As for the disclaimers. The charas are not mine. I don't make any money. All the rest I need to write here and don't remember right now applies too.
As usual, be gentle with me. English is so not my mother language.
Through the shardsCHAPTER 1:
Some errand snowflakes were gently dancing in the crispy winter air of Tokyo, while hundreds of citizens stuffed the streets and stores as they hurried to get to their destinations. Like everyday in this busy city, people had this typical expression of stress on their faces. It seemed to be the spirit of all big towns and its habitants to have this air never to slow down.
In the middle of the crowd, two young men strolled the streets. And both of them stood out harshly among the other people.
One of the youngsters had black hair that reached down to his waist and which got him more than one admiring look from passing girls. The serious face of his companion with the angry looking scar over the bridge of his nose, made those same girls in contrast throw him a look that was guarded but kind of curious at the same time.
"I already told you to get him a book if you don't find anything else, Shiryu. Tomorrow is his birthday", the blue-haired youth with the scar muttered.
"Seiya doesn't read much, Ikki. You should know that too."
Ikki shrugged his shoulders. "Isn't really your problem, no? Better give him a book than to show up at his party with empty hands. Besides, it would do Seiya some good to read more. He could use a bit of education."
Shiryu ignored Ikki's gruff words. He knew that the Phoenix Saint loved Seiya very much, even though he almost never showed it. Ikki had learned very early on, that he had to appear strong at all times, in order to survive and protect his little brother Shun. Like Shiryu and like their brothers, the phoenix Saint was an orphan, but Ikki had been forced to grow up and face the cruelty of this world much sooner than the rest of them.
Now he seldom opened up to them and a smile from the Phoenix Saint was a rare thing.
Except when he was with Shun. All of them felt kind of protective of the gentle Andromeda Saint. But none to the point Ikki did. Shun was Ikki's heart and soul.
"I want to get something for Seiya, which he will like. A present only means something when it's given with the heart."
Ikki just snorted at that. "I prefer to give my presents with my hands. And at least I have something to give, contrary to you."
Shiryu smiled at his friend. But even though Ikki had just joked, his face stayed dead serious.
"We'll just see how happy Seiya will be about your book. I'm sure he'll be thrilled."
Shiryu's voice was loaded with sarcasm, and a shy trace of a smile found its way on Ikki's face.
*************************
In fact, Ikki was sure that Seiya would hate his present. Seiya was the go-out-to-party or watch-TV kind of guy, and had barely anything in his house that was worth reading. Apart from some mangas and maybe here and there a criminal novel. And partly because he knew Seiya would hate it; Ikki had bought him the biggest tome of Shakespeare he could find.
Ikki cherished Seiya in a very special way. The Pegasus Saint seemed the only one of them all, who had found a way to become a great warrior, facing the cruelty of this world and still remain a joyful teenager. In this aspect Seiya and Shun were very similar. Like Seiya had kept his humanity, Shun had kept his innocence. Something neither him, Shiryu or Hyoga had found the strength to do. But it was Seiya's carelessness and heartfelt spirit that made them find their careless youth again from time to time. Seiya made them feel alive. He made Shiryu smile, got himself to relax and forget his bitter life and even got the distant and pensive Hyoga to act silly from time to time.
Yes. It would be great to see the Pegasus Saint's face upon his present, Ikki thought.
He was pulled from his musings by the screaming of a brake and by the noise of tires skittering over the gravel.
Surprised, he turned over to the source of the noise and saw a car standing in the middle of the street at his side. The driver had the driver's window open and cursed, his fist waving, at he sky above him. Simultaneous, Ikki saw a big black bird, which was just flapping away from the car.
From what he understood of the man's swearing, he could figure that the animal had flown into the line of the oncoming car, making the driver step on the brakes hard as he tried to avoid the animal. It was certain that such a big bird would have done some damage to the expensive looking car if it had hit it.
The man was still cursing at the air, where the bird had disappeared into, as the driver in the following car hit his horn impatiently. The first driver stopped his loud cursing and started the car again. But from the angry movements of his mouth Ikki gathered that the cursing was still going on inside the vehicle. He shook his head mentally. How those city people would loose their calm over such trivial things was beyond him. If they only knew what dangers their planet faced so often, they would stop worrying about a damaged car.
