Chapter 2
The Pegasus of Wildfire
-X-
Whale Island: Sanctuary
The full moon shined through the window of an old ruined home, where Seiya was lying on a nearby bed. The young Knight was starring at the Steel Pegasus Charm while smiling to himself. He tossed the Charm up into the air and let it spin for a few seconds as his mind recounted the trial he had to go through in order to get the Cloth. However, his mind centered on one thing...and that was the mysterious girl he saw outside of the arena, the one who looked like an Outsider. The Steel Charm landed in his hand, as...
?: "Seiya!"
Seiya jumped up from where he was sitting at before quickly turning to face the individual that called out to him. It was Marin, who was laying on her own bed, relaxed and in this case, keeping to herself. "Don't scare me like that, Marin!"
Marin chuckled at this before speaking her thoughts. "Did you not hear what the Master told you?" The female Knight said before sitting up. "Don't blame me if you accidentally activate the Charm without a good reason and your eyeballs burst."
"M-My eyeballs?" Seiya asked with a look of a horror on his face.
"Seiya, want to know the name of the box that Charm contains?" Marin asked as she sat up. "It was called Pandora's Box in ancient times. The same box the Gods told her never to open, and because she opened the lid, countless evil spirits were unleashed upon the world...That, was Pandora's Box!" After saying this, the Eagle Knight turned to face her student. "On that day, the Demons and Spirits were born. And even the Undead: Ghosts, began to walk upon the earth from their graves."
"Y-You're joking, right, Marin?" Seiya said while getting into a fighting stance.
"But Seiya, the Cloth is meant to protect your body." Marin reminded her student. "If ever your life is in danger, you mustn't hesitate to activate the Charm and put on the Cloth. Whether the Charm holds a Demon, a Spirit...or a spark of hope."
KRASH! The wall nearby Seiya's bed came crashing down...as a group of Knights came rushing into the room. They began to quickly search through the room for three things: Marin, Seiya, and the Steel Charm that contained the Pegasus Cloth. However, as the Knights ransacked the room, none of the three targets came into sight. After a minute of searching, the Knights gathered together.
"Ugh!" One of the Knights groaned. "They're not here!?" He asked his the other knights.
Just as he asked this...a shadowy figure emerged from the hole the other individuals had created. Unlike the ones who served Athena, this figure wore armor that was more a costumed to a Japanese Shogun. A metal mask hid his face, as the other warriors slowly stepped away from him. The figure looked around the room and noticed a key fact...not only were Seiya, Marin, and the Charm gone...but so were most of Seiya's belongings.
The Armored figure soon turned to face the direction he had just came in. "...He's planning to take the Cloth and escape from Sanctuary." The Armored figure faced his supposed followers and gave them a single order..."After them! Seiya and Marin must not reach Inizo Village alive!"
-X-
A quiet air hung over the ruins of Sanctuary, as all the warriors who lived in this area were in a deep slumber. The stars decorated the night sky, making it seem like the galaxy was a beautiful ocean that loomed over us all. However, this sense of calmness was disturbed by the sound of feet colliding on the ground. This sound was coming from Marin and her student Seiya, who were running for their lives from an approaching threat.
Seiya continued to breath heavily while carrying his travel sack, before asking his teacher and friend a simple question. "W-Wait, Marin! Why do we have to sneak away!?" Seiya asked his teacher as they ran past some ruins. "Why slink off in the night when I could leave for the Village in the morning!?"
"You'd be a corpse by morning, Seiya." Marin calmly said as they kept running.
"What?" Seiya was now confused by his teachers response.
As they continued to run, Marin explained herself. "You took the Cloth from Shaina and her cronies. They'll never allow you to take it away from here." Marin said...before coming to a stop. Seiya saw this, but before he could react, he trips and falls over. This causes the Charm to activate, releasing the Steel Box. As he hit the ground...the Box fell on top of him. "But it seems we were too late anyway."
Seiya slowly held his head up and was able to look up at what Marin was talking about...and it was none other Shaina, the Snake Knight. Seeing this caused Seiya to jump up and stand his ground. "Unh! Wh-Why all the hate, Shaina?" The young Pegasus Knight yelled. "I beat Cassios fairly-I've done nothing to deserve your hate!"
Shaina ignored Seiya's rant and looked directly at his teacher. "Marin...Will you stand aside and let me take Seiya!?" Shaina said as she glared directly at her eternal rival. "Or will you fight me to save him?"
Marin starred at the female Knight for a few seconds before letting out a small chuckle. "Ha! He's a big boy, now." The Eagle Knight said, causing her student to give her a questioning look. "Seiya, if you want to go home, you'll have to by Shaina."
Before Seiya could respond to this...SKREEEEE! "Ah!?" Shaina's claw came rushing at him, sending the young teen flying into the air with an uppercut, one that gave him the image of a Cobra that tangled itself around him, choking the life out of him...while electrocuting him at the same time! "AAAAAAHHHHH!" The young teen slammed into the ground as Shaina jumped into a fighting stance. "Oooh...I feel like I just got toasted by fifty thousand volts." Seiya groaned.
"THUNDER COBRA!" Shaina yelled while clenching her fist. She quickly strikes the air...cutting Seiya's shirt!
