CHAPTER 2:
It was amazing, Ikki thought, how much everybody seemed to open up around Seiya. Even Saori and Shiryu, who usually rather listened than talked, were joining the conversation at one point and soon all of them were arguing forth and back about the size of the two bears. The topic was neither important nor really interesting, but no one seemed to spend a thought about this. They were just having a too good time over it.
After lunch they mounted the Limousine, which took them to the orphanage, but Ikki excused himself about an hour upon their arrival. He was not a guy who did very well with children. They were too loud and too demanding. So he said his good byes as politely as possible and left the others to deal with the horde of noisy kids.
Of course would the Limousine have driven him back to the mansion if he'd asked, but Ikki preferred to walk. Besides, it gave him time to go back to the place where he had seen the blond girl for the first time. He knew that it was a long shot, but it was his best guess. Even if he knew it would be close to impossible, that any of the shop owners would know about her.
But he had to try at least.
Four hours later he had asked every clerk in every store in the surroundings of the area, where he had seen the girl, and like he had thought, none knew about someone of her description.
He cursed inwardly, after having left the last store. It was no use; he would never be able to find her amongst the millions of inhabitants of Tokyo.
He took a look at the sky above him. Dusk was not too far away and the street around him became more and more deserted, as the shops got ready to close for the night.
He sighed deeply, turning to walk back in the direction of the Kido mansion.
"Ikki?"
The voice that called his name from behind made his blood chill and his breath stuck in his throat.
Ikki froze in place. He knew that voice. It was the voice that had talked to him when he had been tortured by Guilty time and again. The voice that had soothed and encouraged; the voice of a dying girl, as she had lain in his arms. The voice, which had become his blessing and his curse, his angel and demon forever afterwards.
As if in slow motion he turned around, terrified, unbelieving, yet willing to hope for the miracle.
And there, only a few meters behind him she stood.
Exactly like he remembered her. Blond hair, blue eyes and that face… It was Esmeralda's face that was looking back at him.
"Es..Esmeralda?" he stammered under shock.
It was she. No way could it not be her, but at the same time, as his heart made this decision, did his head scream at him that it couldn't be. That Esmeralda was dead. That he had seen her die, held her as her soul was fading and that he himself had buried her lifeless body.
But even though he rationally knew that it was not possible, that it was an illusion, a fake or even his own mind playing tricks upon him, he could not stop to stare at her dumbly, open mouthed, barely remembering how to breathe.
"Esmeralda", he repeated.
"Yes Ikki. It's me. Contrary to what you may think, I'm not dead yet."
Ikki felt like struck by her words. Up to an extent that the coldness of her voice only penetrated in his brain with delay.
"But…How?"
The girl just narrowed her eyes angrily. "That's none of your concern anymore. Just stop following me around. Leave me alone. I'm over with you!"
Those last words though made it into Ikki's brain with such a clarity, as if someone would have emptied a bucket of cold water over his head, ripping him instantly back from his shock.
"It's you? It's really you? But I thought you…"
"I don't care what you think", she interrupted hotly with a sharp dismissive gesture. "I just never want to see you again. You bastard."
Ikki sucked in a sharp breath. What was wrong with her? Why was she so angry at him? And how in the world was it possible that she was here in front of him? Alive.
"Esmeralda. I thought you were dead. I mean I still can't believe that you are here. I saw you die."
"Don't sweet talk me, Ikki. I have figured you out a long time ago. And to think that I believed you were different, that I thought you cared for me." She exhaled noisily, shaking her head in defeat. "Why do I even bother talking to you? I came to Japan, because I got a great opportunity for a job here, not to see you again. Just leave me alone and forget we ever met, okay?"
With those words she turned and started to walk away without a second glance at Ikki, who stayed back, struck in shock, doubt and confusion.
"Esmeralda. Wait!" After having shaken off the shock of seeing Esmeralda, Ikki finally got his feet to move again and hurried along the sideway to catch up on her.
It only took him a few fast steps to get by her side. He grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to face him again. "What is wrong with you Esmeralda?"
"Leave me alone, Ikki", she ordered, trying to free her shoulder with a jerk.
But Ikki didn't let go and held her firmly. And this seemed to bring the fury back into Esmeralda.
