Chapter 1
Too Soundly, Too Deeply
Tokyo, Japan, a year after Hades came back to Olympus Mountain (*see Home Sweet Home)
It was a dim, cloudy morning.
The rain had just ended at five pm. The atmosphere wasn't gloom though; instead it was relaxing, the smell of the rain, the thickness of the dew. For some unexplainable reason the after-raining-mood in Japan districts somehow reminded the inhabitants to the time when they were childhood, or when they laughed happily in the midst of the green grass, or when they stared at the candy-floss and asked their mother to afford it.
Rain…rain was always about memories. None of even the most expensive air conditioner in the world could replace the cool wind and the sensation produced by rainfall.
Drizzle, shower, precipitation, whatever you call it.
And Aiolos has just realized how precious the drops of the rain were when he hasn't been able to feel it again…
The day, or maybe the years (depended on what time signal you refer to) before he couldn't feel it again, he still thought rain was mere ordinary occasion.
Too ordinary.
The Sagittarius gazed at the dim clouds for a while before going to his bed and began to close his eyes to sleep. He hasn't slept since he woke up at midnight and lost in thoughts. At that time he only gazed at nowhere, the room wasn't lit at all. It was dark.
Like those in the death terrain.
And suddenly he murmured something…something which he has buried for long in the backside of his brain, by his defense mechanism.
"I wish I could die…forever…"
Then his tears fell, remembering his brother. He recalled to the time when Aiolia was so blissful seeing him revived, telling him he would protect him with all of his might and stating he would never lose him again. And I wouldn't lose you as well, Aiolos told his brother.
Yet…what's the use of living again? After staying in the darkness for very long time. Thirteen years! If only it wasn't Athena's decision, he would reject the revival straight away. He wouldn't make any objection towards the revival of his Aiolia and juniors, but he didn't want it. He didn't want to be revived.
All these time he was successful hiding his agony. He tried to stay cheerful, kept hanging out with his friends and juniors. Nobody had ever known when he locked himself in his room at night and covered his face with his hands in distress.
He felt so lonely. So alone. It was so strange…seeing his juniors have been so…adults. Those who were nurtured by him: Mu, Aldebaran, DM, Aiolia, Shaka, Milo, Camus, Aphrodite. All were his little brothers, who always ran to him and asked for his hugs when they were only six years old. "Aiolos…Aiolos…let's go buying some ice cream!!"
"Aiolos…Aiolos…please carry me in your back…"
"Aiolos…Aiolos…I want to be your little brother too!!"
Aiolos…Aiolos…
Now they've been more than twenty. No one would call him again. No one will ask to be accompanied to buying ice cream again.
No one…nobody needed him…
And the more he spent time with his juniors, the more he felt how useless he was. They've been adults, got their best friends with him, who have also been brothers. Mu with Aldebaran and Shaka, Camus and Milo, Aphrodite and Deathmask, even Aiolia has got his girlfriend. He was no longer needed, so what the use of living? None…none at all…
The fragrance of the rain filled his room. Aiolos still got a chance to look at the rise of the sun before he was completely lost in his slumber.
***
Seven pm.
"Breakfast!" Saga announced from the kitchen. Not long after the announcement the other Goldies immediately stopped their activities and heading to the dining room together.
The Aquarius, though, was still in his room. He only tilted his head a bit when hearing Saga's call, then continued looking outside the window with almost empty eyes. His thought was flying somewhere else, not focusing on the smell of the fried beef and egg Saga has cooked, for sure. No matter how hard he resisted, the blue-colour hair always appeared in the front of his mind.
He kept staying in that position until finally he heard a call from his door.
"Camus, breakfast," said Mu.
Camus glanced at him and nodded slightly, then followed him to the dining room.
When he arrived, his fellows have been consuming half of their plates. Some of them were chatting and joking as usual, some were focusing on the meals, and one was simply refusing every meals his fellows offered.
"Beef, Shaka?"
"No, thank you."
"Egg, Shaka?"
"No, thank you."
"Blueberry jam, Shaka?"
"No, thank you."
"Mineral water, Shaka?"
"Yes, my pleasure," Shaka said calmly as he received a glass of mineral water Aiolia gave him, causing Aiolia and the others to chuckle.
"Where's your bro, kitten?" asked Kanon in the middle of his mealtime.
"Still sleeping. What a surprise…he usually wakes up earlier than all of us," answered Aiolia as he took hazelnut jam from the middle of the table. "Hope he won't sleep all day, we have to prepare everything for a journey to Rozan tomorrow anyway. Great, finally we'll get there…Marin, Shaina, and the Bronzies never stop teasing me about their pleasurable vacation…," Aiolia mumbled.
"I'm worrying about something else," replied Shura. "Does Dohko have enough rooms for Bronzies, Silvers, and Goldies together?"