Ikki was just about to turn around, when something caught his sight by the corner of his eye.
There was a woman on the other side of the street, her gaze, like dozens others bystanders', directed at the commotion on the street, and as Ikki looked straight at her, he felt his heart skip a beat. The ground under him seemed to sway for an instant as his mind wrapped around what he saw. This woman looked exactly like Esmeralda. His Esmeralda from Death Queen Island. The same angelic features and the same blond hair. The same huge blue eyes.
But Esmeralda was dead. Killed by her own father, his sensei. He had buried her body himself. But still…
He found his feet taking a couple of steps in her direction like on automatic, as a hand on his arm held him back.
"Ikki, what's wrong with you? You look as if you've seen a ghost."
He turned back to Shiryu. "I think I just did."
"Where?" the dragon Saint asked, his gaze now too wandering over the people on the other side of the street.
Ikki's eyes went back to the spot, where he had just seen this girl, but as he looked now, she was gone. There were still some people starring, and then going on their way, but the blond girl was nowhere to be seen anymore.
"I need to find her", Ikki just stated and started to hurry across the street with a sure step. Some drivers horned at the pedestrian who, uncaring at the cars around him, crossed the street.
Ikki really didn't care at all about the cars around him. All he still was interested in, was to get to the other side of this street and find that girl that had looked so much like Esmeralda. Because this was the only thing he could think of that made sense. Esmeralda was dead. But then who was this girl? Ikki just knew that he needed to find her.
From the corner of his eyes he saw Shiryu by his side, hurrying to keep up with his fast pace.
Finally Ikki reached the spot, where the mysterious girl had stood and took a look around him in the mass of people. But the blond girl was gone. He started to walk a few steps in one direction of the sidewalk, scanning the crowd around him with hectic eyes. But the girl was long gone and after a few minutes of searching he realized how fruitless his search was this way. No way would he find her in this crowd, even if she still was close. But it was more likely that she had long walked away. He felt disappointment crash on him like a heavy weight and he dropped his shoulders slightly, giving up the desperate and senseless search.
"What is going on Ikki? Who are you looking for?" Shiryu's worried voice finally registered in his brain. He looked up at the dragon Saint and sighed heavily.
"Nothing. I just thought to have seen somebody from my past, but I guess I must have imagined it."
Shiryu looked at him doubtful. "Are you sure?"
Ikki pulled himself from the surprise of seeing the girl. Maybe he really had imagined her and if not, it was too late to find her anyway.
"Yes. Let's go to find this present of yours."
Shiryu nodded and started to walk on again. Ikki followed him, but could not stop himself from casting a glance around, searching the faces in the crowd from time to time.
It was a bit later, when Shiryu stopped in front of the window of one of the shops. It was an antique store, displaying everything from vases, over faded frames to worn chairs in the big window and Shiryu's face took on a pensive frown.
"Don't tell me you want to find something for Seiya in there. That's even more unlikely than buying him Shakespeare", Ikki said amused, his sighting of before momentarily forgotten.
"You never know what you find in such stores", Shiryu said, getting about to enter the shop.
Ikki smiled to himself. He guessed that Shiryu still had no idea what to get Seiya and was slowly feeling pressed to do find something. He was grasping at straws, hoping against all odds to find something in there that would please his friend. But of course Shiryu would never admit it, when he was at his wit's end.
He followed the dragon Saint with the hope that Shiryu would have to buy something even more stupid than he had, or show up at Seiya's party empty-handed.
The store looked as ancient as the furniture in the window and the glasses and jewelry in the glass shelves or the paintings on the wall. The whole room seemed dark and dusty, as if the light would not dare to enter the store completely through the big window.
Ikki walked to the left and saw a heavy black curtain on the wall, apparently covering something. He wondered what sense it made to hide something in a store, if it was meant to be sold. Curious he took a look around, to ask anyone about it, but there was no one in the store, apart from Shiryu, who studied a shelf with vases, his expression a bit helpless and dismayed. Ikki smiled satisfied. It really would be quite untypical to find anything Seiya may like here, and Shiryu knew it very well.
