This chapter is the last one with an enormous time skip, so this is the last time this will happen if this annoys you. Shun will be recognized as a Saint for the first time in this chapter, and he'll get to meet Arles for the first time, as well as run into someone else. It's basically Shun's premiere in the Sanctuary.
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Selitte, KaizerDragoon, Kyuuden, and darkacuario! Thanks for supporting this story and I hope it lives up to your expectations!
As for the request about the torture scenes... I'll put a poll on my account asking if people would read that. If you don't like those chapters you won't have to read because they'll have a warning at the top of the author's note. However if you'd like to read them go to my profile and answer the poll. I'll decide whether or not to add that in according to the results.
I hope you enjoy and feel free to leave a review below!
NOTE:
From here on out anything spoken in Japanese will be in italics. Greek is going to be in regular text (and English. If I don't specify though assume it's in Greek). These are the languages most spoken in this story.
Chapter Three: Andromeda's Chains
Shun couldn't help but let out a small sigh as he made his way up the last of the stairs to the temple where Arles was waiting. Part of it was because he'd passed the edge of his Master's Demon Rose Garden. He was one of the few Saints who was able to pass through it without the protection of Pisces. He supposed that had probably come from five years of training right next to it.
His Master had taught him well, and he was a powerful young Bronze Saint. Even so, he was nervous to meet Arles. The man was known for being rather cruel and enjoyed ruling with an iron fist, and he wasn't too fond of any Saint that wasn't Greek. Even so, he knew that he needed to go meet the Pope, not only to get his Cloth, but because his Master was expected to present him to the man.
Many Saints had been very surprised when the Pisces Saint had taken the young boy under his wing to train him to become a Saint. For Aphrodite to decide to train any Saint seemed largely out of character, since most of them expected him to be obsessed with power apparently. Shun had to agree that this might very well be the case, but he was also much gentler than most people knew. Shun was one of the few people who'd ever seen that gentler side of his Master.
By extension the Sanctuary expected Shun to be powerful, even if he was just a Bronze Saint. Few Saints had ever seen Shun, and they weren't sure what they expected. They would probably be very surprised to see that he was still such a gentle and kind Saint, probably thinking that he'd be much more like his rather mysterious (and sometimes viewed as cruel) Master. This was the first time Shun would really leave the Pisces Temple and go below to be seen by any of the other Saints.
He took a deep breath to calm himself then took a step forward, going silently into the giant Temple that was where Arles would be waiting. A large red carpet ran silently all the way to the back of the Temple, where he could see his Master kneeling before a throne where a figure sat waiting. The figure was tall and had on a long white cape that covered his whole body, though a white robe would be underneath. His hand was laying on a staff. He wore a large helmet with with bat like ears on it, and he had large shoulder pads for armor on his shoulders with spikes coming off of them. A black mask hid his face, but Shun didn't falter.
He walked right over to the two of them, though he was careful to remain behind his Master. There was a clear hierarchy that Arles liked to keep in the Sanctuary, and Shun was a Bronze Saint while his Master was a Gold Saint. He knelt as well and bowed his head, waiting for Arles to make his move and speak. For a long time there was silence, and he knew the man's disapproving eyes were on him. He waited in silence as the man looked him over. Arles turned his eyes to Aphrodite now, and neither Saint moved under his gaze.
"This is the boy?" Arles asked.
"He is," Aphrodite replied. "Though he is not Greek, there is no doubt that he is the Andromeda Saint."
"You know how it pains me allow his kind here," he growled. "Foreigners. There are more Saints than ever that were not born in Greece. These Cloths are the property of Greece and the Sanctuary."
"True," Aphrodite said. "But we must accept those that the Cosmoses have chosen. They know their own Saints no matter where they may come from."
"I suppose," Arles growled. "Well boy? What do you say to that?"
"I think my power should speak more for me than any words I could say," Shun said with slight difficulty at the language. Arles didn't miss this, but paused and chuckled in some amusement.
"Hm," he said. "Truly your student then Pisces Aphrodite. Well then boy, what do you say to the way that I am running things here? Some of your peers are...dissatisfied."
"I have nothing to say," Shun replied. He wasn't too fond of Arles or the things he was having the Saints do. But he had been taught well by his Master. "The Sanctuary must follow the rule of the Pope until Athena appears. Since Athena is not here, you rule."
"Very good," Arles said.