"Unh-uh!" Seiya groaned in response to being attacked. "Another jolt like that and I'd be golden brown and flaky." The young Knight thought before glaring at Shaina. "Sorry, but it's my turn." He charges at the female Knight and unleashed his signature attack. "Try my Meteor Fist!" FLASH! Seiya sent a storm of mighty punches towards Shaina...yet, the Cobra Knight remained calm.
"How cute." Shaina said with a small chuckle. "But your meteor punches look like gutter balls to me." The Knight started to walk towards the flying fist. "They may have worked on that novice Cassios, but they can't hurt me...because...I CAN SEE EACH OF YOUR PUNCHES CLEARLY!" Shaina raised her fist in the air. "I can even count them!" She thought...before she deflected ALL of Seiya's punches with her own punches! "Not enough to help you against a true Knight!"
"Wh-What!?" Seiya jumped back in suprise. "She blocked all of my punches!"
"Fool!" Marin said in a scolding manner. "That shouldn't surprise you. Shaina's throwing more than 90 punches per second. Of course she's blocking you!"
Upon seeing this sight, all Shaina could do was laugh. "I'll tell you this in parting, Seiya..." SHWAK! The female Knight raised her Cobra fist into the air, signifying the strike of the Cobra! "To beat me, you'd have to throw at least 100 per second!" With this, she unleashed another Thunder Strike, one that sent Seiya flying into the air. Once again, this caused the young teen to collide into something... this time, he collided with the Steel Box that contained the Pegasus Cloth. Both Seiya and the Box went crashing over a small hill and fell to the ground. Shaina walks to ledge and looks down with a twisted joyful glee. "And that's nearly impossible for a mere mortal. Your hands would have to move faster than the speed of sound! Ha ha!"
"There are Knights who can do that, though." Marin said as she approached the female Knight from behind. Shaina turned to face the Eagle Knight as the air around them became intense as the each starred the other down. However...this intense air was cut. It was cut by the arrival of another figure, a figure that brought an aura of darkness. This darkness seemed familiar to Shaina as she lowered her stance while Marin held her standing. "I see it now...You always were a failure, Shaina. It makes sense you would defect." She turned to face the darkness...as it belonged to the Armored figure. "But to side with the Demons, with Queen Beryl...you truly are a Human."
The Armored figure walked past Mia and towards the cliff where Seiya and the Cloth had fallen. He looked down at the young teen and gave him a devilish aura. However, before he could step towards the Knight...ROAR! The figure halted their movement...as a large White Tiger with black strips on it's back landed in front of Seiya. The Armored Figure was surprised by this before noticing that there was a small cat sitting on the tiger's back. The cat, which carried two katana's on it's back leaps off of the tiger and faced the Armored figure.
"Finally decided to show yourself, huh!?" The cat said to the Armored figure. The cat then chuckled before leaping into the air...and being consumed by fire. This sight shocked both Marin and Shaina, as The Armored figure stood prepared to fight. The flames disappeared and in the cats places...was a young man with black hair, blue eyes, and covered in red and white armor. The young man landed on his feet and stood his ground. "Fighting evil with righteousness! Ryo, of the Wildfire! En-garde!"
Seiya slowly looked up to see the mysterious warrior standing in front of him. "R-Ryo...of the Wildfire?" The young Knight said as he barely got to his feet.
Ryo glanced back at Seiya, before turning to face the Armored Figure. The Armored Figure himself let out a confident chuckle. "Brave talk from a Celestial whose far way from it's Kingdom." The Armored Figure said before pulling out his weapon: a spinning sickle connected to a chain (yeah, I don't know the name of that type of weapon, if someone can help me, I would very appreciate it).
He throws the end of the chain towards Ryo, who quickly jumps over the weapon...as it strikes Seiya instead, sending the Pegasus Knight flying towards the ground. Ryo then came in with a flying kick, one that connected with the Armored Figure's face. Once this was done, Ryo's ally: the large white tiger leap towards the figure and attacked with it's claws. Yet, the figure only stood there as the two got on the defensive. "...Is that the best you can do?"
Marin and Shaina slid down the hill, as Seiya regained his footing. Ryo and the tiger stood in front of Seiya...as the Armored Figure launched an attack on the Warrior of Wildfire! At the last second, Ryo blocked the attack with his arms, causing the two to enter a struggle, a struggle that caused the very earth around them to shake and erupt. Finally, Ryo pushed the figure away before leaping away. The figure's lunged slash caused the ground to break apart, as if the very wind strikes it.
"This Soldier of Doom sure packs a punch." Ryo said before getting into a fighting stance.
Seiya ran up to the Warrior of Wildfire and grabbed him by his shoulder, causing him to face the young teen. "Hey! Do you mind telling me what's goin' on here!?" The Pegasus Knight yelled in complete confusion.
Ryo freed himself from his grasp and quickly pushed the teen away. "Argh! Stay out of the way, you idiot!" Ryo shouted. "I'm trying to save your life!"
"How much longer do you think you can withstand this?" The Armored Figure said, catching Ryo's attention. He then notices that his weapon started to glow, as the ground underneath it began to break apart, which clues in his ability to Ryo. However, before the warrior could react, the Armored Figure leap towards him...only for Ryo to quickly dodge the attack...and allow Seiya to be caught in it's path as the earth in front of him came rushing towards the young Knight...
?: "Watch out!"
The ground attack came in a flash!...destroying a large backpack in it's wake. Seiya was saved by the Outsider named Mia Koji! The two fall to the side of the battlefield, as the two warriors continued their battle. After a few seconds, the young female raised her head. "That was close." She looked back at Seiya, who held his head up in confusion. "Are you all right? We have to get out of here!"
