.
.
.
.
The party was great from the beginning to the end, and that end were almost four in the morning. Saori, the reincarnation of Athena, invited to some of his friends in stay in the manor so they didn't need to travel back to wherever they needed to. Some of them accepted without problem, but others decided to go. Even the birthday brothers were going now back to the Sanctuary. They took all the gifts they could and leave some others in the manor, say good bye to their friends and accept a taxi that Saori asked for them to go to the Sanctuary or closer as they could.
The Peacock and the Lotus Saint were trying to be very calm as they were passing the secret passage to arrive faster to the Virgo Temple. Not all the Saints, not even the Gold ones, knew about this path. Anyway, in the moment they arrived to the Virgo Temple both sighed a bit tired but still with a smile.
"It was a great party, don't you think so?" Agora asked taking the gifts out of Shiva's hands.
"Oh, indeed. I'm so happy that Saori helped us. After all, we deserved a good party! We were dead!" she laughed a bit. "Agora?"
"Yes?"
The older almost fall with the gifts when he felt a big hug. He didn't want to leave everything in the floor and turned to hug her sister almost taking her body on the air. Shiva was smiling, with eyes closed and hugging him very hard.
"I love you, brother. I'm so happy we are together again."
"I love you too, sister." He answered as he let Shiva sat over her arms as she was a kid. "I would be very sad if I was alive without you. After all, you are my family." Shiva smiled widely and kissed his cheek. "Happy birthday, beautiful sister."
"Happy birthday, big brother."
The Lotus Saint left her in the floor and give a last kiss in the forehead where the bindi was. Again, took all the gifts and began his walk to the interior of the temple, but he realized his beloved sister wasn't doing the same.
"Aren't you tired?"
"Ah?" she asked as she was seeing to the air. "Oh, yes I'm. But… I want to see the stars a bit more." Shiva smiled and pointed to them. "I want to see the Virgo's constellation."
"As you wish, sister. Try to don't stay too late. Sleep well and sweet dreams!"
"Same to you!"
Her hand was waving as if Agora could see her, but indeed couldn't, not with all those gifts wrapped that he had in his hands. Shiva sighed a bit tired once more and her smile removed as she was seeing to the floor instead of the stars. Indeed that party was beautiful, everything was amazing, but for her something else, or better said, someone else wasn't there and that made the party not perfect as she wished.
How many years did she spend time training with the master Shaka? She saw him more like a father than a master but she know that the Virgo Saint would never feel the same. She then began to think in his mother. Terrible idea. Her eyes and expression couldn't more and the sadness that Shiva was bearing appeared. Some tears flow down and she needed to cover her face to don't show that weakness or don't let the sound of her sobs go out. Shiva knew was important to let all that go out and began to cry a bit more. But suddenly some steps made her took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry." She said cleaning her tears and pulling out her blue shirt out of the woman pants, a trick she liked to do to show a more feminine figure. "I'm sorry… I was…"
"Why are you sorry?"
Peacock Shiva smiled and turned to see his master. Shaka was in front of her, wearing a simple white shirt and pants of the same colour, as always with the eyes closed and showing a serious face. Shiva knew that even if he wasn't with the eyes opened, he could see thanks to the meditation and lessons of the old masters.
"I know you don't like us to be late and… well, I'm wearing woman clothes again."
"Indeed I don't like that but is your birthday so you can do it." he said. "And I'm glad I could find you. I would like to talk with you."
"Yes, master?"
"Not here." He said with a smile and offering his hand. "Let's go inside, it might get cold."
She nodded and came close to give her hand and walk some steps before his master stopped and turned to see the sky. She did the same to see what he was seeing. One of the stars from their constellation was shining still. Both of them smiled and felt an incredible energy over their veins as if their cosmos were seeing their original home.
After that feeling, both Saints of different ranks walked thru the temple to arrive to a room they both knew well. It was the meditation room; a place where the noise was strictly forbidden and big part of their training passed around there. Shiva could remember when she was a little girl and cried almost all the trainings because hated to be sit in one place and trying to do something she couldn't do. But thanks to his brother and the constant help of his master, she could reach some inner peace to can meditate without feeling anxious or with despair. Now she was again there, and almost unconsciously she took the lotus pose on the floor as his master was coming close to a little Buddha statue.
He was looking for something, something behind it and for sure was being hidden.
"How was the party?" he asked as he kept with the task.
"Fantastic. So many of my friends went and the food and music was perfect." She faked a smile. "You didn't go."
