Saint Seiya Fan Fiction ❯ The Story of Andromeda (A Saint Seiya Fairytale) ❯ The Kraken Brings Posiedon's Wrath ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

my best chapter. The next one will be better, especially since it has this adorable scene in it that I have just been DYING to do!!
Shonen-ai warning, Hyoga/Shun pairing. I think they're cute.
Disclaimer: I don't own Saint Seiya, I just like Greek Myths, fairytales, and some kinds of shonen-ai.

The sun was just beginning to go down in the distance, sinking low over the walls of the palace. The marketplace was starting to fold up and the merchants were heading home to their families.

The palace grounds now consisted of a lush, open field, dotted with the occasional tree casting welcome shade. It was under one of these trees that the princes of Ethiopia now sat, the elder leaning against the trunk and his brother splayed out on the grass, clinging to every word.

"Is Athens really as advanced as they say?" Shun asked his brother, feeling the medallion that now constantly hung around his neck. "I heard they have a clock there that keeps the date of the year, the stars and everything! Is it true?"

Ikki chuckled. "It is impressive." he agreed, leaning back to look into the branches of the tree. "The priests of the Acropolis showed it to us about a dozen times. They're all quite proud of it, you know. Say it's proof that Athena's wisdom guarding the city."

"Wow…" Shun rolled over on his back to look up at the sky, now painted with oranges, reds and golds. He closed his eyes, trying to imagine all the gears and pendulums that must make a machine like that work. "I wish I could see it…Oh, but mother would never let me out of the city…"

Ikki leaned forward and slipped a blade of grass behind his brother's ear. "Don't worry, little brother. Someday I'll sneak you out and show you everything."

Shun grinned. "If you don't get lost with Esmerelda, first." he teased. The elder's marriage had been delayed for another three months, until the bride was sixteen, but Ikki had already been planning to take her out on the ocean on their wedding night.

Ikki made a face, lunging forward to tickle his brother under the ribs. Shun giggled and squirmed to get away, but his brother was fast and did have the more advanced training…

Rather suddenly, the gates to the palace were thrown open as a horse and rider burst in. The two brothers looked up as the horse reared around, its rider leaping off at the palace steps and racing up them.

"Ikki, isn't that Seiya?" Shun asked, confused. "I thought he was supposed to be on watch at this time of day."

"He is…" Ikki sounded worried. He stood quickly, pulling his brother up with him. "There's something wrong. Come on."

The two hurried into their father's chamber as the young solider was catching his breath. Seiya was about Shun's age and height, but was built much more for combat and had been trained as such. His skin was lightly tanned, his hair and eyes were both brown, and he was currently attempting to explain what had happened.

"There's something…coming in…from the ocean." he gasped, then took a very deep breath and recomposed himself. "We're not sure what it is, but it's big…Really big. It's no ship, some kind of monster, and it's heading right for us."

Cepheus Albior looked very concerned. "Are you certain?"

"Positive." Seiya nodded. "We already set up a preliminary, but I'm not sure how well it's going to hold. This…thing…is huge, sir. And we can't even tell what it is."
There was a crashing noise, like the waves against the seashore, but louder. The palace itself shook with the force of…whatever it was. Cassiopeia grabbed on to Albior's arm, and Shun braced himself haphazardly against his brother.

"What was that?" the queen squeaked.

Ikki, Shun and Seiya all made a beeline for the nearest window, but what they saw was not welcome at all.

The city's main road had been flooded by a great wave, spiking over the cliff's edge by at least ten feet. And from the cliffs a new terror was coming…A huge, gray creature that looked vaguely like a cross between a toad and a dragon, clawing its way out of the ocean and onto the beach. They could see the guardsmen's arrows and attacks being fired at it, but they just seamed to bounce off its skin without effect.

"What is that thing?" Shun asked in a quiet voice, not sure he wanted to know the answer.

"A Kraken…" Ikki whispered, sounding more than a little shocked. "A sea-serpent…One of Poseidon's beasts."

He straightened suddenly, heading for the door. "Seiya, come on. We have to do everything we can to stop that thing. We're going to need everybody we can get."

"Ikki!" Shun exclaimed, trying to follow.

"Shun, you aren't going!" Cassiopeia exclaimed, running forward throw her arms around her youngest son from behind.

"Mother is right." The elder brother spun on his heels, looking him right in the eye. "Shun, you stay here where it's safe, understand? This is too dangerous."

"But Ikki…!"

"Stay here." his brother put hands on his shoulders, eyes looking gentle. "It would kill me if anything happened to you…So please stay."

Shun looked up at him, eyes slowly filling with tears, but he nodded. "Please be careful, Ikki…"

The older brother nodded, then motioned to Seiya and set out to defend the kingdom.
The Goddess Athena saw all of this from her place high on Olympus. She saw the Kraken come ashore at the order of her uncle, Poseidon. She saw the kingdom of Ethiopia, its warriors attempting valiantly to fight off the great beast. She also saw that the warriors were having little to no effect…even their great Phoenix had been severely injured.