Seiya looked over and noticed who had just saved him. "Hey, you're that Outsider from the coliseum." The Pegasus Knight said as his mind clicked. "What are you doing here? Are these weird guys with you?" The Armored Figure threw it's weapon at Ryo, who quickly jumps over it. However, the figure brought his weapon back around and caught Ryo's right leg, causing the warrior to crash face-first into the ground! Seeing this, Seiya's first reaction was to charge in and help, but he was stopped by Mia. "What are you doing!? He need's help!"
"Please wait!" Mia said as she tried to hold the Pegasus Knight.
As the Armored Figure slowly stepped towards the teen, his large feline ally came to his defense. Upon noticing this, Ryo jumped to his feet. "Out of the way, White Blaze!" Ryo said while trying to push his friend away. "There's no way you can put up a fight against him!" Despite his warning, the tiger named White Blaze leaps in to attack the Armored Figure. "Wait!"... only for the figure to counter with a punch to the face. The tiger is able to land on it's feet, before staggering to the ground. "White Blaze...(he turns to glare at the figure) Why, you!" Ryo declared in anger as the pain from his old wound begins to effect him.
Seeing this, the Armored Figure prepared to attack once again, intending to deliver the final blow to Ryo. "Say farewell to this world! Join Queen Serenity and the Silver Millennial in the afterlife!" The Armored Figure threw his weapon towards the warrior, and at first glance, his weapon made a direct hit...
...however, what his weapon strikes was not Ryo, but the gauntlet of an arm that had protected the Warrior of Wildfire. "Well, you can leave the rest to me." A new voice said. Ryo turned to see who saved him. It was a young man, who wore the same style of armor as him, yet it shared the color blue instead of red. The man himself had blue hair and blue eyes. "Fighting evil with wisdom. Rowen, of the Heavens! En-garde!"
As both the Armored Figure and Seiya were caught off guard by this, another warrior landed behind the former. This one had the color of orange for his armor. He had dark blue hair and blue eyes, with a golden headband that decorated his forehead. "This whole scene is just too painful to watch!" The warrior said before standing up. "Fighting evil with justice. Kento, of the Stone! En-garde!"
?: "You sure are taking your time!"
The figure looked up to see a shadow standing on top of a nearby hill. This shadow turned out to be another warrior! This warrior had a light blue color for his armor. The man also had auburn hair and blue-green eyes. "Fighting evil with trust. Cye, of the Torrent! En-garde!"
Cye leaps off the hill and begins to fall towards the ground. Alongside him was another warrior who...was descending towards the ground from upside down! "Looks like I just made it in time." The warrior had a color of green for his armor, blonde hair and blue eyes. "Fighting evil with grace. Sage, of the Nimbus. En-garde!"
The two landed on the ground, as Seiya got a good look at all five of them. As the five warriors surrounded the general, Seiya and Mia were completely unaware of the incoming Shaina! "All five of them are here now." Mia said, here gaze fixed solely on the warriors.
"What do ya mean?" Seiya asked, still confused by what was going on. "Do you know those weirdo's?"
Mia heard this question and quickly turned to face The Pegasus Knight with a rising smile. "They're the Legendary Samurai Troopers. The warriors who stood against Queen Beryl during the final days of the Silver Millennial: The Ronin Warriors!" As Mia said this, all Seiya could do... was tilt his head in even more confusion. "Even now, they fight for the honor of Princess Serenity."
"Hmm..." Seiya said before lowering his head...and giving Mia a sheepish smile. "...I have no idea what you're talking about." Mia's smile quickly faded as Seiya's smile evolved into a grin. "And I really don't care either." After this, her mouth dropped open. "But you saved me from that metal jerk." The young Pegasus Knight then held out his hand. "You wanna be friends?"
Mia was caught off guard by Seiya's easy going nature, but before she could give him a reply...The Pegasus Knight quickly grabbed her by her shirt and jumps out of the way...of Shaina's Cobra Strike! "Little bastard!" Shaina growled as Seiya landed on her right side. Mia lands on her rear as Seiya lets go of her. Marin stood to the side and decided to watch both battles unfold.
"Shaina, you coward!" Seiya yelled. "Why are you trying to attack me from behind!? If you were a real Knight, then you'd know attacks to the back are seen as disgraceful!"
"You dumbass!" Shaina countered as she got to her feet. "I'm trying to KILL you! You disgraced my student, took the Cloth that was rightfully mine, soiled our holy ground with your despicable Japanese blood! As far as I'm concerned, you have no right to leave with our cherished Pegasus Cloth!" Shaina then pointed her claws in Seiya's direction. "So let's try this again...I'll give you just one chance to leave the Cloth and walk away as the coward you should be. However, if you refuse-"
"I REFUSE!" Seiya declared, cutting Shaina off before she could finish her statement.
"LET ME FINISH, DAMN IT!" Shaina shouted in outrage.
"No way!" Seiya looked over at the nearby Box that contained the Pegasus Cloth. Marin stood to the side and decided to watch both battles unfold. "I need that Cloth in order to get back to Japan. I put up with all those years of training...All those years of torture!" He looked over at the Pegasus Cloth. "I've finally achieved my dream! Beet's dream!" With resolve in his voice, Seiya turned to glare at Shaina. "So, no matter what you do...no matter what you say...I'm taking that Cloth, and I will become a hero!" Upon hearing this, Shaina's only response was to growl in anger.
