"Master I'm so happy! We finally got a puppy!" Shun leaned his dyed blond head against the Golden Retriever in delight.
The Master simply smiled as he watched his students bounce up and down in happiness as if they actually won the Trainee Cup itself. He chuckled a bit as the tiny dog began to stick its wet nose down Shun's shirt. Suddenly his eyes narrowed while his heart began to quicken a bit. Off to the side behind Shun he watched as the girl that looked like Marin in a white hood appear. His eyes darted toward where the other Gold Saints were at, with none of them showing any reaction to a stranger in the middle of the arena. Right now, with Athena being in the stands, the security was a bit higher than usual, yet no one showed signs of noticing her."Can't they see her?" he thought as he began to walk forward.
Suddenly, a tiny familiar glint caught his eye. Daidalos gasped as he felt all the blood leave his head. A silver star pendant, the one that was a part of his top secret Child of the Unlucky Star Mission was around Shun's neck. His blue eyes shifted back between the red headed girl behind Shun and the necklace itself. "..what...this...can't... no... it can't..." he muttered as he drew his hand near his mouth, as he began to breath harder.
"Master, what's wrong?" asked Shun.
O|====================================================|O
Daidalos' head shot up. Apparently he had fell asleep at his desk. It was no surprise, he just couldn't sleep during the return trip back to their island even when he allowed June to take over driving the boat. He looked down on the scroll that he had used as a pillow.
Saint of Capricorn,
I believe an unlucky star was born under my student, Shun Amamiya. Come to my island so that we can grant Athena's grace upon him.
The Saint of Cepheus
Daidalos stared at it for a few minutes. His hands rested on one side of the roll, thumbing the special handles. There was the chance that Shun was just another fake. Several false Silver Stars floated around the world, hanging around the necks of many boys to throw them off on who the true vessel was.
But there was another pressing concern. Marin had shared with him several rumors about people being silenced around Sanctuary and the neighboring villages for either speaking against Sanctuary or being Sympathizers of Hades. Even if Shun was cleared, would they let him go, alive? He grabbed the scroll, removed the handles and then crumbled up the paper into a large wad before using his cosmos to burn it. He looked down at the pile of ash in his hand. He wished he could let it slide, but his conscious wouldn't allow it when Holy War was involved. But he needed a little more time to think about how to go with.
His head darted toward the door as the sound of a young puppy began to yip outside followed by the sounds of his laughing students and apparently Dante.
Daidalos leaned back trying to figure out what he was doing there, until the answer came to him. "He always did have trouble parting with the puppies," he muttered as he stood up, hearing his bones pop from being seated in the same position for so long. He took one last glance at his desk before he stepped outside. He turned toward the center of the Living Area to see the children and Dante, carrying beer bottles in their hands while tossing a small ball around between them.
Shun darted his green head of hair at his teacher before picking up the dog and ran over toward him. "Good Afternoon, Master!" He cried as he bowed his head. "How was your nap?"
The Master looked down and stared at the slight glint of chain that shimmered inside his baggy trainer shirt. Back when Shun told him it was a pendant from his dead mother, every once in a while, he'd catch a glimpse of the chain and simple pretend he didn't notice. Now he couldn't stop staring at it. He looked at the child. "Good afternoon..." he muttered. He watched as Shun looked up a bit concerned by his stuttering. Daidalos raised his chin up. He shouldn't treat Shun differently right now. During his mission, there were dozens of children who carried those Silver Star Pendants only to prove they were fake. Shun hasn't shown any sign of being the vessel of Hades other than his necklace. "It was refreshing." He reached over and patted Shun on the shoulder, "are you enjoying the puppy?" he asked trying to make pleasant conversation and set aside his fears.
Shun nodded as the golden retriever licked his face. "Master, we finally picked a name... and it was the one that I thought of!"
"Congratulations!" The Master smiled. "What did you pick?"
Shun grinned, "Cerberus!"
The Master gasped as his face changed from a small smile to a dark glare, "WHY WOULD YOU NAME A DOG AFTER HADES' WATCHDOG!" he snapped as the shine of Shun's chain seemed to shimmer even brighter.
Shun bit his lip, unsure of why his teacher would be so angry, "Oh no, I didn't name it after that." He pointed over, "I named it after Saint Dante."
The Master's anger transformed into that of a gaze of bewilderment. Even after nearly four years, Shun's innocent way of thinking of things still would catch him off guard. "Oh, well... its a good name...Cerberus... is a good name for a Golden Retriever," he mumbled as he walked over toward a rock beside Saint Dante and sat beside him.
Dante looked over and reached for the last bottle in his six pack, "still depressed over losing the Trainee Cup?" Dante asked as he handed the beer over to the Cepheus Saint.
The Master looked at the metal cap. "I wish..." he muttered as he thumbed the top and took a deep gulp.
The Cerberus Saint turned his head over, "nervous about Greenie over there?"
Daidalos looked up, "how did you know?" feeling a bit disturbed.
Dante pointed Dal's half empty bottle, "you always seem to suck it down quicker whenever it's close to your kids' test time. Greenie said that he has one coming up at the end of this month." He looked over, at his fellow Silver, surprised at how pale his face was. He hasn't looked this disturbed since the first time the two first met at the Gift of Aaron Orphanage. "He'll do fine. You said that the test is based on a person's sins and if there's anyone capable of passing the Meditation of the Oracle with flying colors, it's that kid." Dante stood up. He opened up his Pandora's Box and pulled out another six pack of beers and handed Daidalos another, "Here... we might as well go ahead and drink to his victory." He popped off the cap and held it to him, "...to Shun, the purest little fart in the world."
Daidalos faked a smile as he knocked his bottle against Dante's, "to... the purest vessel in the world..." he spoke as he drank it all down in one gulp, before leaning the bottle against his warming head. "Dante, can you do me a favor?"
"Yeah sure!"
The Cepheus Saint held a finger to signal for him to wait there while he walked back inside his hut and back to his desk. He grabbed a fresh sheet of scroll paper and his pen.
Saint of Capricorn,
The Master's pen stopped. There was a chance that Shun wasn't the vessel, but he was still worried they may try something. There are rumors of people being executed for being followers of Hades. If Shun turned out to be the vessel of Hades, the next step was obvious. If Shun wasn't, then that would mean he would put an innocent child's life in danger.
I think I have found another unlucky star.
The Master stopped. "What good would not naming Shun here do? Shura knows about him? He's seen during the Sisyphus Challenge?" He looked down.
However, I request to be the one to administer Athena's grace. Please reply as soon as possible.
