The Children of Lotus

Chapter III : The Future?

Disclaimer

The characters in this story belong to Masami Kurumada, Toei and Bandai.

All that present in the Sanctuary ground at that time really couldn't believe their eyes as they see the deplorable state of the Virgo Saint, the look of disbelief were shown in their face because it such an unusual behaviour that came from the blond Saint. Each one in their head keep wondering, what sort of madness that bring the Virgo Saint into such state?

Because this is Virgo Shaka— the man who is the most close of being a God and an ascetic that almost never show any emotion in front of people— and the fact that now, he is in this state make anyone who see this would doubt his own eyes.

"S-Shaka… are you alright? What happened to you, friend?" said the Taurus Saint reluctantly because although he is quite shocked by what just happened but he also felt pity for the deplorable Virgo Saint.

But there is no response from the Virgo Saint who only looking at the ground with an almost empty eyes and disbelief. It seems that whatever he had heard and see today is unbelievable for his mind— and so does his actions right now is unbelievable to his comrade-in-arms.

Then the Sagittarius Saint kneel down and shake Shaka's shoulder a little, "Hey, Shaka.. I am sorry for punching you, did I punch you too hard?" said Aioros and well, the archer started to feel bad and concerned because he did not expect that his punch would have this effect to the Virgo Saint.

"Did you really punch him that much?" said Saga questioning his husband, although he couldn't believe it in the least that the punch would have any effects to the Virgo Saint.

"Well, I didn't expect that, Saga… I thought he would be okay with that, I mean he usually not this weak, and I—" said Aioros trying to explain himself but it's true that he did not expect this would happen as he knows how strong Shaka is.

Just when Aioros wants to explain again the voice of the Aries Saint and his not so little apprentice and son rang throughout the Sanctuary Ground.

"Shaka!" "Papa!" Both Arians were seen running down the stairs with face of concern and more after seeing the Virgo Saint is kneeling on the ground with a bleeding nose.

Mu fasten his steps and then immediately approached his husband and cupped his face, he examined his face with concerns and then he looked up to the other gold saints with anger permeated in his face. "What has happened?" Mu questioned the other with his authoritative voice— that sounds so similar like the voice of his teacher— Aries Shion.

"Well, It just that Aioros—" said Aldebaran but was immediately cut off by the brunette Sagittarius. "Mu, Mu— I am so sorry, I am really sorry… I didn't mean to hit Shaka, but I saw that he wanted to touch Saga… so you know, I got jealous so I hit him…" said Aioros while also kneeling and putting his hands together.

"Forgive him, Mu… You know he got a jealousy complex." Said Saga and although he likes it when Aioros get jealous because well— he thinks that jealousy is also a form of affection, but sometimes Aioros' jealousy bring so much trouble to their life that it felt so exasperating sometimes for the Gemini Saint.

Mu only sighs as he already have seen it before and well— Aioros can get to the extreme when it comes to jealousy. One time, Mu saw the Sagittarius almost threw one of the Silver Saint because he talked with Saga. "I understand, but I think you need to control your jealousy, Aioros."

The Aries Saint then turned around to see his husband's face again, "Are you alright, Shaka? Let's go home, I'll treat your wounds." Said Mu and then he tried to put Shaka's arms around his shoulder to carry him to Aries but the Virgo Saint denied it abruptly as if he regains his senses after being hit in the face by Aioros.

"No— Wait! This cannot be true, right? I still couldn't believe it!" Shaka shakes his head in denial again because how come everything change in a second with so much strange things happening in front of him.

Mu felt in despair when he saw Shaka doing and saying nonsense again, he felt that something is wrong with Shaka and he want to know what is it, but Mu knew that he must be patient and in cold head to know what is happening to his husband so he acts like this since morning.

