Epilogue: Shun and Kayleigh's Love

Minna-san! This is the final part of the whole story which means it's finally complete! I'm sorry it took so long but here it is now! It did took a lot of writing. There's a special surprise on this chapter too! Enjoy and feel free to review and comment!

Disclaimer's note: I don't own Saint Seiya or Battle B-daman or Scamper the Penguin. Characters rightfully belong to Masami Kurumada, Eiji Inuki, and Enoki Films.

Overall, after the tournament in the next couple of days and after Christmas, Kayleigh has been deciding to invite the entire Saint Knight Team, Princess Sienna, Tatsumi, Mel, Elli, Miho, Shunrei, Seika, and Esmeralda to stay at her castle home in the Kingdom of the Seven Seas for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day while Hades and the Black Saint Knights were in prison. They all agreed to come because they once heard about journeying to Poseidon's kingdom. If one enters there, they don't have to worry about not being able to breathe underwater because, Kayleigh did told them that the water was as breathable as air. In fact, it was more pure than air.

On their departure, Kayleigh showed them the portal that leads to her world and they entered the kingdom safely. Most of the Saints; including Princess Sienna, herself were technically surprised to see the sight of Kayleigh's fish tail. Well, it did gave Tatsumi the shock of his life! Kayleigh did tell them never to be scared for she knew very well of how humans can be easily frightened.

Poseidon Julian and the rest of her brothers were eager and overjoyed to see Kayleigh and the team coming. Even Kayleigh was happy to see her sister, Thetis home early. Saga was happy too. He's just excited to see his brother, Kanon again.

To celebrate the return of his younger sister and her new cloth, Julian promoted the musical play of The Little Mermaid to start. Kayleigh felt happy playing as Mermaid Princess Kayleigh; the character whom Julian named after his sister and he did gave Shun the character role of Prince Shun! Shun too felt perfect playing as the Prince! Most of all, Kayleigh and Shun's favorite part of the play was the happy ending when their characters finally got married after defeating the Sea Witch who is played by Shaina.

Onward after that, Julian gave the Saint Knights, and Princess Sienna a chance to stay with him, Kayleigh and the rest of the Marine Generals. When the Kingdom heard the news, the sea was overcome with happiness.

With that happening during the next day, Julian gave out a royal ball as another celebration to thank the Princess and the Saint Knights' care for Kayleigh, Hades' defeat and Kayleigh's victory as the Eternal Saint Knight of Lyra! Everyone celebrated happily too. Even Shun gets to have a turn to dance with Kayleigh, who's doing her Underwater Waltz. Why, she even gets to sing to everyone once more as a Sienna promised.

"Far away I heard the call of the heart that sang a song like mine. It's melody drew near and suddenly, we're in perfect harmony. I know it beckons to me from on land but, not from the sea. Yet, I know I must follow wherever it leads me! Wisdom only comes with time. The road to love is paved with broken hearts. If I were to reach my goal, I must stake everything in my true destiny no matter what the price. . ."

Everyone loved the song a whole lot. But, what Julian was more proud about her is that she have finally won the right to be an Eternal Lyra Saint Knight.

During the rest of the party, Jabu made only one small mistake; every time he see Kayleigh dancing with Shun, he can never take his eyes out of the point of staring at her white colored fins! He couldn't even get the thought of how beautifully she dances with them through the water! Nachi, Ban, Ichi, Geki, and Seiya told him to snap out of those thoughts! Then, Lyumnades Kaza whispered to Jabu. "Don't get fooled, though. You know, her fins were not always that cute and adorable." When Kayleigh saw the whole commotion while she's dancing with the Andromeda Saint Knight, she thought it was wildly funny and she giggled through the entire celebration!

Meanwhile, in the royal dungeons of the palace, the Penguins were having a good time with Keir, Wen, and Li more piranha at Julian's prisoners before Julian can do the rest to punish them. However, when it comes to being attacked by the biting fish, neither Black Andromeda nor Black Pegasus can take the pain of their sharp teeth! The seven good friends of Kayleigh were having a huge laugh. Except Hades, strapped by shackles.

Not long after, the full moon was showing it's white light brightly through the waters of the sea since the party at Julian's castle had finished. Princess Sienna, Tatsumi, Mel, and all of the Saint Knights have already gone to their guest rooms for the night. Everyone was very thrilled by the joy of Kayleigh's victory very much.

Later that night, Shun was still wide awake while the others were in their rooms, getting ready to go to bed.

He then decided to go for a little walk down the royal hallway. He then heard some conversational talking from Julian's room. He peeked through the door, which was partially closed and he saw Kayleigh in her night top, talking with her brother.

