Chapter Two – EMU for my dear

A typical scene occurred in the throne hall upon Prince Athrun's return. It was an act of de ja vü. The King slapped him hard across his face. A loud thud was heard when Athrun's skinny frame hit the marble floor. The poor prince ached in pain and struggled to lift himself up. Just nearby, Isaac was leaning against a pillar smirking to him as he folded his arms across his chest. His friend, Diacca, a tanned boy with blonde hair stood beside him, witnessing the event as well. The King was very furious after knowing that his son had yet again ran away from home.

"Do you even know what you just did!?" the King's voice boomed and his words reverberated in the large hall, "You disgrace me! You disgrace your family! You disgrace your mother! Do you even know what kind of life is it is out there? What else are you going to do, huh?"

Athrun could not stand his father's choice of words. The words were just too painful to bear. Everything had always been about the King and his kingdom. The King had never considered how it was like to be in Athrun's shoes. Athrun kept silent, leaving his father to recite the same hurtful lines whenever Athrun returned from his run away. It was not the first time he heard them. But it still hurt as much.

'I want to get out from this bloody prison. I'm sick of this life…'

"Do you even know how old you are? You are 16, for God's sake! Soon you will be a future king for this kingdom! Act like one!"

'Yes, I am 16. I want to go out and face the world. I don't want to be cooped up in here forever!'

How he wished he could speak his mind, but his fear held him back. Athrun could do nothing more than just gritting his teeth and letting it pass. Soon he would forget all that. But he knew that he had to get out of this as soon as he could. He knew he would have to face his old man one day.

"I don't know what to do with you anymore..."

The King turned his back to his son and swung his cape behind him as he left the hall. Isaac and Diacca followed suit, leaving Athrun alone on the floor.

A loud banging of the doors slamming shut echoed throughout the corridor. The King was utterly furious and upset with his son's behaviour. To be exact, the prince had run away from the castle for more than five times. But yet, the King did not think that there were any reasons behind Athrun's behaviour. He preferred to think that Athrun was just plain stubborn to disregard his father's orders, and foolish to even think of such a thing as running away. The cold war between a father and a son occurred almost every day. One of the knights who followed behind the king, broke the silence.

"Diacca," it was the head of the knight who spoke, "Keep an eye on the prince. Make sure that he fails in his future attempts."

"Alright." His friend replied, "I'll arrange for more soldiers to tighten up the security."

"Don't worry about it the soldiers. Captain Miguel will be taking care of that."

"That's a bit boring…" Diacca groaned as he rolled his eyes.

"Don't question my authority, my friend. I know it'll take awhile before we reach our goal. Just make sure he does not leave the castle."

"Alright. Alright." Diacca spoke again as he lazily waved his hands.

"But if he ever tries this childish act of his, follow him. Then report his actions to me immediately."

Diacca nodded in acknowledgement and left the leader Isaac paused his walk down the corridor and smirked at his bright and evil plan as he watched Diacca's back vanish into the end of the corridor.

Meanwhile, behind the castle gates, Captain Miguel held the shield and stared blankly at the kingdom's insignia that was engraved upon it, as he recalled the other times Athrun had carried out his runaway act. Being indifferent to the ideals of how a future king should behave, Captain Miguel had actually felt sympathy for his young master. He remembered that look of dismal in Athrun's eyes when they arrived at the castle grounds. His head hung low as Isaac and his knights escorted him back to the throne hall, where he would get his usual earful from his father about the runaway.

The captain ran his fingers through his golden hair and sighed. Just thinking about the prince's behaviour could drive him mad, though he couldn't blame it entirely on Athrun. He knew that there must be a reason behind this behaviour, though he hadn't figured out what it was exactly.

"Captain Miguel!"

A figure of a 15 year old boy with short green hair came in from the distance. Concern was painted all over the boy's face. Captain Miguel pushed his thoughts aside and put up a cheerful façade as he walked over to the panting boy.

"Hey! What's wrong? You look like that you'd just seen a ghost." The captain smiled, teasing the other boy as he placed his other free arm by his side.