"Please, Shaka… let me heal your wounds first and let's talk about all of this slowly, let me take you home, and we will talk about all of this, okay?" Mu tried to approach him again and then takes his hand slowly— and Shaka when he saw the emerald eyes of the Aries felt the sincerity of it and he slowly giving in. Maybe I should calm down first and slowly figure out what is happening. Thought Shaka.

Mu smiles when Shaka finally giving in, he feels that all the madness that happened since morning will finally come into some explanation after he talk with his husband. "Okay, let's go to Aries," said Mu while helping Shaka to get up, he then turns to his son Kiki, "Kiki, please go to your grandfather and asked him some herbal medicine." Said Mu while going to the Aries Temple

"Okay, Mama… I will go now." Said the red-haired Aries and he proceed to go to do what his mother told him to do. While the other five Saints were oblivious tp the scene, and of course that they were flabbergasted by how Shaka behaves to Mu because none of them expect that Shaka will be capable to deny anything from Mu. For all the times that the gold Saints know each other the only person that Virgo Shaka never deny anything nor get annoyed by Mu— and now seeing him immediately deny Mu's affection is just unaginable to them.

"Wow, Shaka is so strange today… I can't believe that he did that to Mu, I thought he would never be capable of it." chirp the Taurus Saint.

"I know, he's so weird and he seemed like a madman, it is shocking to see that Shaka lost his composure like that— I have never seen him to be like that not even in the worst battle." Said the Gemini Saint because he also genuinely want to know what curse or miracle that makes Shaka act like that.

"And why is he so shocked by the fact that Aldebaran and Kanon are married to each other? Isn't everybody knew about it already?" chirp Aioros, the confusion in the archer face's is palpable. "And he also looked so so surprised that Saga is pregnant— like can he see it by himself? And he even have seen Mu like that— I mean almost everyone here, it's not his first time." added the Sagittarius Saint.

"I know, right? But ever since he came, he had been asking me such strange question too. He doesn't even seem to remember Aria…" said the Leo Saint as he is just as confused as his older brother.

"What kind of question?" said the Capricorn Saint sharply because he doesn't like it when some do that to his dear husband especially after seeing the blond was gawking at his husband like that. Although Shura would never admit it, but he is kind of jealous to Shaka because it seems that he get along well with Aioria sometimes.

"Huh?" Aioria was quite prepelexed by his husband's question, but he quickly answered, "Nothing actually, he was just asking me 'what am I doing' and at that time I was feeding Aria and it just feel weird to me that he would ask that question, I mean it's not unusual for me to do that to my daughter, right? And then, he also asked if Aria is my daughter or not, which you know Shura…"

The Capricorn Saint can only sigh in annoyance, then added, "Yes, I know… I just don't like how he stared at you..." and the Gemini Saint immediately asked, "He asked you if Aria is your daughter not? That's strange, isn't we all were there when you gave birth to her?"

"That's why that I thought he forget about it, but how come he forget it, he's not a forgetful person. And I was more surprised whe he seemed shocked when he saw you, Saga— like how can he forgot that you are pregnant? That's just doesn't make any sense." Said the Leo Saint.

"Could it be that Shaka losing his memories? It's the only logical explanation of his behaviour, he seemed lost and shocked with everything." The Capricorn Saint voiced his opinion.

"But in one night? I went to the mission with Shaka for few days and we got back last night , and I assure you that he looked okay and remembered everything— not a single peculiarity he showed, he was just the regular Shaka that we know," said the brunette Sagittarius.

"Maybe Shaka hit his head after he came back to Aries Temple and then he loses his memory? It's a possibility…" said Shura again although he doesn't quite convinced with his reasoning either, but that's the only logical thing to happen that crossed his mind right now.

"Well, we don't know for sure and it seems that Mu doesn't know it either. Whatever it was, this is just too strange…" said the Gemini Saint making the last voice of the five saints who right now fell into silence while trying to understand what the hell is happening to the Virgo Saint.

.

.

Meanwhile the five saints were left out thinking about all the strange things that the Virgo Saint displayed this morning, in the Aries Temple, Mu is healing the wounds and nosebleed that Shaka has.

