Disclaimer: Saint Seiya isn't mine, I have no rights, I'm doing this to my own amusement and since I made no money it's safe to assume this isn't real ant it will never be, although I use some spoilers. A pity, I tell you.
Key:
Normal Search, thoughts or emphasis in Flashbacks/dreams.
/Hades impressions manifestation/
Normal thoughts, Flash backs, dreams, emphasis words and 'Hades-Shun' merging thoughts (you will see what I meant, the last part is really important so beware)
Double emphasis in and out of Flash Backs and dreams, if the text is in italic previously then the double emphasis will appear like this
'Talking trough Cosmos'
Author Note: YOU BETTER READ THIS FIRST BECAUSE I WILL NOT ACCEPT FLAMES BY SOMETHING I HAVE PUT BEFORE THE FIC FOR YOUR BENEFIT… so, there will be Anime and manga spoilers mixed in this.
Here all bronze saints are brothers, sons of Mitsumada Kido but except for a few exceptions (majorly Ikki and Shun) they treat each other as good friends (like in the anime). This happens after the OVA of Hades in the Elysium, three years later as you will confirm if you read this story. Shiva and Agora (only Anime character) exist in this narrative and no, they don't die like in the anime, my change; but Cristal Saint doesn't exist so Hyoga's master was always Camus (Manga canon). And apart from the gold saints and Shion, the nine silver saints resurrected in Hades Arc are brought back but they will not have much input so don't worry. I have done a lithe research and there will be a few mentions of Greece mythology and Saint Seiya Lost Canvas so don't be surprised.
This a Two-Shot fic! I wanted to make it one-shot but it was getting too big, so I will post the other part soon.
WARNING: This is a DARK fic, there will be morbid themes here, blood and cursing. If you are sensitive or don't like this don't flame me because after this point it's your own choice to read, I hold no responsibility over your acts and/or consequences of you reading this (except if it's a good thing, in that case I want all the credits ;D).
You have been warned and for those who still want to read go ahead and make yourselves happy.
A.N. P.S: I would appreciate if you review in the end to tell me what you think, you would make me a very happy girl. Thanks and good reading.
By: AnimeManiac001
My Heart of Darkness
Chapter 1: Confused Darkness
Three years. It has been three years since that event. That gruesome and unforgettable event… Hades possession; Hades awakening soul inside of his own, his thoughts, memories, actions… it was, in a word, a nauseating reminiscence.
Words didn't exist to describe his abomination of existence. How could such individual be brother of all powerful Zeus and confident Poseidon? Even Ares, God of Bloodlust, didn't have the hatred that Hades possessed… even so they were friends; Ares and Hades; something he learned when he had that… being, inside of him. Ares loved fights, struggles, battles, wars; the whole lot of slaughter. He loved the power he could have over the defected enemies, the violence that result of that's occasions. Betrayal, envy, hate, passion, the feelings that caused death and bloodshed. He had fun with it. As much fun Hades had with torturing the poor creatures in his realm.
Shun trembled thinking of some of them, the appearance of the souls in the prisons he saw and in the memory of his counterpart.
"Shun, is everything well? You don't have a good colour in your face." Asked his sensei behind him. Shun almost jumped, he didn't felt his master approach, but then again who could feel Shaka when he himself didn't want to? It was strange that he was the apprentice of the man closest to god. It was a decision of Athena that Shun… sort of… resented. It wasn't as if he didn't like Shaka, no, he respect him a lot by his undying loyalty and vigorous perseverance, but he always felt strange when in close proximity of him and didn't exactly had a affinity like Shiryu, Seiya and Hyoga had with their own professors; Ikki was… Ikki. With Shaka they would be always be a bit on edge since they weren't the best friends, to put it mildly. They tried but Shaka nature as someone between human and god, difficult things a bit, and Shun himself… couldn't… wouldn't cluster too much. Anxiety perhaps? ...Or it was because…
"No, I'm fine, master. Just a bit cold, but today is such a nice night. The sky is clean of clouds; I can see the stars perfectly." He said. He knew from experience that Shaka liked to know the motives of Shun doing something. It was for the reason that he was his pupil, or since he was the one that saw him as the once vessel of Hades? Ahh… not good, he returned to a trail of thought he didn't want to think about in the moment.
He always wondered if Shaka could see inside of his head with his stare… like the one he was giving him know… really he need to be more careful with his deliberations or his master would catch a glimpse of them.
