Disclaimer: Fate and Saint Seiya Lost Canvas series do not belong to me. They belong to TYPE-MOON and Masami Kurumada (though it was drawn by Shiori Teshirogi, the world is basically Kurumada's) respectively. I take no profit in the making of this fan fiction, but still hope for some feedbacks from the reviewer.

Chapter III: Post-Mortem, Pre-Doom

What turned out to be an unrest sleep, Shun had it worse.

With so much going inside his mind, he really hoped that he would get the rest that he deserved. Yet, even as the strain got into his whole body, urging him to rest after handful life-and-death situations, the heavy strain clouded his mind. To make matters worse, the pain—the mental pain—was directing him towards something that he should not see. By the time he realized, he's within a dream. It was never his dream, because he never felt that much of pain, loneliness, and pride as his vision displayed a vast area of blood-red rose.

This was not his dream.

Shun felt his legs move, bringing him across the garden. Sweet scent of rose—somehow mixed with blood—attacked his nostrils, but he was not really bothered. Or rather, his host was not really bothered. Shun was trying to contain his nausea as his host stride forward. In this dream, he just watched as his action was not his, but could feel the wind gently caressing his cheek, or heard rose leafs rustling against each other. When his feet stop moving, he sensed danger approaching right at him, waging lives—trying to trample the lives that he must protect.

His body moved, once more, toward a broken marble pillar, not far away from where he stood. His gaze was still fixated at the entrance of his—yes, his—rose garden as he sat nonchalantly, patiently ready to greet his enemies. By all means, all of them would die the moment they set their feet inside the garden. Their bodies would become a mere death count for every evil being which he had beheaded and killed.

Kill. No matter how noble his friends thought of this war, in the end, it would always kill or be killed.

As he watched the entrance of his rose garden vividly, at last, his eyes noticed a group of people—no, monsters—clad in black metal. His nose tinged; it throughly detested the aura which those cloth held: corpse stenches. These warriors reeked of death, and one of them, he sensed, was curious and eager to take his life.

But he would not fall here.

"Welcome," he said strangely in mysterious and alluring tone, "to my garden."

While his own younger brother was busy with his dreamworld, Ikki decided that it was high time for him to rise. He had hoped that his younger brother did not move away from his own room and was torn between feeling glad or terrified. He should feel glad, because the latter stayed in his room, currently was sleeping again after a nasty 12-hour knocked-out time. Why he should feel terrified: asphalt road outside the building was mysteriously broken (more like slashed?) by something, entrance of the building had been sealed by bold debris, and the walls in the outer rim of the window framed had scratches (deep scratches)... which was not supposed to be there in the first place.

Basically speaking: the color of Ikki's face was drained when he saw what was left, and within 5 minutes, it came back when he saw Shun, squirming uncomfortably on bed.

He really needed an explanation on this. Somehow, he was convinced that Shun would not give off any answers; the younger brother was sleeping through the whole ordeal, so why would he know, right?

"You get some good dreams, Shun," he said softly and put down a glass of water on the bed stand. Ikki smiled smiled in relief and ruffled Shun's head, more like a form of worry, "I still have some things to do. ...you know to call when you need me, of course."

Again, he smiled in relief and gingerly encircled a red book with similar texture and features of Shun's book of summoning with his left hand. Ikki never noticed the black glow behind his back, imitating a shadow of a bird, as he walked out of the room gingerly.

Another tiny information: Shun had the same dream for the last three days, even though the events were all jumbled. While the details remained the same, the scene before him jumped so randomly that he could not predict the next scene in his dream. First, it was the rose garden, then a room with purple-haired lady standing before him, then a blank space. When he wondered whether the dream had ended, the scene shifted again; the blank space turned into walled building.

This part was not in his previous dreams.

"I see that you have arrived!"

His mind raced, and the boy—still in the visage of the blue-haired man—turned towards the direction of the person who stated it. It was a man, dressed in black suit with alluring gentleman nature. His black hair was trimmed in a pageboy style, giving an aura that of boy in an old man's visage. Shun sensed something was not right, as if the figure reflected thousand years of life in a single existence: the beginning, the middle, and the end.

The man raised his eyebrows and quirked an amused smile. Perhaps it was something about Shun's face. "Welcome, hero, to my humble sanctuary."

Though his voice was light, the air around them stopped for a moment and sent a chill to his spine. The stone wall around them shimmered slightly, revealing various scenes of many people: about wars, famines, tragedy, triumphs—all of possible human histories.

When he blinked, the person in front of him was already sitting on a stone chair, complete with its armrest. He was still standing in front of him with only an awareness that this man is powerful. His aura enticed Shun to bow down—but his body won't budge. Then, the man laughed, whether to Shun's obliviousness or inability to take a respectful bow.

"You don't have to be so stiff!" he said again and waved his hand. A wooden stool with greek embellishment suddenly appeared right behind him. "Go on, sit! It's not booby-trapped, of course. Unlike certain god of thievery that I know..." he spoke again, then mumbled something about trickery and nosiness.

