(no subject)
Title: The Prolouge
Author: CMAK
Character/Fandom: Aries Mu/Saint Seiya
Prompt: N/A
Word Count: 1400ish
Summary: Mu wakes up with a baaaaad feeling
Author Notes/Warnings: none
It was with a certain sort of heaviness that Mu awoke that morning - an odd sort of pressure in the back of his head that he hadn’t felt so strongly in years. He wondered, at first, if it was simply a remnant from his dream, but it did not dissipate in the slightest as he went about his morning. In fact, as he heard the sound of the children rising, the pressure only grew.
Despite the occasional rumour, Mu was not at all precognitive. He did, however, place a lot of faith in his intuition which, if nothing else, kept him on his toes. He paused in preparing breakfast. Something was going to happen today. That was a fact. His dragon, now as long as his arm looked up at him questioningly.
Mu turned to look at the entrance to the small kitchen of the temple about a half second before Kiki came bounding in the room, full of energy with Shion’s half-grown tiger cub hot on his heels, and the more stoic Alta following a few seconds later. The pressure in the back of his head screamed at him in panic.
“Ahh! Master may we go into town today?”
For a second, Mu was going to indulge his student’s request. Both of them had been making excellent progress lately. But he caught his tongue before he could say ‘yes,’ at the behest of the pressure. It eased somewhat as he shook his head instead.
“I want both of you to go to Jamir...” he said, looking away from Kiki’s falling face, “and to stay there until Shion or I come for you.”
“But we were going to see if that new store in town was open!”
Mu nearly choked on his breath, looking at Kiki as though he’d grown a second head.
“What ‘new store’?”
Alta shrugged and answered, “There used to be a flower shop there. We couldn’t get the door open, last time.”
Mu swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He could have scolded them both for trying to get in, but they wouldn’t understand. And it might encourage Kiki at least to sneak back and try anything. He turned back to preparing the meal.
“Then perhaps they have yet to open. Anyways, both of you stop dallying; get some clean clothes, fetch the pets, and take what you need for Jamir.”
Kiki sighed again before mumbling a ‘yes master’ and taking off to his room. Alta watched him go, but turned to look at Mu again.
“Master Mu?”
Mu looked out from the corner of his eye. “Yes, Alta?”
“Something’s bothering you very much, isn’t it?”
Mu put down his task again, this time crossing the few steps to where the boy stood and sunk a bit to look him in the face. Even now he was always surprised at how much Alta resembled Mu in his youth. Given the reaction Shion had once had, he would not at all be surprised if Alta grew to look exactly like he did now.
“Little brother, it’s nothing you need to worry about,” he answered quietly, using his nickname for Alta, “I simply don’t enjoy the thought of something happening and being unable to keep you two safe, especially without Shion here. Now go on.”
The look on Alta’s face clearly betrayed the fact that the boy did not believe him, but he had been raised well, and did not press the issue further. He turned and followed Kiki, quietly calling for the dragon and tiger.
~
In a half hour, the temple was deserted save for its guardian, who stood out on the front steps watching the small community of Saints and trainees below. It was more the latter these days; A majority of the proper Saints were dead at this point, many without properly trained students to fill their shoes, and increasingly fewer Saints available to complete their training.
The pressure had turned into a knot in his stomach. Mu turned and went inside.
~
He thought, perhaps, Aldebaran would soothe his worries. The walk helped the knot to relax, at least. There was a peculiar feeling to the entirety of his surroundings, which he’d noticed to some extent for the last several weeks...not too long after he realized the truth about the world as a whole. Everything had felt more ...’grounded’ lately. Perhaps still trying to fool him? But the lambs had seen the shop. Mu had to stop and shake his head out. Preoccupation was not a good state while Shion was away. He’d worry more about it at a more appropriate time.
So caught up in thought, Mu was almost surprised when he found no more stairs in front of him. Aldebaran was already at the entrance of the temple, smiling his usual smile that always seemed so out-of-place next to the fearsome horns that decorated the cloth of Taurus. The large man raised an arm in greeting, which Mu returned as he closed the gap between them.
“I was wondering when you’d come talk to me!” The larger Saint boomed, amusement clear in his voice.
“I was expected?”
“Of course! Your Cosmo betrays your mood far too well, my friend.” Aldebaran said, clapping an enormous hand between Mu’s shoulders, ushering him inside.
Mu sighed, allowing himself to be led. The halls of Taurus temple were wider, but at the same time seemed more contained than those of Aries. Nevertheless, Mu knew them well, following his friend towards the temple’s living area towards the back. The building itself had a comforting feel about it, much the way Aldebaran had such a feeling about him. The halls soon gave way to a rather large room that seemed nearly overrun with things. It was not a messy room, per say - There was, at least, a distinct order to all the chaos - but it was full. From books to baubles, this room was filled with a life’s work of collections and memories.