The Armored Figure chuckled to himself before studying his opponents. "I've got you together now." The Figure said as the five warriors prepared for battle. "I can finish you off all at once!"
"That's some big talk." Sage declared with a cocky grin. "Can you back it up!" The Warrior of Nimbus lowered his stance...before dashing towards his target. "Let's see!"
"Yeah!" Kento of the Stone shouted before leaping into battle. The Armored Figure looked back and forth as his two enemies prepared to attack him. Sage raised his hands and collided them into a single fist. He strikes at the figure, who blocks the attack with his chains. The figure then uses the chains to push Sage back, looks on in confusion as he rubs his harmed hand. Kento charged in with his extended punch. "He's mine!"...However, something catches him off guard. "Huh!?" The blade at the end of the figure's weapon came flying towards him...striking the the Stone Warrior, who is sent crashing into the ground!
Kento slowly got to his feet as Sage landed right next to him. "What power...!"
Cye saw this, and immediately leap's into the air. "You're up against me next!" The Warrior of Torrent went in and landed a few punches to the figure's helmet. He lands on his feet...as Rowen comes flying in with a spinning spiral kick, one that deals a heavy blow to the Armored Figure.
Rowen lands on his feet as a smile appears on his face. "Did I get him?"
The Armored Figure remained silent for a few seconds...before raising his chains into the air, causing his weapons to spin over him. With a single lash forward, the blade at the end of his chains went on a rampage...striking each of the four warriors. Rowen and Sage quickly regain themselves and jump to the side. Despite their injuries, the two prepare to face the figure once more..."Let me handle this." At the sound of this voice, Rowen and Sage turned to see the injured Ryo of Wildfire standing next to them.
"You're beat. You can't take him, Ryo!" Rowen said while quickly coming to his friends aid. "How long have you maintained your human form?" Ryo growled in anger as Rowen helped him to the ground.
"Take a break." Sage said to the Warrior of Wildfire. "We have some fantastic news to share with you."
"Yeah Ryo, I'll finish this one." Cye called out.
Hearing this, Kento turned to glare at his ally. "You were the last one here!" The Warrior of Stone stated. "Don't you try to steal the show!"
"Oh no!" Mia said while watching the five warriors. "Their hearts and minds aren't united."
"Man, those guys kinda suck at fighting." Seiya commented while tilting his head.
Mia quickly got to her feet and called out to the five Ronin Warriors. "Listen to me! You've got to be united! You can't defeat them if you don't channel your remaining strength!" The five noticed the two individuals who were watching the battle.
The Armored Figure also noticed the two and gave the young female a death like glare. "I don't appreciate you interfering like that." With that said, the figure threw their chain weapon at the two.
"Watch out!" Seeing this, Mia quickly pushes the young teen out of the way, allowing herself to be captured.
"Hey!" Seiya called out before leaping towards the Armored Figure...
-only for Shaina to appear behind him and place one hand on his shoulder while using the other to charge up an attack. "THUNDER CLAW!" With one strike, Shaina struck Seiya's back, sending a deadly current of electricity through his body. The Pegasus Knight screamed out in pain. His body goes limp, as collides with the harsh ruined land that lied underneath him. She looked back at the motionless teen and stared at him for a few seconds...before letting out a low growl. "Damn...He's still alive..."
The Armored Figure chuckled at this as he held up Mia with his Chains. He then glances at the five Ronin Warriors and gives them a sinister chuckle. "Right. Let's see your true power." The figure begins to pull the chains back, causing the chains around Mia to slowly crush her. She screams out in pain, while Shaina joins him.
"Why, you!" Kento shouted before leaping towards the Armored Figure...right as he was enveloped in an orange light. The figure, along with the other warriors in the field noticed this. The light grew brighter, and brighter, and even more brighter...until it exploded in a single flash!...levaing a small cat in Kento's place! This was his true form. "Huh!? N-No! My Cosmo is completely gone!"
"Kento, you fool!" Rowen called out to him. "Concentrate and transform back-" Before he could finish...the same light engulfed him, Cye, and Sage. The light around them flashed, returning them to their cat forms. Ryo noticed this, along with the fact that the same light was covering his feet. He growled in anger before falling to his knees and being surrounded by red light. The light flashed...reverting Ryo to his cat form.
"Damn it...I didn't expect my Cosmo would run out so quickly..." Ryo said in a tired tone of voice. The other four quickly joined him, as the Armored Figure saw this and quickly burst into a fit of laughter. He then nodded to Shaina, who unleashed another Thunder Claw, striking the ground underneath the five cats. The mini-warriors were sent flying into the air before quickly falling to the ground.
-X-
Seiya's left hand started to twitch as the young warrior slowly regained consciousness. He looks up and sees that the five Ronin Warriors were defeated...and also cats? "Okay...now, I think I'm dreaming..." Despite his current condition, the young Pegasus Knight noticed the Steel Box that contained his holy armor. With what was left of his strength, Seiya began to crawl towards the Box, his hand slowly stretching out, almost as if he could reach it.
