His eyes opened slowly as the late-afternoon light escaped the curtains of his hospital room and illuminated his face. Although in full recovery, Seiya had escaped long before he was discharged and again exposed his young body to an extreme battle situation. Naturally, he ended up passed out on the pier and didn't wake up until the next day. At the hospital again.
It wasn't true that only the sun had woken him up, as his bedroom television was also on and Saori Kido was making a statement to the press.
"Turn it off." he asked and the TV promptly turned off.
"Are you awake, Seiya?" asked Shun's voice.
"I think so." he replied.
"Doctors said you're just sleepy. Today you will be discharged."Shun's voice brought back to Seiya some nightmares he had had the night before, but as his mind woke up, more and more he knew they weren't the result of a delusion.
"Have we been able to retrieve the Gold Cloth?"
"Some parts only." Shun replied and Seiya remembered the fights on the pier.He remembered bitterly that he hadn't been able to do his part.
"And how are you, Shun?" he asked, finally remembering that the biggest pain there in that room was actually the one in his friend's heart.
"I don't know." he began. "It's so nice to know my sister is alive, but..."
"We'll figure it out, Shun." Seiya promised.Shun was silent and brought Seiya a change of clothes.
"I'll go with you to the orphanage, Miho is waiting for you with the children."
"Maybe they'll kill me this time, Shun." Seiya said, already imagining Makoto on his neck.The trip was made in a Foundation car; the two of them in silence watching the landscape roll out the window. The car left the young ones at the door of the Orphanage of the Stars, where Miho was already waiting for them.
"Seiya!" she came when she saw the car arrive.
"Hi, Miho. Thank you so much for asking the priest to let us stay for a few days." Shun thanked. "Can you help the poor soul to the house?"
"You'll see the poor soul, Shun. I'm fine." protested Seiya. "Where are you going?"
"I need to visit a place that is very important to me."
"I'll go with you." he offered.
"Sorry, Seiya, but I would like to go there alone. I will be back soon."
"Shun..." Seiya began. "Don't blame yourself for your sister."Shun didn't answer and just smiled back awkwardly before leaving his friend with Miho. Seiya walked in, the kids were in another room taking math lessons and he had a few hours of peace with Miho. She told him that there was still no news from Seika, but all that everybody was talking about was the Galaxian Wars and how the abrupt ending brought everyone to a shock.
Alone, Shun decided to go to a stretch of many trees in the city, close to the coast. It was a place a bit far away in a park, but very important to him. In a clearing, a large tree stood out and in it Shun found what he had gone for: several fist marks and splinters beside the trunk. This was where her sister trained her moves as a child. It was where she also taught him to defend himself.
YOU ARE READING
Saint Seiya: The Legend of Seiya
FanficThe novelization of Saint Seiya. The story of Seiya reimagined, written and told with some important alterations on the story. Cover Artwork: Tiago Fernandes (@tfernandes)