to the bed and sat down on the edge to give them the details.

Manigoldo was excited.

His first real mission as a Saint!