The Saint of Cepheus
He looked at his new note. He would have to convince Shura, the most by-the-book person he's ever met, to give him a few rare beads of Athena's dry blood to test Shun with. He quickly closed it up and reached to the side for a small ball of wax. Using a touch of cosmos, he melted it in his hand and dripped it on the paper and then stamping his seal to close it. He wrapped it in a ribbon and returned back outside. He forced himself not to turn to his children. If he did, he may change his mind. He headed straight for the Saint of Cerberus and placed the scroll in Dante's hands. "Could you please deliver this to Sanctuary when you go back to your island?"
Dante looked at the front, "your sending this to one of the Twelve Houses?" He looked up, "you sure you don't want to do it yourself to make sure it gets there? I'll do it but this looks important?"
Daidalos nodded. "It is, but if I bring it, I'm worried it'll never reach them."
O================================================================================O
Love You, Kill Me
Part Five: More Than Mortal
Chapter 36: The Oracle Comes Hither
O================================================================================O
June took her chalk and drew the last Blue S on her wall calender. It felt good to wear a set of cloth braces on her arms instead of her thick casts. Not only could she use her fingers, but they weighed a lot less too. She stood in front of the chain gang. "THERE! It's finished! What do you think?"
"Oh, it looks really nice!" Shun swooned.
Spica bit his lip, "How come I only get to keep Cerberus for one day this week? He asked as he pointed toward his Blue S.
Leda's brow lowered, "Spica, there's only seven days a week and four of us!" he said fighting the urge to not call him stupid. He pointed over to the next one, "see! You start next week and have the puppy twice, while I have it once."
June nodded her head, "I thought about having each of us have a particular day with Sunday being the one where we rotate. But that would get confusing. I thought it would be best if we all have a set pattern to make it easier." She took her folded whip and pointed to the pattern of J, Green S (Shun), L, Blue S (Spica). "I grouped them together that way the puppy can stay in each of our huts two days in a row. " She tilted her head in happiness.
Spica nodded understandingly, "but do we even need a calender? If we are going to rotate, we can keep track of that ourselves."
June gave a firm nod of her head, "of course. Especially when we go somewhere outside of the island, that way we know whose turn is it when we return. Besides, being organized is always important, so says the Master!" Cerberus, sitting on Leda's lap barked twice in agreement. "However, regardless of whose day is it for our puppy to spend the most time with, we must all help each other out to ensure Cerberus survives or he doesn't do anything to make the Master angry. We've lost two dogs on this island already."
Shun saddened, "June, what about Mr. Ptolemy the Beagle?"
June paused and look down, "yes... that would make three, but don't remind the Master."
Leda scratched the side of Cerberus' head, "Master's been acting pretty weird since we got back. Hopefully he's not having last minute thoughts."
Shun couldn't agree more. "When I saw Saint Dante, I thought he was going to take away our puppy!"
June shook her head, "no, I think he was just making sure that the puppy got here just fine." She turned her head toward the door and leaned down to whisper, "don't tell anyone I said this, but I think Mr. Albiore er... Mr. Daidalos, the daddy of the puppies, he died a few days ago."
A long awwww filled the air.
Spica looked up, "I don't think I've ever seen Mr. Daidalos."
"I think Saint Dante brought every dog over except Mr. Daidalos!" muttered Shun.
June nodded. "Oh, I don't think I have either. The only time I've ever heard of Mr. Daidalos is when Saint Dante flashbacks about him. But Saint Dante always tells me he's one of the best dogs in the pack." She took a step forward. "We should all take a moment for Cerberus' Daddy. Let us pray."June waited until everyone placed their hands together in prayer and lowered their heads, "rest in peace Mr. Daidalos, the best dog that nobody has ever met." June raised her head, "okay moving on, let's talk about potty training the puppy. Dog pee is stinky and the floor wood tends to absorb it like a sponge," the Amazon began to explain as she and the others quickly forgot about the dog that they had just mourned.
O|====================================================|O
Daidalos took his rock and began to pick out the eye. It had been a long time since he's picked up his carving tools and did any form of art, but he just hasn't had the time with having four students. He still doesn't have any free time. In fact, right now he should be writing out next week's training routine but instead he needed something to take his mind off his current worry. He reached his hand over to set his tool and began to feel over his set for a finer pick before continuing. He took the edge and began to shape the iris of the animals eye. Normally, it was his favorite part to carve due to the eyes giving his carvings a sort of life. But today, it was difficult and tedious. He started scratching in three lines before finally, he set it aside."Cerberus... why did Shun have to be the one to think of it?"he muttered.
He looked back at his desk. His pen, his stamp that he used for a seal and the ash of the first copy of the scroll that he was going to send were all on his desk. He looked down to the floor. "Dante didn't bring any dogs so he didn't take a boat. He probably reached Sanctuary by now," Daidalos thought to himself as he walked over toward it. He shook his head. He had to stop thinking so negatively over this. "There were so many fake pendants and vessels... Shun's one of them... he's probably a fake too... everything will be fine... and back to normal..." he reassured himself, trying to ease his nerves.
He walked over to the center of his hut and sat down. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths and began to relax. "There's nothing I can do until Shura contacts me," he whispered. "Shun is my student... he is a trainee of Athena... think of him as that first... before any assumptions..." he took his arms and gave a good long stretch. "...everything will be back to normal soon..." he muttered.
"Are you so sure about that?"
His blue eyes opened immediately at the sound of the mysteriously familiar voice. "You..." he stuttered before standing straight up. Sitting on top of his desk, was the mysterious red headed girl with the white hooded cloak. He stared at her as she causally swung her feet back and forth.
The door knocked and June poked her head through. "Master, do you have a second?" She looked at his stunned gaze and turned where he was staring at. "Dad?" she whispered. "What's wrong?"
Daidalos turned to the red headed girl as she simply smiled and played with her hair. "June... can it wait? I have to take care of a few things," he spoke.
June nodded, "okay."
Before she could step back he raised a hand, "June. Could you do me a favor? I have a headache and if you could..."
June tilted her head in happiness. She walked over to his desk.
The Master watched as June not only walked past the red headed girl without so much of a care to grab the first aid kit, but as she came up to the edge of the desk, she took the first aid kit and placed it on the desk phasing through the redhead's stomach and down where her lower torso would be.
June turned around to see his stunned expression. "What's wrong with him? Mom said to watch for any signs of the curse coming back, but he hasn't thrown up yet. Is it the puppy?" she thought as she leaned down and handed a bottle of aspirin to him. "Master, don't worry everyone really wants to do their best to take care of Cerberus."
The Master's focused on June, doing his best to ignore the redheaded girl, "that's good." He replied with a strange intonation in his tone before opening the bottle and taking a couple of pills.
