espadadorada:

The tea in his cup swished and slushed slightly with the motioning of his wrist. Shura lightly gazed at Shiryu, taking minor notes of the boy’s body language, wondering what went on. Was this a little heavy on the youth? Barely any time passed and things have taken a serious turn over something meant to be light-hearted and tearful in joy.
          And yet, Shura wasn’t surprised of how things turned somewhat numbing and loaded. His first death, he died peacefully with new revelation and then the rouse of first breath after resurrection only then did he realize the anxiety of wanting redemption.
To set things right.
To correct his mistakes.

Growing without Athena’s presence, only trusting in Saga to be the one who delivers the justice and right that Shura longed for for Saga was the present one before them albeit the shadow that lingered behind the older man. And this brings Shura to question if he ever truly knew Saga, if he ever truly knew the man he counted on. Thoughts like this that popped from the blue…it made Shura’s head ache.

Gods felt unreliable…Shura trusted in Shiryu’s word, a youth who swore to protect the Goddess who was a stranger to Shura and a youth who turned the tables to melt away the pessimism at humanity. Shura felt to give Athena a chance and a chance he gave her during the Holy War to protect the world he called home for her to pull through and save it with the Saints.
           And yet it didn’t feel that simple.

Shura listened. Unfazed by Shiryu’s approach to the conclusion in demeanor he only found it suitable ( Shura expected no kind sugar-coating and neither would he stand for it if it was).

“It is what I expect out of a young girl who is the Goddess of War and Wisdom. In the end, it is her judgment; whatever is decided is decided and I’ll accept.”
          This is the Shura now. Perhaps if it was him of the past, he’d have been reluctant to accept to be judged by a girl whom he barely knew. But perhaps at the same time, better her than anyone else. Better Athena than a Judge from anywhere else.

And then posed Shiryu’s turn. His next question rattled the Capricorn Saint’s despite his neutral face towards it. He took a pause, a few minutes to think. 
Battle.
Sainthood.
All from childhood.
There was no aspiration towards anything.

“I do not know. Maybe I’ll return to Spain. Maybe I’ll go to Japan. I’ve been a Gold Saint since a child, Shiryu, not even yet 10 when I earned my cloth. This is what my living goes toward…” He smirked, a tiny tinge of exasperation and melancholia lingered on his lips, but barely,
          “Odd isn’t it? A child having no other aspirations. I never had firm faith in humanity. I wanted a change, I wanted justice. Whatever that meant back then. Now, I want is redemption. I’d fight to atone even if somethings cannot be restored. To be stripped of my rank if she finds my beliefs prior and doings unforgivable…”

Shura sipped the tea, trailing off, eyes narrowed in thought, asking a question he did not expect an answer from Shiryu towards, a thought uttered aloud, “…would she find my act against Sagittarius and her, an infant at the time, excusable? Would she sever me from the chain you, I, and others are bound to?”

A chuckle escaped his lips, Shura’s grin only grew, “Pardon my questions if they discomfort you…”

                ❖││✘ＲＩＳＩＮＧ ＤＲＡＧＯＮ✘││❖

                                                                                     ^{Although many deemed him} WISE BEYOND HIS YEARS ^{& the most} OBSERVANT ^{of the bronze saints, Shiryu could not find himself truly} UNDERSTANDING ^{what it was like to be in Shura’s shoes at this moment. His faith; his LIVELIHOOD was hanging in the balance. In a way, they could all be in his predicament; awaiting} JUDGMENT ^{& having the sinking feeling of} NOT KNOWING ^{hanging over their heads. The young saint wasn’t sure which left a worse taste in his mouth; not knowing or knowing that judgment awaited him.}

                                                                               ^{Those who} DENOUNCED ^{Athena & turned to their pope for guidance did so blindly, he felt. They knew no better; the followed the word of a} CORRUPTED MAN ^{& never sought to question him nor undermine his authority. For} THE GOLD SAINTS OF GREECE, ^{Their pope was all they had to turn to; his word was (allegedly) the word of their beloved} ATHENA ^{& to question him was to question her will.}

                                                                                 ^{Who was he, a lowly} BRONZE SAINT ^{to question what Shura must’ve thought during that time? He did what any of them would do; what any SOLDIER would & that was to follow orders without question. But, it was that same BLIND CONVICTION that cost the previous bearer of the Sagittarius cloth to lose his life. Clutching to the child they knew now as} ATHENA, ^{Aiolos gave his life to protect hers come the morning when he took his last breath & delivered her into the arms of Mitsumasa Kido. Her life SPARED & his offered to the whatever laid in wait for him in the afterlife.}

                                                                              ^{As saints, it was not} UNCOMMON ^{for them to take lives; no life in their ranks were} INDISPENSABLE. ^{But, the actions behind such an act are what cause brows to raise & rumors to linger. Such gossip did not kiss his ears nor stroked his curiosity. Mind muddled with what MIGHT happen as opposed to what IS now. There was a shake of the head. Shiryu released his cup of tea & allowed his arms to fold over themselves. Some saw it as a sign of} DISCOMFORT ^{while others could view the action as a sign of} SECURITY.

                                                                              ^{❛ There are no need for apologies, Shura-san. I opened the door for it & I would rather see this through & talk on the matter. Young I am in years but none of us are} CHILDREN ^{anymore. ❜}

                                                                               CHILD-LIKE HEARTS HARDENED BY THE HARSHNESS OF WAR. ^{They were no longer considered k i d s the day they were granted their cloths & took their oaths to stand as} SAINTS OF ATHENA. ^{To think like one still & dismiss the world for what it} REALLY WAS; ^{to live still in the CHILD-LIKE IGNORANCE just seemed…artificial. It was SAFE but} ARTIFICIAL.

                                                                          ^{❛& it is not} INCONCEIVABLE ^{for a child to have no aspirations beyond what we sought to be. We were picked for a reason; A reason, I believe is} LARGER ^{than us. We} FOUGHT ^{because we all, at one point in time or another, believed & wished for that same sense of} JUSTICE. ^{It has not changed, Shura-san. I do not doubt that we all have the ability to} STRAY ^{from the path before us; we are all} HUMAN, ^{unfortunately & thus, our hearts will more than likely be prone to} QUESTION ^{our antics. It is up to us to make judgment calls. No more can we allow ourselves to be led away. ❜}

                                                                      ^How STIFF ^{were his words. Be able to convey emotion; to show} EMPATHY ^{was, in truth, not the saint’s strong suit. He had gotten good at used to shutting such feelings} OFF ^{in order to not allow them to CLOUD his thought process. It was such a thinking, he felt, allowed for his advice to be just that–advice. Not once did he ever think that those who} SOUGHT ^{his council were looking for the friend they once knew before the conversation began. The Shiryu they knew with the} CALM & COLLECTED ^{exterior was vastly different from the Shiryu who} THOUGHT & SAW THINGS ^{through an obtuse lens.}

                                                                    ^{Eyes brought themselves up. ❛But–I have} _FAITH ^{that you will stay within our ranks. If Athena saw it reasonable to bring you back along with the others, I do not believe that she would be} CALLOUS ^{enough to leave you with nothing. Until you are to know for sure, worry will linger OVERHEAD. But, something tells me that Saori-san will not cast you nor the others to the waste side. I will not BELIEVE that until I hear it from her. Do I BELIEVE that you should be held accountable for your actions? Yes. We all should for none of us are} EXCEPTIONAL ^{but I also believe that she is just as} MERCIFUL ^{as she is} FIERCE. ^{A mundane life is not for us. In truth, it’d be} TOO GOOD ^{for us. Hold to faith, Shura-san. It is all we can do now. ❜}