Marin watched her student struggle, coming to the mindset that she would not help him. This decision didn't come from a place of malice, but from a place of trust. "Seiya...The Cloth is meant to protect your body." Marin thought to herself...as the handle on the Streel Box started to move by itself. "If ever your life is in danger, you mustn't hesitate to open the box and put on the Cloth. You must find out if the Box holds more evil spirits..." Seiya's hand reached out even further, as the handle continued to shake more and more. As this happened, a surge of aura began to emerge from Seiya's hand. And in a single unknown instance...The Knight's hand finally grasped the handle of the Steel Box and pulled it! "...or hope."
FWOOM! The Steel Box opened...allowing for a creature of pure flame to emerge from the inside. "AAAH! A D-Demon!" Seiya yelled out in shock and surprise. However, instead of attacking him the creature of flames, which took on the form of a Pegasus, began to slowly fade away...leaving a metal item in its place. As smoke rose from the Metal item, Seiya's mind and eyes finally put two and two together, as the very thing that was in front of him..."What is it..."...The Pegasus Cloth!
-X-
"I'm sure he was groaning right around here..." Shaina said as she was looking around the area for Seiya's body. "And the Cloth Box has disappeared too."
"Forget about the boy." The Armored Figure said as he chained Mia to a nearby boulder. "We have the five guardians of Queen Serenity." He holds up Ryo by his fur. The cat growled in anger as the figure chuckled. "They can tell us where Princess Serenity is..."
Shaina continued to search for either Seiya's body or the Cloth...only for an intense air to drop upon her. She raises her head in response to this feeling. "What's this!?" The female Knight said in surprise. "I sense a terrible Cosmo flooding this whole area..." Her senses then go off in a flash, as a gust of wind strikes her right shoulder. "Seiya!?" Shaina quickly rolls back and looks around frantically for her enemy. "R-Ridiculous...But what was that incredible impact?"
As Shaina continued in her frantic pace, a single realization came into her mind. A realization that sent a chill down her spine. Wait, just before the impact, it sounded like something was tearing the sky open..." Shaina thought to herself, as the wind flow's past her. "Like the sound of a Sonic Boom..." After a few seconds, the Armored Figure began to take notice of the strange Aura. "It couldn't be Seiya's punches..." After another gust of wind passes her, Shaina finally loses her composure. "Wh-Where are you, Seiya? Show yourself!"
"Here." KLANK, KLANK, KLANK, KLANK. Sounds of metal clashing with each other fueled the air, as Seiya's voice called out to Shaina. "I'm over here."
Shaina turned to face the direction the voice was coming from. Upon laying eyes on Seiya, the female Knight could only gasp in surprise. "Unh! S-Seiya, you...look..."
"So, you finally put it on." Marin thought to herself as she watched Seiya enter the battlefield. "That is unmistakable proof of your Knighthood.
Seiya Furuya entered the field of battle, covered in the Pegasus Cloth! The young teen looks down at his opponent as the wind surrounds him. He then jumps from the nearby cliff and towards the ground across from Shaina. She is taken aback by this...as the Pegasus Knight falls...head first into the ground, catching the figure and Shaina off guiard. Marin lowers her head in embarrassment while Seiya struggles to get free from the little crater he created with his fall. After a few seconds, Seiya got himself free and jumped to his feet. "Sorry about that!" Seiya said while rubbing his head. "I was trying to stick a cool landing!"
"Shaina, perhaps you should retreat." Marin said while walking towards the two fighters. "You know how fearsome a Knight in his Cloth is." She reached the boulder that Mia was chained to. "Right now, no unarmored Knight is a match for Seiya." As Marin continued to talk, Seiya began to flex his muscle and do a few quick jabs.
"...I'm not so sure about that." Shaina said before raising her arm.
"What?" Marin was caught off guard by this response.
"Let's see if he's truly merged with his Cloth or not..." Shaina lunged a quick attack at the Pegasus Knight. "SHALL WE!"
Seiya was caught off guard by this and hastily raised his arms to defend himself. Each of Shaina's Cobra Strikes came at a much faster rate than normally. Though Seiya did his best to dodge each attack, his vision became quite blurry as one of her punches finally connected with his face. Marin is surprised by this, as Seiya was sent flying by Shaina's fist barrage. The young Knight falls to the ground while a triumphant Shaina walks towards him. "Ha! Just as I thought! He has no control over the Cloth." Seiya groaned in response to his pain...only for Shaina to kick him in his stomach! WHAM! "With you wearing it, that Cloth is useless!"
"Seiya!" Marin called out to her student as he was getting the life beaten out of him. "What on earth are you doing!? You have the Pegasus Cloth! This should be easy!"
"I don't know why it's not working!" Seiya yelled out while being attacked. "I pulled the lever and the Cloth revealed itself!"
"So you should have let it come to you and engulf you in it's power!"
"Uh...well, not really..." The Pegasus Knight said, holding his hands over his head.
"...W-What...?" Marin said as her shock began to fade a bit.
"I-I just ran to it and started putting it on." Seiya said...giving his teacher a sheepish smile. "I was in a hurry...I-I went to it and..."
"...WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" Marin yelled in outrage to the point her mask completely broke apart by the pure force of her anger!...revealing another mask in it's place! "YOU IDIOT! I taught you the lessons on how to connect your Cosmo! Your AURA! But now...you forced the connection! You idiot novice!" After saying this,Marin let out a sigh before looking back at her student, who was now lying on the ground, beaten and barely conscious.