June's eyebrows lowered in concern beneath her mask. "We even had our own meeting to talk about what to do-and-and- we even made a calender that way none of us will fight over who gets to sleep with the puppy!" She watched his face. He seemed so preoccupied as if he wanted her to give him some space. "Well, when you have time, just, you know," she took her finger and tapped her forehead, "I'm just a cosmos message away," she tilted her head in happiness.
The Master nodded. He watched her slowly back out of the room, not out of fear but as a reassurance. When he first told her who he really was, he was afraid that things between them would worsen as if he betrayed her for eleven years. Instead, the opposite happened, making him thankful that he did have his near-death experience. He almost destroyed his relationship with Cass, when he told her about this red headed girl, and now he didn't want to risk ruining the one that had strengthened in a short amount of time. He looked up to his desk, still surprised she hadn't ran off to go dancing in a field somewhere. He closed his eyes for a few seconds and opened them. She was still there and still, he couldn't sense any cosmos from her. "Are you real?"
"I am who I am."
The Master stared at her. "Exodus 3:14," he thought recognizing the response of when God first spoke to Moses as a burning bush and asked him to lead his people to the promised land. He looked up and immediately unloaded the burning question he had since he first saw her,"why aren't you running away? Are you done making me look like a madman in front of my students and friends?"
The girl sat there. "A madman? I would never try such a thing on purpose. You were the one who always kept charging at me like a mad bull since the hotel before the funeral of Eurydice. Why, you even broke the door and woke everyone up." She placed her hands on her lap. "You're a man, a Saint, with muscles upon muscles while I'm just a tiny little thing as well as a Specter. How else should I react?"
He wasn't sure what to think. It was a reasonable answer yet he still didn't believe that was the only reason. He did overreact at the hotel and if she was a Specter, he could understand her hesitation. But even when he reached her, he couldn't touch her or detect her cosmos. Why should she be afraid of getting hurt? It seemed like she was telling him that to portray herself as a frail.
But, she wasn't running now and he should take advantage of it for the sake of his sanity. First he took a moment to use his cosmos to find out where the children were at, and unsurprisingly he could sense that Spica and Leda were out, probably working on making chains and sharpening ends while Shun and June were in their hut with the puppy. Hopefully they won't come in and hear him talking to himself. "Alright, if you wished to speak to me without fear of my fist, here is your chance. Tell me, who are you? Are you related to Marin?" he uttered flatly, bringing one knee up while sitting on the other to put himself in a secret fighting stance while appearing like he is simply listening more attentively. "I would like your name at the least."
The girl looked down from the desk. She closed her eyes, and took a moment to read the winds about what he will do next, and from what she could gather, if she is not careful she will lose what miniscule trust he had in her. She knew from the start that Albiore was a textbook example of the most difficult type to manipulate. He was a skeptic by default, over analytical in whatever he did, and wasn't stupid. The only thing that could make him even more difficult was if he was born a woman.
But not anymore. His friends don't believe him about her existence, his love does not either, and the one person who does is now plaguing his life. He is at a point in which he is desperate for resolution and she will grant it. After more than a year of carefully picking away his confidence, he was ready to become her catalyst for a better world. "For your first question, no, I am not related to Marin. If you would like my name, then I shall give it." She slid off the desk and approached him before reaching for the sides of her long white cloak. She pulled them to the sides, performing a curtsey while revealing the shadowy outline of her Surplice, "I am Harbinger Seika of the Heavenly Waif Prophet Star, Oracle of Lord Hades."
Daidalos looked at her in shock."You can read the winds and predict the future?"
Harbinger Seika looked up and nodded. "That is my duty. Unlike the other Specters, I am no warrior, but rather I aid my Lord with my foresight." She pulled her hands together, allowing her cloak to hide her Surplice. "I see that you distrust me." She closed her eyes, "perhaps you will tell me that so much has happened and I will reply that many of my fellow Specters are the same way around me, especially Lady Pandora. You will ask if Lady Pandora is the sister of Shun that he keeps speaking about and I will tell you that she is." She opened her eyes and gazed at his face. According to the winds, if she stayed any longer, she will only anger him. She must give him time to think, or else he will rebel by not killing Shun Amamiya due to his suspicions of her. "I must take my leave now." She turned around and took a few steps toward the wall. She raised a hand to it and began to slowly pass through it, waiting for him to stop her.
Daidalos drew his hand to his mouth. "Wait!" he called out.
Seika smiled and slowly turned around. "What is it?" she asked waiting for him to wonder if she'll ever return.
The Saint looked up, "When will you be back?"
Seika held her hands. "If Shun is not dead by then, I will be back on the fifteenth day of his Meditation of the Oracle Test, when you will have all of your inquires for me ready by then." She smiled, "do not be afraid of me, I am... your greatest ally." With those words, she disappeared.
For a moment the man looked around the room and walked over toward his desk to think. "An oracle," he muttered. From his experience with the Andromeda Cloth, he could already tell she knew exactly what he would say and how he would react. She may have been friendly and open this time, but in the history of the Oracles, they had always give out details that would benefit their own causes. He touched the surface and focused as hard as he could before opening his eyes. "No cosmos," he spoke. "If she was truly sincere, she wouldn't continue to hide," he thought. He still doesn't understand how she can mask her cosmos like this. Only Gods were even capable of something like this, but she was just a Specter. Was she that powerful? Was she some Goddess or Demigoddess that he never heard of or was he missing something?"
The most important thing on his mind was that she said she was a Specter, yet she kept implying that she wanted Shun dead, much like how true Saints were loyal to their Goddess, a true Specter would be loyal to Hades.
Does this mean that Shun isn't the vessel for Hades? It made him a bit more relieved, but somehow, he felt he shouldn't get his hopes up until he gets some of Athena's blood to test him.
Regardless of the results, she was a Specter and an Oracle, something he never trained to fight. It would certainly prove to be a different type of battle if it must come to that.
Outside in the middle of the desert, Seika touched her forehead. Lady Pandora was requesting her presence in the Guidecca Palace. She touched her forehead and began to read the winds to see what it was about only for her frown bitterly. Even without her talents, she knew that Lady Pandora was receiving rumors about her tangoing with the Argentinean King.
Seika folded her arms. The winds showed that this time, Pandora will hint that she knows about her excursions to Andromeda Island but what about the next time? Seika shut her eyes and read further into the future. She felt a headache begin to build as she moved weeks ahead of time to see the possible futures. Finally she had her answer, Pandora will summon her again after her meeting with the Cepheus Saint and bring Hypnos and Thanatos with her to judge her loyalty to Lord Hades. Now that she knew, she'll be ready for it.
