“What a beautiful sun. Let’s stay here just a little while. Just a little longer. Vega…”
A cold hand clasped around a child’s warm fingers. The voice was loving. Filled with warm, beautiful words. Yet that beauty couldn’t block his tears. Despite that, the woman smiled. She truly was beautiful. As white and pure as snow.
“I love you.”
Yet this tale did not start under the apple tree, basking in the beautiful sun. When it began, the pages were tainted by thunder and the raging waters of a flood. The downpour was as violent as it was cruel on that day. The fateful day when he was born. Unwilling to raise another child, his father had left him to drown in the river. A cold, cruel fate.
The cruelty of the storm.
“Kh- Vega! Vegaaaaa! Aaaaah! …Ack!” The one fighting that fate on that day was none other than a woman. A lone, frail, poor thing who had known nothing but coldness and poverty. A woman, thrown away as nothing more than used scraps, and a child who had been thrown away as nothing more than a hindrance. But that was hardly unexpected. At that time, it wasn’t uncommon for those too weak to survive to meet such an end. The water filling the baby’s lungs and the coldness assailing his soul were all just nature running its course.
“Stupid whore… Did she seriously give that brat a name? Hah! Whatever, good riddance!” The nobleman just watched as the two were swallowed by the waters.
However, a woman’s conviction isn’t as easily shaken as a few waves. A mother’s pride wouldn’t let it happen. The river slammed against her face, but the moment she grabbed her child, she fought tooth and nail to keep him away from the waves. “Vega!! Ack… Ah! Thank you… Thank you! Thank you, God!” And once the waves drowned her words, only the sounds of the two struggling against the world could be spoken. Yet when she heard her child breathe again, wordlessly, the fire in her eyes burned with resolve.
He would live.
His mother risked her own life to save him from drowning, upon which his alcoholic father left them both. She became employed by a farm, but she and Vega lived in poverty in the stables. Five years later, the man that had arranged her employment demanded sexual favors from her, and upon her refusal, sabotaged their means to get food. No matter how hard the times he and his mother fell on, she refused to discard of what little dignity they had left.
"Remember this, Vega. You are special. A chosen existence. You will shine, I know you will."
Her son would work tirelessly too, covered in dirt and ash to the point he would get picked on and called names. He'd get hit and beaten again and again, it was nothing short of discrimination. But he didn't care. At the time, he shouldered everything just so he could help his mother. Many times, they would even be left to starve for days on end. And every time, she would tend to him and his bruises.
Even on that day.
The golden-haired child… Vega… was the first to notice. “There’s…! There’s a hole in your cup… and mine too!”
A child’s world is innocent. In a way, he was used to the harshness of the world. But he’d never have imagined the depths of society’s darkness could go this far. They had not gotten any food for a week. Even the scraps he managed to steal weren't enough for the two of them. Vega had not eaten for days, and tried his hardest to make sure his mother had food. His eyes, even now a child’s eyes, were hurt. But he couldn’t let his mother take on the whole burden. That day, he stormed off to the soup kitchens himself. “Mister! Someone put holes in my cup. Mothers too! It wasn’t me or my mother.”
Of course, even back then, the child could hear the snickers and the mocking jeers. He simply didn’t pay them mind. Vega couldn’t have understood back then.
“Oh really? Well well well, who in the world did it? … Be sure to tell me if you find out kiddo. What a waste, I can’t give you your portion like that.”
No, it wasn’t that Vega didn’t understand. It was simply an innocent kid’s faith in others. His mother looked on from behind, realizing the truth behind the mocking snickers and whispered words. All they had was each other. It was simply the reality of this world. Nothing could change that. Because of that, they could only fight.
"O-oh! What if we used this instead?" The hopeful child didn't give up either and instead brought a bucket. This only made the rest hoot even louder, that man included. The only ones who weren't laughing were Vega and his mother. "Are you retarded kid? That's the animal's pail! Don't be a fool! We don't want them to smell like gravy and stew, do we?" The world is simply unfair. Injustice, discrimination, mockery, all of these things just make it an uglier place for everybody.
For a child, the society of that time could be merciless and unforgiving. "Oi oi oi! C'mon! Scram you damn brat! Can't you see you've got people waiting in line? Shoo!"
