A/N: so here is the new chapter for those who read this story according to my "Story Stats" page…
Warning: will have blood in it, but really we all know about what they do when a cloth is really damaged or killed
VII. To see with they eyes
It had been a full month since they shared little picnic, but time was running short, then even thought it was still spring the next Holly War was approaching and Shion needed to teach as much to his successor as he could to ensure that he has a chance to survive for the shake of the future generations. They had started first with telekinesis, letting things float, telepathy and short distance teleportation, then they moved over beside the basic physical training schedule with timed in days to go over the basics regards the attacks of the Aries saints. Shion was pleased that even thought Stardust Revolution didn't do anything by the first tries after getting over the facts that Mu still could create, even if weak, but still a solid Crystal Wall. This was not such a bad start and he was confident that if they keep training Mu would have no problems in a fight.
It was the last day of May and Mu was on his way down to the Aries temple, this was actually the first time he ventured down there alone at the request of his father/master who was already waiting for him there. Mu was curious about what they will be learning today, but also a bit nervous because something gave him the feeling that his teacher was not fully fine with what they will do today. Finally arriving at the temple he sensed out his cosmos and entered the large room which looked like a workshop. Shion stood there with a grave look on his face out of his usual papal robes only wearing his cloth usually hidden under them, this only increased the child's worries, but still walked deeper inside at the others motion with his hand.
"Mu, today we will be learning about the repair of the cloths." Shion said slowly before he took a deep breath. "I would have liked to get to this later, but our time is running out and with the need to find your comrades have I no choice because we whom are the last survivors of the lost continent are esentional for the victory of Athena and the other saints." Mu nodded, he was already told about the upcoming Holly War and what it meant for all of them. "We have already talked about from what each of the eighty-eight cloths were made of."
"Gammanium, orichalcon and stardust sand were used to make the shells and a part of the constellations's soul had taken up residence inside of it. This resulted in the cloths being sentient, they can feel, have memories and have also a connection because of the soul part in them with the starsign they represent and thus is that constellation called the guardian constellation of that cloth. This is also the ground why the twelve gold cloths can call forth the light of the sun." Mu replied dutifully which brought a faint smile to the pope's lips, his Little Lamb was truly a fast learner and suppressed most children his age, but it also saddened him that Mu had such a short time to be truly a child.
"Correct, if a cloth is only slightly damaged can throwing stardust sand over the damaged part and rubbing it in heal a cloth, but if the damage is too great then the cloth dies and the only way to revive it is by using a large amount of a saint's blood." Shion waited for a few moments for Mu to fully understand this, but the question leaving the child's mouth surprised him.
"Is this why your arms are bandaged most of the time?" he asked silently and Shion nodded.
"I don't wish of you to revive a cloth yet, I only wished for you to know about what we will be doing when you turn three. So in tow years from now on, but still I need to show you." and with that pulled Shion a box out from under the worktable, he had since long wished to repair this cloth, but whenever he had set out to do it was he not able, the tears of the memories flooding his mind even without the cloth's stored memories were making it impossible for him to concentrate on the task.
Tough now he would not back out of it.
Mu watched the sadness and pain on the older man's face as he opened the box, his hands shaking, and pulling out the remains of a cloth severely broken and silent. Mu was always able to hear a faint hum from the cloths and with time that humming got louder and now he could by some even understand words. He watched his father gazing at the cloth, its silver colour dimmed, there were cracks everywhere and some parts were missing, it reminded Mu on a broken table with a mirror cracked in half atop of it. Then he heard a soft whisper coming from the Aries cloth, his master didn't seem to have noticed, lost in his memories, but Mu heard and it made him rush up to the man and hug him tightly, tears running down his little face as the words echoed in his head.
"The Alter cloth belonged to your master's teacher Little Lamb…"
The embrace brought Shion back from his memories about Hakurei and made him look at the sobbing child clinging to him. It suddenly reminded him that now was he also a master and he needed to be strong for his student just like master Hakurei had been for them, but he still swore that he would not put Mu thorough the pain to see him die in front of his eyes.
Mu felt when strong arms wrapped themselves around him and the feeling of a chin resting on his head.