"Ouch— that's hurt…" grimace Shaka as Mu wiping the blood off his face. "Sorry, I'll do it more slowly," says Mu while keep looking at his husband worriedly. He sighs and then said, "Will you tell me what is happening to you, Shaka? And why are you acting so weird this morning?"

Shaka sighed resignedly, after a long thinking, he thought it may be better to talk about what he knows, so he can get some information about what happened to him. "I don't know either, I just remember that I was in the Twin Sala Garden facing Saga, Shura and Camus, and they launched Athena Exclamation towards me— the only thing I saw is a blinding light and then I suddenly open my eyes with you in front of me…"

"But, Shaka… the Holy War is over years ago, we are in time of peace now." Said Mu, he actually thought that maybe Shaka was dreaming about the Holy War but how come he even forgets about their marriage and children.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" asked Mu, hoping that Shaka might remember what they were doing last night, but Shaka only shakes his head and says, "Last night?"

"You really don't remember anything at all? Except for all that you said?" asked Mu again, and then Shaka replied, "Yes, I don't know what has happened to me, the only thing I know that we were in the Holy War fighting with Hades' spectres and the revived Saints."

"It's been seven years since the Holy War, Shaka… it's over already." Said Mu with a certain worriment, he is concerned that maybe something happened to Shaka while they were asleep last night because Shaka would never lie or do something this extreme to him or their children.

"What!? So, this is the future!?— LIKE MY FUTURE!?" screamed Shaka, this is a possibility, right? The future, but how did I get here? Is this really the future, Oh Buddha! Thought Shaka.

"The future? What do you mean the future? We are not in the future, Shaka stop playing, I cannot believe that you did all of this!" Mu almost loses his patient, but the look that Shaka gave him is like someone who really don't know and forget about everything. "Please, Shaka.. tell me what happened?"

"I don't know, I don't know Mu… that's the only thing that I remember and I cannot explain it either. I just suddenly got here and shocked with everything I saw because I just didn't expect it, with marriage— and even children!" Shaka felt so desperate, but he the thought that this might be the future can explain things that is completely unacceptable and unbelievable to him at the moment.

"Shaka… do you really don't remember anything? Even last night? But how can you forget, Shaka? I really couldn't believe it, I—" Mu tried to express his emotions and feelings right now, he felt so much things happening in one time. One side, he felt upset and angry that Shaka forgetting everything but in the other side, he also dismayed about his husband's state because Shaka would never joke something like this— he's not that kind of person.

Shaka shakes his head in denial because he really don't know what happened, he already prayed to his master Buddha, but got no answer— as if his master wouldn't even want to answer his questions. "If I know, Mu… I wouldn't ask you about this, now tell me what did we do last night?"

Mu looked at Shaka intently, he tried to search for the lie in his blue eyes, but there is none, there's only naked sincerity in his eyes and the desperation in his eyes, "Well, you were on a mission with Aioros and you just went home last night. It was late at night and—" Mu stopped talking and his cheeks are suddenly reddened like a red rose.

"And what happened, Mu?" asked Shaka as he is getting impatient, he really want to know and maybe that will give him some information if this really the future or not.

"Are you really don't remember anything? Like anything at all? Well— we made love after that!" exclaimed Mu as he really get annoyed by Shaka behaviour although he could feel his cheeks burned so much because of that. Even if they already married for more than six years, he still getting nervous to talk about such things with Shaka.

"M-made L-love!? I have never done that in my whole life!" Shaka stuttered, but if this is really the future then it might really happened. The Virgo Saint's face suddenly also getting redder as he never thought he would have the chance to made love with Mu— The person he has always been longing for.

"What!? That is just too cruel, Shaka! How can you deny what you did with me last night!" exclaimed Mu again, he never believed that Shaka denied that he had touched him last night, the lilac-haired Aries then pull his neckline and shows Shaka all the red marks that are on his neck and upper chest. "And what about all this— what about all this kiss marks that you gave me!?"