Ikki turned back to the heavy curtain on the wall and his smile disappeared and made place to a frown. He felt his curiosity grow to know what was behind it. 'Oh well', he thought. If it was in the store, it was certainly at display, so he could surely take a look. And besides, there was no clerk here he could ask. He took a deep breath and pushed the satin curtain to the side.
He found himself looking at the probably ugliest painting he had ever seen in his life. It was a huge oil painting in a massive, simple frame. On it, a dark, demonic creature, looking like a cross between a human and a horned pit-bull stared at him with almost glowing, yellow eyes. The landscape behind the beast was also dark and showed only the shadow of a hill with a house against the night sky. The only bright colors on this picture came from some lighted windows in the old looking mansion, and of course from the eyes of the creature in front. The beast just crouched there, facing him.
Ikki had the impression that those yellow eyes in the horned, devilish face seemed to bore into his, glowing in a hellish fire and that the creature was almost becoming alive, willing to jump on him any second. He felt the hairs on his neck raise and a shiver run up his spine, and involuntary took a step back, but remained unable to free his eyes from those of the creature.
On the contrary. He felt, as if his whole essence was drawn to the glowing eyes until they were all he still saw.
"May I help you sirs?"
This strong deep voice behind him shattered the strange spell and pulled him back into reality and away from those eyes. He blinked a few times a bit confused, and then turned his head to see an elder, slightly overweight man coming into the room from between two shelves.
Shiryu, who didn't seem to have noticed the strange painting, instantly went to the man, asking him for advice. But Ikki still felt confused at the strange sensation he had experienced, while he had looked at the painting. With a frown he turned back to it. But the feeling from before was gone. Still were the eyes of the creature yellow, but now they had lost the glowing. They looked just like normal, painted eyes. Ikki moved a bit closer, but there was nothing unusual about this painting anymore. Even if it was still as ugly as before, there was nothing strange about it. Just a normal painting where he could see some of the pencil strokes still in the texture of the colors and some hair-like cracks here and there.
Ikki shook his head slightly. What was wrong with him? First he had thought to see Esmeralda and now the episode with the painting? If he wouldn't know any better, he would think that he was going crazy.
"Ikki, come take a look at this", he heard Shiryu's voice and pulled away from the painting for good, walking over to his friend, who was standing by a shelf, sided by the clerk.
"What do you think? I think this is perfect for Seiya."
Ikki went to Shiryu's side and saw an old, golden pocket watch in the other Saint's open hand. Ikki had to admit that the watch was rather beautiful with delicate engravings and a fine chain and that Seiya would probably be thrilled by this present. One minute ago, it would have bothered him, that Shiryu had indeed found a good present for Seiya, since he would have loved to see Shiryu embarrassed. But now he failed to feel anything but unease about the happenings of the last hours. So he only nodded.
Shiryu handed the watch back to the clerk, telling him that he would buy it.
Ikki watched the seller as he wrapped it up in some paper, but again was his gaze drawn back to the painting. There was still no change though. It looked just like a normal painting. He sighed and turned back to Shiryu who paid the clerk and took the small package with the watch. And as the dragon Saint turned to leave the shop, Ikki suddenly felt the urge to leave this store and the painting behind as fast as possible, so he hurried out of the store, close behind his friend.
He didn't see the eyes with the slit pupils of the beast on the painting move and follow them until they had left the store.
********************************
The next morning, Ikki suffered under a headache from hell and felt dead tired and miserable. He had not slept much last night, nightmares chasing him as soon as he had fallen asleep. He had woken, bathed in sweat twice, hunted by a girl with blond hair and a creature with glowing eyes.
At four o'clock he had given up on sleep all together, taken a shower and waited for the morning to come. He had tried to read, but even when awake, had his thoughts always wandered back on the events of the day, making it impossible to concentrate on anything else.
By seven in the morning, he had not for the first time wondered if he was about to loose his mind, seeing things that weren't there. Maybe he had been hit once too many times with Gen ma ken during his training, he wondered. Maybe the craziness he had faced while growing up was catching up to him at last.