The man stood then and moved towards Shun, standing in front of him and looking down at the boy. He was measuring him up, seeing what he was going to do. The boy was a well trained warrior of the Sanctuary. He didn't flinch or look around nervously as other Bronze Saints did. His focus was acute and he stared straight ahead without even letting his eyes so much as wander the three inches to look at the Pope's shoes. Arles watched the boy a moment more, then laid a hand on the boy's shoulder. Even then he didn't budge.
"Tell me boy," Arles said. "If I were to give you the order to kill someone, would you do it?" Shun's eyes narrowed slightly at this.
"I don't like to fight," the boy replied. "I would rather not fight at all. I might kill someone, but I wouldn't know until that moment came. However they would regret deciding to fight me."
"Hm," Arles said thoughtfully. "You are the Andromeda Saint then. You always have been rather, well gentle. However it seems that Aphrodite has taught you well indeed. You certainly seem much more willing to battle than before." He chuckled though and glanced at Aphrodite. "He seems to have neglected teaching you Greek though. I can hear it in your voice."
"He can understand what is being said," Aphrodite replied. "That is enough for now. He can't speak all of the words but he can learn."
Shun didn't look up or act confused at this. He had to admit that he didn't like the idea of killing anyone, but he just might if it came to it. He also understood, unlike most Bronze Saints his age, that he had knowledge that Saints reincarnated and had memories associated with their Cosmoses. Arles noted that he didn't seemed surprised by the knowledge at all, and slowly he began to think for a moment, looking at the boy.
"Hm," he finally said. "I approve of this young Saint, while the others I do not. How could I refuse one trained by one of my loyal Saints after all? I expect nothing but your loyalty boy, even if you are such a gentle Saint."
"Of course Lord Arles," Shun replied correctly. Arles nodded.
"Very well," he said. "However before I give you your cloth, I want you to agree to do something. I want to see your power for myself. There is another Bronze Saint who is causing my problems and challenging and defeating both Silver and Bronze Saints. His name is Phoenix Ikki. I want you to defeat him for me."
At this Arles saw the reaction in Shun. Shun was surprised at hearing the name, and he didn't want to fight his own brother. However if it was a request from Arles he knew that it was far better to be loyal to him than to try and fight him. He'd seen what happened when someone refused him. He closed his eyes and the man paused, looking at him closely.
"What is this reaction for?" Arles asked suspiciously.
"Ikki is my brother," Shun replied. Arles paused and chuckled more in amusement.
"In that case," he said. "I would like even more to see that battle. The battle between siblings are always the most interesting. However, I doubt he is the brother you remember. He only knows how to access his Cosmos with anger and hatred. With that being the case, would you ignore my offer and not fight him?"
Shun's eyes remained closed for a moment. Even if that was the case he really didn't want to fight his brother. He wished he could just talk to him and try and figure out what was going on. Maybe if he did so then he'd be able to help him. However if his brother was acting this way then Shun knew the only way he'd listen to him was if he managed to defeat him in battle. Besides, if Shun wanted to become a Saint in the Sanctuary and be able to protect all the people he cared about then he needed Arles' approval, and to stay on his good side. Apparently he was impressed with him so far, so there was only one thing left to do.
"I will fight him," Shun replied.
"Good boy," Arles said. "Very well, then I now officially name you as a Saint of Athena. Though you are a foreigner, you have proven to me that you will not betray me despite your impure blood. Come then boy, your name."
"Shun," he replied. Saints didn't call themselves by last names, though he was still technically Shun Kido.
"Very well," Arles said. "Then I know name you Andromeda Shun." Arles looked over his shoulder suddenly and called to an invisible person. "Bring the Cloth."
Someone moved to get the Cloth as Shun opened his eyes and continued to stare ahead. He couldn't make out the person as they moved just beyond what he could have seen even if he would have been looking at Arles. There was a loud thump and the person moved away without saying another word. Arles moved the Cloth so that it was in front of Shun. It was in a large silver box with leather straps on it, and the picture of a woman with chains on the front of it. He hardly glanced up at it, fighting to not let his curiosity get the best of him. Arles seemed to approve of this as well.
"Stand and put on your Cloth Andromeda Shun," Arles said.
Shun did as he was told, standing and looked down at the Cloth. There was no visible way of opening the box at all, but Shun knew what he needed to do. He reached his Cosmos out towards the Cloth, and he felt both reunite with what he could only describe as pure joy. The box suddenly sprung open and the four sides and the top folded out down to the same level as the bottom.