"I'm sorry Mu, I got carried away with my thoughts." he heard the older man whisper gently as he pulled away and whipped away both they tears. "Now we should get back to the task at hand." he said while handing Mu a hammer made from oricalcon and a chisel made out of gammanium. "As said a death cloths needs a large amount of blood, but the human body had a limit how much it can give before one gets to weak so we will use my blood and then you need to place the chisel on it and hit it with the hammer as hard as you can. The cloths will soon start glowing, don't stop till the light has disappeared from around it and don't worry about me I will be fine." Shion added when he saw that Mu was about to protest. "Have you understood?"
"Hai." was the short reply, Shion could tell that he was still worried thought and he needed to bite back a sigh. He hated hurting his Little Lamb like this, but he had not alternative at hand, the blood must be fresh or it won't do much.
Mu flinched when Shion sliced his wrist with one of the Aries horns and let the scarlet fluid drop on the broken cloth, slowly going to his knees, his face ashen before he hit a point over his chest and the bleeding stopped. Form the look he was giving him Mu understood that it was now time, placing the chisel on the highest spot he could reach started the young saint-in-training to hit at it with the hammer, careful asto not hurt himself by accident. He was partly grateful for the loud noise both the chisel and the hammer made because they blocked out the heavy panting which left the slightly colourless lips of his father as he leaned heavily against the cold wall. Soon the cloth started glowing and Mu was sure that he could hear a faint voice in the distance, it was slowly returning to life, when the light dimmed finally put the young boy his instruments on the ground and rushed to his father hugging him as the tears were sliding down his cheeks.
"I… it is alright… Little Lamb… I was also scared by… by my first time…" Shion panted out softly as he hugged his young charge close to his chest sleep slowly enfolding the both of them.
Mu was slowly making his way up the stairs to the pope's palace; he had spent his fourth night in the Aries temple and had been on his way back from it. He would be for the upcoming two weeks sleep again in the palace and then again four nights in the temple. He had only entered the sixth temple when he heard a familiar humming. Mu really liked when the Virgo cloth was humming one of her soft melodies, she really had a beautiful voice and it was sad that only a few could hear her then to hear the voice of a cloth your really need to concentrate on them and also be able to fully understand that they are not objects, but living entities with a soul.
"I'm glad that you like my singing Little Aries."
"Uhum… your voice is really calming and pretty like yourself." Mu said nodding as he walked inside the room containing the platform on which the form of a kneeling maiden with golden wings was placed, her box beside her body. The sunlight of the large windows made the golden armour sparkle with the light of both the sun and the stars.
"Your cosmos is expanding day by day and soon you will be bestowed with Aries, he is really pleased to protect you in the future." the Virgo said telepathically, but Mu only shook his head furiously.
"I want him to protect master Shion for a longer while, I… I don't want to lose my father." Mu said in a sad tone staring at his lap, the memories of his lesson regards the reviving of a cloth still scared him, to see the strong man so many loved looking so fragile.
"I know little one, most of us wish to protect our bearers for all eternity, but sadly is fate not so kind to any of us. There is no happiness without pain, no light without darkness, no hope without grief, no love without hatred and no victory without sacrifice. You must understand this child for we are all bound by destiny." her tone was soft and just as wise as it was expected from those who were bestowed to be her carriers.
"I know, you and the others have seen so much more then we." Mu said as he finally looked up.
"Yes, we have seen much and also carry the memories, hopes and dreams in us from all those whom had fought with us at hey side. Come here child, let me show you some of the past of my bearers and the happier times they had lived and of those they loved."
Mu nodded as he stood up and walked up to the podium.
Shion had been anxious, Mu should have already returned from the first temple since a whole hour, he knew that with him being little that it would take longer then it takes an adult, but still he should have arrived by now. Pushing all his catastrophic fantasies away and scaring some of the maids as he rushed past them headed the pope down the Path of Zodiac in search for his student's cosmos. It gave him relief when he felt it inside the Virgo temple, wavering evenly in a signal that he was asleep and unharmed.
Reaching the temple was Shion greeted with the sight, which he will later in the future view as a 'bad warning signal he should have realized back then', of Mu sleeping peacefully with a little smile on his lips, his head resting on the knees of the Virgo cloth.
"I'm glad that he was by you and not in one of the scenarios I had imagined." Shion replied with a relieved sigh, ignoring the comment his cloth was mumbling towards him.
"You didn't need to worry, I was only smoothing away some of his worries." the Maiden replied to the pope who nodded as he took the sleeping boy into his arms, nodding in gratitude before making his way back to the palace.
Owari