"Very well. But remember you have to train early tomorrow and I won't allow sleeping in." Shaka was making Shun know that tomorrow would be a hard day since he would to bed a bit more lately than usual.
"Of course, master" 'You never do.' He spoke with is cosmos. That was unnecessary, Shun knew, but he couldn't resist, since Shaka seemed to relax a bit and even give a knowing little smile. It was good to pretend to be a normal pupil with the same preoccupation and complains of the other students of Sanctuary, Shaka always seemed to be more lighten up if Shun was a bit more like his friends but they both knew he was very different, for different reasons of course. He hadn't worked hard three years to be exposed now. He wouldn't disturb anyone with that… no one… never.
Ah, again alone. Quiet and lonely, as he should be in times like this. He didn't permit himself to remember what happened every night or in a frequent pattern. Zeus only knows what it would do to his frame of mind. But sometimes, as now, it was necessary. To remember how much sadness and sacrifices the wars caused. To relieve the heaviness mount up in the hard weeks of training. It was risky, but there wasn't anything he could do. That was a fact, not a presumption.
Once more the shadows of death were surrounding him. He could taste the memories, the horrors near to his consciousness. His eyes clouded for a brief second, and for that spilt instant he could see another reality. A god's realism based in the recollection they had from their countless existences. He had sealed them in a deep part of his psyche after the end of the Holy War. To not remember, to not know, to not imagine… ahh, a privilege he didn't had. How he desired he had never had to be acquainted with Hades. But wishing something impossible wasn't like him. He could not change the past.
Shun rose from his posture in the ground and walked calmly to his room, a little blessing that it was far from his master's, he was sure that if it wasn't the case he would have been found out long before.
He done his night rituals and walk to the bed, meanwhile keeping his thoughts as blank as possible. "Time to welcome the… nightmares?" he asked himself as he lay in his bed, turning to the side in a restful position. The bedstead was simple and not very hard, neither very comfortable, with a little mattress and a warm blanket to the coolest nights.
Today was one of them, but not to the body; but to the soul…
Feeling his awareness slipping in the layers of slumber he could sense the darkness set free from its coffin and envelop him and everything that was him. Soon nothing would remain of Shun; Hades memories would take control and guide him to a new set of horrors and dark fantasies that he himself would never had under normal circumstances. Shun could only hope that, akin to the sky, even in the middle of Darkness, there would always exist little stars of light do scatter that obscurity.
----
My ally and I were killing that feeble servants of our enemies, they were an easy kill. Undeserving of us. Ares smirked wickedly at me and I responded in the same way. We advanced to the lord of the castle we were peeling. The muck was trembling at our feat, crying and begging, when he tried to reach me (I was closest) I kicked him the face. The daring of him to touch me. Ares laugh behind me, no matter if he give us the information or not, he would suffer.
----
"No! Stop, Hades! Why are you doing this?" a woman of brown hair asked me, with her blue eyes shining with anger.
Athena.
Humph.
I preferred seeing her eyes void of life and that hair of her red with her blood.
----
Phoenix Ikki was at my feet, trying to climb the steps to me… to save me? ... I could see his face as I kill him, how pathetic of a worm like him think he could defy the Lord of Death! His screams were music to my ears, full of the pain and despair of the humankind as I would exterminate every single one of them.
----
…a boy named Alone was painting a little dog…
…when the thing died he cried…
How disgusting of him! My servant was so pure that he couldn't even feel hate or anger. His art however was not pitiful, the boy's purity allowed him to be this Hades avatar. With his gift to painting together with my power I/he could fill the world with the most beautiful of colours: black.
The Lost canvas.
A portrait of the world in its true form.
The true magnificence of death.
----
Screams were heard as the skin leaved the man's body. Bit by bit the skin was pealed leaving a mass of blood and muscle. The man's voice was louder and louder as the pain accumulated. I lift a wire and stated to put it in his nose.
The panic was magnificent.
The pain excruciating.
And the most beautiful of all was the entire… hopelessness.
But I wouldn't let in to pass out, no, he would suffer awake, conscious and lucid while I tear down his muscles, poured venom in his veins, break his bones. I would had his lung pierced and his intestines exposed, his stomach and entrails withdrawn, his skull fractured and his voice box a mess (he would still scream, where was the fun if he didn't voice his pain?), I'm doing all of that and only then, if I filing merciful, only then, I would let him pass out… His death however won't come in many days. That was the punishment for helping Athena and his Saints, no matter if the war wasn't lost because of this. This Hades chastise brutality the traitors and double stabbers. For this man to have pledge an alliance to him and them to think that Athena was the one right?! To critic my decisions? How simpleton of this human, a human don't have the right to considerate this Hades decisions, he simply had to do what he was told.