Julian said to her. "Surely, you have gotten yourself free from that mess which has been caused by those Black Saints but, Kayleigh. Do you have any idea of how worried you caused me the last few months ever since Sorento reported me about your capture?" "Does he really?" Kayleigh asked. Julian nodded his head. She then sorrowfully sighed. Julian then walked over to a nearby window and looked up to the water's surface. Schools of a fish swam by outside. "As you do know like the rest of us, Marine Generals, our race can normally live for only 300 years. Yet, even with that certain life span, we can still meet with an accident and die anytime. Just like our poor mother did."

Kayleigh sat on her fins, lowered her head and sighed again. "Forgive me, Onii-sama. I knew I would've defended myself from those monsters." Julian just turned, walked over to her, took her hand and walked over to sit on his bed with her. He said. "Well Kayleigh dear, I've completely dealt with that problem already back in the dungeons. Usually, I forbid you to ever go swimming to Death Queen Island alone. Even though, they did took you there. Didn't they?" She nodded slowly.

Then she rested her head on his leg, nuzzling a bit. Encouragingly, he smiled warmly as he laid his hand on her head and played with her hair as it drifts in the water slowly. She mumbled. "You hardly know how much I hate that island. I feared it a lot. Especially the mountains that rain fire. Plus, I had no idea why Hades was so jealous about the both of us." "Never worry, my little dolphin. You're safe and sound at home, now. Surely you do intend to make mistakes, but you must always over come them at any cost. It's in your blood and only blood can tell. As brother and sister, we're always part of each other." He then flipped over one portion of her hair, and placed a new, shiny seashell hair piece on to clip it. Next, multicolored pastel colored bubbles magically appeared out of the seashell as it changed colors.

When Kayleigh notices it, she looked up. Julian smiled at her as he caressed her cheek. He then asked. "My only younger sister? Did you think I pushed too hard on you on your mission?" She shook her head. She then smiled and hugged him gently. He hugged her back. She did knew that her brother will always love her as long as she loves him.

Shun backed up against a wall after looking at the sight of Kayleigh's family relationship with Julian. "So beautiful." He mumbled softly. "I had no idea that they were very close. No wonder why she's known to be Julian's favorite sibling. I bet her deceased father loved her as his favorite too." He then walked off back to visit Kayleigh's room.

Kayleigh was about to leave her brother's room. "Well, I guess I'll going to bed now." She said as she was about to swim to the entrance of her brother's room. The guards opened the veil curtains from the other side of the entrance that leads to the hallway. Julian walked over to her and said. "By the way, just one more thing before you go, dear." She turned around and asked. "What is it?" He placed his hands on his shoulders and answered. "I just want to wish you 'good night'." Then he gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Thanks, Onii-sama." She said. "And try not to toss around in bed, dear." "Yes, Onii-sama." "Sweet dreams and I love you, Kayleigh." He said. "I love you too." She waved before walking off. He sighed happily. "Eternal Lyra."

As she swam along the hallway, she happened to be noticing that she was passing the other Saints' rooms as she swam by. She even passed Sienna's room. "I'm sure they won't mind if I tread along quietly without disrupting." She thought as she swam onward without making a sound. However, she's not aware that her cosmo was still active.

As he was sleeping with Seika, Seiya sensed Kayleigh's cosmo and opened his eyes slightly.

Meanwhile, Shun was sitting on a marble bench and waited at the balcony in Kayleigh's room, looking up at the moon which is shining it's light through the water. He looked at the magnolia pearl hair piece that he still kept with him. He usually stared at the pearl, thinking about his memory about her. "This feeling taking root inside me feels so light. Yet, I've hardly been here before. I do wish she remembers our childhood." He then sang her song that was performed for the royal ball. "Far away I heard the call of the heart that sang a song like mine. . ."

Later afterwards, Kayleigh came in through the door, not aware that Shun was at the balcony once she got there.

Shun had just finished humming as he continued to stare at the full moonlight. He didn't notice that Kayleigh was about to enter the balcony too. "Life's always close now. I must have a great way in my true destiny no matter what the price. . ." Kayleigh stared at the surface, then turned and found Shun sitting on the bench as she was about to sit down too. Shun noticed the same thing. He was surprised that he didn't know that Kayleigh just came back from her conversation with her elder brother! Kayleigh was surprised too, for that she didn't know that Shun was still awake!

They mumbled as they tried to say something that they were about to say to each other. They did blush a bit.

Shun: "Oh! I'm sorry. Is this your. . . Well, I'll get up and. ."

Kayleigh: "No! No really, it's fine."