"Let me go, right now!"
"Not before you tell me, what is going on here. I deserve an answer."
"You deserve nothing", she all but spat. "You left me there on the island to die."
"But that is not true. You were dead. I saw you die."
"You saw nothing. You killed my father and then left without even caring whether I was dead or alive."
Ikki felt stupefied. What the hell was she talking about? He had not left her before she had died. He had held her until life had left her. He had himself felt her body cool down, as he had sat there, holding her for hours, sobbing and feeling the deep ache of loss and the hot fog of revenge and hate growing inside of him.
"What are you talking about?" Suddenly Ikki's bewilderment changed, first into suspicion and then into sharp anger. At her and at himself for letting his foolish hopes make him believe in a lie, a wish, a dream. He had up until now held tightly onto the fact that she had a good explanation on how she had come back to life; be it by a miracle or some deity. He had been ready to believe something like this. But she had betrayed herself by telling him that he had left her back then. Because that was something he knew not to be true.
"Who are you? You are not Esmeralda. You can't be. Esmeralda died in my arms. I saw her die. You're a fake. An imposter, trying to lead me into a trap."
His voice was sharp and had a tone which made even Tatsumi back off, when he used it. A tone that held all the hate and aggression he had once lived as the leader of the black Saints. But this girl did not back off. Instead she pulled her lips back into a snarl-like grimace.
"How dare you talk to me this way? You are a liar. My father's attack hit me and wounded me. But you only were interested in winning the fight and glooming over my father's dead body. And now you're telling me that I am a fake? That I am not real? Oh that's so simple, isn't it? It's such an easy way to put the blame for your betrayal on me, to keep your conscience clear. But not with me. You are the one at fault here, not me. You want proves that I am the real Esmeralda? What do you want to hear? The fact that you used to see your brother in me? Or do you want me to show you the pressed flower that I kept under my pillow? That I begged my father about every day to not kill you? Tell me. What do you want to hear? You can ask me everything you want. I can tell you all. From the rotten food he made me bring you, over the rats that I kept from you while you were recovering, up to the maggots I cleansed out of your wounds in that filthy cellar he made you live in."
Ikki gasped at her last words. Never had he told anybody how bad it had really been. Not even Shun. No, especially not Shun. He had told his brother of the beatings and torture, but had left out the most gruesome details. The dirt and filth. The bangs of hunger, boarding on starvation, and the vermin that would have eaten him alive if it had not been for Esmeralda.
How could she know all this? How could she know if she was not Esmeralda? Again he felt doubts wash away his fury, replacing it with this persistent demon called hope.
But Esmeralda didn't seem to notice his change of mind. She just glared one more time in his direction before she pulled out of his suddenly forceless hold and walked a few dozen meters down the sidewalk. Then she turned towards a door in one of the old apartment buildings that lined the street on both sides, fished a key out of her purse, inserted it in the lock and with one last sideways look at him, disappeared through the door and from his sight.
Ikki just stayed rooted on his spot, his gaze still set on the door she had walked through, but barely registering anything around him, while his heart, which wanted to hope and believe, fought a battle with his head, which told him that it was impossible. And another image started to burn itself into his brain. The image if his former teacher, who threw his attack against him. The scene that haunted his dreams for years now. The picture of him evading the attack and Esmeralda being hit by it instead.
After a while he somehow managed to get his feet to move and take him to the entrance of the building. Absently he studied the names on the twenty-some labels beside the door. Each one sided by a pushbutton for the bell.
There was one Label with the letters E.G.
Since a Saint had brought up Esmeralda, she didn't have a last name, but Ikki instinctively knew that this was her apartment. He raised his index, but didn't get it over him to try the bell, pausing one centimeter before the button in mid-air. He did not have much hope she would open anyway, and neither did he know if he would be ready to face her. His emotions were in turmoil. On one hand he wanted to see her so desperately, but on the other hand he feared her. He knew that he could see her if he wished. He could even force his way into the building if he wanted. That was not the problem. The problem lay somewhere completely else. Over and over the scene replayed in his head. The scene that had led to her death. It was like a broken record, repeating itself in all its cruelty, leaving not much room for any rational thought.