"He should do," answered Mu. "He has five rooms. We will be divided into five groups then. The girls will stay together of course; Marin, Shaina, June, and Shunlei."
"I don't like that girl," grumbled Deathmask addressing Shunlei. All immediately laughed out loud; Deathmask must remember the battle with Shiryu in Cancer temple long time ago.
"You don't join the girls' group, Aphro?" Kanon teased, and once again most of the Goldies roared into laughter.
"Very funny," said Aphrodite, drank his juice calmly and elegantly. "Impressing."
"Kidding, Aphro, don't take it seriously," said Saga encouragingly. "We all know how Kanon is. By the way, what about that scorpion?" he immediately changed topic before Kanon replied his former statement. "He'd better come back this evening."
Camus stopped eating when all eyes were staring at him.
"What?" he asked, almost unemotional. He continued eating without looking at his fellows.
"Is he still in Milos Island, Camus?" asked Aldebaran.
"I have no idea," he answered with even more unemotional tone.
Everybody looked at each other before continued their mealtime.
Clearly, no one has forgotten about Milo and Camus's huge quarrel a month ago.
***
By twelve thirty the plans were changing a bit. Some of the Goldies decided to go to Rozan ahead, aiming to 'book' the best room in Dohko's house. It was after Mu told them about the rooms which were too small or, much worse, had been occupied by a lot of ghouls or even bugs.
"Yuck, I hate bugs!" yelled Aphrodite, in a tone that implied even the ugliest zombie was better than bugs. He ran to his room to pack his clothes. "I won't let myself to stay in that room! Better I arrive there soon!"
The others sighed, yet finally Aldebaran, DM, Kanon, Shura, and Mu himself also went to their rooms to pack their clothes.
"Deathmask, even you're eager to follow us," grinned Kanon.
"I want to book a room as well!" snarled Deathmask. "You think I'll happy if I'm destined to stay in a room near to that girl's?!" he addressed Shunlei again.
Meanwhile Shaka was stepping right behind Mu, followed him with his eyes opened a bit, but narrowed.
"Ghouls?" teased Shaka.
Mu turned around and blushes rose to his cheeks.
"Shaka, do you intend to come with us as well?" Mu tried to exchange the topic, yet Shaka seemed not affected and kept following him until he entered the room.
"No, I do not. My intuition tells me not to come to the waterfall. Some sounds of dignities telling me to stay here," said Shaka charismatically, standing at the door.
"Oh…I see…"
"Hmmm…ghouls?" Shaka teased again.
"Very well, I give up, there are no ghouls, alright?" sighed Mu, packing his clothes. "I am bored and want to go vacation soon…"
"Aries Mu is bored?" Shaka couldn't hide his smile. He didn't wonder his fellows could easily believe in Mu's lie; the Aries was so virtuous and he hardly ever lied. All things came from his mouth was always considered as truth, even if it's about ghouls and bugs in the dwelling of the wisest and fairest Gold Saint of all.
"I am only human, Shaka, not the man closest to god."
Shaka smiled hearing it, looking at the floor.
"Being the man closest to god does not make the flesh and blood in my body turned into lights, Mu," he said quietly.
Mu blinked, staring at Shaka.
He'd never thought Shaka could say such words…. He knew Shaka a lot, and Shaka was always about his pride about his 'man closest to god' identity. Now he implied he was merely human being who won't ever turn into any god…
"I have learnt a lot," said Shaka then.
Before Mu could ask what he meant, Shaka had turned his head into another direction. A little frown appeared on his forehead.
Seeing it Mu also stepped at the door and took a look on what Shaka staring at.
It was Aiolia, standing at Aiolos's door. Aiolia's face filled with worry as he gazed into Aiolos's room.
"What is it, Aiolia?" asked Mu.
Aiolia twitched, as if he has been awakened from a very long sleep, and stared at his two friends.
"He hasn't waked up," Aiolia said in worry.
"Do not worry, Aiolia, maybe he is just tired," said Mu encouragingly. "We all know yesterday he cleaned almost every corners of this mansion. You do not have to worry."
Aiolia smiled in thankfulness and nodded his head, though he still stood at Aiolos's door. Yet a little anxiety has gone from his feature.
Mu continued packing his clothes.
Shaka still stared at Aiolia.
***
It was six pm. Kanon, DM, Aphrodite, Mu, Aldebaran, and Shura have left Kido's mansion to head to Rozan. Saga, Camus, Shaka, and Aiolia stayed in the mansion though; they were patient enough to do their vacation the next day…
With the earsplitting and the noisy and the insane Goldies went to Rozan, the mansion turned quite peaceful and calm. Aiolia usually did some pranks, indeed, but today his fellows were rarely seeing him.
"Where's Aiolia?" asked Saga when he prepared the dinner.
"He is still watching Aiolos," answered Camus shortly. He helped Saga preparing the dinner and cooking some French food.