Seika took her hand with a black opal ring and used it to create a glowing stair case in the middle of the Andromeda desert. After the Harbinger Specter descended down, the glowing square closed behind her.
O|====================================================|O
"Wo-wo-ah! Wait!" cried Shun as Cerberus stood up on the tips of its hind legs. "Oh, I know... I like the chicken legs too. But you have to wait! June said you can't have the chicken bones because they splinter!" Shun assured until the pup bounced high in the air and snatched it from his fingers. "Oh no!"
Luckily for him, Cerberus was still fairly small. Shun watched as the poor dog attempted to drag the heavy piece of meat only for a little bit to tear with the rest falling off. Shun grabbed it off the floor and took it to its food bowl. He quickly removed the rest of the meat for the Golden Retriever before tossing the bone in the trashcan for later disposal. Shun raised his head to his hut-mate, "June did you see how high Cerberus jumped?" But June simply laid there. In fact she hadn't really moved since she came back. "June? What's wrong?" he asked as he moved over to the side of her bed.
June sat up and looked down, "no, not at all. I'm just worried about the Master. He's not really sad like all the other times... but lately, he seems so confused and scared!" June placed her hands together, "I know him better than anyone here... and even this is new to me."
"Well, I am going to take my test at the end of this month," Shun said before a loud clang interrupted him. "CERBERUS! STOP IT!" he ran over toward the trashcan as their new puppy pulled the chicken bone. Shun pulled it out of its tiny teeth and held onto it. "What's so funny?" Shun asked again.
June laughed seeing a rare angry look on Shun. She stopped and tilted her mask in happiness, "Sorry, I just never saw you angry before and..." She stopped not wishing to tell Shun that he really did look like an angry chipmunk. "Anyways, dogs will do that. To them, the trashcan is not off limits so we'll have to be careful with any leftovers, especially when Cerberus is a lot bigger. But anyways, I was just trying to figure out some reason why he's changed and hopefully he gets over it soon."
Shun reached down and picked up the puppy with one hand. He watched its head continue to eye their rubbish with hungry eyes before he placed his hand over its neck and scratched it. "Maybe its my test coming up?"
June nodded. "It could be. Test day always makes him a little jumpy...more so than the people who have to take them." June turned her head, "Are you nervous?"
Shun waved a hand. "A little. I've tried to go without a meal once but you yelled at me."
She folded her arms, "that's because unlike training where you need every bit of your strength, meditation is where you just sit there."
"I just wanted to practice a bit." Shun looked down. He felt like he wasn't ready. He had learned from the last Test to never be overly confident. The other one sounded easy because all it was is answering questions. However, he didn't know about the part about jumping into fake lava, being chased by a armored Lion and the Saint in charge going insane from a six hundred year old spirit. The fact that they were also being chased by those men with the strange gadgets didn't help either. "Is the Master still awake?"
June shrugged. "Probably, give me a second."
Shun watched June take a couple of fingers to her head and tilted her mask downwards, a sign that she was talking to him through the Cosmos.
She looked up, "he's awake. He said you can come in."
He smiled and looked down. "Can I bring Cerberus with me? I know today is your day but.."
June tilted her head in happiness, "sure! Just make sure you keep him warm when you are outside," she spoke as she grabbed a towel and tossed it to him.
Shun took the puppy and wrapped it up like a baby before heading outside into the freezing cold Andromeda Island. The Master's blue and white hut wasn't too far but he didn't want their new puppy to stay outside too long. He looked up to see the Master standing outside his door, holding it open. Shun quickly entered, ducking beneath his teacher's arm.
Once inside, he turned and raised an eyebrow. "Master, what happened to your desk?"Shun stepped forward and noticed that there were chalk marks on it. "Were you drawing something?"
The Master leaned down. "Sorry about that, actually I was taking some measurements and the chalk ran over," he lied as he grabbed a wet rag and wiped them off.
Shun nodded understandingly, "oh okay," he looked down relieved it was just a coincident. For a moment, he thought his teacher drew someone's butt and thighs hanging over on the side of his desk.
Daidalos gazed at Shun as the boy petted the small puppy in the shawl. Suddenly the glint of the chain shimmered ever so slightly on the edge of Shun's collar. "Don't treat him different. There were probably hundreds of fake Silver Stars... Shun just happened to have one... once I have a couple of dry beads of Athena's blood... it will show that he's just another naïve trainee with dreams of being a Saint... and everything will be back to normal..." he reassured to himself. Surely that Specter wanting Shun to die was a good sign that his body wasn't the one chosen to house the soul of the King of the Underworld.
"Master, are you okay?" asked Shun.
The Master looked up, "of course. I've just had a lot on my mind." He held his hands and looked up. "Shun, June said you wanted to know more about the next test?"
Shun nodded. "Yes Master. I just feel all you did was tell me to just sit there, and make sure to use my cosmos to stay alive out there."
Daidalos grabbed a pencil, "well Shun, that's the thing, that's all I can tell you with confidence. As I mentioned in Greece, Oracles have always played a part in Greek history for centuries and thus there are many tests out there for other Cloths that follow this same format. However, because each person is different and in turn, each encounter with each Oracle varied greatly. I've heard some describe it as the worst hell they've ever been... others say that they relived old painful memories... others just say they only see nothing but light. There's no way I can tell you what the meditation will be like because I just don't know." He raised a finger, "however, I can tell you that regardless of what's going on, always be aware of where you are and use your cosmos to keep yourself alive."
Shun smiled. The Master seemed like he was back to his long-winded self. "I see. I guess it is good that you really didn't tell me or..."
The Master nodded, "...you'd expect something, and get something else, throwing your guard off."
"Yes!" spoke Shun, remembering to speak with confidence. "Although, are you sure that it is all you can tell me?"
The Master looked down and drew his hand near his chin. Why was he so preoccupied with Shun being Hades? There was no proof. Shun was most likely a person with another fake chain! Like anyone put into court, he needs to treat Shun as innocent until proven guilty, and needed to support as if he never found out. "It's a theory... but it may help relieve you a bit..." He looked up, "I always felt that one pattern that occurs with all those who meet the Oracle is that it always dealt with your inner self."
Shun looked down at his chest. "My inner self..." he asked out loud "I wonder what my inner-self is really like?" he whispered. "What do you think, Master?" he asked. He looked over to see that strange glare in his eyes.
Daidalos watched as Cerberus began to paw at Shun's chest, pressing down on the fabric to form the impression of Shun's Silver Star. He shifted a bit uncomfortably as the puppy licked the spot, making the impression of the star even more evident. "Shun... I don't know..." he threw the pencil behind his back. "I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine. Just... try your best... okay... that's all I can tell you."