Within the box was a pink armor with what appeared to be a silver mask on the front. The armor appeared to be kneeling and praying, its face turned towards heaven. Silver chains hung around the gauntlets of this armor, with one diamond and one sphere shaped ends on the chain. This flew onto his body quickly, fitting itself perfectly to his form. He couldn't help but close his eyes a moment as his cosmos greeted him fondly and joyfully. He didn't know what he had done to deserve such a greeting, but he was glad to feel it anyway.
"Come," Arles said, reminding Shun of what he was about to do. "Let's go."
"Yes sir," Shun replied.
He turned to follow Arles as he made his way silently towards the large coliseum that stood in about the middle of the Sanctuary. It was generally forbidden for Saints to fight one another for private reasons, but even Shun had heard of the damage the Phoenix Saint had been doing. He supposed that if he wanted it to end, he'd have to put it to an end himself. He'd of course try to talk him out of fighting, but if that didn't work he'd have to face his older brother. Shun's Master was close behind and watching the boy carefully.
The path Arles was taking down into the Sanctuary was a far more secret one, and one that he knew well. Aphrodite was surprised. He hardly ever showed any Saint this path unless he really trusted him. Even Aphrodite could see that he was obsessed with his power and reign of the Sanctuary. He didn't really like it himself but put on the pretense that he did to avoid Arles' wrath. Still, for Arles to show Shun this path, did he trust him? Aphrodite felt his eyes narrow just slightly. He wasn't sure he could trust Shun around Arles, and he had a vow to keep.
Soon the long flight of stairs leveled out until they came to the last landing. There were several Saints that had always either feared Arles or loved him, but served him loyally either way. They paused in surprise to see the Bronze Saint and the Gold Saint walking quietly behind Arles. Arles said nothing to them and only moved to wave them away as he walked on, intent on reaching his destination. Shun followed closely behind, and soon the coliseum came into view.
It was a large theater like structure where Saints would sit to watch the battles that would take place (usually between two Trainees for a Cloth). However as they drew near they all paused and looked up as fire shot into the sky from the angry explosion of a Cosmos. Shun knew that it belonged to his brother, and again he felt apprehension at the thought that he had to fight him. Still, he and his Master both knew that it was far better to avoid angering the Holy Father of the Sanctuary. Arles began to walk again and Shun soon followed.
They entered the back of the coliseum, where two Sonata Saints were standing on guard. Arles waved them aside to let Shun through as he came close, and confused but interested they did as they were told. Arles motioned for Shun to follow him up the set of stairs, as Aphrodite did without even a second thought. They entered into a box where two more guards were standing, ready to defend the Pope with their lives. They stood at attention as Arles motioned for Shun to wait out of sight of the others as he walked forward and sat in the throne like structure made for him. Aphrodite stood by the Pope's side as Arles sat and looked up.
More fire erupted up into the sky and Shun could feel the sheer heat off of his angry cosmos. He stood as he had been instructed to do, silently and in the back ground. However as the battle concluded there was silence as every eye turned to look up at the Pope as he watched silently from where he was sitting. Suddenly every eye was on him, wondering why he had come all the way down here for something so unimportant.
"What are you doing here?" Ikki's deep voice growled.
"Why just watching some amusement," Arles replied, waving the indignant guards back. "You seem awfully bored as well Phoenix. I thought I might give you an opponent that might even give you a reason to pause."
"Oh," Ikki snarled. "And who would that be?"
Arles chuckled and shook his head, seeming to find the whole situation highly amusing. The other Saints paused in confusion and seemed unsure what he was doing. Aphrodite hardly paused, and Shun couldn't help but let out a soft sigh that no one else heard. Arles was one person he felt he'd hardly ever understand. Ikki no doubt began to bristle, if his next words were anything to go off of. He did not seem to find this amusing.
"What's so funny?" he growled.
"You amuse me," Arles replied. "So blindly full of rage and hate. Though it seems to have made you powerful, you are nothing but brute force. The champion I have chosen to defeat you for me is another Bronze Saint, though one with far more intelligence it would seem. If you can break his defense I would be surprised. And I've been promised by his Master Pisces that he is powerful. It should make for an interesting battle."
Some nervous murmuring began in the Saints that were gathered below, no doubt discussing what this could mean. Few of them had any idea what Aphrodite's elusive student could even look like, let alone what he would be like. Arles looked out over the crowd and motioned someone closer. They made their way over to the Pope. Shun glanced up and just spotted her from where he was. She was a silver Saint wearing the Aquila Cloth and had a simple silver face mask and brown hair. She paused as she glanced towards Shun then looked back at Arles.