The Armored Figure walked over to the injured Seiya and kicked him in the stomach, causing the young teen to scream out in pain. "Well, this is the power of a Pegasus? Pathetic." As the figure took a closer look at the Cloth, he realized that it had no color and the armor seemed rusty. This alone made him realize that the Cloth wasn't fully active. While this was going on, Ryo used his teeth to grab one of his nearby swords and began to crawl on his four paws towards the unsuspecting figure. The Armored Figure then grabbed Seiya by his Cloth and held him up. "Tell me boy...why are you so hesitant in fighting Shaina?" Shaina was caught off guard by this question. "I've noticed that earlier, NONE of your Meteor Punches even attempted to strike her. Why is that?"
Seiya took a few seconds to breath before giving both warriors his answer. "Because...Shaina is a woman..." The female Knight was surprised by this response as Seiya continued. "No matter how powerful a man is...He doesn't want to fight a woman." He then looked up at the Armored Figure and gave him a burning glare. "Besides...My sis... taught me...that a Knight...A KNIGHT SHOULD NEVER LAY THEIR HANDS ON A WOMAN! NEVER!" Shaina, the figure, and Ryo were all taken aback by Seiya's strong declaration.
Marin scoffed at this response. "Humph! Spoken like a true amateur."
Mia: "You're wrong!"
The Eagle Knight turned to face the young girl who was chained to the boulder. "He's being chivalrous!" Mia stated towards the female warrior. "I may not know who Seiya is, but even I can see that he's being a proper gentlemen! A true Knight!"
Upon hearing this, Marin only chuckles to herself. "Haha...We'll see about that." The Knight then walks towards the field of battle and calls out to the combatants. "Soldier of Doom!" Marin called out to the figure. "As you heard, that child has no intention of fighting Shaina. And from what I see...it seems his words have touched her." The Armored Figure turned to face the female Knight, who's only response was to lower her gaze. "So...will you destroy him yourself?"
The Armored Figure looked back at the injured Pegasus Knight and began to chuckle to himself. "Very well...I'll end this...MYSELF!" The figure raised his weapon into the air and was prepared to strike Seiya with it...However, a seething pain emerged. A pain that came from the hand that was holding Seiya's Cloth. The figure took a single glance at the teen, and noticed...that his Cloth had gained a blue shine (similar to his apperance from the manga), and that Aura was emerging from the Pegasus Knight. "ARGHHHHHH!" The figure screamed in pain, releasing Seiya from his grasp...and allowing Ryo to jump in and cut him from behind. "AAAAH!"
Shaina sees this and quickly raises her claws into the air. "THUNDER CLAW!" A bolt of lightning shoots down from the sky and strikes Ryo in the back! The small cat falls to the ground while the Armored Figure sends Seiya flying with an powered kick. The Pegasus Knight lands next to the wounded Ryo.
"Seiya!" Mia screamed out as Marin remained silent.
"Ryo! No!" Rowen shouted as the three other cats struggled to stand on their paws.
-X-
Seiya Furuya, the Pegasus Knight, and Ryo Sanada, the Warrior of Wildfire were lying on the ground, injured and at the point of near death. Seiya's left hand began to twitch, as the Pegasus Knight slowly raised his head. Pain had completely consumed his body...yet, Seiya continued to push on. He had finally reached his goal, he had FINALLY obtained the Pegasus Cloth. He could FINALLY go home! But now, his goal was slowly drifting away from him. He struggled to connect with the Cloth...He shows mercy to Shaina, even though she continues to harm him...and he can't even save some a girl he just met. At this point...Seiya was not ready for the outside wrold.
?:"...Want to save them?"
Seiya's eyes flashed open, as he slowly looked down at the cat that was lying next to him. Ryo was using his teeth to hold up his sword. "You hear me, Knight...? Do YOU want to save them...!?"
"Y-Yeah..." Seiya reluctantly said while pushing himself from the ground.. "I-I want to save Mia...and Shaina..."
"Shaina? You mean that chick with the frealky claws!? But she's the reason you're in so much pain." Ryo slowly got to his paws. "Forget about her..."
"NO WAY!" The Pegasus Knight shouted in anger. "Even though she tried to attack me...tried to kill me...I still wouldn't fight her!" He then looked down at the cat with a pleading face. "Still! Tell me how! I'll do anything! Please, just tell me!"
"There is a way...There is only ONE way..." Ryo held up his katana and pointed it in Seiya's direction! "You...must perform a forbidden act. A fusion!" Seiya was confused by this term. "A fusion between your Pegasus Cloth and my Will of Wildfire. But in order for this to work, you will have to wear the Armor and battle the Soldier of Doom!"
"Okay!" Seiya quickly agreed.
"WHAT!? JUST LIKE THAT!?" Ryo shouted, surprised by Seiya's sudden decision.
"Yeah. Let's do it.
Ryo was shocked by what he had just heard. Seiya didn't care about any cost or sacrifice he had to make. All he cared about...was saving the lives of others. This fact scared...yet impressed Ryo, who's only response was to smile. "Okay then, let's do this Pegasus!" Ryo lifted the katana higher as Seiya took the blade in his left hand. "Here's the deal: I'm only giving what's left of my Aura. This is the Aura I used to transform myself into a human. The rest you'll have to do by yourself."
"Got it!" Seiya quickly agreed...I'm sure he forgot everything he just heard.
