Warning: spoilers for Hades

Ten: Taurus

The crow of the rooster indicated sunrise, the time to wake from slumber and start the day. Farming was new to Aldebaran, but not new to his pupil, AJ, who had been found working on a farm among people who were not his kin. Most pupils, for some reason or another, were always orphans, so that they could be taken and trained without any familiar obligations. AJ was no exception. The nine-year-old had been found on a farm on the outskirts of Midlothian, imbued with so much Cosmos, Aldebaran could hardly believe nobody found the boy earlier. After speaking with the child, it was discovered that he was a Taurus, so training commenced that afternoon.

Now, six months in, AJ progressed at a rapid pace. His speed and strength outmatched even Aldebaran at that age, which pleased the older man to no end. He knew that this child would be the perfect inheritor of his Cloth, regardless of whether or not he could learn Taurus' greatest move, Great Horns, within the year.

AJ burst into the room that slept the Taurus Saint already dressed and ready for the day in a modest ensemble of a white t-shirt, blue jeans and work boots, and stood at the side of the bed staring with a giant grin on his face. Aldebaran cracked open an eye and could not help smiling back.

"Good morning, AJ," he greeted.

"Good morning, master," said the pupil. "I have breakfast ready."

The first time breakfast had been ready before sunrise made Aldebaran widen his eyes in shock. After a week, he got used to it. "Thank you, AJ. I will be dressed and ready in a moment."

AJ smiled brighter. "You don't hafta thank me every day, master. I'm used to making breakfast."

Aldebaran slid out of the covers and planted his feet on the ground. He rose, stretched, yawned, then pat the kid on the head. "Go start. I'll join you in a moment."

AJ nodded, turned and left the room.

After a hearty breakfast made with all they cultivated from the farm, it was time for the daily farm duties. Instead of traditional farming machinery, Aldebaran and AJ did all the work by hand, especially in the fields. The Taurus Saint pulled back at times to watch his student work, amazed at the speed at which the kid was progressing. AJ could carry four bushels of hey with each hand, more if he set them upon his back, and it only took him a few hours to rake the acres. Aldebaran left the heavier tasks to the kid while he fed the animals, milked the cows, collected eggs and groomed the horses. Once their morning tasks were complete, they went for a ride in the countryside. Come late afternoon, Aldebaran began the teaching and training session.

"Today," began Aldebaran, standing before his pupil outside of the barn while AJ sat on bales of hey, "we will continue our discussion of the battle of Hades."

AJ's eyes lit up. He seemed to love learning about all the epic battles that the Saints fought. But before Aldebaran could say anything, the boy raised his hand.

"Yes, AJ?"

"Master, could you tell me how you helped the Bronze Saints into Elysium?"

Aldebaran let out a chuckle. "That's easily answered. We created light."

"Huh?"

"When all twelve Gold Cloths gather, and Cosmos is raised to the highest power, we have the ability to create light brighter than the sun. We needed that light to blast a hole through the wall that separated Hades' throne room from where Hades was keeping Athena."

AJ looked to be in serious thought. "I'm confused. Aren't there only seven living Saints?"

"Eight," corrected Aldebaran.

"So how did you make light with eight when you said you needed all twelve?"

Aldebaran smiled at AJ's curiosity. "The other Cloths came to our aid. Remember, I was not among those who entered Hades, but already a part of Hades."

"Like Sagittarius and Aries Shon?"

"That's Shion, AJ."

"Right, master, sorry. Like them?"

"Um," Aldebaran thought hard about that time in Hades by the Wailing Wall. He could feel the beginnings of a headache begin to prick behind his eyes. "Aiolos was there, but I do not recall Shion being there. But the Aries Cloth was there to assist."

"So the Cloths have their own Cosmos?"

"Yes, they do."

"And they can raise their Cosmos to the highest level?"

"Um, no, Cloth cannot raise or lower Cosmos; they simply aid in projecting our own." The pounding worsened, encompassing the entire area behind both Aldebaran's eyes.

"So you didn't need all twelve to make light, only eight?"

Aldebaran felt dizzy, woozy, and his head ached something awful. He glared at AJ and snapped. "Enough!" The boy flinched and widened eyes, then looked down as if ashamed, which stabbed the Taurus Saint with a sharp pang of guilt. He softened his voice. "That's enough, AJ. Do not ask those questions again. Trust me, and trust in me. I promise never to steer you wrong."

"Okay, master. I'm sorry." AJ would not bring up his eyes.

"That's okay." Aldebaran tried to shake off the bad feelings that those questions produced, not only unable to find the answers to those questions, but also unable to understand why the asking of such things could make him so irritated. Did something happen that he was not aware of? No, that could not be. With the absence of talk the ache in his head disappeared, so he pushed all thoughts of the battle of Hades from his mind and clapped his charge on the shoulder.

"Come, AJ," he smiled. "Time to spar."

And to Aldebaran's utter delight, the child lifted bright, shining eyes and smiled big, easing any negative feelings that the Taurus had been harboring. The words faded to the breeze in favor of the grunts and cries of their training session.