"Marin," he said. "Be a dear and translate for me. I know that you know Japanese very well."
"Y-Yes sir," she replied. "But why if I may ask-?"
"Because my champion isn't Greek," Arles replied with another chuckle, getting yet another disbelieving murmuring from the crowd. "And it seems Aphrodite seemed to have neglected teaching him Greek. He understands us perfectly but has trouble speaking the language. Rather amusing actually I think. It makes it more interesting." He glanced back at Shun. "That means you're free to speak in Japanese. Everyone will hear you."
"Your champion is Greek?" Ikki hissed in a slight laugh. "I thought that you hated foreigners Arles."
"Oh I do," Arles replied. "However this Saint I have approved and given the Cloth to myself. How could I refuse the student of one of most loyal Saints after all?"
"And who is this champion of yours?" Ikki growled. Again Arles chuckled.
"Your younger brother Ikki," Arles said. There was more murmuring. "Hm, I can see some resemblance between you indeed, but you don't really look that alike. Interesting. I've always found the battles between siblings to be very entertaining."
"That's impossible," Ikki growled.
"Is it truly?" Arles chuckled. "If that's your opinion, then I should show you your opponent. Andromeda Shun." Arles motioned out towards Ikki in a very theatrical way then held up his other hand. He loudly snapped his fingers and there was silence.
Shun knew that the dreaded moment had come at last. He took a deep breath to calm himself as he simultaneously raised his arm and the diamond shaped chain shot out and wrapped around a pillar in front of him securely. Everyone looked up in surprise at the glinting metal as he pulled himself out after it and slid down to the battle field gracefully. He stopped and stood with his arms limply at the his sides as he turned to look at his older brother.
Ikki was tall and full of muscle, much taller than Shun was. However Shun was only thirteen and his brother was about fifteen now if he remembered correctly. He had much tanner skin than Shun did, and his hair was midnight blue and shorter than Shun's was. His eyes were about the same color as his hair, and there was a large scar running over the bridge of his nose. His armor was mostly a silver color with bluish gantlets and blue marks over the chest and its belt was blue. Off of the belt was three long strands of orange feather like structures, looking very much like tail feathers suddenly. Shun looked at his brother carefully, sizing him up.
Ikki was staring at his younger brother, who was by now much more beautiful than he had ever been before. He was stunningly beautiful and still so small. However the shyness had long since left his eyes, and they weren't quite so innocent anymore. He had shoulder length emerald green hair with eyes much the same shade as his hair. Somehow that complimented the armor that he wore even more than it had before and the pink made him seem both gentle and fierce at the same time. He wasn't sure how that worked at all.
The crowd was silent as well, looking between the two brothers and trying to figure out how they were related. As Arles had said, there were similarities visible. They had much the same shape to their faces and the slopes of their noses were similar. However that was about where all the similarities ended. Then, to the crowd's astonishment and Ikki's, the chains on Shun's armor began to move.
Though Shun loved his older brother and didn't want to fight him, his Cloth could sense the sheer danger that Ikki posed. The chains tinkled with a pretty sound as they slid out and away from his gantlets and sat waiting in a large circle around him. Those watching paused and gasped at the sight, noticing the spiraling formation and noticing instantly the resemblance to the Andromeda Galaxy. They could only suppose that it did make sense, seeing how he was the Andromeda Saint. Shun sat silently in the center of this ever shifting galaxy, watching his brother carefully.
Ikki snarled and bristled. He was never one to back down from a challenge, and Shun could see that the boy was doing nothing other than venting some unnatural anger that was in his soul. He wasn't sure what was going on in his brother's eyes, but he knew that he was going to attack and not hold back. There was no love in his eyes for his younger brother that he'd protected and kept safe for such a long time. Shun didn't let himself wince though. In battle he couldn't let himself show any weaknesses. He watched Ikki a moment.
"It has been a while brother," Shun said in Japanese, and Marin loudly translated into Greek in response for everyone else. "And I can see that the world has not been kind to you."
"Are we going to talk?" Ikki hissed in reply also in Japanese. "How like you. You always were too weak to amount to much. I doubt you can last very long in the ring with me."
"I will warn you once," Shun said, ignoring his brother's scathing remarks. "Back down now. If you don't then I will do everything in my power to defeat you."
"What are we standing around talking for then?" Ikki hissed.