At eight he went to breakfast downstairs with the others. He didn't want to tell them about the strange happenings for now. It had been weird, sure. And especially Esmeralda's sighting had shaken him badly, but he had come to the conclusion that it had most likely been a woman that only looked much like his childhood friend. It could be explained that way. But what was harder to find an explanation for, was the painting. It was not like him to imagine things but he wanted to wait for now. Maybe he had been a bit stressed lately and it had been a single episode. There was no need to bother the others by that and worry them. Besides the fact that he didn't like admitting to anyone, that he might be about to go crazy.
He stepped into the big room, where his brothers had already gathered around the large table, helping themselves with the bowls of bread and meat on it. Ikki suppressed a dismayed look on his face. He was not someone who liked such traditional things like a family breakfast. He didn't like to be with too many people at all. It only meant questions and small talk, he thought of as a waste of breath. Of course did he like to be with his fellow Saints and brothers, but those social customs that were lived in this house of high society annoyed him and made him feel uneasy.
Seiya was not here, since he lived in a small apartment and not in the house of the Kido-family. Ikki could sympathise with the Pegasus Saint, and if only the small apartment by the shore would have been a bit bigger, Ikki would rather have spent his stays in Tokyo there, instead of here.
But since that was not possible, he stayed in Japan only when it was unavoidable. And he only came here, when something important happened. And the birthday of one of his brothers was something important in his eyes. They were Saints and had given their life to Athena.
No matter if Saori liked them all, and never treated them like it, their only use in life nevertheless was to protect her. They didn't count as individuals in the greater scheme of things, only as warriors with the powers necessary to protect the humans. So was any birthday something Ikki looked at as very important. For one day did the individual count. The person, not the Saint. Besides the fact, that they all did not have the prospect of a long life, and therefore needed to cherish every birthday they would still be granted.
With a soundless sigh he submitted to the unavoidable and sat down on the chair besides his brother, where one untouched plate was set on the table.
"Good morning Ikki." Shun's voice held the happiness and gentleness, Ikki knew so well from his little brother. He forced a smile on his own face, not wanting to spoil the others breakfast with his bad mood. But still did the aspect of food not tempt him at all. He was not hungry, the events of the last day and the sleepless night still weighting in his mind. But again, did he not want to worry Shun and reached over the table to retrieve one of the small breads.
"Is everything alright?" he heard Shiryu's voice. He looked up at the dragon Saint, inhaling deeply and wearily. He should have known that Shiryu would not be fooled by his camouflage of his true feelings. The dragon had a perception, which surprised him quite often. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that Shiryu had been blind for quite a while and then had learned to rely on his other senses rather than in the eyes, but Ikki believed that it was more because of Shiryu's teachings from the wise sensei and because of his calm, analyzing nature.
"Shiryu is right", he heard Shun's voice too and glanced over to his brother, who observed him with skeptic and worried eyes. "You look tired."
"Don't expect me to sleep well in such a soft bed", he answered, making his voice sound grumpy.
At that he heard Hyoga chuckle very softly. "Guess living in a volcano most of the time does something to your sleeping habits."
Ikki didn't contradict the Russian. It was only okay with him that Cygnus had come to this conclusion, which, as he saw in the eyes of the others, seemed to satisfy them too. So who was he to complain? His problems and nightmares were his problems. His alone and didn't concern anyone on the outside.
"So are we going to visit Seiya right after breakfast?" Hyoga asked, changing the topic.
"We better do. You know how jumpy he can get, when he has to wait for his party and presents", Shun smiled.
At this moment, one of the young servants came in the room, waiting with reserved patience by the door until Saori addressed her.
"What is it?" the Kido heir asked as she became aware of the servant.
"There is a visitor for master Shiryu."
The servants treated all of the brothers with an almost equal respect as they did Saori, since after the first war in Sanctuary, when Saori had them all officially named as her brothers.
Shiryu narrowed his eyes questioningly, but before he could sort a single word towards the servant, a young girl with long, black hair, braided behind her head, stepped around the servant and smiled shyly up at the dragon Saint.
