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When Aldebaran had taken on the role of the Taurus Saint, he wasn't exactly sure what to expect from his fellow saints. The sanctuary seemed to always be quiet and still, with very few sightings of the gold saints that defended each temple. The Gemini temple behind him seemed to always be empty, to the point Aldebaran wasn't sure if a Gemini saint even existed.
Luckily on the other side, he had none other than Aries Mu as his neighbor.
He was quite taken by his kindness, especially when others found his size and demeanor intimidating. Mu, however, cut right through that easily. Though Aldebaran towered over Mu, his big heart quickly became mush whenever they spoke. It was a feeling he knew well, one that he had experienced several times in the past whenever he fell for someone's charms.
One day, like many days, Mu brought Aldebaran a fresh basket of vegetables.
"Thank you Mu, you really didn't have to--" Aldebaran felt flustered but accepted Mu's gift graciously. "I'll put these to good use."
Mu smiled softly. "I live somewhere very far away, but we grow the best vegetables there. Maybe if you visit sometime I can show you how we cook these."
Aldebaran raised his eyebrows curiously. "Count me in!" He felt that this was obviously an invitation.
Mu gave him a good description of the best path to take, as well as several warnings of what he may find on the way there. Aldebaran was somewhat familiar with the mountain range Mu referred to, but the journey felt daunting. However, he wasn't going to give in so easily, especially if this would bring him closer to Mu.
Following Mu's advice, he wore his best climbing shoes, along with lighter tunics to shield himself from the wind and sun. He sighed deeply and wiped the sweat from his forehead. How does Mu travel back and forth through this?
Aldebaran then remembered Mu's most interesting trick--teleportation. He wondered if he had honed that technique as a result of living so high up, or if he chose to live so high up because he had mastered that technique.
He had finally made it to the top, spotting Mu's mansion from afar. It was a tall, white tower, standing right at the edge of a sharp mountain peak.
He placed his hands on his hips, admiring just how tall his home was. Just how does he manage to clean this thing?
Suddenly, he felt small jabs landing on his skin, jolting him away from admiring the unusual building. He looked around, but saw no one around.
Aldebaran steeled himself. He didn't think his gold cloth would be needed here, but he felt a moment of regret for not lugging it along.
Again, he felt those tiny jabs, coupled with a mischievous laugh.
Aldebaran shielded his face as a rain of pebbles fell on him. "HEY! What's that for!?" As he lowered his arms, he spotted a young kid with flaming red hair high up near the tower.
The kid hovered in the air, arms folded comfortably. "Lord Mu isn't expecting any visitors."
Aldebaran relaxed his muscles, not wanting to appear intimidating to a child. "I'm a friend of Mu's, Taurus Aldebaran. Mu summoned me here."
The child giggled mischievously. "If you can catch me then I'll let you in!"
Aldebaran sighed heavily. If this is what it took to see Mu today, then he would give it his best shot.
Each time Aldebaran's hand almost grazed the child's hand, he floated out of reach. His legs were exhausted, and defeat was imminent. Who was this rambunctious child who also knew Mu?
Just as he was about to throw in the towel, a familiar face materialized in front of him.
"Having a hard time with Kiki?"
Aldebaran scratched his head, trying to be as casual as possible. "Hey Mu."
Mu held a knapsack full of vegetables under his arm. "Come in, I'll start the fire."
Out of the corner of his eye, Aldebaran could see Kiki sticking his tongue out at him. He didn't want to give him the satisfaction of reacting, not to mention he was trying to put on a good face to impress Mu.
Aldebaran joined Mu in the kitchen, which was warm and cozy. Fresh herbs dangled above the stone counter, giving the space an earthy aroma.
As Mu started the fire, Aldebaran worked up the courage to ask him some questions. "So...that kid--Kiki. Is he your...relative?"
Mu chuckled softly. "No, nothing like that. He's a child I've taken in as one of my apprentices, like my own teacher did for me many years ago."
Aldebaran noted how similar Mu and Kiki's dotted eyebrows were. So it wasn't just a coincidence.
"He has similar talents, and seems eager to learn." Mu laughed as he rested his face on his hands. "He's just a little possessive of me right now."
"Like you're his father," Aldebaran mumbled.
"Hmm." Mu was in deep thought for a few moments. "If I'm his parent, he definitely is a handful. I should find a good and capable husband to help me raise him, no?"