Over and over he saw Esmeralda being hit before he himself flared his Cosmo, attacking his sensei in response.
He tried to chase those images from his mind, but no matter how hard he tried, they came back, mocking and cruel, twisting his heart in an old-known pain, which seemed so much more hurting, now that it had been tainted with a small flicker of hope.
Ikki felt suddenly very old and drained and the world seemed to weight like tons on his shoulders. So he gave in to this weight and slid down against the wall behind him, pulling his legs close to his chest and laying his forehead on his knees, giving in to the pictures that haunted him.
Five years earlier:
The constant shallow pings of dropping water onto stone was slowly penetrating into his brain.
It was the sound that accompanied him here without cease. One of the things he could rely on, together with the rustling, tapping noises of tiny legs that hushed through his room, this cell that his sensei called his quarters.
It was those sounds that penetrated through the thick dark fog of unconsciousness first. Before Ikki became aware of the hard, humid stone pressing against his left cheek and the pain, that made even thinking to move a scary idea.
Ikki had been there many times by now. His sensei had beaten him worse before, but now he was already weakened. Starved and injured before he had even gotten up this morning.
He opened his eyes and concentrated on his body in an attempt to get inventory of his new injuries.
He was lying on his belly in his cell, as he had already gathered. His left shoulder throbbed dully, and he remembered that Guilty had dislocated it in a cruel twist of his arm, when he had not been fast enough to evade the Saint. Ikki knew that the pain would be manageable, as long as he didn't move. His head ached too, a result of the blows he had gotten there and which in the end were responsible for rendering him unconscious. In addition his stomach cramped painfully. But if this was the result of the beatings or the fact that he hadn't gotten anything to eat for days, Ikki could not tell. Also did his back still ache as it had before. But it didn't seem worse than this morning. Ikki was glad about this small amount of reprieve and exhaled relieved.
But this relieve was soon exchanged by helpless anger. He fought the tears, which were stinging behind his eyes. When had his standards changed so drastically? At first, every beating had been bad and he had hoped that it would stop be it only for one day. Now he was already happy, when the beating resulted in 'only' a dislocated shoulder and hurting muscles. When the torment his sensei called training was finished before its normal 18-hours, because unconsciousness claimed him earlier than Guilty called it over for the day.
Ikki knew that it was not good to stay down on the cold, humid ground for too long. The nights on death Queen islands were as freezing as the days were hot. And he'd get a cold or worse if he'd stay lying down. Even though the options he had were limited. Guilty had not found the need to give him a bed. All he had were a few old rugs, on which he would at least stay dry.
He took a deep breath and gritted his teeth tightly, as he got his uninjured arm under his chest and pushed his upper body off the floor.
As he moved though, a hot pain sliced from his arm and back over his whole body and knocked the breath out of him. Cold sweat broke out of his pores and his vision started to gray out. He stopped his movement, halfway propped up on his arm, and gasped for air.
With tightly shut eyes and gritted teeth, it took him a moment to get the pain under control and being able to move further up. But still it felt like an eternity to him, until he found himself in a half sitting position. His shoulder - before merely throbbing, was on fire now and the rest of his body felt so weak and hurting that Ikki could not stop it from shaking uncontrollably.
He sacked in on himself with a miserable sigh and took his left elbow into his right hand, bracing himself mentally for the pain he knew was coming. Again he closed his eyes and lifted the injured arm carefully. With a fast and fluid movement he turned and pulled the limb until he heard a soft smacking sound, as the joint snapped back into its original place.
At the same time, another spasm of hot agony shot from his shoulder through his body like an electric flash. Without able to prevent it, a small cry tore from his lips and dark dots reappeared in his line of vision.
He panted heavily, waiting until the worst of the pain ebbed away, leaving a mere dull ache in the shoulder. He didn't remember how many times he had already replaced a dislocated hip or shoulder. But he knew that it had been too many times, for he knew the moves to replace them by heart already.
He climbed painfully to his feet, stumbling to the corner where the rugs lay, cradling his still aching left arm against his body. He knew that he should try to immobilize the injured limb with a sling or the like. But he also knew by experience that Guilty would not want such a sign of weakness and would take anything from him that made his life and sufferance more bearable. In the end he would only sacrifice one of his rugs for nothing.