Shun closed his eyes and let out a quiet and sad sigh. It was true then that his brother had dramatically changed. He had seen it, but he had hoped that his brother would see reason. Since he refused to then he supposed they had nothing to do but fight. He didn't move his position though as Ikki launched forward to attack his brother. As soon as he drew close though the chains of Andromeda's Cloth seethed like an angry ocean and snapped upwards at him to beat him back. Ikki quickly leaped back, knowing it was far better to be safe than to find out what those chains did if they touched him the hard way. He growled and looked at Shun, who looked up at him.
"The Cloth of Andromeda is a special Cloth," Shun said. "It is balanced by attack and defense. The chains themselves are alive and can move even if I don't move them myself. One chain is meant for attack and the other defense, but both may attack and defend at will. If you want me, you're going to have to get past these."
"And if you want to defeat me," Ikki growled. "you're going to have to attack me. You can't hide behind that wall forever. Fight me!"
"I told you that the chains have minds of their own," Shun said. "However if you so insist I will fight you. I hope you're ready for it."
"Bring it on,"
Shun raised his hands, and the chains on his gauntlets began to eagerly move to respond to his will. They snapped and waved in the air, violently warning the Phoenix Saint from stepping forward to hurt their owner again but moving under his command. The Cloth of Andromeda itself was more than willing to follow the will of its owner now that it had been reunited with him after so long.
The Andromeda Saint had always been considered a rather weak Saint, if only for his large heart. However Shun now knew how to tap into much more of his Cosmos than ever before. Not only that, he could use enough power to fight against a Gold Saint on equal footing, if not defeat them. As he reached for his Cosmos, the feminine power could now feel this in him and agreeably let him access even more of its power as Ikki snarled and watched him. Ikki launched forward again, but Shun pointed at him.
"Nebula Chain," Shun cried.
Ikki's attack was ground to a halt by Shun's Chains, which whipped out towards him with a vengeance. Seeing the chains Ikki leaped back to avoid them, but he still got hit squarely in the chest with the attack. He staggered back, surprised at the force of his younger brother's cosmos. No other Saint other than a Gold Saint had managed to best him like that before now. He snarled and bristled, meeting Shun's eyes with a clear challenge. Shun didn't let him launch forward again for an attack.
"Thunder Wave,"
As his chains were retreating from the attack of Nebula Chain, the diamond shaped one shot forward again instantly to respond to his command. Ikki snarled and prepared for this one, intercepting the attack with his fist. He burned his flaming hot Cosmos to stop it, and he gave Shun a snarling smirk that told Shun that he thought he'd defeated it. There was no way he could pull his chain up in time now to keep it from smashing into Ikki's fist. This would leave Shun open to an attack. However Shun only smiled back to him.
"Your fire is indeed strong brother," Shun said. "But its not strong enough to stand up against the raging wind. That spark will go out."
Ikki didn't have time to wonder what Shun meant as the Chain, upon nearly reaching his fist, suddenly changed direction and shot off to where they couldn't see. Confused, Ikki spun around to try and see where it had gone, only for the chain to hit him squarely in the fast. He got blasted hard from the wind off of his younger brother's cosmos and was knocked down. Shun's chains retreated again as Ikki picked himself up and snarled at him and the crowd murmured appreciatively. They'd never seen Ikki knocked down like that before. Ikki however hardly seemed phased by the attack.
"You don't seem nearly afraid enough," Ikki growled. "Let me to fix that."
Shun looked up in some confusion at this sentence. It seems he had finally pushed Ikki enough that he was going to be sure to land some sort of hit on him. Getting past his Chains wasn't going to be easy, but he supposed that it was going to come to that eventually. Shun tensed a little as he continued to watch Ikki carefully as he the Phoenix Saint eyed him, looking for an opening and preparing to leap forward into battle. Shun knew that his chains could react quickly, but sometimes even they weren't quick enough. If he could get close beyond their reaction time he might be in a bit of trouble. But he had to be prepared for it. If he couldn't smack some sense into Ikki then he'd never have any chance to find out what was wrong with his brother.
Ikki launched forward again, this time skipping just beyond the reach of his Chains and dodging them as they came close. He was faster than he looked, a lot faster. He slipped up right next to Shun and raised his hand to punch, but to Shun's absolute surprise he went past him. Then however he felt as if a spark had just went through his mind and he saw something else suddenly as he heard his brother call out a single attack.
"Demon Fist," Ikki cried.
Shun suddenly found himself as a young child again, standing on the pier and watching the boat that was taking his brother leaving again through the waters. He stood silently, watching it go and wondering what had happened. It must have been Ikki's power. He turned and found himself suddenly facing his old friends. Seiya, Shiryu and Hyoga were all standing there. However they seemed to stare right past him.