Nicole ignored Miguel as he tried to catch his breath. It seemed that the boy had been running around for quite a while. Finally catching his breath, he began to ask.

"Have you seen Athrun?"

"Hmm…" the captain paused, "Doesn't he usually sit beside the water fountain?" Miguel paused again, before it struck him "Ee??? He can't be running away again, did he?"

The other boy quickly answered.

"No, I don't think so. I saw him this morning at breakfast." Nicole blinked before he spoke again, noticing that Miguel was wearing his armour suit and carrying a shield in his left arm. It seemed that he was about to go somewhere. "Are you going to patrol the city?" Nicole asked.

"Yes." Miguel replied as he placed his helmet on his head, "You know, captain's duty." He shrugged.

"But isn't it a bit too early?"

"Well, yeah. The King said we have to go early."

Just as Miguel finished his sentence, the leader of the Knights arrived; fully attired just as Miguel was. His dark purple cape hovered slightly above the ground as he walked towards the captain. A smile spread across his face as he maintained his pace. Nicole watched his ways and noticed how fake that smile was.

"Shall we go, captain?"

The captain nodded and turned his back on Nicole. He walked out of the gate and hoisted himself on his light brown horse. The rest of the knights were standing by, ready to obey his orders.

Isaac's cold and piercing eyes were locked on Nicole's. For that split second, he shot Nicol a dirty glare, as if, to warn Nicol not to get in the way of his plans. Isaac ended the glare with a snort before turning around sharply to follow the captain. Nicole could almost get used to the way Isaac treats him though it does annoy him sometimes. It never occurred to him that a person like Isaac, the leader of the knights, holding the highest rank second to that of the Captain and the mightiest black mage of all time, could possess such arrogant personality. But in Nicole's perspective, Isaac was just another youth despite all that rank and power. Therefore, Isaac's word of contempt does not bother Nicol. Whatever Isaac threw at him, he would simply ignore them like the wind, which passes him by.

Nicole came out of his thoughts and focus on his current objective; Athrun. He turned around and jogged towards the towers, the first and also the last place on his search list. If Athrun weren't there, Nicol wouldn't know where else to look for him. Unless, of course, if Athrun had ran away again. But that's quite impossible as the security within the castle premises had been tightened since the Prince's return.

It took Nicol the entire morning to run through the castle vicinities and search the likeliest of places where Athrun could be. He had gone to the large kitchen where all the cooks were and asked around if any of the cooks had seen the prince. They gave Nicol a quick shake of their heads as they hurried about their daily cooking routines. Nicol had tried the courtyard, the spacious ballroom and even the enormous castle garden but to no avail. Tired but still determined, Nicol jogged up the stairway leading to the level where Athrun's sleeping chamber was.

Nicol did not mind the long and tiresome search. It wasn't a burden at all. Athrun and Nicol had been friends since they were very young. They had seen each other through good and bad times. A bond so close, they could almost pass off as brothers if it weren't for the difference in their physical traits. Because of this bond, Nicol knew that Athrun needed someone to pour out his sadness and desperation to. Besides, Nicol was the only friend that Athrun had. All this while, Nicol did his best to soothe Athrun's pain each time he had a squabble with his father. It was hard being the son of a King who did not take his son's feelings into consideration.

He knocked Athrun's door and waited but there was no answer. He knocked it again a couple of times but still no answer.

"Hey, Athrun! I'm coming in, okay?"

'The joy from my heart at our sudden meeting eyes'
'Maybe it'll be over before I know it…" those foreboding scare me'
'And then I was gazing into your eyes'
'Without understanding anything'

The door creaked as Nicole slowly pushed open the chamber door. The bed was empty and still tidy. The chairs and the table across it were still in their place. Everything was left untouched. Nicol saw that the chamber was in the same condition as it was in the morning when he had came to look for Athrun. Except that now, he noted that the door leading to the balcony was opened and the white curtains flow with the wind in a gentle wave like motion. In the midst of that, Nicol saw Athrun's back facing him, his whole body leaning on the balcony fence. As Nicol stood at the balcony entrance, the delightful chirping of the birds instantaneously surrounded his ears. Athrun was feeding them.