----
"That is what you want, Hades-sama?" a woman, my slave, asked.
"Yes Pandora." I explain to her, after the fiasco of fight with Athena I couldn't risk my body like that. "After this day and until I possess the Earth that my brother give to that brat of his I will own the body of the purest of the humans, only the purest of all of them! I won't have a vessel of a soiled and sickening essence to carry my soul." I said as I decapitated one of those creatures with my sword. Blood was everywhere but none on me. My original body was something precious and couldn't have even a scratch on it. Athena would pay for that one.
"Death is salvation!" Yes. Accept me and everyone you know will be saved. Death is the end of every problem. No one will suffer anymore if they are death.
Kill them all Alone!
Kill them.
Sasha!
Tenma!
----
Hate flowed in my veins as blood run from his face. MY blood. I bring my sword down one time over the chest of the unfaithful thing that hurt my face. He screamed. Not enough. Again and again this Hades blade hit him. The man, a saint, persist on protect my enemy. He would die. Die. Die! DIE!
His cloth didn't protect him anymore. His arms, legs, torso, were bloody. Muscles, and bone could be spot. Yet that thing still breathes. My rapier was once again moving, I fell pleased felling his flesh open under my attack. His eyes were on my own, strangely calm as if accepting his end. My triumph was evident, even if I lost this war, others would come, and this one wouldn't see them. Athena would pass, the same way Pegasus was losing his head. The pressure that tried to repel my attack disappeared. Bone, tissue and blood poured from the headless human and its head fall on the ground.
I was deaf to the scream of the woman I hated more that everything as she shriek for the dead saint. The only thing I could hear was the superb sound of this boy's last breath.
----
His tree judges were arguing the destiny of Sisyphus, that man, that disgusting creature who dared to fool his brother Zeus, the King of Gods of Olympus, to report one of Zeus's secrets.
It was not what his brother had done; everyone, since mortal to immortals, knows of his affairs, but Sisyphus… to have considered himself as a peer who could account it… he deserved the worst punishment of all. But what? Whose prison I would put him to make him pay the horrible deed he committed? To avenge the gods' honour, my included by this deceit.
"My lord Hades?" asked Minos, one of my three moderators and strongest and cunning spectre. I gave him my attention, he could continue. "What about the 8th prison, Cocytus?"
"The iced river of Hell? The last prison? That's insufficient!!" A wicked idea crossed my mind. Brother would be pleased and the divine reputation would be revenged. As I rose myself of my throne I could see them tense, I wasn't angry with them however, they would be one the floor panting and screaming if I was.
"The Lord of Hades commands to bring Sisyphus to this realm, and by my word chain him to the Tartarus, condemned to be cursed to roll a huge boulder up a hill, only to watch it roll down again and again, to repeat this throughout eternity." I said; powers of this mekai already advancing to the surface to make my words true.
"Therefore his eternity will be spend in frustration as a retribution to have consider himself in the same level as gods" I finhish. Tartarus, where lay the imprison Titans, where the worst criminals were sent; even if right, that thing overstep his boundaries. He could regret his indiscretion for all eternity. Once in Tartarus, it was impossible to leave. The simple staying would madden him, but the curse would destroy his pathetic soul. If he could as simple deal with the problem of Athena…
He would shackle her to the part of the deepest hell and let all the titans rape and beat her, he would put her burning in Hyperion's eternal and hottest flames to consume her skin, flesh and bones. He would make her see the horrible humans and the retributions of their arrogance. Mind, soul and body would be tortured to then start everything yet again. Athena wouldn't be rational to ask forgiveness for her conceit.
----
Shun's body move restless in his bed, shuddered and toss without seemly peace. Whimpers were heard to those who possess acute ears but the distance didn't allow any living being to sense his distress. Even his cosmos, the soft, pure and kind cosmos everyone knew was changing to one of pain, anger and darkness.
Could anyone feel it? Could anyone help him?
Unfortunately, he answer was…no.
----
Once again they fought each other and again Athena brings her dog along. But no matter, I would finish her, Saints be dammed, her own power cursed. The cosmos she was so proud of would come to an end. Her life, her precious life maintained since mythological times with her victories over my brother, me and Ares would cease.