Shun looked at him. His teacher was looking really pale again. "I will... thank you for your time, Master, goodnight," Shun bowed while being startled by Cerberus attempting to dig into his trainer again.
Daidalos raised his hand. "Shun wait..." he stood up. "I'm sorry if I'm coming across as rude... I'm just under a lot of stress." He looked over down to his dishes, "I didn't even offer you any water..." he muttered.
Shun looked up and smiled. "It's okay, like you said, everyone has those days when nothing goes right and it seems the whole world is on your shoulders. But, if you ever want to talk let me know. Like you said, if keep all your bad feelings bottled up inside of you, it will eat up you up and you feel worse and you'll start doing terrible things. " He began to head back outside, "goodnight, Master, I hope you feel better!" he waved before he went back inside.
Daidalos watched as the young boy walked back over to the pink hut. He watched as Shun greeted June, while cradling the puppy in the freezing air. Once the two children were in he headed back to his desk and sat there for several minutes. "Why does it have to be Shun?" he muttered. He looked down, deciding he needed some relief he decided to pray. He closed his eyes, "Goddess Athena, as one of your faithful I beg you... please don't let it be Shun. Please... let your dry blood prove that Shun is not Hades... despite his naivety he's one of the most exceptional students I've had... he's so kind and thoughtful... I've never had a student who would visit me as often... and think of me as much more than an instructor..." he took a deep breath as he felt his fingers clenching harder, "Athena, if you are truly in Sanctuary... please don't let Shun be Hades. Right now, I can't tell you how tormented I feel just thinking that there is a chance he could be it... I don't know what I'll do if it all proves to be true. Thank you."
O|====================================================|O
FOUR WEEKS LATER...
"AAH!" cried Shun as he shot up from bed. He turned his head to the side as the twenty pound Cerberus jumped on his bed and barked loudly on top of him. The green haired trainee sat up as he felt the dog leap off his stomach and madly pawed the door. Shun groaned as he turned to the clock. "Okay, I'll let you go potty." Shun dragged himself from his bed and wiped his eyes. He watched as the dog spun around several times, chasing its tail. It was then, he began to smell the scent of something delicious in the air.
Shun opened the door to see a dough and strips of meat grilling over the fire. He looked around and noticed Leda putting prepared meat into the dough and Spica steaming it with the rice cooker. His mouth began to water as he realized what it was, "nikuman?" he muttered as he stared at the steamed meat buns.
June placed her hands on her hips, "SHUN! You weren't supposed to be up! Now you've ruined the surprise!"
Shun shook his head. "I didn't mean to! Cerberus needed to potty!"
June shook her head, "no way! I let the dog go before we got started!"
Leda looked up, "yeah no kidding, its all over my rock!" he pointed over toward his now stained stone.
The Amazon shrugged, "I didn't mean to! He just shot out of the hut and went to the one closest! Besides, he got my rock twice last week when you two had him!" She turned downwards as the golden retriever began to make its way to the vulnerable pile of uncooked steamed meat buns. "Oh no you don't! Bad dog!" she snapped, drawing her whip and making a loud smack sound against her hand. The dog yipped and headed back over to Shun's side.
Spica pulled the lid off the rice cooker and began to pull them out, "hey Shun, I got some fresh ones here. Since you already know, do you want some now?" He asked as he held one of two steamed meat buns?"
Shun could feel his mouth water. Even though they did have nikuman in the orphanage, they were always tiny, dry and loaded with steroids while the one in Spica's hand looked large, moist and well folded as if it was a blooming lotus. "But what about all of you? There's only two, I can wait for mine."
Spica looked down, "I'll cut up this one," he gestured with one of the buns while offering the whole one, "besides, you're the one fasting for a month. Don't worry, we have plenty of ingredients for more." He replied as he stood up and placed it in Shun's hand.
Shun looked down and bit into it, watching a burst of steam envelop the air. The dough had a lovely sweet taste while the saucy beef had a strong hint of garlic. "It's so good! Thank you!" he spoke before he took several large bites.
"Hey Shun, that meat bun would probably taste better if you remove the wax paper underneath!" spoke Leda as he set another uncooked meat bun to the side.
Shun looked down and blushed while the others laughed a bit. For a moment he was embarrassed but he quickly got over it. After all, the others had woken up very early to give him something delicious and for that he was grateful. He looked around, "is the Master up?"
June looked up from her grill set. "No he's still sleeping." She looked down at the meat as it sizzled. "Let's not wake him up. He'll probably enjoy these more when they've cooled down."
Spica rolled his eyes, "no way! If we do that, the sauce inside will make the bread mushy. These things are so awesome when they first come out! Plus they double as hand warmers!" he laughed as he held the steaming bun.
June placed her hands on her hips. "Spica! He can wait! He will appreciate it," she snapped emphasizing heavily on the last part.
"Whatever..." muttered Spica as he took out two more steamed buns and placed them on a plate for June and Leda.
The four children and Cerberus dined on the Asian dish. Shun smiled as they devoured bun after bun beneath the barely starry sky and the rising dawn. Shun couldn't stop smiling even after he couldn't eat anymore. But just when he thought that things couldn't go better, they did.
Leda reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper folded into a star. "Hey Shun, I got something for you," he reached over and handed it over.
Shun looked around as June and Spica followed suit, handing up more paper stars. "What are these?"
Leda pointed down to his, "its tradition that before a person takes a test that friends give them a letter. We didn't do it during the Elysium Leap since its a pretest and we didn't have time during Labyrinth. But you can't read them yet or its considered bad luck. Only when you pass."
Shun looked down at the notes. While he enjoyed his tenth celebration, the fact that they all did this for him made him forget he was on a training camp, but rather his home. "Leda?" Shun asked.
"What is it Shun?" the pink haired boy asked.
Shun looked over as nervousness filled him. "Are... we really friends?"
Leda blushed a bit as the others stared at him. He looked down, "well... I could say that you can read the letter to find out... but I guess I spoiled that when I said only friends do this," he spoke before Shun leaned over and hugged him. "Shun..." he sighed before looking down. "...Shun I hope you pass your test," he spoke.
The moment Shun pulled away, Spica leaned over and hugged him followed by June.
June patted his back when she felt something wet on her shoulder. She pulled away, "Shun what's wrong?"
Shun wiped his tears at his eyes. "Nothing...I'm just so happy right now..."
Suddenly the door over at the Master's hut opened. Everyone immediately stood up as they realized what time it was, "Good Morning, Master Daidalos!" they responded in chorus.
The Master looked around, "good morning," he spoke as he turned to the various bowls and dirty racks over the fire while Cerberus was digging his nose deep into a steamed bun trying to eat the meat first. "Did I miss something?"