Once he had reached his makeshift 'bed', he had to brace his hand against the stone of the wall for support, before he lowered himself to sit on the rugs, carefully avoiding leaning his injured back against the wall.
He had been beaten and mistreated since the day he, and two other pupils had arrived here.
Welts had still covered his back then. The result of Tatsumi's beatings on the ship. Ikki had glared back at Tatsumi, as the bald man had smirked cruelly at him, leaving him with his new sensei. With a man who radiated nothing but hate and aggression. A cruel master on a cruel trainings ground. Like the old Kido and his right-hand man had promised him. But Ikki had only shot dark looks at Tatsumi, mentally renewing his oath to make the man regret what he had done to him. He had sworn then that he would surmount every torture and obstacle on this island.
So he had endured all the beatings and the deprivations. He had watched the other two pupils surrender and die in the first month. But he had always held his head high. He knew that he was strong; he had always been, and the knowledge that his brother would not have lasted even a week here made him proud to be in this place. And it was this pride what made him go on. He had sworn to Shun to come back and he would keep his promise.
So no matter what his sensei came up with, he had faced and overcome it.
But then, five days ago, things had changed.
In the morning, Guilty had come to wake him earlier than usual. His sensei hadn't even waited for him to get up. He had simply grabbed him by his collar and pulled him up, dragging him out of the small house.
The big Saint had brought him to a small stony valley, almost like a crater, where two wooden poles were embedded into the ground about a meter apart from each other. The gray of the stone and the brown of the wood were drenched with dark spots, which promised nothing good.
As they had reached the poles, Guilty had ordered him to take off his shirt. Ikki, knowing better than to refuse, had complied, for the slightest hesitation usually ended in a cruel beating.
Guilty had then tied his hands to the poles until he stood there spread-eagled. Then the masked Saint had sorted a whip and had beaten him with it until he had lost consciousness.
Ikki had woken with his back on fire that night; Hurt, hungry and confused as to why he had been punished. Usually there had been a few hard bread crusts or other half-rotten food thrown down the stony steps of his cellar. Not so this evening. All Ikki had been able to ingest, were a few droplets of water, which he had sucked off the humid stone of the walls around him.
The next day had been a repetition of the first and at night again there hadn't been any food. Ikki had then understood that Guilty didn't even pretend to teach anymore. For some reason his sensei had decided to kill him and end the training. This had angered him and again he had sworn that he wouldn't give in to his sensei.
But now, three days of beatings, torture and starving later, he asked himself how he would be able to go on and still get up the next morning. His strength was deserting him. Ikki knew that the day he didn't get up anymore would be the day he'd die. But he wasn't kidding himself. He wouldn't be able to keep it up much longer, if Guilty continued like this.
Heavy steps approaching his cell tore him from his thoughts. Guilty was coming. As this thought shot in his brain, a small trace of threat and even fear stole in his heart. He simply knew that Guilty had not come to bring food but to continue the beating.
The heavy oak door opened with a groan and then the massive stature of Guilty shadowed the light in the threshold. The tall man descended the steps and towered over Ikki, directing his masked face to his pupil.
"Get up!"
Ikki clenched his fists at his sides and started to comply. But seemingly not fast enough, because suddenly he felt a hand grip him by his hair and pull him painfully the whole way up.
"When I tell you to get up, you will obey faster, understood?!"
To empathize his hateful words, Guilty jerked his arm, throwing the smaller boy away against the opposite wall.
Ikki felt the impact and cried out as his already sore back connected with the wall. He tried to get his feet under him even while he crashed against the stone, but his legs wouldn't support him anymore and he slit down on his knees, hunched over and trying to suppress his tears of pain and frustration.
He looked up at his teacher, who faced him rigidly, his arms at his sides and almost trembling of rage. And it was then that Ikki understood that Guilty had decided to break him at last, before he killed him.
He had gone through hell since his birth and faced many cruelties before. This nightmare that was his life had continued here on this island as his sensei had done everything to break him, but never had he lost his pride and free will. And this was something his teacher obviously didn't take too well. Ikki gritted his teeth, as he finally understood what was making his sensei so furious. And this understanding gave Ikki, for the first time since he was here on this island, a feeling that he held some kind of power.