"Also, once you make this pact...you are entitled with the task of protecting Princess Serenity and the Moon Kingdom. If you ever go against this law, the Will of Wildfire with leave your side." Ryo gave Seiya a deep burning gaze. "By taking my blade, you are taking my creed: My vow! Do you, Pegasus Knight...agree to these terms and pledge yourself to fighting in the name of Serenity?"
"Yeah, I do." Seiya agreed...still not fully paying attention to what he was doing.
"Very well..." Seiya tightened his grip on the blade of Ryo's katana, as the small cat smiled at him. "My name is Ryo Sanada."
"Seiya Furuya!" The Pegasus Knight said with a wide grin on his face. "Nice to meet ya!" After their introductions, Seiya's grip on the blade was strong enough to cut his hand...this, was the starting point.
-X-
BOOM! A wave of fire and wind erupted from where Seiya and Ryo were standing in. This caught the attention of Shaina, the Armored Figure, and the other participants in this long battle. Marin quickly noticed that Ryo's other katana was being drawn into the flame-tornado. The wind started to pick around the area as the second katana flew into the tornado. "Ryo...What have you done...?" Rowen said as he and the other cat warriors looked on...the tornado soon increased it's speed...to the point where it exploded into cherry petals!?
"Well Seiya, I guess I was wrong about you." Marin commented, while the petals fell from the sky. Shaina ran towards the site of the tornado, and found something surprising in it's wake.
Standing in place of the tornado was Seiya, who was wearing a new set of armor. This armor was a combination of the Pegasus Cloth and the Wildfire armor Ryo wore. This armor (which is the second armor form for the Ronin Warriors) channeled Seiya's Cosmo and Ryo Aura, which was now a part of Seiya. Ryo himself quickly jumped back as Seiya pulled out his two katana's. Shaina was standing across from the Knight, and even she could feel the intense heat that was emanating from this new form. This new form...a form that was created from the forbidden act of fusing one's power. Behold...Pegasus Seiya of Wildfire!
"S-Seiya...!?" Shaina said, slowly stepping away in both shock and fear. "This powerful Cosmo is coming from you?!" Seiya turned his gaze towards the female Knight, causing her to jump in response. The Pegasus of Wildfire started to walk towards her, sending wave of fear into her body. Though she did not know it yet...Shaina was completely afraid.
?: "So, this is your last act!"
Shaina whipped her head to see the Armored Figure twirling his weapon in pure excitement. He walks pass the female Knight and prepares himself for battle. "I'll deal with this little bastard myself." The figure then glanced at the Cobra Knight. "There is no need for you to trouble yourself with him any further...understand?" Shaina remained silent as the figure turned and threw his weapon at Seiya. "You thought this little power-up would scare me!? I'll take you back to the Dark Kingdom so Queen Beryl can execute you!"
Seiya's only response was to hold up his two katana's and prepare for impact. One of the petals landed on the Pegasus' shoulder...only to turn to ashes upon contact. "No offense, Armored Freak...but I won't be harassed by you anymore. Stand back if you don't want to be extra crispy!" Blue Aura in the form of flames began to emerge from Seiya's body, as he dashed towards the figure. "Idiot! Now I'll show you my fighting spirit!"
"What!" Shaina gasped in shock as she noticed Seiya's power. "I can't see Seiya's slashes. I never knew Seiya could wield a sword with such skill!"
"Incredible!" Ryo said, surprised by the power that Seiya was displaying. "I knew it! This kid's got the power! He has the Cosmo!"
"Taste my...Meteor Fist! (Ryƫsei ken!)" Seiya yelled as he unleashed a furry of powerful...punches on the Armored Figure, destroying his armor and pride in a single attack! And yes... I said punches. Seiya was holding the swords correctly...but that's about it. You see my faithful readers, our hero Seiya can fight like a champ, with fast kicks and powerful quick jabs. He even has a Cosmo that can rival that of the Grand Pope...However, if there is one thing Seiya can't do, and I put a LOT of emphases on the word can't...is-
"HE DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO USE A SWORD!?" Shaina and Ryo shouted in outrage.
The Armored Figure, who's armor was completely destroyed, whispers something to himself before falling to the ground, unconscious and defeated. The chains around Mia disappeared, freeing the young girl. Seiya looks back at his cat ally and Shaina, and gives them a wide grin. "Sorry...I don't really know how to use a sword, I guess I can chalk that up to things I can't do!" He took out a pen and notepad and wrote down this fact on a ist that also stated other things he couldn't do. Let's just say...it was a very LONG list. The Pegasus Knight then looked up at Shaina and smiled. "Oh, and you should probably fix that mask of your's, Shaina."
Upon hearing this, Shaina noticed that her mask was cut in two. "Unh! I-I couldn't see them!" She took a step back...as her broken mask fell off of her face and onto the ground. "There was a blur and he mowed the Soldier of Doom down like he was nothing but grass. Seiya's punches exceeded Mach 1..." Revealing the face of a beautiful young woman. "The shock wave was strong enough to split my mask..." Shaina thought to herself, as blood began to spill down from her forehead. "Seiya may yet grow into a formidable Knight..."
Seiya walks up to the confused Shaina and quickly noticed her beauty. "Wow, Shaina, you're...beautiful. With your attitude, I expected a pig snout and three eyes. Guess I was wrong, hehe!" After saying this, Seiya quickly noticed that her head was bleeding. "Ah! Shaina, y-y-y-you're bleeding!" He rips off a piece of his shirt and uses it to gently wipe the blood from her face. Shaina, who was caught off guard by this, restrained her anger and let it fade away...allowing Seiya's firm yet gentle hands to heal her. "But in all seriousness, you really are beautiful..."