"Shunrai?" he exclaimed surprised but also visibly happy. "What are you doing here in Japan?"
"I wanted to visit you and ask if you would agree to spend some time with me at five picks, now that there is a peaceful time and you do not have to fight in any wars." Her voice was shy and she bowed slightly her head as she spoke. Shunrai was raised very traditional and was a quiet person, who never would impose herself openly or in front of strangers. Nevertheless did she have an undying fate and fidelity to the one she loved.
Shiryu rose from his chair and stepped over to his girlfriend, holding her gently by her shoulders.
"This is a good idea. But today is Seiya's birthday and I don't want to miss this. If you agree, we can depart tomorrow." He turned to face Saori. "That means if you don't need me here Athena." As most of the time, Shiryu addressed her by the Goddess' name, and not by the name of her mortal incarnation
Athena shook her head good-naturedly. "Go with her. I can always call you back if something comes up. But otherwise you have to live your own life."
Shiryu nodded slightly, acknowledging her words.
"Shunrai can come with us to Seiya's Party", Shun suggested.
The Chinese girl threw Shun a gentle smile, lowering her head slightly in acceptance.
**********************
About an hour later, the big, black limousine stopped in front of the simple two-floor house, where Seiya had rented his small apartment.
"You think he's awake yet?" Hyoga asked Shiryu with skeptic eyes as they all had gotten out of the big car, each one carrying a wrapped gift under their arm, with exception of Shunrai, who stayed close to Shiryu.
This was in fact a good question, Ikki thought. Seiya was not an early riser and was usually never awake before noon. Especially if he had been going out the previous night, which happened quite often. Tatsumi had not rarely scolded the Pegasus Saint over this, saying that Athena's guardians needed to be alert at all times. But Seiya ignored Saori's right hand, just like all of them did. Tatsumi had never done anything to earn their respect and had treated them so badly as kids, that now they ignored him, rather than to let their feelings of loathing towards the man make them do something they may regret later on. And anyway, was Seiya somebody Athena could count on. More than on anyone else.
"I'm sure he will be. He is waiting for this party for too long already. You know Seiya."
At this calm answer, Ikki smiled restrained. Of course had Seiya in the last days often 'by accident' mentioned his approaching birthday and that he would expect lots of presents. They had planned to gather at his apartment this morning, go out for lunch together and in the afternoon visit the orphanage and Miho.
"Then let's go", Saori smiled, and they all started to walk towards the house across the street.
They hadn't yet reached the wooden stairs leading to the upper floor, when one of the doors flung open and a grinning Seiya stuck out his head.
"Hey guys. You're late!" he welcomed them.
They ascended the stairs and Seiya waved them into his one-room apartment. As they passed the Pegasus Saint, each of them took his hand, or clapped his shoulder, wishing him a happy birthday.
Seiya seemed to enjoy being in the middle of the attention. A feeling, which Ikki couldn't understand. He hated it when other people came too close, invading his privacy. That was why he had always tried to evade his own birthdays, disappearing to God knew where. As a child, before his training, only his brother had always found him and they had spend the day together in his hiding place. He remembered the orphanage he had been in when he had pulled this stunt for the first time. Shun had still been a baby then and he remembered when he had come back in the evening, there had been the police present and everybody had been very exited and worried. Over the years he had lived there, the nurses had gotten used to this though, and had left him this freedom, not even mentioning his birthday anymore.
He now entered the house behind everybody and also took Seiya's hand in a strong grip.
"May the world survive with you one more year."
Seiya only laughed at his words. "I'll do my best to give you a hard time this year too, Ikki. Don't worry about that." He blinked mischievous and Ikki found the corners of his mouth curl up at the jibe.
He entered the small room, which served as both, living room and sleeping quarter. Shun and Hyoga had already taken place on the edge of the bed, when Shiryu and the two girls were sitting on the three chairs in the room. Ikki took the last seat, letting himself fall into the only stuffed armchair.
A little later, they handed their presents to a widely grinning Seiya, who didn't even try to mask his excitement and delight to be in the center of everyone's attention.