He was strong, always had been. No one would ever dictate his fears and his life.
He would confront Guilty the only way that was still possible. He knew well that this was the final fight between his sensei and him. And he knew that Guilty would win this fight physically and would kill him. But it would be Ikki who would remain unbroken. His spirit would triumph over his sensei's.
"Get up!" Guilty ordered again.
"No."
Ikki's answer was calm but seemed to infuriate his sensei even more.
"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING? YOU DARE TO DISOBEY? GET UP, NOW!"
"No", Ikki repeated. This was his soul and his life and he would decide when it was over. He regretted that he wouldn't keep his promise to Shun at last, but he had taken the decision to go down with his honor and dignity intact. His body was too weak to fight any longer, but his spirit would always stay strong.
Guilty roared in fury, as his pupil openly defied him, facing him with calmness and pride. He stomped over to the boy and raised his fist over his head like a hammer, ready to crush anything on which it came down upon.
Ikki observed the movement and his only reaction was a slight straitening of his shoulders as he got ready to have his scull crashed. He knew that his spirit would win over Guilty. And that the latter would never forget his only true defeat for the rest of his life.
"Papa?"
Guilty halted his movement abruptly at the new voice from the entrance. He lowered his fist and turned to the door, his anger seemingly changing to confusion.
Ikki followed his sensei's gaze to the door and saw a young, blond girl stand there. She wore a blue dress, the same color as her eyes and her hands were pulled into fists at her side. Ikki's first thoughts as he saw her, was that an angel must have gotten lost in this hell. Otherwise how was it possible that such a lovely creature like this girl would be standing there? Her eyes were planted on his sensei with an expression of gentleness, fear and pity. Eyes that were almost like Shun's.
"What are you doing on the island, girl. You should be in the boarding school on the continent.
Ikki realized that Guilty's voice held no hate anymore as he spoke to the girl. Rather a some anger and annoyance.
"They threw me out because of the rumors surrounding this island and you."
At those words, the Saint cursed loudly. "Let's just see about that. I'll contact Sanctuary, so they will take care of that. I can't have you stay here on the island."
With those words he went to the girl and ascended the few steps, leaving the room, Ikki apparently completely forgotten.
The girl moved out of his way a bit as he passed her and directed one shy, encouraging smile at Ikki, before she disappeared too and the door was locked again.
Ikki stayed alone in the semi-dark room and exhaled wearily. He had survived, again. Thanks to this girl. He wondered who she might have been. She had called Guilty Papa. But it was hard to imagine that a man like his sensei would be able to be father. Especially to a girl like her.
He turned away from the door and shifted himself to a laying position as his body decided that the pain and exhaustion was too much. There was no strength left. Not even to crawl back to the rugs. So he curled in on his side, giving in on the nagging call of the dark sleep of exhaustion.
This day Esmeralda had saved his life for the first time. She had stayed on the island later, never going back to the boarding school.
****************
Hyoga hung up the phone with a tired sigh. He had talked to the Russian lawyer for over two hours. A conversation which had his fearful anticipation, from when he had gotten the letter, turned into threat of what he would be facing real soon.
He had called the number on the letter, but it had not been operating anymore for quite some time. So he had tried to track down the man by calling the official operators, which hadn't helped much either. Russia was a country that had hard times behind it and even now it was still somewhat unorganized on certain areas. Especially the remote parts where the smaller towns where located. But Saori had helped him by calling some friends and asking for some favors and finally they had found the new address and number of the lawyer.
Hyoga now sat back heavily on the chair in Saori's office, which she had insisted he used, since he would be tranquil there like nowhere else in the mansion. Hyoga was grateful for that, and as he had watched her discussing, urging and even arguing with her associates and friends in order to help him, he had come to think just how much she had changed from the time when they had been children.
They had been nothing to her then. Now they were friends.
Hyoga and his brothers were very protective of her, and not just because she was the reincarnation of Athena. But in the battle of Sanctuary Hyoga had come to understand, that she was as protective of them, as they were of her. She was willing to do everything in her power to help them, whenever her help was needed.