Shun: "You see I didn't know that you were. . ."

Kayleigh: "You see I didn't know that you were. . ."

They paused a bit. Then they finished.

Kayleigh: "I'm sorry, you go ahead first."

Shun: "I'm sorry, you go ahead first."

They chuckled nervously as their blushes disappeared.

Kayleigh sat down next to Shun. She sighed and smiled. "It's now kind of surprising. We're in the same bed room and we're both wide awake." "I think so too." Said Shun. She chuckled nervously again. "Well actually, what I mean to say is thank you. . . For lending in your cosmo to help me save my life. During that battle at the tournament. I could've won the battle without your support, or Seiya-san's or any of the others'." "Really?" He asked. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah. You know, it's funny that. . . You've did that for me in return since I made the telepathic message from my cosmo to my pearl." Then she realizes something. "I'm sorry. Here I am, babbling about the cosmic S. O. S. message and the tournament. During our dance at Onii-sama's party, was there something you had to say?"

Shun blushed a bit, then answered her question. "Uh. . Well, yes. Well you know, life under the sea is hardly much that I've experienced like, when you told me and Nii-san about your escape from Death Queen Island, your brother's kingdom, how people lived life underwater and all that stuff. To me, it's full of natural wonder that will make a human sailor have curiosity entering his mind."

Kayleigh laughed. "You mean like in the beginning of our play, that's the thing that sailors and fishermen were always cracked up to have in their heads." "Yes! That!" Shun answered. "Sometimes, sailors all over the world believed that there are mermaids at every ocean of the planet. And when they sometimes think they actually saw one, they point to one in the water until then. . . They found out that it turns out to be a seal, a sea lion, a sea elephant, or a manatee." She chuckled. "I've seen that problem with Sailors and fishermen all the time. It's a whale of a tale, you know. Some on land do say that in real life, merfolk are hard to find."

Seiya peeked behind the opened door of Kayleigh's room. "I wonder what's the next move on this." His mind thought. Then something tapped on his shoulder and asked. "Hey, Seiya?" He spun around and saw Hyoga, Shiryu, and Ikki with Seika, Jabu, Sienna, Mel, and Tatsumi in their night togas that Kayleigh gave them. "Hey. Why are you all up in your togas?" He asked. "That's what we're going to ask you." Answered Hyoga. "We felt your cosmo vibrating and we came to find out what you're doing." Said Shiryu. "Oh. . Really?" Seiya asked. They all nodded. "Well there's something that my cosmo just sensed a moment ago and what my eyes just showed me was in Kayleigh's room." He whispered. "Oh! What is it, Pegasus?" They all gasped. "Was it something about Kayleigh?" Asked Sienna. "Or was it about my brother?" Asked Ikki. "Ssssh!" Seiya shushed. "Have a slight look carefully! It's about both of the two actually." He whispered again.

They all peeked behind the door and they saw Kayleigh sitting next to Shun on the bench under the cool moonlight. The sea current was flowing gently through the water outside of the balcony. "I can't believe it!" Whispered Ikki. "I feel like I'm dreaming." Said Hyoga. "So am I." Said Sienna. "Let's see what they'll do next." Whispered Seiya.

Kayleigh was humming her song from the past days since her first visit to Sienna's party. "I had one proposal, aishiteru. Can you hear my voice? Aishiteru. All I need is love. Aishiteru. . ." When Shun heard her singing, he notice the new seashell hair piece in her hair, then stared at the magnolia one in his hand for a few seconds. He asked Kayleigh. "Uh, Kayleigh? Is that hair piece new?" "And yes! Those are the. . ." She stopped her singing and turned to Shun. "Huh? What did you just say, Shun-san?" He repeated. "I said, is that seashell hair piece in your hair new?" She stared at him then answered. "Yes. Onii-sama gave it to me after our conversation."

"Really? What are you two talking about?" He asked again, pretending that he hasn't been overhearing the conversation from the very start. Kayleigh answered. "Oh, it's about my safety during my mission for not only the will to become an Eternal Saint Knight, but to find my pearl magnolia hair piece."

Shun showed the hair piece to her. "You mean this?" He asked. She silently gasped. "Oh! That's the one my siblings sent me to Athens in order to look for! Where did you get it?" "Don't you remember?" He asked back. She stared at him again for a few seconds. "What do you mean?" She asked again.

Shun answered specifically. "Ever since you came to my world in Athens, I've been trying many times to ask you if you remember me. You're the mermaid girl I've been searching for in order to find your name and to give this back to you. Now, you came to find this. All these years I've been waiting at Greece's sea shores of the Mediterranean to wait for your return, but you haven't came until now. I mean after all, you are the one who rescued me from drowning" Kayleigh paused to think. "Wait a minute. . . Is it all true?"

