Chapter 6

3 months later

"What!?" Athrun cried out devastated. "Athie baby, it will only be for a couple of years," Lenore cooed to her distressed son. "But I don't want to go!" Athrun whined putting on a pout. "Your father thinks it's for the best and so do I," Lenore said stroking Athrun's hair that he had inherited from her.

"But mummy, I don't want to go to college. It' so far away. Why can't I stay at the school I'm already at?" "This school offers a better education and it will open up more possibilities for your future."

"I hate you!" Athrun yelled tears welling up in his eyes. He turned his back on her and ran to his room, slamming the bedroom door behind him.

Athrun curled up under his blankets crying. "Why do I have to go? I'm happy with the school I am already going to, and I have lots of friends where I am right now. What about Kira? How can I tell him that I'm leaving? I'm Kira's only friend and now I am preparing to desert him. No, I'm not deserting Kira. I will be back. But how am I supposed to tell Kira that I would be gone for so long? I hate seeing Kira cry. But I know there are probably going to be lots of tears shed over my departure…" Athrun mused to himself.

Athrun hoisted himself up and walked out of the room. His mum being the arty person she was had a closet full of art supplies. Athrun opened this cupboard and scooped the lot of it into his arms and carried them over to the dining table where he dropped them. They made a loud clatter and spread all over the table rolling or tumbling in different directions.

Lenore heard a loud clatter somewhere in the distance and she made her way over to the source of the sound. She saw her son at the dining room table with all her art supplies.

"Honey what are you doing?" Lenore asked as she walked over to him. "I'm making Kira a good bye present," he replied, keeping his eyes fixed on what he was doing. "Oh honey," Lenore said pulling Athrun into a motherly hug from the behind, "I didn't know he meant that much to you. Would you like to buy something for him tomorrow?"

"No mum. I want to make him something special to show him how I feel," Athrun said picking up the glue. "Would you like some help?" Lenore offered as Athrun looked a bit lost, since it seemed he didn't know how to get the top off the glue. "No thanks mum. I want to do this myself. That way it's more special." "Ok. Just ask if you need any help then."

Athrun spent the whole night trying to make a gift for Kira. The things he made just didn't seem good enough so he would keep throwing them in the bin.

When Lenore woke up in the morning she found Athrun crying at the dining table with frustration, and next to him a bin full of his creations which hadn't turned out right.

"Athrun," she said walking over to him. He looked up and cried, "Mummy, I can't do it. It's too hard. Nothing I make looks good enough for him."

"We'll go shopping to get something for him today. Sound good?" Athrun turned around and looked at his mum from his teary eyes and nodded. "Thanks mum," he said, and got up and gave her a hug in return.

---

They strolled through the shops with Athrun sitting in the trolley amongst the groceries, looking into the shop windows he was wheeled past, hoping he would find something that he could give to Kira.

Athrun let out a yawn. He was exhausted. Staying up all night was a record for him. But luckily he didn't have his eyes closed long enough to miss the shop they were passing.

It was an expensive jewelry shop. The window was filled with fancy jewelry resting upon gold and white silk sheets of material.

Athrun's eyes fixed on a piece near the middle of the display. It was a chain choker that had a little green and yellow bird ornament dangling off it.

"Mummy! I found something that I want to give to Kira," Athrun said, smiling. Lenore stopped and looked into the window they were passing. She felt a bit doubtful that she would buy anything from this shop. Sure, the jewelry was beautiful but the prices were extremely high.

"That one," Athrun said, pointing to a choker near the middle of the display.

"Honey, are you sure you want this one? Maybe we should have a look around at some other shops first." "No. This one is perfect," Athrun said shaking his head violently.

"Athie, I don't think" Lenore stopped mid sentence as she saw the happy smile that had adorned his face a few moments ago disappear. "Ok. We'll get this" Lenore sighed caving into his happy face. She knew that Athrun would never forgive her if she didn't. She also hated seeing him so sad and she had enjoyed seeing him smile earlier even though he was leaving soon. She didn't want the last time she would see him in years to have his face shining with tears.

"Ah. Excellent choice," The shop keeper smiled gently lifting the choker and placing it on the counter in front of them.