His thoughts went back from Saori to the phone call he had just led.
Hell, why couldn't his life stop being so morosely complicated every time he thought to get a hang on it? When he started to bury the skeletons in his closet, something like this had to happen.
The lawyer had told him to come to Russia as soon as possible, to take on the heritage over his mother's family's house. He hadn't even known that there was a house belonging to his mother, but the lawyer had explained to him, that it had belonged to her parents, who had died two years ago, leaving only him as an heir.
His mother's parents. His grandparents. Another part of his family; a part that he hadn't even known of. People of the same blood who he had never met and now they were long dead. Like his mother.
Hyoga wondered about what kind of people they may have been. His mother had never mentioned her own parents, living alone with him in the Siberian village. Did she have a break up with them? It was the only thing that made sense. The lawyer, who had known them, had told him that his grandparents had not wanted to talk about her since over fourteen years.
The time he had been born. Hyoga remembered that his mother had been very young. Had that been the reason for the break up? It almost looked like it. He felt a bang of guilt, an ache deep in his heart at this thought. Had it been his fault, however inadvertently, that they had chased his mother away? But this again proved how much she must have loved him, to still keep him and stay the gentle, loving mother he remembered.
Wearily he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, gathering all the emotional barriers he'd honed in order to be a Saint. He had learned the hard way, not to let his emotions rule his life and make him prone to more pain. To create a shield around him that made him insensible to mental suffering forever.
If he only pretended hard enough it might actually work some day too, he thought bitterly.
Then he pushed himself off the chair and went in search for Saori to inform her about his plans to leave for Russia.
*********************
Shiryu was just about to leave the house with Shunrei, when Hyoga came down the stairs from Saori's study, from where he had called Russia, with a tired expression on his face.
"Hyoga", he acknowledged the blond Saint, who gave him a small nod.
"You're leaving already?"
"We will take the latest flight to China. It will be more tranquil and not so crowded. There is no use in waiting for tomorrow. I didn't want to disturb you with saying good bye, since you were occupied calling Russia."
Again Hyoga nodded. "That's okay. Well, I wish you two a pleasant journey."
"And you?" Shiryu inquired.
Hyoga sighed deeply. "I guess I'll take a flight to Russia in the morning. I want to go take a look myself at the heritage I'm supposed to take over."
Shiryu heard perfectly the edge of weariness in Hyoga's voice, showing clearly that it would not be easy for the Russian to make this journey. It seemed that his past would never let go of him and catch up to him one way or the other at every possible chance.
But maybe it was the best if Hyoga went there. It was not possible to fight something you couldn't face.
Anyway, Shiryu for his part looked forward to go home to China. He missed the high mountains and huge waterfalls, the small village and the people there. The quiet and the peace that seemed so foreign in a town like Tokyo.
"I wish you a good journey too then", he said, smiling at Hyoga in a, as he hoped, encouraging way.
"Thanks", Hyoga answered, smiling too. Then he turned and walked to the salon, where Shiryu knew Saori was studying her latest reports.
"Let's go Shunrei", Shiryu addressed his quietly waiting friend and steered her with a gentle hand on her back out of the main entrance and towards the waiting cab.
**************************
When Ikki woke, the first streaks of dawn were already chasing the night away. He looked up, confused at first, as for why he had slept sitting outside on a street, before memory of last evening came rushing in, making his thoughts wander back in time to his conversation yesterday and his memories afterwards.
He took a deep breath, pushing those thoughts away and stood, arching his back, to straighten tense muscles resulting of the night in such an awkward position. There was a lingering cold in his body, but as a Saint he was trained to withstand the elements easily. He also hurt a bit, where he had sat on the hard grovel, but this too he pushed aside. Some sore muscles were the least of his worries right now.
As he stood now, he saw the first of Tokyo's citizens moving along the streets, getting to their jobs. Besides one or two sideways glances filled with revulsion, he got no reaction. He didn't expect one either. Not in a City like Tokyo, where a poor, homeless soul sleeping on the street was such a common sight.
He turned around, bracing one flat hand against the surface of the wooden door, which led into Esmeralda's home. He really hadn't planed to spend the night here.