"Oh, Uncle." She sighed, brushing back her long, dark hair. "Must the innocent always suffer for one person's misconduct?"

The Nereid who had come to here was still kneeling on the ground. She looked up at her, worry hidden behind the white mask. "Lady Athena, please do something." she begged. "Lord Poseidon is acting in his anger…If something isn't done, Shun and so many others will be killed."

Athena was quiet, shifting her staff into the opposite hand. June felt the stress begin to pull at her face, threatening to pull tears out of masked eyes.

"He doesn't deserve this." she urged. "It was his mother that caused this offense, not Shun. He'd never think of himself like that, he's only a boy. He doesn't…Doesn't deserve it."

Athena was silent a moment longer. "…You're right. He doesn't."

June looked up, hopeful. The goddess stood, striding over to a large map that was pinned to the wall. Several markings, different animals and shapes, were moving across it at different speeds. It didn't make any sense to June, but the Goddess understood it perfectly.

She studied it a moment, then smiled. "Yes…I do believe I have just the thing." she noted, placing a finger on a white swan that was moving quickly over the ocean. "He needs something to pin him down a bit more anyway…"

She turned back, a pleasant smile on her face. "June, if you would be so kind as to call Hermes and Eros, we should be able to get this all sorted out…"

After a furious battle, the Kraken disappeared back into the waves. But in its wake it left a flooded city, a dozen dead warriors, and around sixty of the very best wounded. Including the noble Phoenix.

Shun was tending to his brother worriedly. Despite Ikki's constant claims that he just fine and only needed a little rest, the fact still remained that he had been nearly gored in his right shoulder, his left ankle was badly sprained, and he might very well have a head injury. Both his brother and fiancé had busied themselves over him, caring for his wounds until his finally fell to sleep.

Leaving Esmerelda to care for his brother, Shun slipped slowly away and down to the main chambers. The Priest of Oracle was coming with the verdict from the Gods…He would know what to do.

The priest was a very spiritual man by the name of Shiryu. His hair had never been cut, so it was very long and silky black, over-shadowing his dark eyes. As Shun peaked out of the heavy curtains separating the throne room, he approached the King and Queen with a respectful bow. "Your majesties…"

"Priest." Cepheus sounded more than a little concerned. "Forgive us for our lack of…hospitality…but we are all quite anxious. What is the meaning of this attack?"

Shiryu was quiet a moment, then he looked up with a serious glare. "I'm afraid, King Cepheus, that my news is not good." he said quietly. "It was your vanity, Queen Cassiopeia, that brought the Kraken upon our kingdom. And only a relinquishment of the source of this can prevent its return."

There was a hush. Cassiopeia covered her mouth with her hand, looking horrified, and Cepehus's brow furled. "Please explain."

Shiryu continued to look serious. "The Kraken will return in three days. When it does, you can either allow it to destroy the city…"

"Out of the question!" Cepheus insisted.

"…Or sacrifice the life of your youngest son, the one the people call Andromeda."

The King froze in place as his Queen let in a horrified gasp. Shun, listening from behind the curtains, bit the fabric of his robe to keep from crying out himself.

After a moment of shocked silence, the King settled back into his throne. His fingers crossed in front of his face, leaning up to touch them to his forehead. "…Is there no other way?"

"No, my Lord." Shiryu shook his head. "The Gods have made their demands clear. Only the Prince's life will appease the Kraken's rage. If the sacrifice is not made…the kingdom will be destroyed."

Cassiopeia buried her face in her husband's shoulder, sobbing quietly. Cepheus lowered his head into his hands, hiding his eyes. "…My kingdom…or my entire world…" he whispered sadly. "The gods…are truly unforgiving…"

Shun bit his lip, then slowly pushed open the curtain. He came silently forward and knelt beside the king's throne, taking a hand in both of his and rubbing his cheek against it lovingly. "Father…"

The king looked down at him, surprised. "Sh-Shun…" he whispered, surprised. "Did you hear?"

The boy nodded slowly, looking up at his father with a strange gaze in his eyes, an odd cross between fear and love. His lips parted hesitantly and a quiet voice spoke.

"I'll go…" he whispered. "I don't want anyone else to be hurt…Ikki, Seiya and the others…I can't watch them get hurt again." he closed his eyes, a few tears falling out. "Not because of me…I'll gladly give my life to prevent that."

Cassiopeia took in another stuttering sob, throwing her arms around Shun and holding him close. "My baby…" she sobbed. "My sweet, sweet little boy…This is all my fault, all my fault…I am so sorry…"

"Mother…" he muttered quietly, allowing her to stroke his hair a moment, pulling himself just a bit closer. Then he released and turned back to look once more at his father.

"My son…" Cepheus lifted his other hand, caressing his son's cheek lovingly. "…Forgive me…for what I must do."

To Be Continued…