Then there's her flash back from long ago as she tried to recall the same situation like Shun's memory.

Flash Back:

Kayleigh was only nine years of age younger ever since she curiously visited the surface without her father's permission at midnight. She saw a large and grand ship shooting sparkling fireworks into the night sky. "Ahh! So pretty!" She said in amazement. "I didn't know flowers bloom in the sky too." She began to sing her image song while swimming around the water as the ship slowly sailed by. Then a boy at the age of eleven saw her as he heard her voice. "What's that sound? So beautiful. Hmm? Oh." Then, he saw Kayleigh swimming from below the deck he stood on. She saw him too. "Hah! I've been praised! He said it's pretty!" She giggled. The boy stared at her and asked. "Hey! Can that song be coming from your voice?" She slowly nodded shyly. He asked her another question. "Say, why are you in the sea?" Kayleigh shyly showed her fins for the answer. He was surprised. "A mermaid?!" Then, lightning stroke and thunder roared! Kayleigh flinched in the water as the waves started growing fast! Then someone on board shouted. "A storm is coming! A tidal wave is coming too! Everybody, run for safety!" Then there's another voice that sounded older than the boy's. "Shun?! Shun! Where are you?! The ship will start to sink if you stay on it!"

The ship began to rock back and forth as a few life boats sailed off before the tidal wave gets closer. What remained on the boat was the boy! Then suddenly, the tidal wave crashed into it! The boy was being knocked off from the balcony of the deck and he fell into the water! Kayleigh swam down to rescue him! When she carried him up to the surface, she discovered that he's already unconscious! She immediately brought him ashore at Greece's Mediterranean beach.

After the storm died out, Kayleigh laid him down on the sand and she tried to wake him up. "Come on! Please wake up! Oh dear, what will I do?" She then had a thought in her head. She pulled out her magnolia hair piece from her hair and laid it on the boy's chest. It glowed and finally, the light woke him up. He stared at her as she stared at him back, happy and relieved that he's back to perfect health again. "You. . . Saved me." He mumbled. "Of course I did. I was really worried about you." She answered. He stared at the pearl hair piece on his chest. "Is this from you?" He asked. Kayleigh nodded. "I want you to keep it. To remember me. What's your name?" He answered. "I'm Shun." She hugged him gently. "I'll be missing you, Shun." "Why?" He asked. She's about to head for the water. Then she turned and answered. "I must leave you now but, rest assure that I'll never forget you." She then swam off and into the ocean.

Shun sat up and pleaded. "Wait! Come back! You didn't even tell me your name!" But Kayleigh answered back in telepathy from the water. "Search for me." He was surprised at first. "Surely you'll find me again. Surely. . ." She answered again.

That was the end of Kayleigh's memory.

"Ah! I remember now! You are the one who I gave you this hair piece. I bet I took too long, didn't I?" I was extraordinarily busy with training." Kayleigh answered as she faced to him. "Oh! That's okay." He chuckled as he gave the hair piece back to her. Then they blushed together and mumbled as they tried to talk in the same answers they have to say.

Shun: "You see, I've been looking all over for. . ."

Kayleigh: "You see, I've been looking all over for. . ."

Shun: "I . . . Well, no!

Kayleigh: "I. . . Well, no!

Shun: "You!"

Kayleigh: "You!"

Seiya and the others were still peeking behind the door and they asked in unison quietly to each other. Except for Ikki who already knew about Shun's flashback. "What memories are these two talking about?" "They're about how they met." Answered Ikki. "You knew?!" They all asked him. Ikki just snorted embarrassingly as he stared at Seiya, Sienna, and the others.

Kayleigh then asked. "So, you've been searching for me the whole time like that message I've sent you?" Shun nodded. He hugged her. "I thought I'll never find you again." "No. I was just glad that I came to see you again. I did get a chance to see Seiya-san, your brother, Princess Sienna, and all of the others." "Hmm. I was also glad to see you again too." Said Shun. Kayleigh looked up at the full moon. "You know, the moon is looking closer tonight than it ever has before." She then laid her hand on his. They both felt that moment and then, "Oh!" They both said as they looked at each other as they blushed again. Then Kayleigh removed her hand from his hand.

"How romantic. . ." Sighed Sienna. "Uh. . . Your highness?" Asked Tatsumi.