The body she used would be triturated by me, her soft tissue and bones would be given to the guardian beast of my hell, Cerberus. He would feed from her and her conscience would see; I would make it so. Once in my possession, her cosmos energy filled with her mind would pass by the 8 prisons and Tartarus. I would make her suffer without end, and after my anger, and revenge sated, I would calmly dispose of her.
----
"I have come to take your life, Hades!"
Virgo no Shaka had presented himself in front of him. How could a Saint of Athena, no matter if one of the strongest of them, one of the 12 Gold Saints, had managed to come to Guidecca? And of top of that, threatened to kill him? How daring of him. I smiled, he was the one how was with Athena, so he should know where that nuisance is.
……
"Where is Athena?"
"It will be pointless to you to know if you're going to die, no? Tenma Koufuku!"
The nerve of him to try to attack the god of the underworld! Anger and disgust merged together for a slip second in me and I imagine how I could afflict the most pain and misery to this man, the one closest of godhood. Break his bones and burn is muscles while turning his blood in ice. Destroy his spirit forcing him to watch his fellow saints dying to the hand of my spectres as being punched by others and bear witness to the punishment I would give Athena. His hair will be bloody and his body unrecognized.
In my mind imagines of his dying horrified face and his lame corpse on Cocytus, the eternal iced river, for all times.
"NO!"
----
Shun screamed in his sleep, hurling the covers in his suffering, his mouth letting out little denials as he called his master's and Athena's names. Begging softly to stop.
For the first time in that night Shun tried to fight the nightmares that pledge him. He could not though, they were to deep set and, even if he only felt care and respect for the figures in his dreams, he had to watch Hades memories torture them and undergo the feelings of pleasure that accompanied those reminiscences. "Athena… Master… no. No!" Shun eyes were deeply shut, his face twisted in a grimace.
His night sky was devoid of illuminated stars, only gory red dots.
----
The morning welcomed warmly the saints living in the Sanctuary. They started early, little time afters the sunrise, to continue their routine of yesterday. In time of peace, the saints had to train most number of pupils possible, since the holy wars had depleted the number of knights greatly. Mu and Shion alter their duties to restore the cloths damaged in the different battles and Dohko, for once, didn't have to return to the Five Mounts of Rozan to watch the seal of Hades. Shunrei had moved in to the Sanctuary, to his and Shiryu's pleasure.
But before the sun came out, someone was already out of bed, considering the existences around him like a healing balsam. Awake in this time of tranquillity was the very same one who has to deal with the hardest consequences of last feud. Shun, unable to keep sleeping, had leave the Twelve Temples to breathe the unpolluted air of earth. Even so the flashes of images and emotions were still fresh in his mind. The source of the problem was again sealed, but the constant pulsing to set itself free and merge with him was continuously degrading the mental barriers he put, so he had to remember, like last night, bits of this and that. It was still hard, after all this time, to release the surge of negativism.
And little after the sun's rise Shun had come back, before anyone could miss him, his legs wobbled and his breathing a mess. They would say he was drunk, if they didn't know him better. So when his master Shaka was up, Shun had already started the meditation exercises for the day. If he was surprised or not for seeing him there he didn't say. And Shun didn't say in return that each time he looked at him, a very little, very deep part of him want to do Hades's memories justice and kill him. Shun simply fought off the impulse to flinch and force himself to ignore that bloody voice of darkness. He preferred that his master had been another, any other Saint. Not because he couldn't control himself, but he was saddened he couldn't be the pupil he wanted to be, because he could not love his master as he loved Dardaros. He wanted so much to be gentler, more open, and more caring with Shaka but he simply couldn't give himself fully to his training and him. Even if he did, care and love, it wasn't the same level of emotions and admiration other students had for him. And Shun knew it. However, he would never let Shaka think less of him, knowing what Hades had done to him; he preferred that Shaka distanced himself of his person.
The day was slow and agonizing, any task given seemed to take hours instead of minutes and when his sensei say he could rest Shun nearly cried, he hadn't a day like this since the beginnings of his teachings. His mind was foggy and the extra work was driven the Andromeda Saint mad of tiredness and reduced patience to block the bad mood which followed his night's activities. He could only hope his nii-san and friends would leave his lunch break in peace.
----
Did he said that his luck was cursed?