Others were there as well: a boy with black hair and dark gray eyes named Nachi, a huge boy with purple tinted hair and dark eyes named Geki, a shorter boy with dark black eyes and white hair parted to one side of his head named Ichi, a larger boy with dark brown hair and brown eyes named Ban, and a shorter boy with lighter brown hair and brown eyes named Jabu. They were standing off to the side and were also looking right past them. He realized suddenly that he was younger as well.
"Guys?" Shun asked carefully. "What's going on?"
At the sound of his voice they all turned to look at him and glared at him darkly. They all bristled and Shun paused, reaching for his cosmos. He froze in surprise when he couldn't feel it, and the boys all laughed cruelly at him as they surrounded him. Seiya punched him square in the chest, making him fall backwards onto his butt. Though it hurt, Shun wasn't one to cry anymore. He'd grown far too much to do so because of some tiny wound like this. He jumped up and blinked at them, unsure what was going on in this situation. Hadn't he just been fighting Ikki?
"What's wrong Shun?" Seiya laughed cruelly. "Why don't you cry?"
"We all know you're just a crybaby after all," Shiryu said with a snarl. The others all circled him, laughing at him.
"You thought we'd come back for you?" Hyoga laughed. "Why would anybody care about you, you weakling?"
"You promised me," Shun couldn't help but say. Ichi pushed him.
"And you broke your promise," he snapped.
"You ran off to the Sanctuary under Arles," Geki snarled. "Arles is cruel, and that makes you just as cruel!"
"I did it to protect everyone," Shun cried.
"We don't need protecting," Ban hissed. "You're the weak one!"
"You're nothing but a liar," Nachi snapped. "What kind of friend abandons his old friends?"
"I didn't-" Shun cried.
"You should have died while getting that Cloth," Jabu cried cruelly. "You're just a waste of space!"
Shun felt his heart hammering in pain. How could they say that? He hadn't known about Arles, so why were they blaming him for that? Besides, he had gone with Aphrodite to protect everyone. If he was finally strong he'd be able to protect people and not always be protected himself. He was tired of always being protected! They threw punches at him, trying to hit him, but he quickly shoved his way out of the circle, only to bump into someone else.
He looked up and found himself looking at the older and angrier version of his older brother Ikki, who just laughed at him cruelly as the children chased him and continued to hit him again and again. Ikki snarled at the boy as the other backed off, punching Shun with much more force. Shun went flying back onto the ground, and Ikki just continued to sneer and laugh along with the other boys.
"Why did you ever think I loved someone like you?" Ikki snarled. "I don't need love, and I hate you. You're too weak. You're no brother of mine!"
The words stung, but sheer instinct drove Shun to his feet. He leaped up and snarled back at Ikki, and it seemed that his friends, real or imaginary, all paused when they saw that face. Shun began backing away. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he needed to get away. He had to get back to wherever it was he was before. But then he paused as he saw Saori just as he remembered leaving her. She smiled at him sadly.
"Shun come here," she called softly. "Nee-San will protect you. I'll save you Shun!"
Shun couldn't help but heed her words. He pushed past the other boys, who all watched him pass. He ran right to Saori and threw his arms around her neck, hugging her for all he was worth. She hugged him back, burying her face into his shoulder and he could feel her crying. One of her hands moved, but he paid it no mind.
"Nee-San," he said quietly. "I'm so glad to see you."
"I've missed you Shun," she said, sobbing. "But now you've joined Arles! I can't stand to think of what you'll become. I have to save you."
"It's okay Nee-San," Shun said. "I can protect myself. Don't worry about me."
"I have to save you," Saori sobbed. "I have to!"
Before Shun could ask what she meant he gasped and pulled away as he felt a sharp pain in his back and his chest. He looked down and saw the glinting tip of a blade died crimson on the ground. He looked up at Saori with utter shock and betrayal on his face, and she just broke down into tears and continued to cry.
This wasn't real. It couldn't be. That's right, he knew it wasn't real! Shun felt a splitting headache forming at his temples, but he forced himself to concentrate on what was real. He first found the sound of Ikki yelping and the sound of Chains snapping in the air. He found his sight come back next, then everything else. He had doubled over as if in pain, and his right hand was now clutching at his throbbing head. Ikki had wanted to show him fear, and he'd certainly done that. Shun forced his racing heart to calm and looked up.
