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THE CANDLE (PART II)

"Ikki, the Virgo Saint."

"Sounds nice... but I'm Leo..."

"Well, you had the Sagittarius Cloth once." Hyoga smiled as he was finishing his dish, almost licking his fingers. "You was so handsome in that potato bag."

The Phoenix Saint laughed before drinking some more wine. Virgo's servants began to clean the big table where both Saints finished eating. It wasn't a joke when Ikki said he wanted to make a party with his best friend and brother, the Cygnus Saint. Of course, they parties were totally different of a normal one. They always enjoyed their time talking or seeing movies. This time, eating all they wanted and exploring the Virgo Temple.

"I'm always handsome, Hyoga. But hey, you look very nice in your Aquarius Cloth."

"I'm awesome always so yeah." Hyoga cleaned his smile with a napkin and let a servant take his empty plate. "So, we almost finish exploring the Temple. Lamentable is almost midnight so..."

"Ah right, you need to go to sleep early."

While Ikki was there because wanted to make a favour to his best friend between the Golden Saints, some other were training to be the next ones in the high ranks to use their Zodiacal Cloth. Even if the Golden Saints were alive again, some of them decided to leave their places to the next generation. Camus, Mu, Aiolos and specially Dohko were some of them, and the best option were their students or, in Aiolos case, one of the Bronze Saints that were a hero. But indeed the Phoenix Saint didn't want to have that responsibility and duty.
The Cygnus Saint stand up and make Ikki do the same.

"C'mon! I just want to see a last room." He winked to his friend. "The meditation room."

But in that moment a servant was close.

"Excuse me, Saints?" She said with a low voice. "Master Shaka asked us not to enter there."

"Really?" Ikki' smile said a lot of the haughtiness he has towards the servants. "Maybe he said that to you, but I'm someone special for him and even for the whole Sanctuary." He smiled to hold Hyoga around his shoulders. "Let's go to see the meditation room."

The Cygnus Saint smiled to the servant, not like a monk but more like apologize for his brother, because even so Hyoga knew wasn't that correct.

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The beautiful carpets and paintings were in totally darkness, the only light to be there was the one the door let pass and the candles that were in the front of the entrance but in the other side of the room, thanks to this in between there was a weird darkness that was trying to have some more light. Both brothers were around seeing them; Ikki was already in love with the art and the few details he could see and the beautiful sculptures around the floor were catching his eyes and hypnotized him in a way. Meanwhile, Hyoga was more interested in the paintings than the carpets or the sculptures. He smiled seeing how his old brother was touching the statues to feel not just the texture but imagine better. Being student of such cultural and smart Golden Saint, Hyoga didn't have other option but enjoy the paintings and drawings of different European artists. He could remember so well how Camus tried to make him and Isaak love the art but, while Isaak enjoyed almost all, he just felt love for the colour and the visual, and of course the music.

Both saints spend time in silence, making a bit anxious to Hyoga. Being in such dark place, with some interesting paintings and statues and the rough carpet under his feet to then feel the cold marble suddenly, didn't help to the Cygnus Saint, especially when abruptly felt the warm of the candles. He turned to see Ikki, who was over the floor but without being on his knees because he wanted to see a carpet closer.

"Hey, Ikki." Hyoga interrupted him to point the candles. "Are these the candles Shaka said?"

They were under a bit lotus image with an "OM" painted and were in circles over a beautiful mirror table that made the light come even with more intensity than a normal candle. They weren't so big, but exactly in the middle was one with different colour and around the Holy Rosary.

Curious about it, the Phoenix Saint walked to be at side of his brother and see the candles. He remembered well and Shaka just said about one candle.

"I bet one of these is the candle Shaka told me." Ikki came close to see the red candle and verify that had some texture. "But that one looks different. Has something written and... I think is Japanese."

"I can't see... you have great eyes, brother."

"Well, I'm more familiar with the darkness than you, Hyoga." he then decided to do something to show him. "Look."

With all the careful he could had, Ikki moved his arm between the other candles and took the red one out of the circle the Holy Rosary made. He smiled seeing how the fire wasn't pain around his skin and could put the candle close to them.

"Let me see." Hyoga came close but Ikki needed to move the candle.

"Be careful with your hair, Barbie."

"Barbie? Ok, Ikki, that's your boyfriend Shaka."

"He is not my boyfriend." he said seriously.

"Not yet." Hyoga smiled and winked.

"I have some news for you; there is something called friendship. It is the shit you and the other three are always talking about."

"Bullshit!" the Cygnus Saint loved to tease to the other bird Saint so he gave some light pats in his back. "Oh, Shaka you are so handsome." he began to change his voice to something deeper and act with an angry face. "Please marry me under Athena's Statue!"

"Shut up, stupid assbird. And you wanted to see the fucking candle. See it now!"

He already know that his brother liked to tease him like that, but sometimes he just didn't want to have a bother like a duck trying to imitate his voice. So now, Ikki pulled the candle towards Hyoga, of course he reacted as anyone in the world when the fire is too close and moved with a jump backwards, and lamentably he could feel the warm of the other candles very close. Before he could feel the burn of the fire, the Cygnus Saint jumped again forward, of course Ikki saw him come closer and turned with the candle in hand throwing a gasp feeling the slight push on his back. The light that was around his hands abruptly disappeared.

"Fuck, Hyoga!" he said with an angry face showing the candle. "Shaka will be piss off, he was serious about the candle!"

