"I can't believe it has actually been ten years" thought Shun. "But a promise is a promise and I have to honor this one."
He had been standing there for the past 45 minutes, in what seemed to be an endless shower of freezing rain, and not one person had come by the memorial site. "Has it really been so long since we went our separate ways?" He asked himself.
He hated waiting, especially in this weather. The rain reminded
him of the last time he and his fellow Saints had been together. In
fact it was for an occasion not unlike the one they were all to attend
today.
"Seiya...," it took him a moment to realize he had infact said
the name out loud. Ten years ago he had stood at the memorial service
with tears and rain mingling on his face, his brother had to hold him
for he was still weak from the Hades ordeal. The fight seemed to last
for days but in actuality it had taken only a few hours, and then there
was the attempt to return home. Months trapped in a limbo like state
until the gateway back to Sanctuary had been cleared.
"Shun," a cold voice called out to him. It had been 10 years but he knew the voice right away. It was cold yet gentle it could only be one person.
He turned to face the voice with an outstretched palm. "Hyoga," he said in his soft voice. Whom he saw helped him to forget the annoyance of standing in the rain.
Hyoga smiled at him with that cold mirthless smile of his and grasped his hand firmly. Shun was relieved to see that he was not the only one who had decided to dress formally for the occasion as Hyoga was wearing a black suit underneath his trench coat. "I can't believe I'm looking at the same person " Hyoga replied "has anyone else arrived yet?"
Shun shook his head negatively in response to Hyoga's question "I don't even know if the others will show up." He said meekly.
"Oh, they'll come alright. I really don't think Shiryu would break an oath like this one." Hyoga replied, the smile melting from his face "What about Ikki?"
Shun grimaced at his brother's name. Of the four remaining God Saints, only Ikki had agreed to stay on as a Bodyguard to Athena. Shun had not spoken to him four years by his brother's own request. "I don't know if Ni-san will come, he takes his duty as the Saint of Leo quite seriously."
"I understand Jabu finally earned his rank as a Gold Saint," Hyoga said matter of factly, "Shaina said he might take over the Cancer temple."
"I wouldn't know anything about that," Shun snapped "I haven't paid attention to Athena and the other Saints since I left Sanctuary."
Hyoga frowned. Shun had changed dramatically in the last ten years. No longer was he the gentle Saint of Andromeda, the reluctant fighter. He was now a man, a man harboring a deep seeded root of loneliness and frustration. Hyoga looked at his old friend sadly, "It wasn't your fault Shun, when will you accept that as the truth?"
"Only when he realizes his friends are here for him" a voice said from behind a tree. The voice stepped forward with a familiar girl hanging on its arm. "Only when he remembers that 'once brothers in arms, always brothers in arms' is the way of the..."
"I'M NOT A SAINT ANYMORE!!", Shun shouted cutting Shiryu's voice off before he could finish.
Shunrei stood there hanging onto Shiryu's arm. He looked as bold as ever with his hair cascading in the wind soaked rain. He wore a long lavender robe with intricately embroidered dragons woven on it. Shunrei was dressed plainly in her red dress, "She was never one for flashiness," thought Hyoga.
"No matter what you say Shun, you will always be a Saint, we are and always will be Saints regardless of whether or not we remain in Sanctuary." Shiryu replied.
"And what if the pain of being a Saint breaks your spirit?" Shun retorted "What then Shiryu?"
"One is never without spirit in the Macrocosm and you like the rest of us have touched the Macrocosm Shun" replied Hyoga
Shun fell to his knees, sobbing "But even in the Macrocosm I feel so terribly empty!"
"You chose to be alone Shun, we were not the ones who isolated you," Shiryu said coldly, "we would have been there for you if you had let us!!"
"I felt you in Macrocosm and called to you many times," said a figure clad in gold armor. "I never really shut you out Shun but when I tried to reach out it was you turned me away!!"
"Ni-san," Shun replied in a choked breath "y-y--you've decided to come?"
Ikki stood there in the Gold Armor of Leo, proud as he ever was. But there was something different about the former Saint of the Phoenix. His usual harsh face was devoid of any lines. He seemed almost peaceful, as if the avenging spirit that had kept reviving him had finally been set to rest. Shiryu looked at him and nodded in greeting. Hyoga stood there in shock not believing that this individual was actually Ikki.
"Of course I have come. We all promised Seiya that in ten years time we would meet again to commiserate his soul" Ikki replied. "Surely you did not expect me to break such a vow?"
"We should head to the masoleum now," said Hyoga, "Soari will be here soon".
Ikki nodded his agreement and walked though the iron gate that stood before him, Shiryu looked at Shunrei sadly. Without a word said between the two of them, she understood and let go of his arm. Slowly and silently the others followed Ikki through the gate and walked up the stairs beyond.
As they walked away from the entrance Shunrei stood there, "Oh Shun," she said silently, "Why do you let your pain gnaw at your soul so?"
She watched them all enter the door to masoleum, one at a time. Shunrei had spent practically all her life worrying about Shiryu. Ten years ago the worrying lessened, today the worrying for her husband ended. Now she prayed for Shun.
______________________________________________________________________