Actually he had the impression that he didn't really plan anything anymore of the late.
Last night he had just been so overwhelmed by Esmeralda's reappearance, that he had not been able to take his thoughts from her again. He had mused for hours over any possibility, how she could have had survived, always replaying her last instants on the island, without having found a logical solution. Until his memories had suddenly started to shift. Still had she been hit instead of him. Still had he attacked his sensei full of fury, but the longer he thought about it and replayed it in his head, the more he became aware of a piercing pain in his scull, just after he had directed his mortal blow toward his teacher. He saw pictures of Guilty, as he threw an attack almost at the same time as him. The most devastating attack known on Death Queen Island. Gen ma Ken.
Ikki inhaled deeply. It was probably only his instinct coming up with an explanation, which his head searched in vain. But no matter what it was, he needed to talk it out with Esmeralda. There was no way that he would just walk away and forget he ever saw her. Forgetting was no longer an option now.
His mind made up, he leaned his shoulder against the wall of the building, crossed his arms over his chest and waited. He didn't know what was really going on here, but he had taken the decision to find out.
He didn't have to wait too long, until the door besides him opened with a groan and a rather annoyed Esmeralda stuck her head out.
"Don't tell me you've waited here the whole night."
Ikki studied her for a moment, nodding calmly. She must have seen him from her window he guessed, for she looked like she hadn't gotten out of bed a long time ago. Her hair was ruffled and she wore a green long-sleeved shirt some sweatpants and pink slippers.
At his nod, she sighed exaggerated and threw up her hands.
"I don't believe it. Why don't you get it? GET LOST!"
Ikki shook his head calmly. "No. Not before we talked it out. I can wait here for as long as it takes."
Esmeralda glared at him for a while, before she inhaled deeply. "All right you stubborn mule. You can come in and we talk, but afterwards you leave me alone, understood?"
Again Ikki nodded but bit back a smile. He had known that she'll give in eventually and now he would finally get some answers he hoped.
***************************
Shards of light tickled his conscience, as they stabbed his closed eyes. Seiya clenched them further shut and turned with a grunt to the wall in order to evade the offending sunlight, but now he was already awake and he knew that he would not be able to go back to sleep. He mentally decided that he would move his bed back to the far of wall and away from the window, where he had pushed it a few days ago.
All right. It was nice to fall asleep, looking at the falling snow or the stars above, and so far the mornings had never held much sun, since the early morning fog lingered almost until noon in the winter months. But he was not someone who liked being woken early in the morning, and he found it more agreeable to have it done by a clock which could be silenced, than with an offensive morning sun. He sighed in resignation and opened his eyes. At least this was one way, which left him leave the sleepiness of morning pretty fast.
He yawned and stretched his arms, while a satisfied smile crept on his face, chasing the discomfort of being woken early. Yesterday had been a good day, which he had spent with his closest friends. Even Shaina had appeared at the orphanage later in the afternoon. And in the evening, when the kids were leaving for supper, and Shiryu, Shunrai, Saori and Hyoga had left for the mansion, he had stayed alone with the silver Saint and Shun, since Ikki had disappeared early in the afternoon too.
Even though Shun had refused at first, Shaina had helped to convince the Andromeda Saint of going out to a disco with them.
Seiya's smile widened, as he remembered last night. Shun, even though hesitating at first, had had a great time. If one didn't count all the advances he had gotten by girls, and which had made him feel rather uncomfortable. It was quite common that Shun's actor-like looks got him the interest of almost any girl. But it had not lasted too long, for Seiya had a way of pulling the girls attention from Shun's physics to himself with jokes and charm. Which again had stirred Shaina's jealousy, and she had chased those same girls away with poisonous comments and looks that would have killed if it were any possible. But that hadn't really bothered Seiya. He knew that Shaina was in love with him, but he also knew, that she knew that he was not feeling anything stronger for her than friendship. Shaina respected that and was usually not the jealous type either, but Seiya had to admit that he had a bit overdone it, flirting with five girls a the same time, while Shaina and Shun stayed an the side, sipping bored at their drinks.
Seiya's smile broadened to a toothed grin. It really had been a lot of fun.