As Ikki would have suspected, Seiya was thrilled over the latest mangas Shun had gotten him, and the new guitar notes from Hyoga and also about the snickers Saori had bought him. Ikki remembered Seiya having complained about those some weeks ago. He had fallen in love with them as soon as he had seen them in the store, but since he, of all of them had to pay rent and loved to go out, had barely ever any money left at the end of month to buy such things like expensive shoes.
But as Seiya unwrapped the watch from Shiryu, his eyes lit up immediately. He was absolutely ecstatic about this watch and looked it over from all angles. Shiryu gave Ikki a sideways glance, one eyebrow raised in a what-did-I-tell you gesture.
Ikki sighed a bit exasperated. Why in the name of the Goddess, did the dragon Saint seem so unfaultable most of the time? And why had he found this shop anyway? Shiryu thought very rationally and, unfortunately, it worked for him too.
But his annoyance was chased away as he handed his present to the Pegasus Saint. Seiya grabbed it with obvious excitement and tore the wrapping away to stare speechless at the book in his hands.
He blinked twice and gulped down a surprised exclamation before it could sort of his mouth. His gaze searched Ikki's who, silently enjoying the expected reaction, answered the look innocently.
"It's Shakespeare, Seiya. I thought you might like it. Did I get it right?" he answered with a sweet voice, covered by mock innocence.
Seiya still seemed a bit surprised about the unfit present, not yet grasping that Ikki had been fooling him by purpose and seemed to search for the right words to comment on the book, without insulting Ikki's lack of knowing his preferences.
"Is something wrong, Seiya? You look like you don't like it", Ikki kept on, in his sweet voice.
"No, it's great. I mean it's an original thought." He hesitated as he found his words coming out all wrong. "Not that I want to say by this that I don't like it…" He trailed off again, searching for a polite way to express himself without embarrassing himself further. "I mean I really do like the present…"
"Maybe you should inform your face about that too, Seiya", Hyoga now fell in, barely holding back his laughter.
Only now, did the Pegasus Saint seem to register the held back giggle and laughter of the ones present in the room and as he now looked at Ikki again, doubt clear in his eyes, the Phoenix Saint couldn't stop the grin growing on his face either.
Only then did Seiya seem to grasp that Ikki had bought the book to tease him and was never serious about it in the first place. His face changed from embarrassment to understanding and then back to embarrassment. But this lasted only a split second before he whipped the look from his face and smiled smugly at Ikki.
"But no. I am serious. You have no idea how long I have whished for a book like this." With those words he pushed to his feet and walked over to the bureau. He leaned down, lifting one of the corners slightly and pulling some manga-comics from underneath one leg, only to replace them with the book. He then grabbed the mangas and walked back to the others.
"I always wanted to read those again, but had nothing I could spare to put underneath the shorter leg."
His voice was as innocently as Ikki's before and this seemed to amuse the other Saints even more and they laughed out loud now. Ikki and Seiya finally joined them.
They spent some more time in the apartment until, shortly before noon, they got ready to go to the fast-food restaurant Seiya had picked, to eat lunch. Which of course had earned him a speech from Shiryu about artery-cloaking-fast-food.
They all started to leave the house and descend the stairs, when Seiya, who had just closed the door behind him, suddenly clapped his flat hand against his forehead. "Oh man. I almost forgot." And with those words he disappeared into the apartment again. Not even one minute later he appeared again, a yellowish, old looking envelope in one hand. He locked the door and hurried down a few steps to Hyoga on the stair, holding the envelope in his direction. "For you."
Hyoga took the letter with a questioning frown.
"What is that?" Shun asked, moving at Hyoga's side, trying to get a glimpse at the envelope.
Seiya shrugged his shoulders. "Got delivered two days ago. It must be ancient. Guess it got lost somewhere. The date on the stamp is from two years ago and the address on it is barely readable, the ink is totally smeared. Must have gotten wet somehow. The only thing still decipherable is the name Kido and Tokyo and the only letter of the first name still readable is an y."
"And how come you think it's for me? It's not opened", Hyoga asked, eying first Seiya then the letter in his hand.
"Look at the stamp."