No? But, oh, it was. The day he would give almost everything to not see his closest friends and family was the day they would beg his teacher to give the rest of the day off. A whole afternoon, as if the simple lunch hour wouldn't have been difficult enough to withdraw any signal of indisposition off his face. And what master Shaka had to say about this? Yes, that's right. He agreed! A joy, no? They had planned to go to the village close to the sanctuary, Shun would be surrounded by the same humans that Hades hated in the next day after experienced his emotions; he would have Ikki watch him like a hawk and his friends, the people who opposed and killed the God of Death and the ones he didn't want to hurt in anyway, would be close to him, touching him and trying to joke with him. Any other day (except the ones like this of course) he would love the opportunity to be social, today was a nightmare.
But he couldn't refuse without it being strange and attract unwanted suspicion. So yes, that mean it that Shun would have to go.
Oh boy, this day wouldn't end well…
----
Ikki was very happy today, they (being Hyoga, Seiya, Shiryu and him) manage somehow to convince the Virgo Saint, Shaka, his otouto's sensei, to let him his afternoon off. He had noticed that Shun seemed a little gloomy this last few days… probably Shaka had exaggerated Shun's trainings and he was more tired than usual, so after discussing that with his brother's friends (he wouldn't call them his own even if it killed him) they had come to the conclusion that Shun leaving the Sanctuary for a bit would help. Seeing new faces, walk among normal humans, spot children playing… that sort of things would help Shun regaining that relaxed air of his.
The truth is that Ikki would do anything for Shun. After Hades episode he was really worried about him but Shun didn't seemed off and with the surprising revival of the Gold, Silver saints and Seiya, Ikki had completely forgotten to inquire him, and after the initial shock they had to reconstruct the temples, Shun seemed so normal that Ikki didn't want to ask anything, do something to remember him about the possession. His brother had been so strong, overpowering Hades; to sacrifice himself… he didn't want Shun to remember that he almost lost his life to him, his only brother. Okay, they had others bothers, but they didn't count; Shun and him were pure brothers, of the same father and mother.
Then, a few weeks after the collective work to rebuild the Sanctuary (Ikki was forced to stay, by his brother eyes and, of course, Athena. Who could have the strength to keep him there? Shun didn't need it, he just had to ask, that's why he always disappeared after the fights, or else Shun got him.) Saori-san had given them specific orders to train with the gold saints. Shiryu and Hyoga were easy, they had already their masters. Seiya the same thing, with all the times he clothed Sagittarius armour, no doubts remained. Only Shun and him were a bit more complicated, Ikki because he simple hated company, he was forced to stay and be trained (oh come on! He was already stronger that any saint alive, with the possible exception of Shaka and he was Shun's soon-to-be-master) by Aiolia, and the knight was very excited to be able to hit him with a few punches. Shun was a whole different matter, he didn't want to fight and so didn't see the need to be trained. Shaka was strangely silent; to Ikki eyes, he seemed reluctant too.
Why? No idea.
But since he didn't actually complained, there was no necessity to break his face. It was only required a bit of insistence (in his case, direct order) to convince the brothers to accept the tutelage. Other bronze saints, their half (notice the emphasis?), half-brothers would train with the Silver saints. Mu had his own apprentice and plenty of work. Aldebaran had a handful of new recruits and seemed happy enough. Between Saga and Kanon the third house was secured; Death Mask… well, from that one, pupils run away. No one blame them, really, the guy was just plain disturbing. Aiolia, Shaka and Dohko had their hands full; it's good to mention that Shaka had a quite more students other than Shun. No idea where Athena had her head. Milo refused everyone who appeared. Without ingeniously, he said, who was he to talk? He was the thickest of all; and Aiolos had Seiya. Shura actually had taken offence when asked. Something about be always here to protect… baby talk about being the most loyal. Rubbish if asking him. No one did. Camus was already occupied and Aphrodite, well, Ikki wasn't really interested. If he didn't approach his lithe bro, all fine between them. He still had a grudge of the first battle, when Shun almost died. If that thing hadn't been taken care of, he would have finished the job. Ikki was proud then, very proud of Shun's power, the sadness ruined things a bit. But let's not get too detailed. Important was that his otouto was kind of depressed, depression was a word too strong, a mixture in tiredness and frustration was more likely, and he had the obligation to help him.
So the answer was taking Shun out of the environment he was surrounded with and make him happy again, it was known well in the Sanctuary that even one of the strongest, Shun was the kindest of all and didn't like to fight at all.
The four of them were inspecting Shun's reactions quite attentively, he seemed normal. Watching the nature around him with a smile, that's his pacific brother.