He pushed up from the futon and swung his legs out of his bed, yawning widely once more.
His gaze wandered to his nightstand and fell on the golden watch. He reached over and took it in his hand, tracing its outlines with admiration. This watch was positively the most beautiful present he had ever gotten.
He brushed over the fine carvings on its cover with his fingertips. Too bad, he thought, that he would not be able to carry it with him all the time. There was always a danger, that he might get into battle, and that would risk the watch to be broken.
The ringing of the doorbell pulled him out of his thoughts and he went to answer the door after having hastily slipped into some jeans.
As he opened, a postman stood there, a small crate holding in his hand.
"There's a delivery for Seiya Kido. That would be you?"
Seiya nodded a bit lost. He couldn't think who would send him something, before he started to smile again. It was surely a present from Marin. Definitely was it that. She had never forgotten his birthdays before. Even though the training had been hard, she had always been quite humane in comparison to the other teachers he had seen with their pupils.
"Sure. It's me."
He reached for the package and the impatient looking postman took a step to hand it over, but just as Seiya took it from the other's hand, the postman staggered over his own feet and swayed for a split second, as he tried to regain his equilibrium.
Out of instinct, born of being a Saint, Seiya reached forward to steady the man before he fell, letting the package fall to the ground in the process.
But even while he reached for the unfortunate postman, a hollow, shattering sound reached his ears and before he looked down, he remembered the watch, which he had held in his hand and which had fallen also when he had let the package drop.
With dread he looked down to the ground, and saw the golden watch laying on the floor in horror, broken into two with the glass shattered and laying in tiny shards around the main part, which lay a few centimeters besides the broken-off back cover.
Unbelieving he let go of the postman and crouched down to the broken watch, not knowing for a minute what to do, still not quite ready to accept the facts as he saw them.
Te postman coughed somewhat embarrassed. "Sorry about that, lad."
Seiya narrowed his eyes and felt the heat of fury develop in his stomach. Because of this stupid, clumsy man, his watch was now broken. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. 'It's only a watch', he told himself. 'Not reason enough to kill that man. Only a watch.'
Even though he rationally knew that it was only a watch, it had been a present from his closest friend. This watch, no matter that he had just gotten it, meant a lot to him. He was an orphan, and getting presents from friends was the only presents he ever got in his life. And he knew how hard Shiryu had searched for this one gift, refusing to buy something just not to have to show up empty handed. Ikki had told him that Shiryu had been combing through stores for days, because he never felt right about what he saw.
Shiryu had always been close to him, and Seiya understood his friends way of thinking. This watch had been given as a token of their friendship. Not easy found, but precious and unique. And now, because of one maladroit postman, this token was broken. Seiya grit his teeth , fighting the urge to unite this man with the grovel through one good calculated Meteor fist. If it were an other Saint he surely would have done that already, but even though he was no good in controlling his temper, it had been hammered into his brain, not to attack a simple human.
"Go away!" he hissed between gritted teeth, barely holding back his anger, clenching his fist tightly at his side.
"But I didn't…"
"I. Said. Go. Away."
Seiya was trying very hard, but he knew that if the man said only one more word, he would not be able to hold himself back anymore.
The postman seemed finally to understand the threat and hurried down the stair and away.
It took Seiya a few more breaths to gain back a bit of control. Maybe it wasn't so bad, he told himself. Maybe it could be fixed.
He reached down to lift the damaged watch off the floor, trying to collect as many of the glass shards and laying them in his open palm. The back cover had completely come off and Seiya examined it carefully. The metal didn't look cracked anywhere. Maybe it was indeed easy to put it back on, and the glass could certainly be replaced. He took the other part off the floor too and at this moment something fell out of the Clock case. Something small and white, which certainly didn't belong there.
Intrigued, Seiya reached for the small, folded paper for which he recognized it and opened it cautiously.
Whoever had put this in the watch, had been very careful to fold it so many times, that it didn't hold more than one centimeter in diameter and it took Seiya some fumbling to unfold it, without damaging it. But he succeeded and studied the note he now held in his hand curiously.
It was a small piece of paper, barely ten centimeters long and wide, but it was without doubt some kind of map with a cross on one corner.
It looked exactly like a treasure map.