Everything was started at
the beginning of Spring when snow had already melt down, left nothing but
many little tideways headed themselves to Rozan river. The trees were just
started to put forth fresh leaves and ready to branch out. Flowers
of every kind were sprouting out, fragrant all over and the birds
sang sweetly...
Everything seemed in jolly
except for one creature...the only mortal that was left in a cottage near
a waterfall. She was now alone since she had lost the 2 most important
people to her, one who was like a father, always serves but kind, and the
other...the one who was everything to her, brother, friend...love ?
She walked out of the cottage
slowly, searching for some herb to make a tea.
Even such a wonderful sight
couldn't help her recover form the sadness that had laid upon her; almost
more than she could carry.
While she was kneeling to
get the plant, the young girl felt an energy coming, an energy she knew
very well, and she rise astonished. It could be possible...? He...No...that's
impossible. She tried to drive that disturbing thought out of her head,
he was gone...forever. There's no use to torture yourself by keep thinking
he would be coming back...someday.
She kneeled by the river,
staring empty into it, the water reflecting a shadow of a young woman,
with no doubt, was very beautiful; just the sight of her could make the
heart of those who saw it expand with delight, only if they wouldn't notice
the two sapphire in her countenance that shone out in such a melancholy
way as if they were stars that shone inside the dark cloud...
Suddenly she saw a shadow
reflect on the river's surface, a shadow of a young man with long dark
hair.. It could be nothing but...Shiryu!!
"Shiryu!" Shunrei exclaimed
with joy. She bound up and quickly turned around, her eyes seeking for
the owner of the shadow but no one was there..."Shiryu.." she cried
out his name again...this time her voice was almost audible, only the sound
of the waterfall responded her calling. Just like she had always
been aware of, it was just a hallucination. She slowly sit back, almost
unable to hold herself, leaning against the tree and releasing
a long painful gasp. This was almost too much for her to bare...she
keep having the same nightmare almost every nights and now this... she
couldn't help to wonder how long it will continue like this.. a week ?
a month ? a year ? or for a rest of her life ? She closed her
eyes tight, feeling very much like crying but she couldn't. Her heart
and tears had died away since the day she knew he was gone... Finally she
got up, walked to the river, intending to wash her face but when she reached
her hand to water she saw it again...the same shadow appeared again.
Shunrei didn't turn back
this time, she didn't even wince. Aware that it was just the same, if she
turned back, it'd gone...She reached her hand into the water and as soon
as her finger touch it, little waves was dispersed out in every direction.
The shadow in the surface was blurred for a while. Shunrei looked at it,
hoping it would disappear but no.. when few minutes passed and water was
flatted again.. it was still there. She bent her down and with out
knowing herself, she started to talked to it " Shiryu.. you selfish thing
! You expects to keep me here forever, don't you ? Roshi used to
tell me about the legend of Narcissus...and I felt so sorry for the young
man who gave up his entire life to be a flower just to keep on looking
his shadow...I understand his feeling very well now..." Then she
paused, trying to fight back with all the emotion that is coming trough
and whispered " Roshi you told me I must live but how ? Since
you two...you are my life.. and you now gone.. what I'll supposed to have
left ?"
" You have me, Shunrei."
She startled by an
unexpected voice. Slowly she turned back, fearing to see no one was there
again but there was someone there this time!
Shiryu was there, smiling
gently as usual. Shunrei struck there, so surprised that she didn't know
what she saw was a ghost or a man with fresh and blood.
She stood there, motionless
for a second, then, she hurtled to him, flung her arm around his neck and
buried her head on his shoulder. Her tears which she thought they had dried
out from her body for a long time, was now back and they were burst out
with a relief. Shiryu is back!
Thousand words were hold
in her mouth but the only she could release out was a sob. Shiryu embraced
her tightly and he stroked her hand gently. He couldn't help to notice
that she was much paler and thinner than before. Poor thing, it must have
been a very hard time for her being here alone. He held her tighter, blaming
himself to be the caused of her suffering
"But...how...?" asked Shunrei,
looking at him.
"Come, let's enter home."
said Shiryu, walking towards the house. She followed him and once in the
place, they sat in the room where Roshi used to stay in order to be near
the fire in cold nights.
Shunrei and Kiki sat near
Shiryu; she waiting for his words, he giving a support look to his friend.
"All the Golden Saints...All
of them died in the Hades' Battle, Shunrei. Including Roshi..."
She tried to hide the tears
that had appeared again.
"Only us, the Bronze Saints
had survived..." continued Shiryu, trying to be cold "...because
Athena saved us. And...Seiya stayed with his sister and Hoshino. Saori
came back to Japan, in order to take care of the Grade Foundation. Shun
went with her. Hyoga decided to go back to Siberia, and I don't know anything
about Ikki."
"I...understand..." whispered
Shunrei "We need to arrange a funeral to our Master..."
Shiryu agreed. Despite all
that had happened, they should continue their lives. That was what Roshi
would want. Shunrei was strong, he knew that. She would be able to be happy,
despite the death of such important person in her life - and his too, he
thought. And for him, it was enough to see her face, one thing that he
thought he could never see again... The shine of her dark eyes that now
were fixed in him gave him the strength to do anything. They would be happy,
they would live peaceful now, there, in Rozan.