Shun silently sat while casting an uneasy glance to the man before him. Shun felt that he should not be sitting here; with the power that this person wield, he should be bowing—no, genuflecting—within his sight. Apparently, the man realized that he had been watched, and only dismissed Shun's uneasiness—which did not really happen and only added up his anxiety—with a wave of his hand.

"First, do you remember who you are, hero?"

Shun spoke, but the name came up wrong, "I am Albafica, Athena's Pisces Saint of 18th century."

He clapped his hand once as his expression changed from neutral into amusement, "wonderful! I thought there will never be anyone to pass Asphodel without forgetting everything." he paused, examining Albafica's figure—currently Shun's vessel—from head to toe, who was then dressed in brown cotton shirt and black trousers, as though trying to determine what he should ask. "Do you remember how you died?"

There was a short pause as Shun sucked in a hard breath. Shun felt bitterness rising from the back of his tongue. "I died during Griffon Minos' siege of Sanctuary," he paused, trying hard not to drown his next words in hateful spite, "he killed me."

The figure nodded almost cheerfully even when he realized that Albafica explained his own tragedy. "Excellent! Then I expected you to know what this is, hm?" He extended his hand towards the saint. A bulb of white light slowly formed on the man's palm. When the man realized that Shun was not gaining any insight, he raised an eyebrow, "Nothing? Not even a small insight? Nada? Sheesh, humans and their ignorance..."

Again, mumbles turned into scowls. Shun waited a little longer for this man's mumbled to subside.

"What I offer to you, m'boy," he continued in his bright and light tone, "is a chance of a lifetime! Well, in your after-lifetime, but a chance, nonetheless!"

The man smirked. Shun did not like the gleam on this man's smile. That gleam showed a more childish, self-centered, nature who only liked changes—mad changes. He continued to observe this figure as he clenched his hand, smiting the light on his palms into little bits. Those bits did not disintegrate as he thought they would, but slowly condensing to form a small screen. To Shun's surprise, he could see himself walking down the road, greeting his friends and family. The scene subtly changed towards his brother, the city-folks, and then... the earth.

Shun shifted uncomfortably as his vessel asked again, "what is it that you offer?"

"Why of course, a second chance! To correct your mistake, to prevent the man who had killed you, well, from ending your life!" he chirped, as though what deemed to be impossible become possible just through the will of this man, the walls began flickering once more, showing scenery of war and siege... and Albafica's death. Dread and spite quickly filled up the boy's head, and left as quick as it came.

The figure, still let out his mad smirk—something that Shun could not grow accustomed with. Yet suddenly, there was a sliver feeling of relief, revenge, and hope, swirling together in his heart and mind. I could take this opportunity and correct things as it should be, Shun thought, though it was more to Albafica's echo than his own remark. Personally, he would not take anything for granted from this man.

"At what cost?"

Shun was sure that he see a sly smirk.

"None! Well, there's this game that you have to sign up. I need a good entertainment! It's been so hollow in these recent years of solitude! ...not that time had any effect here. I am time!"

A low rumble-perhaps because of the man's low-voiced laughter?-filled the room, and the wall surrounding both figures flickered more, shifting the scenes fixedly on Albafica's last moment: the moment he died due to blood loss. He could feel his heart was filled with remorse and terror at the sight. The wall flickered some more and then reverted to its original form.

Albafica stoically glanced at the figure, though hollowness and dread seems to paint his face. He paused for a moment and subsequently rose from his chair. The saint then genuflected right before the man with a bow so low that Shun never thought one such as Albafica would do it, judging how haughty he viewed him as.

"I..." the words stopped midair, but he continued after a moment reprieve, "...accept your most gracious offer, Lord Khronos... companion of 'inevitability'... and the lord of time."

The figure—Khronos—smiled triumphantly and left Shun more unease. Perhaps he was imagining things, because he felt Khronos smiled to him, not to the vessel who had been watching from the sidelines. The scene before him slowly blackened. Voices were reduced to silence, but Shun swore under his breath that Khronos named the cost of this game, but the information was lost in the deep blankness.

Shun never remembered what exactly came up later: the blankness or the earful ring of his own morning alarm. Whichever was it, that did not stop him from sounding it off and slowly climbed down from his bed. His blanket was laid in a mess on the floor. Ikki's already calling; a valid action, because Shun was late.

Scratch that; he was super late. He quickly rose from his bed and headed for the shower. The green-haired teen noticed a lingering presence in the back of his mind—it was probably Albafica?—and started out his daily routine. For the first time since forever, he needed someone to know about this predicament.

You can't, master. Information leakage will only endanger your situation!

Shun dismissed the man's voice and continued for his quick morning routine. Ikki will not like lateness in his wake.

At least his breakfast was eventful. By the time he entered the living room (which also sufficed for their daily dining), Ikki was more than ready to preach about how he's going to be late. Shun partially dismissed them, knowing the fact that his older brother paid even less attention towards punctuality. After a series of—laid back—lectures, Shun quickly raced for school. Never mind his tired body; his gut feeling told him that he ought to get out from the apartment.