"What? Hey, it was an accident! And why that stupid candle is so important?"

"I don't know, he just told me to don't turn it off. Something that, as you can see, you did."

"I did? No, no, you and I. The candle was turned off because WE did it. And it was an accident." Ikki sighed and came close to place it in the middle of the Rosary. "You know, I'm impressed." he smiled to tease a bit more to his brother. "You normally don't accept missions or make favours to other Saints, and you are always so curious about your work that you ask the tiniest detail. How is that you didn't ask about the candle? I think you want to remove the "Virgoness" in the Virgo Saint."

The Phoenix Saints turned and crossed his arms.

"First, and as I said, Shaka is my friend. Second, he just told me minutes before go and I didn't want to stop him and I really didn't thought it was that important. Shaka and his students are weird sometimes. And last... if you mean I want to fuck Shaka... no, Hyoga, just no." he sighed a bit tired. "I will never understand why you think we are something when we are just FRIENDS."

"Yeah, that's what Shunrei and Shiryu said once."

"Fuck, Hyoga!"

"No! Fuck Shaka! And so hard and..."

"Oh my..." suddenly he throw a punch to Hyoga's arm. "Shut up, ok? Just shut up and let's fix this. Shaka said he wanted to see the candle still with fire when he arrived. Now is turn off."

The silence was there while Ikki began to think. Hyoga, at his side, was just very serious and then laughed a bit. Indeed Ikki couldn't understand till his brother just took another candle to place it close to the red one and let it lightning with its fire.

"Done."

But in the moment he said that and smiled to Ikki, the candle turned off again. Both Saints saw this, this time Ikki took the candle and put it close to do the same than the Cygnus Saint. But once more, the candle turned off.

"What is this?" Ikki asked seeing around. "Maybe some air is coming inside the room."

"Yeah, let me help you."

Again, Ikki held the candle in his hand to then Hyoga could make some little 'walls' around with his own hands. The fire was there again and Hyoga smiled... but the light turned off.

"Fuck this shit." Ikki said angry to turn it on again.

This time, Hyoga began to feel the cosmos of his best friend around the candle. He smiled seeing it still on, but he then felt some cold air passing over his nape and, without expecting his own reaction, he could feel a cold breath on his ear to then hear a deep and sick groan.

"Did you heard that?" Ikki asked turning around.

Hyoga saw him and saw their backs.

"Hear what?"

"Ah, maybe was that stupid air entering to the room."

"But... wouldn't it turn off the other candles too?"

The blue haired Saint just kept in silence. It was true, if the air was around then the other candles would turned off.

"Maybe is around here." He moved his hand in circles to let him know he meant around them. "So, better let's place it where it needs to be. But just let me see if that is... oh, it wasn't Japanese. It is Hindi maybe? Anyway..."

He did what he said and let the candle in the middle of the Rosary. Again, the inconsistent light was there and they felt it was necessary to go out. Shaka wasn't there but his servants could know this.

As they both were walking back to the door, Hyoga saw around the statues.

"They are a bit creepy."

"They are not. I like them." Ikki smiled. "It is just a bit different than your European art, my good duck."

The Russian man smiled and nodded. Ikki was right, he never saw those kind of statues in his art history books. That's why he didn't mind to close the door as he began to tease Ikki a bit more.

"Are you going to sleep in your boyfriend's room?"

"Oh, Hyoga, you need to admit you... wait!" He stopped the door after giving a sight to the interior one last time. "Hey what..."

Ikki pushed the door to open it but kept in silence seeing around.

"What?" Hyoga asked.

"I thought someone was inside."

"Ok, I think you are tired, baby Ikki."

"Yeah, maybe was a statue. Anyway, admit you are jealous of Shaka." He smiled closing totally the door.

"Yes I'm. Now I need to go sleep to Aquarius Temple."

"Don't you want to stay?"

"No, I don't think Camus wants that." Hyoga laughed as both began to walk. "He and Milo doesn't like when I spend too much time with you."

"Milo?" Ikki asked. "Was he around again?"

"Yes, he is always around."

"I don't like him, he disrespects to Shiva always."

"I don't like him totally neither, but well... today he was bothering me telling me horror stories about the Sanctuary. He said so many souls are trapped in between the Temple's walls from each Holy War, not just in Cancer Temple, but in all of them. So, he says there are ghosts around."

"For sure he was drunk." Ikki laughed when they both were in the back entrance of the temple. "Or is a scared baby."

"Or is a scarlet baby!"

"Woah! Hyoga! That joke was terrible!"

"I'll not do it again, promise." He said seriously to then explode in a laughter with Ikki. "Ok, enough! I need to sleep."

"Me too." Ikki calmed down a bit. "I love you, brother. Have sweet dreams."

"Thanks, Ikki. I'm glad you are around again." They both hugged each other and gave a kiss in their cheek. "Love you, see you tomorrow. Have sweet dreams with your husband Shaka."

"Get out, assduck!"

Ikki laughed pushing him out. He smiled seeing his brother waving at him and then running upstairs. The Phoenix turned still with a smile because truly enjoyed always the time with his best friend. But as he did this, the corner of his eye perceived something. Phoenix Ikki didn't see anything so he just kept his smile and walked directly to the guest room the Temple had thinking that he really needed to sleep and expecting to have sweet dreams that first night in the Virgo Temple. And wishing that candle couldn't turn off again.