"He hasn't waked up?" Saga wondered.
"Hmm…," Camus answered, short as usual, but there was a crease between his eyebrows.
Minutes later Aiolia appeared. His face was covered with fear. He had enough on this…all day he waited Aiolos to wake up, ready to tell him about the plan he was about to do in Rozan: eating Chinese foods, swimming under the waterfall, burning fireworks. But Aiolos never opened his eyes. Aiolia has tried to wake him up, but it was so useless.
"Aiolos hasn't awaked," he said with fear.
"Maybe he's tired, Aio—"
"What do you mean tired, Aiolos didn't do anything!" Aiolia cut Saga's words.
"Yesterday he cleaned almost every part of this house and you said he didn't do anything?" asked Saga, though he wasn't fully sure on his own theory.
"It's not so Aiolos, you know, feels tired only because of cleaning the house!" Aiolia clenched his teeth.
At the same time there was a call from the door. "I'm home."
Everybody, including Camus who was formerly looking for some desserts in the refrigerator, turned their heads to see Milo entering the house with light steps. "Have you prepared everything for tomorrow?" he said to his fellows. His marvelous blue eyes finally stopped at Camus.
Both of them looked at each other; Milo with warmth in his eyes and Camus with his impassive gaze that surpassed all the cold looks he's shown in the rest of his life.
The Aquarius chose to continue searching on the refrigerator, pretending nobody has come.
"Aiolos—," Aiolia was about explain about Aiolos too-sound sleep when Shaka (who hasn't moved even an inch since doing his meditation two hours ago) suddenly stood up. His usual extremely-calm feature transformed; he looked uneasy and worry as he walked to Aiolos's room.
"Shaka?"
Shaka didn't listen. He entered Aiolos's room, opened his eyes a bit, and saw the Sagittarius sleeping very serenely on his bed.
Aiolos looked so…impressive. Too impressive for someone who's only sleeping in unconsciousness.
The Virgo approached his bed and sat near to him. He grasped Aiolos's hand, and startled to find how cold the hand was, much colder than Camus's. Shaka moved his hand to touch Aiolos's forehead. It was cold as well, yet he could still feel organized-beats of his veins.
"Aiolos," Shaka called in a calm voice. "Wake up."
Nothing happened. The Sagittarius didn't twitch even a little. Considering Shaka's call was so easy to be heard by sleeping-beings, it was a kind of surprise.
"Aiolos?" Shaka called again.
Aiolos was still closing his eyes. His wise and handsome feature still showered by tranquility. His short brown curls shaped his face perfectly, also his hairband. Even when he was sleeping he wore hairband.
"What happened with him, Shaka?" Aiolia and the others have been in Aiolos's room. Aiolia's face was really pale, seemed preparing himself to listen to the worst.
Shaka stood up. A wrinkle appeared between his closed eyes.
"I do not know, Aiolia," he murmured. "I can only guess…"
***
Meanwhile, far…far away below his oblivion…in the world which didn't exist in every thoughts of his awaken juniors and fellows…Aiolos opened his eyes.
He was standing in the middle of gloom dimness. He looked at his body, staring at the clothes he'd thought he'd never had in his life or in his deaths: very classic long tuxedo, like which people usually saw in the movie with 18th century timeline.
Aiolos then looked at his right and left parts of body.
Wings…?
"Welcome, then," a strange and cold voice suddenly echoed.
Aiolos twitched, alerted. He looked at his surroundings. A little fear began to run through his veins…where am I? What place is this…? Where's Aiolia and the others...?
"Too easy, Sagittarius. Too easy," the voice echoed again, now was accompanied with the sound of slow footsteps.
"Who are you?" Aiolos still alerted, turned around, looked at his right side, left side, all corners he could reach. "Show yourself!"
There came laughter.
"You should be patient," the voice said. "The game has just begun."
"What are you talking about?!"
Aiolos needed not to search on his surroundings anymore, since the owner of the voice slowly appeared in front of his eyes.
He has quite attractive and tall feature, with shoulder-length wavy yellow hair and yellow slinted-eyes. His clothes looked like a priest outfit that existed, once again, in 18th century.
What surprised Aiolos most was, there was an image of pentagram on his forehead.
"You…" Aiolos stammered.
"Welcome to the realm of the dream, Sagittarius Aiolos. Or should I say…Sagittarius Sisyphus?" stated Hypnos. "You will completely…lost in a dream."
***
Olympus Mountain, Greece.
"That's why Persephone chose to stay in the world, isn't it?" asked Poseidon wearily after he looked at everything happened in Kido's mansion throughout the two-sided mirror which linked Olympus Mountain and the Earth.
Hades didn't answer, simply said, "You are sometimes too analytical, Poseidon."
Continued in Chapter Two:
The Realm of the Dream, a Dream of Reality