----
Shaka was surprised when a familiar presence entered the sixth temple of the 12 houses. The figure approached him, looking at the sides as if looking for something… or someone. It seemed like the visit wasn't a social one. "Grand Pope" greeted Shaka to new comer. "Searching someone?" he asked directly. If the tension on Shion's shoulders was something to go by, whatever dealing he had was serious and, most probably, secretive.
"Shaka, I need to speak with you. Urgently. Where are your students?" he asked. Shaka frowned a bit; the voice of Shion was, to lack a better word, alarmed. With times peaceful like the ones now, what could scare him to the point of being talk with him in secret. What for?
An internal danger. His mind answered.
"Mnnn, my oldest students are finished for today's lesson, they leaved a while ago, Shun is with his brothers, they were going to the village, they asked me to take him this morning and since his exercises were a bit pushed before, I let them." His preoccupations were confirmed when Shion's face relaxed at hearing Shun whereabouts. An old uneasiness make itself known. Since seeing him as Hades, Shaka had always feared him and for him. He was disinclined to training Andromeda at first, but since then he would be closest to him, Shaka didn't make a fuss. Besides the probabilities that he was wrong were vast, there wasn't required to make a commotion about it and make Shun retract himself because the others were suspicious of him. It was already bad that it was revealed his connection to Hades. No matter the words, to some, Shaka knew, the simple thing that their souls were connected was enough to make them withdraw from Shun. Shaka also knew it make his pupil uncomfortable, for more secluded they were to each other. Shaka and Shun didn't have the typical affection master and student had. It was rueful but true. Shaka had given up trying to approach, Shun was always closed to him, cold and androgenic, after a while Shaka had decided to give room and things were better a bit. But Shun didn't get close and Shaka, without options, had lifted his own isolation.
He didn't understand what he had done to be so overlooked, even Ikki wasn't immune to Aiolia's complicity; it was the Sanctuary newest silent joke: a Silver Saint had insulted Aiolia because something, details were unimportant, but the Phoenix, like a lion itself, had literally flown to the attacker neck. The idiot was saved because Aiolios was passing by and saw the whole thing. Needless to say, the events run like wild fire and less than six hours everyone knew. But who was foolish to the point of death to make fun of Ikki with that?
Returning to Shun, if Shion was where now, to speak to him about the person he worried the most, than something wasn't right, wasn't right at all. In his head he was already comparing situations, trying to see a pattern but in vain. He wanted at same time protect Shun and reprehend him to not coming to him. But Shaka was aware it was unfair of him; there wasn't a rule that said that his student had to come with him with problems unrelated to his teachings. Shaka had again regretted not be able to confront Shun about that. Shaka opened his eyes, to look, to actually see the problem. This time he couldn't ignore, couldn't give Shun room to avoid his questions
"Speak. What's wrong with Shun?" in his voice the exhaustion was evident. Shion's eyes widened, however sensing his ignorance about the nature of the subject he wanted to talk about, he simply nodded without statement and began his narrative.
----
Shun was at his limit, coming to the little rural community wasn't very hard, Hades liked the nature per se so it only awakened good memories, recollections immemorial of times, the times were him and his brothers and sisters were in their first live. Shun didn't knew of those, he was drowned in the more recent and brutal ones. These he was seeing now though, as if looking at something in the wasters, were very beautiful…
The gods were playing with the nature around them. They were discovering the affinities they had with the gift their grandmother Earth gave them.
The world.
Zeus loved the sky (he had even transform himself in a bird, how juvenile for the powerful god), Poseidon had preference for the water (obviously), Demeter liked everything… especially the things grown from big Mother Gaia, Hera was found of the animals and Hestia was affectionate with the families of different species, she was very tender with her siblings. Hades appreciated the nature, but disliked the sun's light, something Shun knows in the skin, and wondered mutely if he could make a space were these beauties were presence but not the hideous brightness…
Wow, so that's how and when the Elysium was imagined.
"…here!" Wait! Seiya was saying something?
Looking to his brothers and the direction of their faces Shun didn't take long to understand. The skin of his arms crawled, his stomach was heavy and his head hurt.
They had arrived to the community.
----
Walking among these… creatures… was one of the hardest things he had done. And he thought that in these days was hard to train with Shaka. Compared with the task given to him now that seemed a piece of cake. Shun was alert to maintain his face expressionless. The movement of people help him to not watch directly his companions and he search to gaze to neutral points only. A portion of grass, a flower, the red in someone's cloths, a jewel for sale, something… anything… that wasn't those FILTHY HUMANS!
HUMANS, HUMANS AND MORE HUMANS! THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!!
