#also uh in this au not all 100 children are mitsumasa's kids

[princesandromeda]

So, yesterday, @andperseo pointed out something really important with the Phoenix Shun/Andromeda Ikki AU: WE’D HAVE IKKI/JUNE. So I’m going to post a few snippets for these two dorks and also more Nachi/Shun because I’m trash. (and tagging @nita-ss while I’m at it)

Arriving at Andromeda Island

Tatsumi had told him, one last thing to spite him for trying to outwit him while they had been drawing lots, that even if Ikki had gotten his way and gone to Death Queen Island, Shun would have suffered a different inferno on Andromeda Island anyways. Dead-hot temperatures during the day, below-cero degrees, frostbite-inducing temperatures during the night. The boy had a rotten luck, he had said, and yet, Ikki was gritting his teeth when the ship finally reached shore.

“Welcome to Andromeda Island,” a man with dark hair and tough features had announced to the newcomers in broken Japanese, “I’m Cepheus Daidalos, Silver Saint in charge of the apprentices in here.” He gave them all an appraising look, and with a no-nonsense kind of attitude, strenghtened his face. “We are currently in Ethiopia, and most of the people here are natives, which means you’ll need to learn Amharic and quick, because I have neither the drive nor the patiente to play translator. Am I understood?”

The kids replied with a bored “understood.”

Ikki kept his mouth shut tightly, and his muscles tensed when he saw Daidalos focus his gaze on him, considering him. He raised an eyebrow before going back to poker face. Ikki relaxed just a little.

Adapting is important

Despite having a rough idea of what the place would be like, it still wasn’t worth shit when he had sweat trailing down his face, his eyes unfocused from dehydration and his muscles burning under his training clothing.

“Ikki, dodge,” June, a fellow apprentice, remarked with a mix of worry and annoyance. Today was a day to practice defensive movements, and he even got to practice a little with chains similar to the ones Andromeda’s Cloth had. But it was too hot, and they weren’t allowed many breaks, and just... “Ikki!”

He cursed his weak, mortal body as his mind hit darkness.

June was still there when he woke up, and if his feeling wasn’t off, pressing damp cloths to his forehead. He idly realized he was shaking, and the room was too cold. Abnormally cold.

“I can’t believe you’ve been here for a total of three years and you just came down with a cold,” she said, almost frustrated as she wiped the sweat on his cheeks, “you Japanese really do have a shit immunological system, huh?”

“Not- not words for a lady...” he teased between tremors, knowing how much June hated to be reminded to ‘act like a lady’. As he expected, June scoffed, and even dared to pinch him, covalescent as he was.

“Who cares about being a lady, I earned my place here by being strong, not by being a lady,” she dipped the cloth again and wringed it, placing it again on Ikki’s forehead. “You need to overcome this if you really want to become the Andromeda Saint and meet again with your brother, if what you said about doing anything for him is true, beating a little cold in these conditions should be nothing compared to what you have already endured.

Ikki continued to tremble, not really listening to her because of his fever haze. June sighed and continued to tend to him.

For years to come, Ikki still thanked the support his only friend showed him. If it hadn’t been for her, he probably would have given up on this whole Saint bussiness a while ago.

“Rest.”

Stargazing is fun with friends

On nights when he felt specially lonely, Ikki would get out of his cabin, not minding the biting cold nor the night sounds.

“I used to sit on the roof with Shun, and show him pictures of the universe from atlas books I stole from the old man’s library,” he told June when he felt her presence, a couple of steps behind him. “He was always awed, and so very hopeful. He used to look at the Earth and say: look, from here you can’t see the boundaries between countries, I want to fight so future children don’t become orphans like us.” June sat down, and laid her hear on his shoulder, listening attentive at him pointing out constellations from both emispheres.

This nebula is actually a galaxy

June wouldn’t admit it, but the day Ikki received his cloth she was incredibly nervous. After five or so years of intense training, Ikki not only had become proficient, but also experienced. His training having been guided by Daidalos, Ikki’s fighthing style had become very no-nonsense. His main tactic was turning his opponents offensive against them, and when that failed, use attacks that weren’t too energy-consuming but effective. His fighting wasn’t what worried June.

The sacrifice trial was.

Even if she had little to no doubt that Ikki had enough of Andromeda’s self-sacrifice spirit, there was still a big chance that he would drown when the waves because too savage, or that he would be suffocated against the rocks, or that the cloth could not accept him. After all, even if the lengths he was willing to go for his brother were admirable, there was also some fighter in him, something that refused to be tamed.

So when Ikki had passed the test after a whole day and a whole night of being tied to a huge boulder, June felt light-headed with relief to see him still standing, and proud to be called a Saint.

With a spirit just as strong as his guardian galaxy.

“Excited to see your brother?” Ikki had the certainty that Shun would also get his cloth, and if Ikki had, what was to stop his brother from doing so too?

Ikki smirked, gripping his Pandora box to balance it better on his back. “More excited to show you the shrines in Tokio, don’t think I haven’t seen the pictures in your room.” June slapped him in indignation, but Ikki knew she was glad he had made it out alive, and was finally going to reunite with his brother.