But the kid wouldn't give up against this world! He hurried back to his mother. "I'm okay. I wasn't that hungry anyway." It was the only thing left to do at that moment. Vega smiled at her sadly. Thinking, trying to come up with a solution. "I got it!" Vega did something unthinkable. Of course, for a child confronted with an unthinkable situation, unthinkable cruelty... this had been the only solution. "We can use this!" And at that moment, even his mother's expression changed. She was shocked.
"We've got our shoes! We can get him to pour the soup here!"
That was the first time, and the only time she ever raised a hand against him. The slap didn't hurt. It was actually strange, how little strength it had. Even at the time, Vega couldn't understand. A moment later, she coughed and turned away.
"Huh?"
And this time, it was his mother that shouldered onwards. To fight. And in order to fight, she would do the unthinkable. That woman, her pride, her entire being acted on that moment. So she cupped her hands in front of that man. She held them and spoke.
"Please... could I have some soup? In these hands, would you kindly?"
Suddenly, no one was laughing anymore. Even that man looked at her, utterly dumbfounded. "Go ahead, please. Right here. In these hands."
Vega's eyes were wide in horror. He was the first... and the only one to speak. "MOTHER! STOP IT! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!" Tears were streaming from his face, this sight was the kind that would be burned into his brain for the rest of his life. And yet, even despite the pain, that woman endured it without a sound. Her heart and soul were resolute. She was... beautiful.
"No matter what the people or the status are, we cannot forget our dignity. What about tomorrow? And the day next? We must protect our pride." Her posture didn't crumble for a second, even when the boiling food seared her hands, she walked to her son with the same kindness as ever. But all the horrified Vega could see were her burning hands. "Eat this. Grow big and strong... to protect your mother...."
On that day, he realized the ugliness of this world. And just how beautiful a person could be.
"UGH...UUUH...UAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"
Vega's mother continued to work and work. She had put her body, her soul, her pride, and even her mind on the line. And one year later, she even gave her life. She caught a disease called tetanus and died at the age of 23. However, Vega knew the truth. His mother couldn't die from something like that. The germs that came in through her burns were severe, but he was certain she could have lived.
The reason she died was due to her broken pride.
Imagine having to carry your mother's dying body at the age of six. Even for anyone, this kind of weight is too much for such a small body to bear. But she had asked him to see the sun one last time. So despite everything, he walked forward. A six year old boy, no more than a child.
“What a beautiful sun. Let’s stay here just a little while. Just a little longer. Vega…”
A cold hand clasped around a child’s warm fingers. The voice was loving. Filled with warm, beautiful words. Yet that beauty couldn’t block his tears. Despite that, the woman smiled. She truly was beautiful. As white and pure as snow.
"What are you saying... mother... don't say such silly things. You'll be fine. You'll be fine... please... I'll find somebody to fix you... you'll get better..." Tears streamed down the child's face. Even then, his mother touched his face lovingly and wiped them away.
"It'll be fine. You are strong. My son... my beautiful son. You are the greatest one... the brightest star in the world... don't cry. You are a king. A king of kings. Your life will be great. I'm sure your road will be filled with glory."
"...don't. Please don't... don't leave me alone..."
And so, she finally drew her last breath. Her final words. Her will. "So beautiful."
All that was left was a lone child. A victim of this twisted, broken world. This world is warped, ugly, and imperfect. If only it could be changed. Someone must change and fix this rotten society. And so, as Vega grew older and stronger, he swore to himself-
"To find that man and get revenge! And all of those rats and pigs, commoners who looked down on us just because it wasn't clear who my father was! You all abandoned my mother. You disposed of us because it reminded you of how warped and ugly you all are! And you nobles, who refused to help us and save my mother, simply because we lacked the money. I will never forgive any of you! YOU'RE ALL GUILTY!!"
His beauty, his power, his resolve all burned like a sun. A sun that would surely end up consuming his soul, and the lives of all those who wronged him.
"I'LL CLIMB TO THE TOP OF SOCIETY!! THOSE WHO GET IN MY WAY WILL BE TORN ASUNDER LIKE PEBBLES IN MY ROAD!! I'LL PUT THEM THROUGH HUMILIATION WORSE THAN EATING STEW FROM BOOTS! I WILL SLASH THROUGH THEIR PRIDE AND SCATTER IT INTO THE GROUND!!"
And from that day onwards, he decided he would only look into his own [SELF]. This way, he would never have to lose anyone important. He would become so strong, taking anything from him would be considered utter madness!