Hyoga did and his frown deepened. "It's Russian."
"And I only know one Russian here around with the name Kido", Seiya grinned. "Come on, open up. I am curious to know the content since I got it."
Hyoga hesitated for another instant before he ripped open the envelope, pulled out a neatly folded, yet also kind of old and wrinkled sheet of paper. He unfolded it and started to read the content.
The change in the Russian was almost immediate and Ikki saw the blond Saint pale drastically.
"Hyoga?" he heard Shun's worried voice. "Are you alright?"
The Russian closed his eyes for a moment trying to regain his control, which even seemed to work. Kind of, at least. He looked up at Shun and gave him a weak, forced smile.
"I'm alright Shun. It just hit me off guard."
"What is in the letter?" Seiya asked, his grin vanished and his gaze now too somewhat worried.
Hyoga took a noisy breath, before he folded the letter again and put it carefully back in the envelope. "It's a notice for a last will. Looks like my mother owned a house and her lawyer wrote me to get in contact with him through this letter." He was silent for a minute before he added in a thoughtful voice. "Two years ago."
Seiya seemed to be a bit uncomfortable now. "Look Hyoga. If you would rather not come with us and try to call this lawyer, I'll perfectly understand."
Hyoga smiled at the Pegasus Saint and this time the smile seemed genuine. "This letter took two years to get here. It won't matter if I call now or tonight. Besides I don't want to miss the best part of the whole day. It doesn't happen too often, that Saori takes us all out for lunch."
At those words Seiya grinned again and Hyoga stuffed the letter in his back pocket and descended the rest of the steps.
***************************
As they sat at the narrow table in the fast-food restaurant and Seiya was arguing heatedly with Hyoga, over the question to which bear was bigger; a polar bear or a Grizzly, Ikki studied the Russian closely.
He had to give him credit that, after his initial reaction, Hyoga had not let on how much the letter had affected him and was acting as if nothing had happened. Or so it seemed. Ikki knew, that despite all their fights and the fact that Hyoga was teased, mocked and faulted for it very often, his mother's death it still weighted heavy on the Russian's soul. Like the death of all those he had ever loved. Ikki knew that Hyoga was deeply wounded but the fact that he seemed so calm and distant on the outside showed that he had partly resigned under the curse of being a Saint. A curse that dictated to be a warrior without a flaw. A robot out to fight, thinking only about his duty. A cold, sterile being that had nothing to do with humanity.
Somehow they all had found a way to cope with it and find a way to keep at least a little bit the semblance of a normal life. They tried rather to accept ones mistakes than to live with the knowledge that they had been bred only for a purpose.
To still value the humanity they once had had. A long time ago, when they all had been innocent children.
Some of them could do that better, others could not.
Ikki had sometimes hoped that Hyoga would be a bit more forthcoming. The Cygnus Saint talked to them, joked with them and never let them down. But when it came to the important things. The things that made him vulnerable, his teacher, Camus and Isaac had accomplished to make him feel ashamed of those things, and he hid them even from them most of the time. Because to ask for support was a sign of weakness for any Saint.
Ikki understood Hyoga's reasoning maybe better than anyone else, because he shared it. To him too it had been imprinted never to show any weakness. The only difference was, that he had been taught by beatings and betraying, when Hyoga had learned through a different suffering.
But that too he could understand. Hyoga had lost all those he had ever trusted and loved apart of his half brothers, when he himself only had to watch one person die and even that had scarred him forever.
Thinking back at his training and Esmeralda's death stirred an old pain in his chest again. A pain that had faded, yet never completely disappeared the last few years. At least it had until yesterday, when he had seen this girl that had looked so much like her. He just didn't seem able to chase her from his mind anymore and she resurfaced again and again. Something that made Ikki more than uncomfortable. He liked to be in control over his own mind. But he instinctively felt, that he would only get his peace of mind back, once he had seen her, talked to her and stated for himself, that she was not the real Esmeralda. So he knew that he had to find this girl. Of course had he no idea how to find a single person in a city the size of Tokyo, when he knew absolutely nothing about her apart from the way she looked. But he would find a way --he had to.