Shaka's face is getting redder than before, he even can feel that he blood might come out his nose again when seeing the rosy white skin of the lilac-haired Lemurian in front of him, "I—Mu, I don't—"

Mu looked at Shaka in the eyes again, and he really saw that confused man, very untypical of Shaka, "Do you really not remember anything? What happened to you? Did you hit something, last night?"

"If I hit something last night you would've known, Mu... I just don't know what has happened to me, please Mu... Can you tell me everything that has happened since the Holy War, then? And how old are we right now?" asked Shaka, he is much more comfortable now to tell everything because he started to believe that maybe this is isn't an illusion and this is the future instead, but he still doesn't know what is happening to him and he wouldn't lower his guards for it.

Mu sighed, because he really can feel Shaka is not lying, although as strange as it's sound Mu always have a special connection with Shaka— since childhood they seemed to understand each other very well even without words, they completely understand each other with just one glance— and right now deep down he knew that Shaka is not lying to him.

The Aries Saint then said, "I am twenty-eight now, and you will be twenty-eight in September, we just celebrated my birthday two months ago, and as I said the Holy War over seven years ago and we were revived after Athena made peace with Hades and the other gods. A year after that, Athena and other gods gave some of us the ability to have children— that is me, Saga, Kanon, Aioria, Camus, and Aphrodite. At that time we were paired together, and my teacher didn't want me to have children without getting married so he held a wedding for us— uhm, wait, I will show you the pictures." Mu then getting up from his seat to get the photo album on the bookshelf.

He goes back to Shaka and show the first page of the photo album. "This is the photos from our wedding, do you remember?" asked Mu, the Aries Saint still could not believe that Shaka forgetting everything in just one night while last night he still touch him, whispering him words of love, but now— he seems to be confused and doesn't know anything.

Shaka looked at the pictures attentively, there's him and Mu wearing some wedding attire with a red scarf were tied together, he can see Mu's faint smiles in those pictures and he looked happy too although it seemed that he repressed his feelings so much and different than the photo he saw in the bedroom earlier— where he looked much more free to express his feelings

"Oh, well, at that time we haven't tell about our feelings yet," giggled Mu— he felt so much nostalgic when remembering his wedding, after all the wedding is one of the reason why he and Shaka finally confessing their love to each other.

"Huh?" Shaka looked at Mu a little surprised because apparently how can they marry when they haven't confessed to each other?

"We confessed to each other— or rather you confessed to me, almost a month after we got married. You know, because we were paired by the Gods some of us didn't have any feelings with each other yet, although I couldn't say that I only have feelings for you after we got married…" Mu looked down with a faint smile on his lips and the blush on his cheeks started to intensify.

And Shaka also couldn't deny he doesn't have any feelings for Mu, he always has deep affections for Mu, but the circumstances and duty between them hindered him to say those affections to the lilac-haired Aries, and also Shaka is too cowardly to confess his feelings because he's afraid that he will just hurt Mu and so, he decided to keep his distance towards Mu. Now, Shaka can felt that his cheeks getting warmer and warmer, this is just like a dream comes true for him— A happy life with Mu.

"My teacher really didn't like it when I have to be paired with you, but he cannot go against Athena either so he gave up, although he still made a long sermon for you and he made you sit to hear him for more than ten hours, and I also remembered that he even threatened you if you dare to hurt me— but I know that you won't hurt me so I begged him to stop and at that time you said to me that you almost went deaf because of my teacher's sermon." Giggled Mu again while looking up at Shaka straight in his eyes. He looks so beautiful. Shaka thought.

Shaka felt his heart racing, and he felt such a warm feelings in his chest when he saw Mu smiling, although he is quite calm right now he still doubting if this is an illusion or if it is really the future, because he is afraid that this is only a plan to make him unguarded.