Mu took a seat in one of the two armchairs in the room. This was his usual spot when visiting. Aldebaran passed him with a chuckle, and vanished into the next room, a kitchen that was none too large, but certainly bigger than the one in Aries. Mu leaned his head back against the plush of the chair and closed his eyes. His worries had not abated in the slightest, though he felt much calmer. Something nudged his foot. He opened one eye to look. Aldebaran was holding a large mug of coffee out to him. Mu smiled and accepted it, testing the temperature with a small sip.
“It’s pretty mild,” the larger saint explained, moving to take the other armchair with his own mug.
“I rather like it.”
Aldebaran chuckled into his mug. “Thought you might. Now, what’s bugging you?”
Mu raised a brow. “I’ve never known you to cut to the chase so quickly.”
“Things don’t usually get you this worked up.”
Mu could have kicked himself for being read so easily, but Aldebaran was one of his closest friends and the man was certainly more observant than he was often given credit for.
Mu rest the mug on his lap. “I fear something will happen tonight.”
“Things happen every night, Mu.”
He shook his head and met Aldebaran’s eyes. “Something.”
“An attack?” The bull was on guard now. Sanctuary was vulnerable. Athena had taken many of the remaining Saints straight to the Lost Canvas, hopefully to settle things once and for all.
“Maybe...” Mu mused. “I can’t see why - there’s little left of value here, and I would expect Hades would focus on the army at his doorstep."
Aldebaran frowned. “She wouldn’t have left us behind if there wasn’t some reason we should be here. “
Mu nodded, his eyes down and roaming his lap. “Would that we knew what, though. I dislike sitting so idle.”
“You and I both, my friend.”
~~
It was late afternoon when Shaka’s cosmo briefly passed against his, catching Mu’s attention.
’Shaka?’
Out of habit, Mu turned his gaze upwards towards Virgo.
’You’re on guard.’
‘Should I not be?’
There was no response past that from Shaka, but Mu knew that the Virgo saint would be on his guard tonight as well.
The pressure had grown. It was all-encompassing now - a nearly tangible tension in the air. Mu stood at the entrance to Aries, watching the shadows grow ever-longer as the sun descended. It felt as though the entire world were being plunged into darkness far deeper than what the night brought. It felt, for lack of a better word, evil.
As the last rays of the sun vanished, the hairs on the back of Mu’s neck stood up. It was beginning.
Author: CMAK
Character/Fandom: Aries Mu/Saint Seiya
Prompt: N/A
Word Count: 1400ish
Summary: Mu wakes up with a baaaaad feeling
Author Notes/Warnings: none
It was with a certain sort of heaviness that Mu awoke that morning - an odd sort of pressure in the back of his head that he hadn’t felt so strongly in years. He wondered, at first, if it was simply a remnant from his dream, but it did not dissipate in the slightest as he went about his morning. In fact, as he heard the sound of the children rising, the pressure only grew.
Despite the occasional rumour, Mu was not at all precognitive. He did, however, place a lot of faith in his intuition which, if nothing else, kept him on his toes. He paused in preparing breakfast. Something was going to happen today. That was a fact. His dragon, now as long as his arm looked up at him questioningly.
Mu turned to look at the entrance to the small kitchen of the temple about a half second before Kiki came bounding in the room, full of energy with Shion’s half-grown tiger cub hot on his heels, and the more stoic Alta following a few seconds later. The pressure in the back of his head screamed at him in panic.
“Ahh! Master may we go into town today?”
For a second, Mu was going to indulge his student’s request. Both of them had been making excellent progress lately. But he caught his tongue before he could say ‘yes,’ at the behest of the pressure. It eased somewhat as he shook his head instead.
“I want both of you to go to Jamir...” he said, looking away from Kiki’s falling face, “and to stay there until Shion or I come for you.”
“But we were going to see if that new store in town was open!”
Mu nearly choked on his breath, looking at Kiki as though he’d grown a second head.
“What ‘new store’?”
Alta shrugged and answered, “There used to be a flower shop there. We couldn’t get the door open, last time.”
Mu swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat. He could have scolded them both for trying to get in, but they wouldn’t understand. And it might encourage Kiki at least to sneak back and try anything. He turned back to preparing the meal.
“Then perhaps they have yet to open. Anyways, both of you stop dallying; get some clean clothes, fetch the pets, and take what you need for Jamir.”
Kiki sighed again before mumbling a ‘yes master’ and taking off to his room. Alta watched him go, but turned to look at Mu again.
“Master Mu?”
Mu looked out from the corner of his eye. “Yes, Alta?”
“Something’s bothering you very much, isn’t it?”