They were everywhere like cockroaches, they are a plague that is obliged to be exterminated. The urge to go on a killing spree was so tempting. A pull he couldn't refus…
"SHUN!" a voice awoke him from his dark fantasy. His pulse was hasty and suddenly he felt blood rush to his face, he was shocked of his own reactions and looked to the one who had save him from this morbid desire.
He didn't saw the man who was scared stiff from his face, one who was in his line of sight and that Shun only saw as a part of the so wanted carnage.
"Nii-san, what is it?" he asked, forcing a false smile in his anxious face.
Ikki breath a relieve sigh. "Shun I know you're happy…" he didn't notice the dangerous glint in Andromeda's eyes "…but please try to keep with us. I was thinking we had lost you" that was a lie, they only had a few meters ahead. Shun could even now see then, but decided that any answer would be dangerous to his unstable mood, so he direct himself to where his friends were, passing his brother in a hurry using all his strength to smile… Smile and smile and laugh; that would be the theme of his day.
Great.
----
It was hard to believe that just three scarce hours had passed. It felt a little eternity. Shun was sick of seeing pervert married mans looking to other's wife, woman crudely flirting with any kind of male who appear in their faces, little bastards troubling their whore of mothers for candies. He could see the darkest of darkest of their nature, the revolt in his spirit was so strong he wanted nothing more that to tear those mucks to bits. Oh, how would he enjoy it!
Yet… he didn't do it.
It was tough, but he didn't act on his heart's desire, the sinister heart he won by merging momentarily with his half, Hades. His friends /the human organisms that followed him around/ were trying to make talk; the impulse to /kill them, just trespass their chests with his hands and squeeze…/ "…chocolate ice-cream?" …but he resist those vile… "Yes, Seiya, I liked very much. Thank you." …urges.
Soon everything was a blur. He eating ice-cream, going to the diverse selling barracks. The objects, fabrics /…rags…/, foods… He agreed with whatever told to him, he would go wherever they conduct him, he was always smiling. Always. Smiling. It was killing the tolerance he had built in the last three years, but he managed somehow. He couldn't let tip him off.
----
A few hours later everything was bankrupt when he casually saw a little child, just a tiny example of human race. The kid was playing in the mud /soiled ground, perfidy, never ending lewdness, immorality/ and looked at him, at him… the cloths were worn down and dirty and the /thing… He was staring at him. Him! The very reincarnation of an all-powerful God! Blasphemy! Sacrilege! Disrespect! Profanity!/ infant's in his innocence took his equally dirt hand to his mouth. A simple gesture… but something snapped inside, as if hearing it smash. A dark and cold hate arose in him. And he, Andromeda Shun, Hades's vessel, directs his gaze to the baby's own. He just glared with those dark emotions, frustration and tension, glared and the… /disgusting child-beast/ …reacted.
The horror was priceless, the expression rewarding, and the scream… ah, the scream was a splendorous sound that filled his ears stirring a jolt of pressure in his bones, making his blood boil with the same intensity that in the past raged as he decimated hundreds.
The commotion which came after was normal. The mother was seeing the body her son, searching wounds, the father was watching not knowing what to do with himself. The people around were avidly looking to something to make a scandal. The babe cried and cried, and each time it seek out Shun's eyes, it cried more and louder. The interest and sequent dread for such pitiful being just seemed hilarious to him. Even those saints at his side were looking engrossed. When he was about to laugh he understand exactly what was going on.
Shun, the normal and virtuous Shun, understood that he was the one who had caused all of this and was finding messing with their heads fun. He was becoming exactly like Hades. HE HAD TO STOP!!
So, naturally, he does what he can.
He runs.
----
Shaka mulled over the information he received via Shion. Things couldn't be worse and Shaka blame himself for it, he should had been more attentive, more present, if he had insisted in discover the reason for Shun loneliness perhaps Andromeda hadn't have to suffer so much. Shaka slept well at night, but even if their rooms were far from each other he should had sensed Shun's distress. Then why he purposefully concealing his struggles? To keep them away from him? The thought hurt more than Shaka wanted to admit. It wasn't fair, Shun shouldn't hide this from him, no matter if they weren't best friends, they were at least fellow saints. Then why Shaka hadn't heard about this? And from the looks of things, no one else did.
Concentrate or the child will escape from your hands again and will isolate himself more. Treat him carefully, he is frail today. His other conscious Buddha said. He was right. Shaka had to calm himself, little were the times he let his emotions uncontrolled like that.