Albafica's dire warnings in the back of his mind did not help calm his nerves either.

"Look, Albafi—," Shun stopped mid-words. Somehow, he could feel spite growing in the back of his mind as he was about to sound the true name of his own servant, "what is it?"

'Don't call me by that name. Refer me by my class so that, goddess help us, nobody knows my true name.'

He continued dashing and swiftly took a left turn when he reached a fork road—the path towards his school, passing several people in the road. Shun dared to utter no words; how will those people respond to him, later on? Perhaps, the vegetable (Ikki called him such because of his green hair) boy who dumbly talked to his self.

There was another forked road. Shun dashed to the left, seeing less people around.

"Fine then, Caster," he sighed and managed to send a mental imagery of rolling eyes. Perhaps, the latter would understand; he's not amused. "Whatever it is that you want to warn me about, pray tell me, now."

'We've been followed. Keep dashing, or else they noticed us.'

Shun frowned. Another forked road—the last one, before he could arrive safely at the school. The teen sighed, "do you know who tracked us down? It's another master, isn't it?"

'It's certainly not Shura.'

Another master, then. Shun clearly knew that his servant was not finished with his own analysis. He was busily thinking the best course of action while his servant do the analysis: if both parties are forced to a fight, Shun did not want it to involve the school. Hence, he took the opposite direction from the school, straight to the town's central park. Amusingly, the number of people around in the town central park were slim. Shun thanked whatever sorcery caused this.

"Go on," he said unnervingly as he sat quickly on the nearest bench, "how many?"

He could even feel Albafica's mood dropped, 'two. A pair of master and servant.'

Shun nodded understandingly as he tried discerning any presence near him. If the person was already after him, then it would help to stay still... and concentrate. A servant would spread a sense of concreteness in the air; an air of regality and pride, like how Saber emanated power that struck fear into Shun's being.

That's when a young lady in black showed up out of nowhere and politely greeted him. Her black dress, contrary to the nice weather, suited her dazzlingly even in with such brooding color. The lady also had a black umbrella, safely tucked in her hand. Her long hair waved smoothly as the wind blew; a lady of regality.

"Good morning," she bowed politely. Shun was baffled; he never detected her presence in the first place. Still in a daze, he nodded, stood up, and bowed back. The lady then smiled sweetly, but somehow, sickly innocent.

"Morning to you as well, miss," Shun replied as he tried managing his own composure. By some luck, the servant stated by Albafica had not found its prey, yet. As far as Shun knew, he did not even feel some sort of threatening presence in the area. It's still not a reason to drop his guard.

"Oh dear," she started, eyes fixed on Shun's uniform, "shouldn't you be at school? I thought it's already past the morning bell!"

"Ah, about that," Shun stopped mid-sentence. His mind raced while his pulse fastened. This woman who appeared unknowingly could be the master whom Albafica said of. But that's just wrong; Shun was sure he could not sense any presence of danger from this woman. Brood and gloom (aside her smile), yes, but not danger.

The book of summon inside his backpack did not agree with his thought, though.

The lady frowned with worry, "what is it, dear? Are you hurt somewhere?"

Shun flinched at her worry and met her soft gaze, "no, it's nothing. I was just thinking—"

Somehow, his heart might have leaped. The wind—normal wind—stopped blowing for one moment, before he felt another gust from his right side. The lady in front of him gasped as she tried to clutch her long dress from quivering. Many things happened so quickly: Albafica who yelled something about 'move aside!', another gust of wind, and a sense of weightlessness as someone quickly picked and carried him to another place. By the time he opened his eyes, Shun was already in Albafica's arms, being carried bridal style, and was covered with blood. His servant's blood.

"What happen—ah!"

Shun quickly leaped out of Albafica's care, and was only to be throughly shocked by Albafica's wound. His left foot was gone, thrown away at least five feet to his right. As quick as it left before, dread quickly numbed Shun's sense.

And then, he heard a small chuckle.

"Bad Berserker," the voice said, growing nearer, and still retained its light tone, "he's still in pain. Why couldn't you give them a quick painless death?"

Shun managed to turn his head slowly towards the person in speech. Horror and guilt etched his eyes as he saw the lady, standing away from him, still with an innocent smile. Just then he realized something flickered behind her; a tall figure, looming before her with enough wing-span to cover three people altogether, who was camouflaged with magic.

This figure could easily snapped Albafica's right leg.

Impending terror still paralyzed him, even as Albafica's laboriously cried out, 'run!'. The lady before him was in another level; seemingly angelic, but certainly their executioner.

"Now then," her soft smile suddenly turned into sardonic smirk, "isn't it time for you to meet Thanatos in person, boy?"

The magic around the invisible servant flickered as he approached Shun and his servant. For that single moment, Shun wondered if what people felt before death knocked their doors was fear due to obliteration.

[To Be Continued]

A/N: Can you guess the lady and her servant? I think it's very obvious. Who else is a woman and wears black in SS series? I am still wondering if anybody could guess the identity of Berserker, rather than the lady.