Mu put down his task again, this time crossing the few steps to where the boy stood and sunk a bit to look him in the face. Even now he was always surprised at how much Alta resembled Mu in his youth. Given the reaction Shion had once had, he would not at all be surprised if Alta grew to look exactly like he did now.
“Little brother, it’s nothing you need to worry about,” he answered quietly, using his nickname for Alta, “I simply don’t enjoy the thought of something happening and being unable to keep you two safe, especially without Shion here. Now go on.”
The look on Alta’s face clearly betrayed the fact that the boy did not believe him, but he had been raised well, and did not press the issue further. He turned and followed Kiki, quietly calling for the dragon and tiger.
~
In a half hour, the temple was deserted save for its guardian, who stood out on the front steps watching the small community of Saints and trainees below. It was more the latter these days; A majority of the proper Saints were dead at this point, many without properly trained students to fill their shoes, and increasingly fewer Saints available to complete their training.
The pressure had turned into a knot in his stomach. Mu turned and went inside.
~
He thought, perhaps, Aldebaran would soothe his worries. The walk helped the knot to relax, at least. There was a peculiar feeling to the entirety of his surroundings, which he’d noticed to some extent for the last several weeks...not too long after he realized the truth about the world as a whole. Everything had felt more ...’grounded’ lately. Perhaps still trying to fool him? But the lambs had seen the shop. Mu had to stop and shake his head out. Preoccupation was not a good state while Shion was away. He’d worry more about it at a more appropriate time.
So caught up in thought, Mu was almost surprised when he found no more stairs in front of him. Aldebaran was already at the entrance of the temple, smiling his usual smile that always seemed so out-of-place next to the fearsome horns that decorated the cloth of Taurus. The large man raised an arm in greeting, which Mu returned as he closed the gap between them.
“I was wondering when you’d come talk to me!” The larger Saint boomed, amusement clear in his voice.
“I was expected?”
“Of course! Your Cosmo betrays your mood far too well, my friend.” Aldebaran said, clapping an enormous hand between Mu’s shoulders, ushering him inside.
Mu sighed, allowing himself to be led. The halls of Taurus temple were wider, but at the same time seemed more contained than those of Aries. Nevertheless, Mu knew them well, following his friend towards the temple’s living area towards the back. The building itself had a comforting feel about it, much the way Aldebaran had such a feeling about him. The halls soon gave way to a rather large room that seemed nearly overrun with things. It was not a messy room, per say - There was, at least, a distinct order to all the chaos - but it was full. From books to baubles, this room was filled with a life’s work of collections and memories.
Mu took a seat in one of the two armchairs in the room. This was his usual spot when visiting. Aldebaran passed him with a chuckle, and vanished into the next room, a kitchen that was none too large, but certainly bigger than the one in Aries. Mu leaned his head back against the plush of the chair and closed his eyes. His worries had not abated in the slightest, though he felt much calmer. Something nudged his foot. He opened one eye to look. Aldebaran was holding a large mug of coffee out to him. Mu smiled and accepted it, testing the temperature with a small sip.
“It’s pretty mild,” the larger saint explained, moving to take the other armchair with his own mug.
“I rather like it.”
Aldebaran chuckled into his mug. “Thought you might. Now, what’s bugging you?”
Mu raised a brow. “I’ve never known you to cut to the chase so quickly.”
“Things don’t usually get you this worked up.”
Mu could have kicked himself for being read so easily, but Aldebaran was one of his closest friends and the man was certainly more observant than he was often given credit for.
Mu rest the mug on his lap. “I fear something will happen tonight.”
“Things happen every night, Mu.”
He shook his head and met Aldebaran’s eyes. “Something.”
“An attack?” The bull was on guard now. Sanctuary was vulnerable. Athena had taken many of the remaining Saints straight to the Lost Canvas, hopefully to settle things once and for all.
“Maybe...” Mu mused. “I can’t see why - there’s little left of value here, and I would expect Hades would focus on the army at his doorstep."
Aldebaran frowned. “She wouldn’t have left us behind if there wasn’t some reason we should be here. “
Mu nodded, his eyes down and roaming his lap. “Would that we knew what, though. I dislike sitting so idle.”
“You and I both, my friend.”
~~
It was late afternoon when Shaka’s cosmo briefly passed against his, catching Mu’s attention.
’Shaka?’
Out of habit, Mu turned his gaze upwards towards Virgo.
’You’re on guard.’
‘Should I not be?’
There was no response past that from Shaka, but Mu knew that the Virgo saint would be on his guard tonight as well.
The pressure had grown. It was all-encompassing now - a nearly tangible tension in the air. Mu stood at the entrance to Aries, watching the shadows grow ever-longer as the sun descended. It felt as though the entire world were being plunged into darkness far deeper than what the night brought. It felt, for lack of a better word, evil.
As the last rays of the sun vanished, the hairs on the back of Mu’s neck stood up. It was beginning.