He had to manoeuvre Shun into telling him without break his trust. He had given his word as Athena Saint of Virgo he would explore the issue. But he was personally involved too; it was his neglect that allowed Shun to come to this point.
— Flash Back —
"What s going on with Shun, Shion?" Shaka asked one more time, this time his voice was colder and harder than before. Mu's master sighed and sat himself on the floor, carefully being close enough so he could speak quietly but without being in Shaka's arm's reach.
"Today's night was a night without moon so I have gone to Star Hill Mountain to see the stars and their movement. While in times of peace, something is shadowing the future and I was up there to try finding something witch explain this phenomenon. I couldn't perceive a new enemy but the gloom was still there, as if being something ever present. I attempt again and again but nothing I had done had showed me information about this mysterious menace. The only thing obvious was that in that night, in that particular yesterday night, the darkness was stronger, as if in the days and most of the nights the shade I saw was nothing but the sleeping presence of the real danger that was awake in that moment.
"Tired and without news to Athena I returned to the Sanctuary at early hours in the morning, the sun close to arising, I hadn't the work to announce my presence because I didn't want company. I was tense and confused and frustrated. I didn't know what to think or do. I had decided to sleep and reflect on that when I was rested. So when I was in the woods of the Sanctuary periphery I was surprised to sense someone there."
Shaka, who was hearing the recount vigilantly, close his eyes at the pause, repressing his emotions one more. It was obvious but he still felt doubtful, because he couldn't believe he left his house without him sensing, Shaka sleeping or not.
"Shun?" he asked at last.
"Shun" Shion answer was simple and informative. But a pause followed and Shaka was once again interested. "…But not… not, your Shun… everyone's Shun."
Shaka was… confused. Not his Shun? How could that be?
"Explain." The Virgo said.
"He was different, not himself." Shion said after a while, he seemed struggle with the words, as if unsecure about the explanation. His hands were restless in his lap, grabbing and twisting itself and the write tunic, an action of disturbance and… fear?
"I don't understand" Shaka said exasperated.
"He was… not the same… lacking the better word he seemed intoxicated, but he was not, that was clearly, but he appeared at least injured except I could no wound and his cosmos… his cosmos was what scared me the most."
"His cosmos… scared you?"
"Yes." Shion looked relieved to finally speak; taking a huge strain of his chest, but at same time terrified of what he was saying "His cosmos so pure, calm and peaceful… so clean and chaste… was completely opposite… It was full of anger, disgust and coldness… it seemed… his cosmos… Hades power."
— End of Flash Back —
No, it wasn't right, Hades couldn't be still inside Shun, if that so, he had already attempt against Athena, but she was well and safe.
He could be repressing the God's actions, it already happened before, no? Buddha remembered him. Still, Hades was deceased; even the god of death, who had fooled it so long couldn't escape its embrace.
But then what was his connection now? The bond had been severed by Athena, Shaka himself had seen it. When the blood of his goodness had touch Shun skin, it had revived his cosmos almost destroyed, and with her support, Shun had driven Hades out of his body. Then how? How could Hades cosmos had manifest itself in Shun? Could it be that Shaka was seeing things wrong? Could be a detail escaping his perception?
Most probably. You don't know young Shun version of facts, and it is almost certain that he knows what is going on, but is unable to stop or resolve it since he hadn't gone neither to you, Athena or his ani for help. Budda calm voice had reached him again. Calm down, this isn't like you. Your fear is getting in the way to illumination. He was right; Shaka would not precipitate in judging, not without Shun's explanation. He would fight for it, for his confidence. Shaka believed that it was because no one would understand him that Shun was hiding his problems… of course… he was rejected before for his kind nature. Who would accept him, something like that? Athena, the Saints, Poseidon and his generals, his friends, allies and divinity… everyone was almost destroyed by Hades. They despised anything related with him. They would assume instantly that was the Death God, like Shaka had done. Like he had they would fear and spurn Shun.
And in that moment Shaka felt a deep sorrow and anger of himself. It was because his partiality as a Saint Shun was suffering, it was because, even proclaiming justice, the humans still didn't try to save their enemies, didn't have mercy on those it thought it should be killed. If he told someone about this, Shun wouldn't be save, helped… he would be hunted down. And deep in his heart Shaka knew he would be one of those who would strive to kill him.
A.N: I'm very sorry, the first time I post this I notice too late that some things were missing (there wasn't distinction between dream/reality and different POV's), but now there are all corrected – at least I hope so.
Thank you for your comprehension and review. The more you review faster I update ;D.