"I don't like parties, they are too noisy."
"Oh, I know… but even Ikki went." She laughed a bit. "It was too cute to see him there, he even invited me to dance more than once."
"As you see, the Phoenix Saint isn't that bad."
Shiva nodded and kept in silence a bit more.
"Agora was very happy too. He liked everything and, even if his family couldn't arrive, he said he was satisfied. I envy him."
"You shouldn't." Shaka said turning to see her. Lamentably, thanks to this could see some tears. "I didn't taught you that, Shiva."
"I didn't meant it. It is just, he is always so happy and I did enjoy the party but… I would like to see you there."
Shaka moved slowly without saying a word about this. He sat down in front of Shiva with a little box between the hands. It was an old box with beautiful lotus carved around. The Silver Saint cleaned her tears once more and waited to see her master talk.
"I'm sorry, I promise you it wasn't my intention to ruin your party."
"No, no, I did enjoy but… maybe I could enjoy more with you there."
"Next time. You know I hate birthdays and its parties because mean a year close to our end" He smiled as he passes one of his thumbs to clean a tear on her cheek. "But, let me give you a gift. I must say isn't totally a gift, this belongs to you since before."
"What?" Shiva saw how he was opening slowly the box. "I thought… maybe you…"
"I normally don't give gifts, Shiva. But I think you are a special person to me and deserve it." she smiled and some sparkles could being seeing in those blue eyes. "Today I was thinking in you and Agora and how in the end you became a family. I adore to see you both happy being together." He began to take some things out of the box. "Maybe you don't remember anything of this, you was so young."
Shiva moved slowly to see inside the box. She could remember well. Toys, little dolls Shaka once give her thinking she was a girl from body and not just mind, even some boxes where she and Agora recollect little stones that were close to the river. But what took more her attention was a wrapped gift, even with a blue ribbon on it.
"Here is." Master Shaka said with a smile. "Shiva? This belongs to you since always but… I hide it." now he had her attention. "I thought this would slow your training and make you weak but I know you are a strong lady who can have it now."
"Master?" Shiva smiled and cry a bit. "You said lady…"
"Well, you are. Anyway…" he cleared his throat and come even closer to be at side of Shiva and place the gift on her hands. "I hope you don't keep any anger to me."
"I will never, master Shaka." She said. "But well, what it is? My mask?" she laughed as she removed the blue ribbon. "I always asked a mask, remember? Oh, Agora knew it." she said as she began to open the wrap. "He always told me you would give me one if I…"
She couldn't talk more. Shiva was in silence and without moving. Shaka opened his eyes to be sure he was seeing right. The Peacock Saint was still seeing the open gift without an expression in her face. Not a smile, not sadness. There was nothing.
"Shiva?" he places his hand on her shoulder and come a bit closer. "Are you fine?"
"Master…" she said
But couldn't say more because her tears began to appear once more. This time, Peacock Shiva was crying louder and hide her face over Shaka' shoulder. He didn't do anything but place his hands on his head and try to calm Shiva down.
Some minutes passed like that, Shaka even felt a bit of regret for the gift. But then, his student moved and smiled.
"Are you fine?" Shaka asked once more.
"I'm so touched, master." Shiva said taking the beautiful sari. "It is… I can't believe it."
The red sari was washed up, almost taking a pink colour in some places. Other part of it was tear apart and the decoration with little stones only had a few of them. But for Shiva's eyes, it was the most beautiful thing she could have in her hands.
"Do you remember when I saved you, Madhan?" Shaka smiled to lead her head lay on his chest. "You was covered in that sari and you didn't leave it for anything. You was tired, crying and with such sadness. I thought in destroy it and burn it… but something in me said that maybe I needed to keep it."
"Thanks, master. It means a lot to me."
"Shiva, Madhan." Shaka smiled as he took the sari and placed in her head. Both names were her names, as always a duality. "Your mother would be very proud of you. You are strong, you are what you are and I believe you will always become better." He smiled to kiss her forehead. "Happy birthday, Shiva."
The peacock Saint smiled once more as she hug him. That sari was the best gift and the way how Shaka was hugging her. What else she could ask? Even if the party was big, with lot of friends and everything anyone could wish, that last moment in the morning was all it matter.
.
Of course, after two months of her birthday I just finished this... I'm terrible. BUT HEY! At least I finished.
I hope you enjoyed it and like it x) I did, and I'm always more in love with Peacock Shiva.
Thanks for read!

1