A/N: This chapter was dedicated to trulyanimelover06 who helped inspire me to start this story. I am trying to reboot (or at least trying to finish) my past stories. I hope you will bear with me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed.
Remarks: Revised as of September 2016.
CHAPTER ONE
"Athrun, Athrun sweetie. Please wake up," he hears the familiar gentle voice.
"Mother?" the boy mumbles half awake.
"Athrun sweetie, its time! You have to go now!" she tells him urgently. "The carriage is waiting downstairs."
The child obediently gets up and dresses into his travel clothes. He follows his mother - a beautiful lady whom he closely resembles - to the front yard where the carriage is parked.
"What about you mother? Aren't you coming too?" the boy is confused when he realises that he is the only one getting into the carriage.
"I want you to go first. I have some important work to do. I'll join you tomorrow," she assures him. "So there's no need to worry okay?"
The boy nods his head. He wants to protest and stay behind. He doesn't want to leave her. These are dark times he hears. Danger looms in every corner. You can trust no one. No one is safe.
He is no more than a mere child of six, but he understands everything. Why he has to leave so suddenly. Why his mother has some unfinished business left to do.
Jumping off the carriage, he runs back to his mother to give her one last hug. The woman with the same midnight blue hair accepts her son into her embrace as she presses a kiss on his forehead. He is in her arms just for a brief second before she ushers him back up into the carriage. She then orders the driver to get going.
"Be safe my son..." she says as she blows a final kiss to the boy. He looks back at her from the small window. Tears pools up in his emerald green eyes as her frame gets smaller and smaller, until it is nothing but a spec of dust.
Athrun awakes from his slumber as his eyes adjust to the light shinning brightly through the windows. He continues to lie in bed staring at the wooden ceiling, a corner where the beams intersect is covered in cobwebs.
He allows his mind to wonder. He has just dreamt of the last time he saw his mother. She was murdered twelve years ago. And now, he is in an inn located in one of the Orb towns.
It is already afternoon and Athrun has been sleeping for a long time. He arrived in the late afternoon the day before and was so tired that he immediately went to bed after checking in. He is supposed to get some supplies today before continuing his journey to Junius Seven - his former home and the final resting place of his mother.
Getting up, Athrun walks to the wooden table where a bowl of clean water is placed. He washes up and then puts on his cloak.
It is a quiet town, Athrun decides. People go about minding their own business. They look fearful and very cautious.
Athrun's first stop is the blacksmith.
"How can I help you, young traveler?" the old blacksmith asks Athrun.
Athrun uncovers his sword and shows that the blade is broken in two.
"Can you fix this?"
"Yes," the blacksmith replies. "Leave it here and come back tomorrow."
Athrun takes out a few golden coins and hands them to the blacksmith. He leaves afterwards.
It looks enough like a peaceful town. Athrun reckons that he wouldn't need his sword for the time being. But of course, he should still be up on his guard and not take any chances.
Athrun does everything he has to do. He has already bought enough supplies to last for days. There is nothing left for him to do but to enjoy himself in this little town. He takes a stroll around the town square, enjoying the afternoon breeze. He can hear the gentle rustle of the trees. The square is relatively empty with a few occasions of townsfolk passing by.
Finally deciding to take a break, Athrun rests on the stone bench by the fountain. A lion is the centre piece of the fountain.
"Hi." Athrun looks up to see a blonde girl looking at him. She has such blazing amber eyes. Athrun notices that she is also very pale. Beautiful is an understatement to describe her and Athrun finds himself a little mesmerised.
"Hello," she says again, a little more forceful.
It takes a few seconds for him to comprehend. The girl in a baby blue dress is addresing him. "H-hello," Athrun finds himself blushing as he mumbles back a reply.
The blonde girl beams at him. "Can I join you?"
"S-sure", Athrun stammers a little. His face is still red as he scoots to the side to make room for her.
"Kebabs are nicer with chili sauce than yogurt sauce," she tells him, motioning to the kebab stand across the square. "Don't you agree?"
Athrun blinks in surprise. She is actually talking to him.
"Well?" she demands, looking slightly annoyed when there is no response.
"I've never eaten kebabs before," Athrun says truthfully.
The blonde stares at Athrun as if he has four eyes and two mouths.
"Not at all?" she asks flabbergasted.
Athrun nods.
"Then you should try some! Kebabs are practically the best food in the world!"
Before Athrun can respond, she grabs his hand and drags him to the stand.
"So? What do you think?" she asks him. "Do you like it?" The blonde has insisted on buying him kebabs.
Athrun provides her a nonverbal response as he chews on the succulent meat. It is delicious. The tender juicy meat is just about bursting with flavour.
"Do you live around here?" Athrun finally tries to make conversation. It is a stupid attempt - but an attempt nonetheless, Athrun thinks. The girl obviously lives around here.
"Not really." The blonde's reply surprises him. "I live quite far away...off town. Somewhere at the end over there," she points to the dark woods.
"Oh, that's far..." Athrun shrugs albeit lamely.
The girl laughs, almost like bell chimes. "My name's Cagalli," she tells him. "What's yours?
"Athrun," he replies.
And just like that, his awkwardness goes away. Athrun spends the whole afternoon with Cagalli. She really is a good company. They ate kebabs, toured around the town, and ate more kebabs.
Suddenly the giant bell rings. Athrun looks up towards the bell tower.
"The sun's about to set," Cagalli suddenly frowns. "You should leave."
Athrun looks back at the girl puzzled and he notices that the rest of the townsfolk have suddenly disappeared. The whole town looks very deserted. All the windows are shut and the shops all closed.
"The bell's a warning to let people know that the sun is setting," Cagalli tells him. "You don't know since you're not from around here, but bad things happen to those who are outside when it's dark. It's not safe."
Athrun briefly nods as he takes in what Cagalli has said. What's going on?
"I should go too," Cagalli turns to him. "Hurry back to the inn okay?"
She bids farewell to him and heads off in the other direction.
The sun's setting any second now. She said she lives quite far away. She won't make it back before dark.
There is no hesitation on Athrun's part as he goes after the girl, running into the woods.
Where is she? He should have caught up with her by now. There's no other road.
It's dark now. The sun has set completely. A sudden movement catches Athrun's attention.
"Cagalli? Is that you?"
A twig snaps and Athrun feels a cold gust of wind. Athrun head snaps behind. "Who's there?" Athrun calls out. Darn it, my sword! Athrun curses as he reaches out to his side and realises that his sword is still with the blacksmith.
Again Athrun feels nothing but that chill. Just as Athrun is about to write it off as his mind playing tricks on him, a dark hooded figure suddenly appears before him and bares its fangs.
What the- fangs? Athrun thinks in alarm.
The figure moves at an inhumane speed, giving Athrun no reaction time. It growls, lunging at him.
And the world turns black.
TBC.