At that moment, the Cobra Knight lost her reasoning for attacking the young teen, as feelings of old- "No..." Shaina said before swaying his hand away. "I don't want your kindness. Next time we meet, I'll be wearing my own Cloth when we fight." She turned her gaze away from the young teen. "So you'd better have your fighting spirit."
Seiya stares at her for a bit before walking towards the female Knight...and wrapping the ripped cloth around her head, surprising Shaina. After tying it, she turns to face the Pegasus Knight...who only gives her a warm smile. "Yeah, I would rather avoid that." With that, Seiya walked away from the confused Cobra Knight. "See ya later, Shaina! Tell Cassios I'm sorry about the ear! Tell him Gon's aunt can stitch it back on."
Shaina wanted to rebuff this act of kindness, but instead...she held her hand against her injured forehead...and allowed a small smile to appear on her face. A smile that carried no malice at all...A smile that expressed gratitude. as the sun began to rise in the distance. As Seiya walks up the hill to where his master and possible new friend were, Marin looked over at the unconscious Armored Figure...only to see smoke rising from where he was supposed to be at. His body was gone. This fact brought a sense of intrigue to Marin's mind.
-X-
The sun continued to rise as Ryo crawled towards his four allies. They all gave him a look that expressed how they all felt at that moment. Ryo had just performed a forbidden act: He had transferred his remaining power to another being, and not just any being...A Knight. To his allies, this act would have been tolerable...but not this time. However, Ryo's reasoning will cause the four cat warriors to view their new battle in a different perspective.
"Ryo, what were you thinking!?" Rowen shouted as the other three waited for an answer.
"Look, I know by doing this, I've given up most of my power..." Ryo said before giving his allies a look of determination. "...but you ALL need to know this: We are the ONLY thing Princess Serenity has left. (He looked over at Sage) The Kingdom is gone...(then at Kento) Her Guardians are gone...(then at Cye)...her mother is gone." Ryo turned his gaze towards Rowen. "We're all she has left. I know you guys blame the Knights for what happened with the Moon and Earth Kingdoms...but at this moment, their the only allies we have left."
The five went silent as this info gave them much to process. "...of all the Knights...why the Pegasus...?" Kento asked.
Ryo remained silent for a few seconds before looking up at his friends with a confident grin. "Because...I trusted Master Tenma: the original Pegasus Knight. That kid...he kinda reminds me of him. He has the soul...of a proper Saint."
Marin pointed out towards the mountains. "Once you walk down Sanctuary Hill, you'll find yourself back in Inizo Village." The Eagle Knight explained to the outsider while her student prepared himself.
After this was said, Mia took a moment to bow towards Marin. "Ma'am, I would like to apologize for everything that's happened. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble for you." She then directed her attention towards Seiya. "For both of you."
"Quiet." Marin said with a stern yet gentle voice. "This idiot student of mine would have found someway to cause trouble. With or without your intervention." Seiya chuckled at this response as Marin continued. "Just try to tolerate him for a bit." The outsider was confused by this before the Eagle Knight leans in and whispers into Mia's right ear. "If you want my advice...I suggest you stay by his side. I'm pretty sure the one who sent that Soldier of Doom had the clear objective of not just killing Seiya...but you as well. So be on guard." Marin stepped back, seeing that Mia's face had gone completely pale.
"T-Thanks...I'll remember that..." Mia said with a weak smile. The young woman then turned to begin her walk down Sanctuary Hill.
As Mia walked away from Marin and Seiya, the former turned to face her one and only student. "This is it, Seiya...You're on your own now. Once you leave the boarders of Inizo Village...the world is your's to explore and live." Seiya smiled at this before looking out towards the rising sun. "...I know I asked you this once before, but...What are you planning to do with the Cloth when you get it back to Japan?"
Seiya continued to stare out at the sun before responding to his master's question. "If I tell you, will you tell me your true name? Or...show me your face...?" He looks back at his master and gave her a simple yet honest smile, one that cemented their bond as not just teacher and student...but as friends. "...Well, see ya around Marin!" The Pegasus Knight turned and ran off. As he ran, Seiya looked back and waved to his friend. "I'll write to you every now and then! Take care!"
And with that, Seiya was gone...Marin watched her student leave the grounds of Sanctuary. She removes her mask, revealing her face to the world. The wind blew past her, as a smile appeared on her face...while a single tear fell from her eyes. "My young Seiya...I think your trials are just beginning...but know this: You are never alone..."
Seiya Furuya, Mia Koji, and Ryo Sanada. These three souls were brought together by a single night that would mark the beginning of a battle. This battle would change the very galaxy that we all live in. This is the story of Seiya Furuya, a boy who would embark on a journey of friendship, love, and adventure. As this new world seems very alien to him, one fact about the young Pegasus Knight is very clear...he will take on any enemy or any trial that comes his way. This is the story of how Seiya Furuya ended the Great Holy War and brought everlasting peace to the universe!
To Be Continued
-X-
And that was another chapter! I'm sorry if these first two chapters seemed very shuffled and messy. I tried my best to re-structure this chapter to its fullest potential. So far, this may be my least favorite chapter. But hey, from here on out, things will start looking a lot better. So, comment and let me know what you all think. Until then...
In the name of the Moon, Burn your Cosmos!