Shun looked up, "June, Spica and Leda gave me a surprise breakfast!"
Spica stepped forward with a plate of six steam buns, "Master, I wanted you to come and enjoy it too, but June said to not wake you up and said you'd like them cold!"
Daidalos shifted his eyes toward the wire rack before turning to her. "It's true. I prefer to sit it out until after things are done grilling." He took the plate and picked one up, "it looks delicious."
Shun smiled, "they are. Just don't forget to remove the wax paper beneath it."
Daidalos sat down and pulled out his clip board. He took a steamed bun and bit into it. "I think I've had these before... but the people who gave me it, called it... pau," he then looked down at Shun's hands.
Shun noticed his glance and picked up his star notes, "Master, look what everyone gave me!"
The Master was surprised to see three notes. Apparently even Leda gave him one, "I see. Just don't open them yet, its considered bad luck," he spoke as he ate his food.
Shun looked down, "its like I have a note from almost everyone." Shun spoke out loud, wondering if the Master had one for him. "If I had a note from everyone, its like I made a friend with everyone on the entire island," Shun wondered out loud. He stood there holding his notes but his teacher continued to eat his meat bun.
Daidalos watched Shun frown as the boy stuck his star notes in his trainer and walk back to his designated rock. He sighed as he finished his bun and pulled out his clipboard. "Shun, before I take you to your test, I need to take your measurements of your body. Also, go get your box and wooden sword." He spoke as he pointed behind him.
June, Spica and Leda sat at their stones as they watched Shun run in and out of his hut before the two of them headed into the Master's hut.
"So, do Masters give out star notes?" asked Spica.
Leda nodded, "yeah they do, in fact if the person doesn't have any friends, they can always expect that their teacher would give them one." He shrugged, "unless the Master is that big of a dick."
June darted her head, "he's not! He should have one for Shun!" She even saw him write it out.
O|====================================================|O
"Thirty five kilograms (70 lbs), the Master spoke as he recorded the result. "I wish you didn't eat so much before your measurements."
Shun, currently stripped down to his underwear, raised his hands as the Master used the measuring tape to measure his stomach's circumference. "I'm sorry! I woke up and they smelled so delicious. I didn't think about this. Is my test going to be delayed?" he asked as his teacher pulled the cold tape up to around Shun's chest area.
"No. We committed to this day and its best to stick with it. Besides," he took the measuring tape and began to measure Shun's biceps. "this step isn't required. While fat loss is expected, I'm more worried that if your cosmos won't sustain you, your body will start eating muscle."
His eyes widened, "my muscle?"
The Master nodded, "yes, in fact, after doing some research, I noticed that just about everyone who survived these fasting exercises seem to experience at large percentage of muscle loss." He wrote the number before looking up. "To be honest Shun, nearly all of those that do survive this test aren't healthy enough afterward to become a Saint. The smart thing to do would to just give up, turn in your Wooden Sword and just become a foot soldier. Muscle is very important and to me, a test isn't worth taking if it would affect you for the rest of your life."
Shun looked down on his body as well as his arms. He had built up quite a bit of lean muscle but it wasn't as big as Leda or Spica's and certainly not his Master's. But Shun simply shrugged it off, "its okay. I should at least try. Besides, a Saint is not afraid to die, so I shouldn't be afraid if a part of me is lost on my Path for the Andromeda Cloth. Besides, you always said if I work hard on my cosmos, in the end, muscles won't matter as much."
Daidalos nodded. He'd congratulate Shun for such a good answer if he wasn't hoping that the child would've fallen for it. Any trainee who is offered the False Freedom Test after their third year aren't killed but given the rank of a foot soldier. If Shun were to leave the island, it would make it a bit more difficult to find and test him.
He reached over and pulled the measuring tape to get Shun's neck circumference. He looked down and gazed, "what..."
Shun reached for a mirror and looked into his reflection. "Oh," Shun giggled a bit as he noticed that his Mommy's pendant had made a perfect tan line of where it rested around his neck. Even the Silver Star left a star imprint in the middle of his chest. Why, its almost like he was wearing his necklace even though he had hid it underneath his trainer on the floor. He felt the measuring tape tighten a bit as the master began to read the number number. Shun had remembered watching a scary movie once with Matsuda that featured an Italian mobster who did terrible things like chop off a horse's head and placing it in a bed. However he did remember that many times, people would kill others using wire that they would wrap around the person's neck. While it did remind him a little bit about those scenes, he simply shrugged them off. Master would never do anything to him. He was his teacher.
"You know Shun, those nikuman were quite good."
"Yes, they were. I haven't had meat buns for years, or even fresh ones. I can't believe everyone did all of that for me!" Shun chirped as he walked back over toward his clothes and began to get dressed.
The Master returned back to his desk and sat at his chair, "You know, if you became a foot soldier perhaps I can arrange for you to be in Japan, and arrange for you to be a one the nicer posts. You'll be able to enjoy all the foods and culture that you missed out at from the Kido Orphanage."
Shun, turned around, quietly slipped his Silver Star Pendant away from his teacher. "But I like it here too." Once he got the star pendant back around his neck and tucked beneath his trainer he turned around. "Master, I know you are worried that I'll fail and I won't get the Andromeda Cloth, but I don't want to be a foot soldier, ever! It would not only betray my promise to my brother, but I think I can do it! If you really believe in me, please stop asking me to be a foot soldier!"
Daidalos leaned back in his chair, "alright, if you feel that confident in continuing your Path, I'll continue to believe in you." He spoke as he took out his seal and marked a scroll to show that Shun had passed. He looked down at it, gazing at the five stamps. Two of them from was when Shun first came to the island and The Elysium Leap. The next was placed on The Labyrinth of Queen Cassiopeia but because of the attack, he asked for permission to place a stamp there due to the record number of times Shun came to his Office due to his losing streak. Now he had one more for the Meditation of the Oracle. His eyes shifted to the column that marked The Court of King Cepheus. He then stood up, "however, Shun. I won't stop asking you to be a foot soldier. You maybe doing fine now, but the difficulty of your Path will go up quite a bit if you survive this next test. If your skills are not up to par, then I strongly suggest you give being a foot soldier a shot." He rolled up the scroll and placed it back in his desk drawer. "Besides, if I don't offer it, you wouldn't have any purpose in being in the Army of Athena," the Master spoke as he secretly took his middle finger and carefully slide the golden sacrificial dagger from beneath his gauntlet.
Shun nodded reluctantly, feeling a little frustrated by the Master's flip flopping from being kind to trying to be as mean as possible to him. He looked down at his star notes in his pockets. Maybe his teacher didn't care about him as much as he thought he did. The Master had always told him about the false kindness of the Kido Orphanage, maybe his teacher was just putting an act too?