Ikki was now being forced to flee from the Chains on Andromeda's armor as they had leaped forward to protect the boy. All eyes were now on Ikki, and it was obvious that the crowd was convinced Shun was done. Obviously this wasn't an attack that anyone had recovered from yet. However Shun forced himself to remember what his Master had taught him. He called the Chains back, and they fell silent suddenly as he staggered to his feet and gave Ikki a fierce glare. Even Ikki paused as the crowd gasped. No one had managed to recover from that devastating attack yet.
"Impossible," Ikki gasped, still in Japanese. "That attack hits the mind directly and tears it apart."
"Then it seems that my mind was stronger," Shun replied. "If you want to defeat me you're going to have to try harder than that!" Ikki snarled.
"In that case," Ikki said. "let me show you a fire your wind can't hope to blow out!"
With that Ikki snarled and leaped back a bit. Shun could feel that his cosmos was about to explode, and he braced himself for the attack. Ikki moved his arms as if he was flapping wings, then he pointed his fist right at his younger brother, snarling angrily the whole time. Shun could feel the heat beginning to rise as fire sparked in the air, seeming to form the large bird of legend behind his older brother. Fire suddenly sparked from Ikki's fists and slammed into Shun sending him flying back with a yelp. Shun landed hard on the ground.
"Flight of the Phoenix," Ikki snarled.
Ikki, still shooting fire from his fists like a human flamethrower, snarled and turned his fists towards Shun again. Shun forced himself to stand and raised his hand. Suddenly the round chain began to spiral around him, and wind was blowing off of the chain. It was his special defense, one that was powerful because of the powerful cosmos that accompanied it. As Ikki turned up the heat, Shun summoned more wind to create an invisible barrier around his chain and keep the fire from touching him. This time the fire hit dead on and encircled the boy, however with the wind blowing around him and making it impossible for the flames to reach him he hardly felt the heat at all.
"Rolling Defense," Shun cried.
Ikki paused when he noticed no change in Shun's posture. In fact he hadn't moved at all. He snarled and poured on yet more heat, enough so that even the people in the stands were quickly retreating from the fury of Phoenix. However Shun didn't seem very affected by this at all even though he was in the middle of that raging inferno. Finally though Shun had decided he'd had enough of the fire and summoned more wind from his cosmos. It utterly disrupted Ikki's attack and blew the inferno out in a second. Ikki bristled and snarled in surprise.
"If you want to see my wind," Shun said. "then I'll let you. Your hatred and flame are nothing compared to this wind."
Ikki was unsure what Shun was doing. However Shun knew that this was no time to back down. He didn't want to hurt Ikki, but his brother refused to back down and wouldn't listen to his words. The only thing Ikki would listen to was power, and if Shun was stronger than him he'd have to listen to him. Right now this was what he had to do to protect Ikki. Besides, if his brother continued to act this way Arles would eventually grow tired of it and then who knew what would happen then? Shun's fierce eyes met Ikki's as he held up a hand.
"Nebula Stream," he cried.
Even Ikki winced at the weight of Shun's cosmos as it exploded to allow for the attack. Aphrodite didn't really respond either way as he watched, simply watching as his student's true power was revealed at last. Arles glanced towards the Gold Saint, however he seemed very pleased by what he was seeing. For being the Andromeda Saint, Pisces had certainly trained him well. Hurting the young Andromeda Saint wouldn't be nearly so easy now that he was so powerful. Even Aphrodite knew though that there was no changing his gentle personality. He was still kind and gentle and always putting others before himself. However he was more powerful than ever.
The that appeared seemed to be a pink color, and while normally that might seem so ridiculous for a male Saint, it was anything but. The wind slammed hard into Ikki's chest and sent him flying back into the stands behind him. Several Saints were now quickly dashing to avoid the wind of Andromeda. Arles had spoke true when he had said that it would be an interesting battle. They were largely matched in power. The wind of Andromeda and the fire of Phoenix were powerful forces that were clashing now on the battlefield. Arles was pleased to see that both of the brothers were much more powerful than Bronze Saints and within his grasp. These two he needed in his collection.
Ikki shuddered and stood, snarling a little and glaring at his younger brother. The two had already done a number on each other, and both were pretty hurt. Ikki wasn't one to back down at all, and he was willing to keep fighting. He was only fighting because of his anger and hatred after all. He had nothing else to fight for. He bristled as he looked at Shun.
"You get one more warning brother," Shun said. "Back down now, or you will see the true strength of my wind."