The shopkeeper had wavy green hair and a strong accent that made Athrun giggle. His name was Arthur Trine. He loved his job and knew everything there was to know about jewelry.

"Its chain is made of white gold. It is water resistant, long lasting, hard to break and it doesn't rust. It has a clasp that is simple and easy to use. The ornament is made from an emerald and tiger's eye crystals that have been shaped into a small bird. The crystals have been tightly attached to each other so it is unlikely they will fall away from each other if handled gently. The crystals have also been polished so they can shine their brightest," Arthur lectured.

"And you can buy it for a mere $500," Arthur stated, and said it as though it really was a low price.

Lenore was considering saying no, but when she saw the look on Athrun face she knew what the answer would be. "Yes. I'll take it to go please," Lenore said, pulling her wallet out of her handbag. She handed the man 500 dollars in cash which surprised him but he accepted it.

"Thanks a lot," Arthur smiled, waving good bye as they walked out the shop.

Arthur looked down at the money in his hand and was filled with happiness. He could finally afford that holiday he had been saving up for years for. And he started doing a little celebration jig bouncing around the shop.

"Umm. I'll come back later," a customer muttered, when Arthur noticed him standing there and watching him dance like a total idiot. Arthur blushed with embarrassment and went back to put the money in the till.

---

Athrun made his way down to Kira's home holding a small box tightly, making sure it wouldn't be dropped.

The little box was wrapped in white wrapping paper and a gold ribbon was tied around it in a fancy bow. It was simple yet effective.

Kira floated on his back staring up into the sky. It seemed to go forever. So pure and clear .The clouds rolled across it ever so slowly, taking their time, never in a hurry or rushed like the world below them.

The sky amazed Kira. He had never been able to see it from his home underwater. It would be something he would sorely miss seeing if he was ever to return home. Kira missed his home but he knew he would be able to pull through if he had Athrun by his side.

Some birds soared through the air cutting through the clouds, looping and twisting. Kira wished he was one of them. He had imagined countless times what it would feel like to be soaring high above the world, with the wind just blowing through his hair.

He was slightly envious too. The birds were free. They had no boundaries or any restrictions. They could come and go as they pleased. The tank that Kira lived in wasn't bad, but it would just be nice to leave it every once in a while.

"Kira!" Athrun called out. Kira looked over to see his friend at the edge of the pool. "Athrun!" Kira called, happily swimming over to him, "I thought you had forgotten about me," Kira joked, smiling brightly. Though when Kira looked into his friend's face, his smile faded at seeing the dead serious expression his friend was wearing.

"Kira, I'm leaving for a while." "For a holiday or something?," Kira asked, as Athrun went on them occasionally.

"No. My parents are making me go to a college a long way away." "What!" "It'll will just be for a couple of years. I'll see you again." "You, you can't leave!," Kira cried, as tears began falling from his eyes. "I'm sorry Kira, but I have too." Kira just cried and Athrun wiped a few tears off his face.

"So that you can remember me, I got this necklace. Whenever you wear it you will be wearing a part of me and nothing will hurt you," Athrun said, trying to reassure Kira, "Turn around," Athrun said, and Kira obliged.

Athrun unwrapped the box quickly, not wanting to drop it.

Kira could felt something cold and smooth being hung around his neck. “Okay, you can look now.â€ﾝ Kira looked down into his reflection in the water and saw a fancy choker dangling around his neck.

"So this will really connect me to you?" "Yup," Athrun replied. Kira being very naïve believed him. "Thank you Athrun," Kira said, smiling a watery smile.

"I've got to go pack. Till we meet again," Athrun smiled, leaving.

Kira simply watched, unsure whether to call Athrun back and plead for him not to leave, or to accept the cruel reality.

---

Yay. This chapter has been edited by - totalanimelover! They fixed up my punctuation for this chapter so I should be better to read now.

I was going to include the next chapter in this but I think it would be better if they were separate chapters. And don't worry. The chapters with them as kids are almost over.

Sorry that his took so long to post. I finished it ages ago but I've had trouble with submitting. The website didn't want to accept it said there's an error etc.