He watched as the Saint of Cepheus walked out of the door. Shun was about to follow when something caught his eye. The wooden stamp that the Master used to put his seals was still out. He picked it up and reached over for the Master's drawer and pulled it open before gasping. "Ah!" he cried as he reached in.
Daidalos took a few steps backwards and poked his head as Shun stared with wide eyes. "Oh no..." he thought. "Shun what are you doing in my desk?"
But Shun didn't listen. His hand reached inside to grab the object that caught his interest. He flinched as his hand accidentally rubbed against the side of the golden sacrificial dagger, producing a small cut, "oh, that's really sharp," he thought before he pulled out a thick star note with Shun's name on it. "Master, was this for me?" Shun asked as he held the note while his blood dropped all over it. He looked down, "sorry... I was just putting up your stamp... "
The Saint of Cepheus walked over and grabbed Shun's hand. He took his thumb and using his dark blue cosmos, he performed the Golden Touch and healed the wound first. He looked down at the star note, "it was for you... I actually wrote it a month ago in Marin's hut... after we talked about... that girl I kept seeing..." he whispered.
Shun smiled. The Master did like him and not only that, but wrote it ahead of time. "I kept trying to find her, but I didn't see her after wards. But don't worry, I'm always on the look out for her. I really hope that I'll find her, and talk to her again... maybe convince her not to hide to show everyone you're not going crazy."
He looked down at his note for Shun. The poor child doesn't realize what was really going on, "Shun, I... can't give you this star note right now. I'm sorry but, something came up that's very important. I need to take care of it before hand."
But Shun smiled once more. "That's okay. It's the thought that counts. I'm glad you made me a star note. Even if I die before ever getting to read it, knowing you took the time to make it makes me very happy."
The Master looked into his hand as Shun placed the star in it. "I'm glad you understand." The Master took the bloody note and placed it back in his drawer next to his sacrificial dagger. Shun may have been a bit on the naivety side, but anyone who knew Shun as well as he did knew that the child always meant every single word he said.
If only Shun knew how much his good intentions were killing him in the inside."Shun, let's go. The Oracle is waiting for us," he spoke as he made his way to the door.
O|====================================================|O
The hot Andromeda sun had already reached the middle of the sky. Aside from the volcano, the vast desert was the worst part to train in due to how dry it can get. Shun could recall several times where he actually got burned from falling on the sand during sparring.
Shun looked up to see a large black dais in the sand with a gold Buddhist lotus outline on the front of it. According to the true story of Princess Andromeda, the Chameleon, Pegasus, Triangle and the future Perseus Saints all gathered to request guidance on what to do about Poseidon. The closer he got, the more the gold outline of the flower glowed.
Shun stood there as his teacher came up to the disk and placed a hand on it. He tilted his head, seeing his teacher's lips twitch a bit. It was clear that he was talking to whoever the Oracle was before watching him stand up. "Master?"
Daidalos held a hand out toward the dais, "he's ready for you."
Shun suddenly felt his already moist forehead sweat harder. His eyes turned toward the Master before he was about to take a step forward before his teacher lowered his hand. "Shun, use your cosmos..." The Master took his water satchel, opened the cap and poured the contents out. "Shun... I'll stay for a bit so if you change your mind... let me know. Once I leave, that's it."
Shun gasped as he watched water reduce to steam before it could even touch the dais' surface. "That's really hot," he thought before he looked up. "No... I'm staying..." he muttered before he closed his eyes and surrounded his body with his embarrassingly pink cosmos. He took his foot and slowly placed it over the edge. He looked down as the leather of his boot began to shrivel up before he burned his cosmos more until he couldn't feel anything.
It was then he realized that if he faltered for one brief moment during the thirty days in terms of keeping cool or keeping his body nourished over time he would probably die immediately. He turned to his teacher for one final glance before he continued to the center of the dais.
Shun slowly lowered himself down, crossing his legs over each other and placed his shaking hands on his knees. He took several deep breaths as his teacher stood there. He looked as his eyes narrowed, almost pitying him. But Shun must stay. This was his test after all. Shun waved his hand, before his Master waved back before Shun closed his eyes. Once he did, he felt his other senses become a bit more sensitive. He listened as he heard what sounded like a quick tapping sound. The Master was probably using light speed to leave. Before, when he first saw him, he thought he was a ghost who would appear and disappear, but over time, saw it as a norm. He opened his eyes and as he suspected, his teacher was gone. His thirty days had now begun.
He looked around. It seemed like with his cosmos burning as it was, everything had a pink hue to it. "It looks like ice cream," Shun muttered out loud. It felt strange to be truly left alone. The first thing he wondered was how much time did pass before he realized how convenient having a clock in his room was. He closed his eyes in hope that if he was quiet enough that perhaps he could hear the others. However the only thing that made enough of a loud sound were the waves crashing against the cliffs. "Thirty days... I guess there's no turning back now."
Indeed there isn't.
Shun's head raised up as he heard the strange voice. "Who are you?
Who do you think I am?
Shun looked around as the Andromeda Island landscape faded into darkness. He looked down as the black dais began to blend in the with the shadows. Suddenly a beam of light shot through before the the light began to flicker about and part to either side like a lotus blossom. Shun gasped as the outline a person in a meditative position emerged. There was a bright heavenly glow around the Oracle. While it was bright enough to make it difficult to see their face, the light was soft enough to not turn away. He gaze at the long strands of what looked like hair waver around like the rays of the sun, making him wonder if the one in front of him was an angel.
The figure raised its head and began to stare with what appeared to be closed eyes. "Hello, Shun Amamiya. It has been a long time, but we've finally met..."
Shun's hands sweated a bit. The Oracle was in front of him, yet it seemed like they were speaking from high above echoing down upon him. Shun looked down, feeling a bit dizzy. It almost felt like he was floating in darkness but he could still feel his bottom and legs pressing down on the dais. "Where are we?"
"This is your mind. I don't understand why you are nervous, it is the second time you've entered this state."
"But I've..." suddenly, Shun found himself unable to speak. He looked up as the Oracle raised a hand.
"Before this is done, you will know your answer," spoke the Oracle as he lowered his hand. He watched as Shun groaned a bit, surprised to see his voice return. "Right now, your test is all that matters, any curiosities are trivial at this moment."
Shun focused his eyes on the Oracle, not wishing to look down. However, even trying to stare forward made him dizzy, unable to detect any horizon. "What is my test? Master says that it is different for everyone and that you'll see my inner-self?" Shun looked down, "Is this it?"
The Oracle shook his head, "when I am done, you will wish that this was it." He paused, "your Master is right about it being different for all... that is because... you will be judged."