"Show it to me then," Ikki snarled.
Shun sighed and closed his eyes a moment. As he thought, Ikki wasn't going to listen until he knew that he had been beaten by his own younger brother. With this in mind, Shun shifted his pose suddenly and pointed his hand towards Ikki. Even Aphrodite bristled and stared at his student at this, knowing exactly what was next. The Saints who saw this all paused and looked nervously down at Shun. What was the boy doing now?
Wind began to whip around the battlefield, sending the hair of both Saints flying a little as his eyes narrowed. The spectators began to back away nervously, wondering where the wind had come from. Even Ikki seemed a little surprised by the sheer power he felt pouring off of Shun now. More of the pink wind appeared and began to swirl around at their feet.
"Nebula Storm," Shun cried.
The pink wind leaped up instantly before Ikki could react and wrapped him into a funnel cloud of pink wind. The wind picked Ikki up into the air as it smashed into him again and again with devastating accuracy, throwing him up into the air. Ikki screamed as his Cloth shattered from the sheer amount of power and wind hitting him and cutting into his body and cloth in mere seconds. As the attack ended Ikki came crashing back down to the ground, clothless. Ikki managed to stand on his feet again and Shun gave him a clearly challenging look.
Fire swirled suddenly around Ikki's feet, encasing him within the flames. As it burned and swirled Shun paused to see something formed within it. Then as soon as it had come it disappeared, leaving Ikki standing hurt but with a perfectly fine Cloth on. The reborn Phoenix cloth didn't have a scratch on it and looked shiny and new. Shun realized that it was because of the myth of Phoenix. Whenever the cloth was destroyed it came back as good as new, reborn from the flames.
For a moment as the two brothers sized each other up, it seemed as though their cosmoses were doing the same. Near them could be seen the mirage of their cosmoses, as often the case with Saints. The cosmoses overhead were in turmoil as the two Saints watched each other, snarling and sizing each other up.
Behind Ikki appeared a fiery bird with beautiful tail feathers and a graceful neck, flapping its wings and cawing again and again. Behind Shun appeared a beautiful woman with long pink hair, blue eyes, and wearing a white robe with chains on her wrists, glaring at the bird and pointing at it with the silent language of the cosmoses. The bird seemed to pause a moment, watching the young woman. Then it lowered its great head and disappeared. The vision of Andromeda quickly disappeared as well, and then Ikki lowered his head to Shun.
"You are stronger than me," Ikki begrudgingly acknowledged. "Our fight is over."
With that and Marin's translation, Arles suddenly stood and began to clap. The startled Saints could only clap as well. They were absolutely stunned that the ferocious Phoenix Saint had actually lost to someone, but more than that, apparently to his little brother! Ikki snarled and bristled at them, but Shun's eyes remained on his older brother. A little confused Ikki turned to look at his younger brother, who motioned for Ikki to follow him once the commotion had died down. Ikki bristled a little but nodded, suddenly seeming much more manageable.
"As expected from the student of Pisces Aphrodite," Arles said. "Very well Shun. You have passed my little test. Everyone be sure to welcome our newest Saint. This one I welcome with open arms, foreigner though he may be. Shun you're dismissed."
Shun nodded as the stunned Saints and Sonata Saints continued to clap. They were unsure what else to do at this point. Shun motioned for Ikki to follow him and turned to leave the arena. Ikki bristled but followed silently as he walked away, and no one dared to step in the way of the two insanely powerful brothers.
Knowing that Ikki wouldn't want to be in the public eye after his recent and (well probably rather humiliating) defeat, he led him silently off to a place where they could talk quietly without being interrupted by anyone. Without even looking at him, he could tell that Ikki had realized this and was begrudgingly thankful for it. It was in Shun's nature however to be so easily able to pick up on what his older brother was feeling, even if Ikki tried to keep his emotions hidden from everyone.
There was chapter three! OMG! A long chapter guys!
Ikki's attacks are based off of the English Dubbed version of Saint Seiya, and that's just what I decided to stick with because they're easier to do. This introduces the strange family relationship that Shun will have with Ikki until Ikki realizes that he does love his brother again. By which times there's going to be a lot of confusing stuff going on.
There will be another chapter focusing on Shun and Ikki and how Shun is accepted into the Sanctuary, then I'll skip over to show what Saori and her Saints are up to. Well explaining that is going to be a little confusing, and its going to worry the heck out of some young Bronze Saints. Should be fun right?
Anyway I hope you guys enjoyed and feel free to leave a review below.