Kayleigh and Shun stared at the moon together on the bench at the balcony. Shun laughed. "Isn't it kind of strange that we're both searching for each other for different reasons." "Yes. Yes indeed. Then they ended up being the same." Kayleigh chuckled. Then she sighed. "But, then again. What I'm really worried about is that I must've took way too long for returning to you ever since the past few years! I must've. . . I must've been annoying to you!" Then she hastily swam to her bed and buried her face on her pillows!

Shun saw her commotion and pleaded. "Wait! Kayleigh! That's not what I meant!" He walked over to her on her bed and laid his hand on her shoulder. She then looked at him with a bit of tears floating from her eyes. He took it by surprise. "Oh, I'm sorry. I knew I shouldn't be crying but, it means so much that you came to see me again. I would've been a whole lot more lonely than usual!" She hugged him. He hugged her back. "It's all right, now." "I really missed you." She said softly. "I missed you too." he answered. She then began to purr softly. He heard the sound and thought. "Cute."

Seiya stared at the situation with everyone. "Oh, I'm telling you guys. I never had any idea that Kayleigh rescued him from drowning like in the play." He whispered. Ikki then whispered to him. "I didn't know that Shun was actually in love with her as she was in love with him in the same way." "Well, you do have Esmeralda. Already, I'm confused between Marin, Shaina, and Miho because I've already got dibs on all three of them." Whispered Seiya back. Sienna just stared at him and sighed softly. Ikki replied to Seiya. "I know. She's asleep now." "Well, almost all of us had a love mate." Said Hyoga. "Yeah. Well, I do met Shunrei since our childhood." Said Shiryu. "However, I never see them as a couple like that." Whispered Jabu and everyone watched closely. "It seems like it's all from a fairy tale." Sighed Seika. "Do you guys think they'll kiss?" Asked Mel.

"Kayleigh?" Asked Shun. "What is it, Shun?" Asked Kayleigh. "Don't you know, I had your image song stuck in my head ever since I've been waiting for you for all of these years." "Really? So did I." Kayleigh answered. "But now, we're here together again and we can still see each other." He said. Kayleigh hugged him one more time. "Um. . . Shun-san? I've been waiting to tell you that there's something that I want to say to you." She said shyly. "What is it?" Shun asked. She mumbled and he waited to listen. "Well, it's that. . ." "Go on." "I. . . I love. . ." "You love what?" "I. . . I love you!" He gasped. "You do?" He asked again and she nodded for her answer. She can feel him hugging her tightly. "I love you too." Shun answered. "Oh, Shun-sama. . ." Her words sprung into his head. He actually liked it. He hugged her warmly. "Kayleigh. . ."

Then Seiya and the rest of the gang saw what's happening next! Shun brought Kayleigh to sleep under her covers. Then, they looked at each other as he climbed over her too. Kayleigh blushed again. "Well, we all know what's going to be coming up next." Said Shiryu. "Yeah." Answered Jabu. Hyoga yawned and said. "Let's go back to bed." "Good night, everyone." Said Sienna. "I was about to get a bag of popcorn." Said Jabu along the way. Seiya made slight sigh as he took one more look. Seika called for him. "Seiya. Come on now. It's getting late." "Coming." He answered as he began to walk off with her and the others.

Shun stared at her as she stared at him back. "Good night, Shun-sama." "We're both going to sleep well, Princess." He answered as he caressed her hair and her cheek. He leaned forward then, he laid his lips on hers. They kissed gently. Before they sleep for the rest of the night, they shared compassionate lover for each other. Then above the water's surface, under the chilling moonlight, two shooting stars flew among the deep, dark, starry sky.

The End

Shun: Phew! Now that was a story.

M.S.K: Yeah. . . Oh! I just wanted to ask you, Shun-sama.

Shun: Hmm? You never called me that before.

M.S.K: Yes. Well, what I was going to ask you is about that ballet performance from the other moment ago, do you like it? It's pretty special.

Shun: Eh. . . Well, I do like it. But I had no idea of how you do that kind of dance.

M.S.K: (Chuckles) It's not like a mystery dance or anything like the dance of Giselle. I haven't tried that yet. Sometimes I do have this little thought about doing the Firebird's Infernal Dance for Ikki-san. I'm sure he'll like it. After all, he's the Phoenix Saint.

Shun: Hmm. . . I'm sure you'll give it a try. Did you ever perform on stage before?

M.S.K: It's a long story since my childhood. I didn't get to because of stage fright.

Shun: (Chuckles) I would've guessed that.

M.S.K: Uh. . . Shun-sama. There's something that I want to tell you. Just for the record. . .

Seiya and the rest: (Peeks behind the door) I do hope she gets to say it.

Ikki: (Stares at Seiya)

Hyoga: It can be the moment like in the story.

Shiryu: Hmm. . .