"Judged?" Shun repeated in shock.
"Yes... judged. I will examine your sins and place you in the appropriate level of hell. If you can survive the judgment by the end of the thirty days, you will pass this test and move on. If not, your brain will liquify and if you are lucky, your friends will find you in a vegetative state. If they don't reach you in time, without the power of your cosmos, your body will simply cook on top of this hot dais like an egg on top of a hot iron pan." The Oracle raised a hand and showed a ball of cosmos. "However, your teacher requested that I tell you the full details of what I shall do and offer you one last chance to step away and become a foot soldier. If you wish to give up, I will use this to contact him, declare you a failure and you will forever leave the Path of the Cloth of Andromeda."
But Shun shook his head. "No, I told him I'll never become a foot soldier and this doesn't change a thing."
The ball faded into smoke, causing the Oracle to drop his hand to his knee. "The winds told me you would say that... in truth, you have already started and therefore you wouldn't have been able to leave here... out of kindness, I just told him make his conscious rest a bit easier. Now Shun..." he spoke as he raised his hands into the air.
Shun watched as the Oracle's hands glowed before coming together. He felt a burst of cosmos pass through his body, causing him to gasp. He sat there waiting for any sign of brimstone or fire only to see the same darkness that surrounded him. He struggled to stare at the Oracle's face only to see nothing but a bit of confusion. "Where am I going?" Shun asked.
But the Oracle ignored him. "How strange... it appears I cannot judge you... yet..."
"What happened? Am I that bad?" Shun muttered nervously as he leaned forward wondering what is going on.
The Oracle turned back to him, "...every soul has layers to it...deep in the center is the state of your karma but surrounding your karma is guilt. Guilt, is not truly a sin nor a virtue but a byproduct of virtue comprehending any sin they've committed. The more guilt there is, the more thicker it becomes , the fog that makes it difficult to truly judge if a a person is wicked or virtuous. "
Shun looked down. "So, does this mean I am a good person?"
But the Oracle shook his head, "no, a man could be a murder... and if they regret their actions, they too can have a thick layer of guilt covering their inner self. For the wicked, it could serve as a protective blanket to hide their evil and show those on the outside that they are virtuous. However, for the virtuous, it acts as an inhibitor, and creates fear, illness and at times depict them as the wicked. In order for me to part the fog and judge you, you must be willing to open yourself to the source of this fog that surrounds you. Only then can you move on with the test."
Shun closed his eyes. He wasn't sure what to think. What did the Oracle mean by opening himself? In fact, he couldn't think of anything that could be this fog layer of guilt... although he did feel bad that he was causing problems for the Oracle. But again, it didn't matter what he felt, he couldn't say no. He needed to pass this test. "How do I open myself?"
The Oracle, still sitting in his meditative position floated forward.
The closer the Oracle got, the more Shun began to see that the Oracle's body looked more like a miniature universe. He stopped just a few inches away and offered a hand, "the same way anyone who sees fog... you must pass through it."
Shun looked down and touched Shaka's palm before feeling the ground collapse beneath.
The child screamed as he began to float in the vastness of space. He twisted and turned as stars and planets streaked by faster and faster until every astronomical body seemed like long streaks of light before feeling a large thud at the bottom.
O|==========================?==========================|O
"Won't be long now, kid."
Shun raised his seven-year old head up. He rubbed his eyes as he looked up toward the dark skinned pirate with a ragged ball cap on. "Won't be long for what, sir?" Shun asked as his fingers twirled around the drawstrings of his orange Kido hoodie.
The man pointed out, "till we get there..." he said as he leaned his arms against the railing of the boat.
The seven year old stood there a bit dumbfounded. He pulled his fingers as he started to remember. At least Ikki got a place called Andromeda Island. It sounded nice unlike his, even if he heard it was cursed. He looked down at his urine drenched sweat pants and the small burns from being tied next to the hot pipes of the boiler room. "Th-th-thank you for letting me out... that was very kind of you," Shun stuttered as his hands rubbed his bruised skin.
The sailor shrugged, "I had to... everyone said... this place is fucking evil... last time I didn't believe them..." He reached over and pulled his hat off to reveal a long set of stitches along the center of his scalp, "frankly... I ain't ever stepping two feet of this place." He reached down and grabbed Shun by the front of his orange hoodie, "if I were you, I'd let myself sink to the bottom and drown... good luck..."
Shun screamed as he was flung overboard into the dark water. Shun darted his head back and forth as he struggled to swim. The salt water struck his eyes causing him to cry. The waves were strong as they pulled and pushed him back and forth in the dark water. He turned his head as a head with half of its skin eaten away floated by him.
Suddenly, a large wave crashed on top, pushing him to the bottom of the sandy ocean floor. Shun's eyes shifted back and forth as he tried to kick his way back up.
An arm reached down and grabbed him by his neck, pulling him out of the water.
A white haired man with leather scarred skin and a strange mask stared straight at him.
Shun tried to scream as the man's hand tightened around his throat.
"Welcome to Death Queen Island, Shun Amamiya," Guilty cackled.
O|=================================================================|O
Coming December 4
Chapter Thirty Seven: Sword And Friendship of Guilty
Seven year old Shun is sent to the worst training ground to earn the Phoenix Cloth. He should be fine though. After all, what does the future Saint of the Phoenix have to fear from a blood thirsty murderer named Guilty?
Can You Feel The True Power of the Cosmos?
O|=================================================================|O
I really tried to get this out on time, especially on Pandora Aihara's birthday. But there were a number of sections where I wrote and rewrote several times over before I got something that I was satisfied with. The Master's was a bit difficult this time around because the challenge with depicting a confused person is to make it where the audience understands what is going on without them being lost.
Shaka and Shun's scene was even tougher because I had so much trouble transitioning from the desert to the dream/mind to where Shun is at now. I also had to go back and research some of the earlier parts to make sure I got some details right.
Not only that but the next chapter is the last one for Part Five before we move on to the Final Part.
I really tried to get this one out today since I have to travel down south for Thanksgiving tomorrow.
For the ending of this chapter, originally, this plot thread was going to be back in Part Two, as part of Shun getting over his grief from his time at the Orphanage. That way, each Part featured some sort of test. But, I liked the twist so much that I decided to combine it with Shaka's original test of judgment and plus, I felt that experiencing DQI is much worse than a maze and a lion.
Saint Seiya news, a new chapter of Next Dimension is continuing around December 1st.
Sorry for the second big delay. Hopefully the next update will be more on time.
Thank you for all the reviews and if there are any problems, let me know.
Jenny D
Edit: Gave June braces on her arms.
