The morning dew ran through the leaves of the mountain forests that surrounded Saori's refuge.
Alice was already on her feet. Heating water and making tea to serve with a cake that smelled too good on a set table.
"Good Morning."
"Good morning, Shun." said Alice. "How do you want your tea?" she asked sweetly.
"Any way you want it, it's great." he replied, taking a seat at the table.Immediately, crossed Alice's thoughts that Shun had lived the worst he could in his hard years of training; that tea would be great for him anyway as he had never really had a choice. She felt ashamed inside, but hid herself while preparing the infusion.
It was the day after Seiya left for Russia, as well as Shiryu for China. Shun was worried about his friends and couldn't help thinking about his sister too, who had died so close by.
"I'm sure Seiya will be fine." Alice said, sitting down at the table with him.
A young girl comforting a young boy. That's what the scene was in that cozy kitchen. The calm boy's face, but with tired eyes; and the most severe and attentive girl.
"I know. He always finds a way to be fine." Shun replied.
Alice didn't said anything and her gaze was lost in the lake beyond the balcony.
"You've always been next to the Gold Cloth, haven't you, Alice?" Shun asked.
She looked up at him, her determined eyes meeting the weariness of a boy trying to understand the hardships around him.
"Yes," she limited herself to saying, looking away again.
"And next to Saori." said he looking at her. Her reaction came quickly and she looked at him as if caught in a crime.
"We've known each other since we were very young." Alice said taking a sip of her tea.Shun looked confused.
"I don't remember you."
"I got there a little earlier than you and the others." said Alice.
"I guess you want to be around her all the time to protect her, as she doesn't have any training, right?"Alice didn't respond and just nodded.
"Shiryu said she fought well in the Caves."
"She thinks she can do anything."Shun smiled at the sincere comment Alice seemed to have let slip.
"I remember very little of her as a child." Shun commented.
"That's because you all hated me." said Saori, appearing in her pajamas on the threshold of the hallway.Alice got up and grabbed a mug for her friend.
"I heard you saying that I think I know everything, miss." she said sassy.
"You really do." Alice said and Saori took the mug from her hand.
"I know how to pour some tea for myself."
"Sometimes you don't.". said Alice.
"Mii! You will never forget that one time, will you?"Shun watched as Alice hid her laughter in her mug, pretending to drink.
"I don't remember hating you." Shun said, lying to Saori.
"But I do." she said, sitting down with them.
"We were just kids..." Shun justified.
"No, it's fine. I wasn't easy either."
"Jab knows that very well." Alice commented and Shun laughed, as he remembered the infamous episode where Saori forced the boy to be her horsey.
"Mii!" Saori scolded her friend. "I hate to remember that."
"We were young." Shun said, softening.
"You are still young." Saori said more seriously. "And you still had to go through the most terrible years."
"It wasn't your fault." Shun said.Then they were uncomfortably silent as they finished breakfast that morning.
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)