Aldebaran jolted up, not realizing what he had accidentally implied. "Well, I don't know if I'm—cut out for that."
Mu giggled mischievously into his palms. "I wasn't going to ask you, but I'm glad you're interested."
Aldebaran's head felt like it was on fire. He kept walking into these situations and only making himself feel more embarrassed.
"Come back next week. And maybe the week after, too?"
Aldebaran's embarrassment shifted into excitement, though his face was still fully red. "Yeah. I will!"
That evening they enjoyed a warm stew, coupled with some spicier side dishes Aldebaran wasn't familiar with. The days passed quickly, and Aldebaran was back at Mu's home in no time to try more of his cooking.
Since his last visit, however, Aldebaran had done his homework on gifts that a kid like Kiki might enjoy. Along with his climbing gear, he brought along a small knapsack full of candy and spinning toys. Kids still like those, right?
Upon arriving, Aldebaran saw Kiki sitting on one of the tower balconies again, ready to pelt him with rocks at any moment.
He raised his voice as much as he could. "Look kid, I don't want any trouble." He wanted to be stern but approachable. "I brought a few gifts, just for you!"
Kiki floated down, interested by Aldebaran's offerings. He perused through the gift bag, before bursting out in laughter.
Aldebaran crossed his arms. "What's so funny?"
Kiki jumped back. "I'll take the candy, but all the other stuff is just for old people!"
Aldebaran was shocked. Had he really grown so out of touch as an adult?
It wasn't too long before Mu arrived once again to let him into the tower. He hadn't exactly prevailed this time, but at least he hadn't been pelted with stones like last time.
Over dinner, Mu noticed Aldebaran's deep thinking. "Kiki's not welcoming you yet, is he?"
Aldebaran hung his head in shame. "Yeah…I think I just don't know how kids think these days anymore."
Mu placed a supportive hand on Aldebaran's shoulder. "You might be overthinking it a bit. Want me to give you a tip?"
Aldebaran nodded. If anyone knew how to befriend Kiki, it would be Mu.
"Kiki is…very playful. He enjoys playing tag, catch, all sorts of things. He doesn't care much for gifts or nice words."
Aldebaran nodded as Mu explained this, making notes in his head. Next time, he was determined to get on Kiki's good side.
Just like he did the previous week, Aldebaran gathered all his strength to make it up the mountain again.
And just like the previous times, Kiki waited for him, rocks already in position to pelt him at any time.
Aldebaran raised his hands. "Woah, before you do that, don't you want to see something neat?"
Kiki tilted his head. "Neat? What do you mean by that?"
Standing his ground firmly, and radiating gold energy, Aldebaran crossed his arms. "Try to knock me over!" He didn't want to overdo things, but given the situation, he had no choice but to summon some of his Taurus gifts.
Kiki, however, was more than interested in this challenge. "Alright, if you say so!" The pebbles he had in place dropped to the ground, replaced by much larger rocks that bordered on being boulders.
Aldebaran gritted his teeth nervously. He wasn't expecting him to do that, but nothing could break his stance. Or shouldn't at least.
As Kiki's barrage of rocks hurtled his way, Aldebaran closed his eyes and braced for impact.
"Huh!?"
To Kiki's surprise, his rocks left no scratches on Aldebaran, despite their size and speed. He summoned more of the same rocks, throwing them at Aldebaran in quick succession.
"How are you doing that!?"
Aldebaran chuckled. Though he could feel the boulders hitting him, they were no match for his Taurus stance.
After a few more tries, Kiki slumped down to the ground, accepting defeat. "Fine, I'll let you go this time."
Aldebaran opened his eyes with a beaming smile.
Over the following weeks, he continued to play into Kiki's various games and entertained him while waiting for Mu to arrive. While he stressed about making a strong impression at first, he quickly let that worry melt away.
On one of these days, Kiki waited for Aldebaran to arrive by standing on the ground. Aldebaran himself took a few moments to notice him there, being so used to seeing him floating in the air.
The child folded his arms behind his head. "So…You want to date Master Mu?"
Aldebaran brought an index finger to his lips. "Shh! I don't want him to hear!"
Kiki winked at Aldebaran. "Don't worry Mr. Aldebaran, your secret's safe with me!"
Aldebaran let out a sigh of relief. Mr. Aldebaran? Maybe getting Kiki to like him wouldn't be so hard after all.