Life is just a mean to a death

Shun had known cruelty since his very early, and very tender infancy. Being an orphan came with its set of harships, and add that to the fact that Ikki always seemed to on edge, it made for living on the streets, running from orphanages like the plague. Until they had been picked off the streets by some men who worked for one Mitsumasa Kido. Ikki had also tried running away, which resulted in near-deat by electrification.

And even through all of this, Shun had had hope for people. Even when he was taunted for being sensitive, even when his brother had been scolding him for not being strong enough. He could count on the fact that the children were like that because they didn’t know better, and adults were burdened with troubles that his childish mind had yet to understand.

“Niisan...”

So Shun had had hope, even on Death Queen Island. Even on that barren piece of hell in Earth.

But his hope had shattered that day, like a fragile flower being stepped on.

Esmeralda had been his best friend, the only hope that he would get out of this godforsaken place and meet his brother again, his almost-twin (not only because of their physical similarities, but because of their similar mild temper and pacifism). She was a slave. Sold by her family for three sacks of rice. And yet she was the gentlest person he could remember meeting.

And now she was gone, just like that.

Shun had known cruelty since early in his life, and just as he had learned to be kind in the face of unjustness, he learned to be angry, hateful. The world had never been kind to him, why should he? (”Do you think you could take me with you once you obtain the Cloth?”)

We’re all insignificants in the big scheme of things, a Monkey King dancing in Budha’s palm

He stared, dispassionately as Jango was lost to the nightmarish visions in his head, his mind broken.

He felt the power in his cloth bristling, along with all the things his master had said before he died.

At least fifty of us, Mitsumasa’s kids, and the bastard sent us to hell anyway...

Unfortunately the old man had died five years ago, so his only choice was to step on his legacy.

“Niisan...” You are his blood too.

“I was sent to take care of the Black Saints because they were becoming a nuisance, but I see you already did that.”

Surprise flashed through his green eyes, a small feel of dread at the thought that someone so powerful had gone completely under his radar. Then he narrowed his eyes, anger flaring out and ready to attack this pretentious man.

“And who are you? Also want to take me on? Phoenix Genma Ken!” Cold sweat dripped down his back when the stranger stopped his technique, the one he had used on some of the Black Saints and Jango, with his bare hands. And then being returned tenfold.

The man gloated, saying how him thinking he was invincible was like the Monkey King who was dancing on Budha’s palm the whole time. Then, when he was at his mercy, Shun asked, “are you going to deliver the final blow?”

If he was to die, he wanted it to be now. It would be an honorable death, defeated by a worthy opponend. A Gold Saint, he had said.

“No,” Shaka had replied. “If I had seen darkness-true darkness-within your heart, I would have no doubt killed you like I had intended the Black Saints. But underneath your hatred, unexpectedly, lays dormant a gentleness and a capacity for forgiveness I have only seen once in all my lifetime.” He seemed to consider something. “No, I won’t kill you. Instead, I’ll wipe any memories you have of me. If we meet again, you’ll remember this encounter.”

What it takes to come alive is purpose

“I want to become a doctor,” Shun said out of the blue. They were chilling in the roof of the Kido mansion, the soft spring air running through his green locks. His face was devoid of emotions, as usual, but there was a unique shining in his eyes that meant, Nachi hoped, a renewed spark of his spirit.

“Yeah?” He asked dumbly. It had been months since Shun was starting to become closer to him. A lot of walking on eggshells, and then wondering is stargazing with him like Shun had told him he used to do with his brother when they were kids was ok, and then wondering if Shun would be completely comfortable with him.

(”It’s okay, stargazing with someone reminds me of better times. Ever since June came to Japan Niisan has become virtually a no-show, so you can come.”)

“I want to help people, and even after my time on Death Queen, I still feel like violence is not the way,” Nachi doesn’t mention that it was this pureness that led him to become Hades’ chosen body, because he envies it. The power he has to forgive, even if not forget. “I also can’t do it here.”

Nachi frowns. “Why not?”

“I already told you the other day at the orphanage,” Shun answered, now facing Nachi. “I need to solve some stuff, get over past shit. Move on.” His gaze was back on the horizon, and Nachi hummed non-comitically before doing the same.

It was Shun’s voice again that broke the silence.

“Seiya told me how you felt.” Nachi’s head snapped to him.

“He-?!”

“Well, hinted it, more like.” Shun shrugged, “I- I need to figure that out, too. I have been too occupied fighting, I never gave thought to that. I haven’t given thought to that with a guy. I need to figure out what it means to me.”

Nachi hummed again, remembering his own epiphany and all the support he had gotten from his friends.

“I also don’t know if you might be my brother.”

A frown settled itself on Nachi’s face. “What? I thought Ikki was your brother...”

“As is Seiya, and Hyoga, and Shiryu... half-brothers, really. Mitsumasa had lots of them kids, and reunited them plus some random orphans to train them into becoming Saints.” “How did you-?”

“Before he died, Guilty told me. To ‘solidify my hate’ or some such thing.” Shun turned to Nachi again, an almost hopeful shine to his eyes. “Will you wait until I figure it out?”

“I- I, yeah.”

Shun smiled. “Thanks.”

They remained in silence, watching the Geminids seemingly fall from the sky.