'They're not forever changing, so how many phantoms,'
'Like memories and dreams, could you file away?'
'And now I gazed into your eyes'
'Without changing anything'

"There you are, Athrun."

Athrun slowly turned his head to the direction of the voice, the wind blew stray strands of his dark blue hair into his face. The birds slowly decreased its number as Nicole approached the prince.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I guess I just scared those birds away." Nicole said when he noticed the birds flying away.

Athrun closed his eyes and smiled as he shook his head.

"It's alright." Athrun turned his head and faced the scenery before him, enjoying the feel of the wind running through his hair. "What brings you here?"

"Nothing, really. I was a bit worried that I couldn't find you anywhere."

"Afraid that I ran away again?"

"You could say that again." Nicole smiled in reply.

The two then laughed together.

Soon after, Athrun walked in to his room as Nicole followed him from behind. The two sat on the chairs across the prince's bed. Athrun leaned himself on the table and smiled all of a sudden. Nicole blinked, confusion written on his own face, as he wondered the reason behind that smile.

'If I stretch my hand, the smile I reach is fleeting'
'If I close my eyes, I want to hold'
'Your vanishing body once more in my arms'
'Because I can't forget that time, that place where we met…'

"What's wrong? Something on my face?"

"Nothing." Athrun paused before he spoke again, "Nicole, Do you believe love at first sight?"

Nicole chuckled at the question that Athrun posed him. He never thought that the prince would ask a question of that kind. The prince had never exhibited any interest when it comes to love.

"What happened to you? You fell for someone?"

"I'm afraid so. I think I fell in love."

Athrun proceeded to telling his first love story to his friend. Nicole cupped his face with his palms and leaned his elbows on the table, as he listened to Athrun, paying close attention to the look in his friend's eyes. It was something that Nicol had never seen in Athrun before. True happiness.

'Dancing in the breeze'
'Your body was enveloped in light'
'I was only watching you'
'I was forever gazing into your eyes'
'Even now I watch only you'
'Without changing anything'

Athrun reminisced the time when he encountered the singer in the dark alleyway. Memory flashes of that moment where he met with his angel played through his mind. Athrun could still vividly remember the voice and the earnest feelings that was embedded in that song. Athrun could almost feel the sadness in his voice. The prince also described to Nicol the beauty of his eyes. The colour of amethyst, the colour of mystery. Athrun still remembered how it felt like to be pulled in by those eyes. It was like as if he was pulled in by gravity. And those hands… how could he forget the smoothness of his pale skin, and of how the fragrant scent of fresh water lilies engulfed his senses when he planted a kiss on it.

'If I stretch out my hand, the smile I reach is pained'
'If I close my eyes, I want to hold'
'Your vanishing body once more in my dreams'
'Because I can't forget that time, that place where we met…'

"He was such a beautiful creature." Athrun spoke as he closed his eyes, "He was the most beautiful person that I have ever met."

Nicole could not help but to smiled at this new development in Athrun.

Athrun let out a longing sigh. "But, I wonder if I could ever see him again."

"Oh yes, you will!" Nicole quickly replied, his slouching body now straight with enthusiasm, and his eyes were bright with ideas. Athrun immediately noticed by Nicol's behaviour.

"No, I can't let you get involved with this."

"Seriously, I would like to help you."

"But you've been helping me all this time."

"This is different, Athrun." Nicole tried to convince his friend as he stood up from his chair. "Besides, I would really love to meet this person!"

Athrun sighed again as he let his face drop to the table. "Gee…how can I ever win you?" came his muffled reply as he resigned to Nicol's eagerness to help.

"Good!" Nicole's smile grew wider as Athrun admitted defeat. "I'll tell you what. Miguel and his men were sent out to the city earlier. Before they return in the afternoon, we'll go to the city." Nicol went on to brief Athrun on his little plan to smuggle the both of them out of the castle.

"Sneaking out, you mean?" his lips curved up into a smile.

"Yup!"

"Alright then. We'll go before they come."

'Sigh...I must be out of my mind...'

Note: Gackt Camui perfomed the song "EMU for my dear"