He then looks at the other pictures, there's a picture of them with the other gold Saints, the Patriarch, the bronze Saints and Athena, "I can see that your teacher hated the fact I married you," said Shaka, he knew that Shion will be the greatest hindrance for his love and looking at that picture it seems that the Patriarch did not enjoy the wedding.

Mu laughed softly when he heard Shaka said that, "Well, I could say so, he started to soften his attitude after our children were born." Mu sighed again the added, "Uhm, after a month of our wedding you confessed to me about your feelings, you said that you always have feelings for me even since our childhood but you couldn't confess because you were afraid that I didn't feel the same, but I also have those feelings for you— so, I also confessed, I must say that the Gods has given me a wonderful gift because I finally be able to be with you."

Shaka's heart is beating so fast again when he heard Mu said that, he felt that his heart could explode by the intensity of the feelings, "Oh, and then we have our children, Kiki was so happy when we told him that we were going to have a new family— You know that Kiki is like my own son and you also started to consider him as a son after we got married— and well, the twins were born and after six years we lived happily as family." Said Mu again with that characteristic smile of his.

Shaka fell into silence as the warm feeling in his beings started to intensify, he still confused about everything, he also afraid that this is an illusion— and more so, after he heard those stories from Mu. He doesn't want to let go of all of these warmth that he felt around Mu. If this is really the future, I don't want to let go. Shaka thought

"Look, this is the picture when the twins were just born, they look so much like you," says Mu and he added while giggling, "Maybe, I love you too much that our children looked so much like you."

Shaka can feel his cheeks burned again when he heard Mu said that he loves him too much, he then diverts his attention to the picture that Mu pointed out, there are two newborn babies, with blond hairs but also with the Lemurian characteristics— The tikas. No doubt that these are the two children that I saw earlier.

Shaka looked at the other pictures again, there's him holding those babies in his arms, smiling faintly and in another there is Mu who was on the bed carrying those same babies, and he kept opening the album one by one revealing many beautiful memories that was framed in those pictures, he can see that they celebrated birthdays together, going out together— like a perfect family.

Mu can see that Shaka seemed really do not remember anything, and he felt empty because how can that this happen in just one night? When everything seemed to be alright and wonderful, and in a matter of times— it seems gone.

"Maybe you were just tired from the last mission, let's get a little nap before lunch?" Mu smiles at Shaka, the Aries Saint felt that he is in denial now, his mind just couldn't accept Shaka forgetting everything in one night, but even so he will still believe in Shaka.

The lilac-haired then getting up and take Shaka's hand in his to lead him to their bedroom. There, he quickly sit on the bed and pat his lap, "Come, Shaka… let's rest for a while before the children come for lunch."

The Virgo Saint get on the bed hesitantly but Mu quickly pulled him and lie him down on his lap, not even giving him the chance to refuse, "Maybe, you were just tired from the mission, and maybe everything will come back after you rest." Said Mu while caressing the blond strands of the Virgo.

Shaka felt completely at peace, he can smell the faint fragrance of orange blossom that emanated from Mu, bringing him back to his childhood before all the bad things happened— where he often got the chance to be with Mu, training together, reading and even to those moment where sometimes, Mu slept on his shoulders when they were in the Twin Sala Garden, enjoying the afternoon together.

Deep down Shaka felt that he shouldn't lower his guards, but the fragrance that came from Mu, the the delicate caresses that Mu gave on his hairs, giving Shaka the warmth and peace that he never felt anymore since childhood— since Mu ran away from the Sanctuary to Jamir.

This is so warm and comfortable. Somehow, with Mu he always get this feelings— so calming, and refreshing— making him feel that everything will be alright for now and forever.

Author's Note:

It's been so long since the last time I updated this fic. I haven't had the time to write, but I will try to write more in the next months.

And as I always say, I apologise for spelling mistakes, grammar errors, and any other mistakes as I am not a native speaker of English.

Thank you for reading.