Under the star filled sky a young woman was sitting under her favorite tree reading her favorite manga, Saint Seiya. One of her favorite characters was Phoenix Ikki along with his Phoenix Cloth being one of her favorite clothes as well. She had always loved the legend of the phoenix and even had her favorite shirt on as she sat under the tree. A black shirt with a beautiful flame colored phoenix adorned the front of her shirt while the flame version was on the back.
She was currently reading the part when Ikki tries to kill Hades who had possess his brother, Shun only to be defeated when he finds out that he cannot. The young woman sighed and her emerald green eyes sought out the phoenix constellation finding it after only a few moments. She found hope in that constellation even though many had given up hope for her many years since her disease came to light.
She had been diagnosed with Terminal Cancer over three years ago and deep in her heart she knew that this would be her last year alive. The doctors had told her to keep hope that they could save her but she was starting to get worse each day. The only thing that brought her joy was being under her tree, under the stars and reading Saint Seiya. She lived at a special part of the hospital with other cancer patients that thanks to donations had a small park nearby.
Her parents visited everyday and would bring her new volumes of Saint Seiya for her to read when they would come out. They had never given up hope that their beautiful red haired daughter could be saved from the cancer slowly killing her. But lately they had seen how she was growing weaker and pale yet she did not let that stop her from going to the park at night. Tonight she felt so tired yet tonight was the first clear night in three days and she wanted to see the phoenix.
The young woman put down her manga as she started thinking of what she had been told today by the doctors.
"Your body is starting to shut down from fighting the cancer, you may only a year or even a few months left Serena. Were so sorry sweetie, we'll keep trying to save you though until your last breath."
"When I die, I wanted my body to be burnt on a funeral pyre by my favorite tree under The Phoenix Constellation."
They had been shocked when she, Serena Drake, had asked that however they would not deny her last requestwhen the time came. All the other patents said that she was weird for wanting a funeral like that but they just attributed it to her "obsession" with the phoenix. In truth a small part of her hoped that when her body became ashes she would be reborn anew just like a phoenix, just like Ikki when he died. But the rational part of her knew that it was only a legend and that it could never come true. The young woman suddenly started feeling an intense pain starting in her chest and spreading to the rest of her body. She couldn't breathe well and everything was starting to get darker like the street lights weren't even there. She was scared as the sense of dread and fear washed over her knowing that death had finally come for her at last.
Part of her welcomed death with open arms yet another part fought against her incoming death wishing that she had never gotten cancer. She looked up and to her surprise the starts including her beloved Phoenix Constellation was shining so brightly to her fading eyes. They had never looked more beautiful to the young woman's eyes until tonight when the heavens were alive. As she looked down from the heavens the dying young woman was surprised to find two figures standing before her.
Even with her fading eyesight she knew who they were the moment her eyes fell on the boy with the beautiful armor and the purple haired woman in a flowing white robe. She had thought that it was only her dying brain playing tricks on her until she felt the woman touch her right cheek.
"You have fought against your disease so valiantly almost as if you were a hero of legend; I wish to reward you for your courage."
Serena wished she could have replied however she could not find her voice or even nod her head to give an answer. But the woman smiled and stepped back just as the pain in her chest became much worse yet at the same time everything seemed to be slipping away. Serena couldn't keep her eyes closed anymore and slowly they started closing but not before she looked at the blue eyes she had dreamed of. A final sigh escaped the brave young woman who had fought and never lost hope against the cancer that killed her.
That morning the hospital staff found out that Serena had died under her tree in the park during the night with a serene smile on her face. They called her parents who rushed over to see for themselves that their brave little girl had passed away. Throughout the day wood was piled up to form the pyre that as Serena had wanted was by her tree and would be directly under The Phoenix Constellation. That night the whole Cancer Ward staff, patents and Serena's parents watched as the flames turned Serena's Body into ashes.
Her ashes were buried along with all her Saint Seiya books and figures under the tree that she had spent most of time at. Everyone had tears in their eyes as a plaque emblazed with a Phoenix was nailed into the tree as a grave marker and tombstone for her.
When the news came on that night everyone was in for a shock at what one of the main stories was for that night.
"In other news, a new star was found last night in The Phoenix Constellation by Astronomers, This newly formed star is being called "The Heart of The Phoenix" since it is inside the constellation where it's heart would be."
Some of the children and cancer patients had hoped that the spirit of The Phoenix Girl would return to her grave so that they could see her again but she never came back...
The Goddess Athena looked up from Sanctuary at the beautiful star that Serena's Spirit had become in Ikki's Constellation. She had brought Ikki with her since Shaka had revealed that she had always wanted to see the saint of her dreams. The brave girl was finally resting not in the underworld but in the constellation that belonged to the bronze saint she had always loved and adored.