'BLU'
Dimitri Blu Van Saint. Pure-blood vampire. Second-son of the Van Saint family. Blonde hair, tall height for his age, polite, respectful, family-oriented and above all, loyal to the Wen family.
"When I grow up, I'm going to be the captain of the rangers." Said the six-year-old Blu who was wearing his elder brother's oversized jacket, making him look small.
"Oo na, Captain Van Saint. Now, can you give me my jacket? I have to go to school." Mahinahong tanong ng Kuya niya sa kanya at napanguso nalang si Blu tsaka na hinubad ang jacket at binigay ito sa Kuya niya.
His brother's hair was already turning into an ash-gray color. A sign that he was turning eighteen.
"Can I go?" Tanong ni Blu habang nakatingala sa Kuya niya.
"Nope, stay here. Bantayan mo sina Mama." Sagot nito habang inaayos ang buhok. Ngumuso ulit si Blu at tumango nalang bilang isang masunuring bata. Maya-maya ay dumating na ang lalaking kaibigan ng Kuya niya na gusto ring maging isang ranger sa Archia.
Binati ito ni Blu at ngumiti naman ito sa kanya.
"Oh, anong ganap natin diyan Captain Van Saint?" Natatawa nitong tanong kay Blu.
"Paglaki ko, sasali na ako sa academy. Magiging ranger ako!" Mariing sabi ni Blu. The motivation, the eagerness and the passion were all in Blu's eyes while he was saying those words. Mahina lang natawa ang Kuya niya sa kanya.
"Gusto mo lang namang maging ranger dahil sa prinsesa." Sabi ng Kuya niya kaya agad na natigilan si Blu at nag-iwas pa ng tingin.
"What? Of course, not. I.. I.. I-I just want to serve the throne. That's all." Depensa ni Blu sa sarili pero tinaasan lang siya ng kilay ng Kuya niya pati ng kaibigan nito.
"Ahh, talaga? Kaya ba tumanggi kang sumama sa mga pinsan natin sa London kasi gusto mo lang mapagsilbihan ang trono o baka naman gusto mo lang makita si Princess Zia dito sa Archia?" Panunukso nito sa kanya at hindi na nakapagsalita pa si Blu dahilan para matawa 'yung dalawa.
"Pare, kapag narinig ka ni Xy, basag 'yang mukha mo. Ayaw pa naman nun sa mga may gusto sa kapatid niya. Si Ash nga kawawa dun." Natatawang sabi ng kaibigan ng Kuya niya. "Kaya nga kakaibiganin ko muna para hindi na mahirapan si Blu." Natatawa nitong sagot.
Blu just looked at the two.
"Kakaibiganin? Eh hindi ka nga makalapit dun." Natatawang sabi ng kaibigan niya kaya natawa narin si Blu sa Kuya niya.
"Kasalanan ko bang parang mangangain agad 'yun kahit sa tingin palang? He was raised by warriors, dude. We gotta be wise." Mahinahong sagot ng Kuya ni Blu pero mahina lang siyang sinuntok ng kaibigan niya sa balikat.
Tumingin naman ang Kuya ni Blu sa kanya.
"Gotta go, bud. Be a good kid." Nakangiti nitong sabi sa kanya sabay gulo ng buhok ni Blu. Ngumiti lang si Blu at kumaway. Pag-alis nung dalawa ay siniguro muna ni Blu na wala na talaga sila at tsaka siya tumakbo papunta sa kwarto niya sabay kuha ng night vision goggles.
He then climbed near his window and sneakily pointed the goggles at a certain direction.
After seeing a certain girl, his lips stretched into a smile.
"Hello, princess." He said and he looked into the goggles.
It was Zia, walking outside the palace accompanied by his rangers. Her family wasn't around but she was well protected. Zia went close to a ranger when a bug scared her. Nakita ni Blu ang takot sa mukha nito at kung paano siya inalagaan ng mga rangers niya.
"Someday, I'm going to take care of you like that too." Nakangiti niyang sabi at tinago na ang goggles.
"If you know I've been spying on you like this, you'd probably be creeped out, huh m'Lady? But don't worry. I'm not a bad guy. Just a boy, wanting to protect you from monsters." Nakangiti niyang sabi at tinago na ang goggles niya tsaka humarap sa kama.
"I, Dimitri Blu Van Saint, Captain of the Archia rangers hereby declare the princess' safety comes first. Are we clear, soldiers?" Tanong niya habang nakaharap sa mga stuff toy sa nasa kama niya.
"Yes, Captain!" He said in a muffled tone, mimicking how one of his future soldiers would answer him.
"Captain Van Saint, the princess would like to see you in her quarters." Aniya habang nakatayo sa kanan. Agad naman siyang tumakbo sa kaliwa para sagutin ang sarili niya. "Why only me? Is the princess in trouble?" He asked and then ran to the other side again.
"No, Captain. She's fine. She just wants to see you." He said and ran to the other side again, this time, trying to play Zia's role. "Captain Van Saint, it's so nice to finally meet you." Medyo nahiya pa siya sa ginawa niya pero pinagpatuloy niya parin ito.
"Princess, I believe we can't be together. Our relationship is purely business." He said and ran to the other side again. "But Captain, I adore you." Tuluyan na siyang natawa sa mga pinaggagawa niya at humiga nalang sa kama at tinakpan ng unan ang mukha niya.
He was just a kid, with a world of his own.
"Dimitri, the royal parade will pass by our house. Get ready!" Parang sandaling nabingi si Blu dahil sa sinabi ng Mama niya. It was the royal parade, which means, the princess will pass by their house. Sa sobrang pagmamadali niya ay nagkamali siya ng apak at nahulog siya mula sa kama niya.
He landed on his face with a huge thud.
"Dimitri?! Everyone alright, son?" Tanong ng ama niya.
"Yup! I was just chasing a mouse!" Sigaw niya at tsaka tumakbo papunta sa cabinet sabay bukas nito. Blu's dinner suits greeted him at agad niyang pinili ang pinakamagara doon. He got dressed quickly, styled his hair and ran down the stairs.
Kumunot pa ang noo ng mga magulang niya nung makita siyang nakabihis.
"Why are you so dressed?" His mother asked. "Nothing~" Pasimple niyang sagot at lumabas na at sakto lang na paparating na ang parade. Tonight, was the King's special day and a parade was happening in the Kingdom.
Blu waited eagerly for the princess to walk by and when she did, his beat-less heart felt weird. It was as if his heart was coming back to life.
She walked past him, surrounded by her rangers as she smiled to her people. What grace she has. What beauty and what charm. Blu was entranced.
He was lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice that the parade was over. Pagpasok niya ay nakangiti parin siya at umupo sa sofa.
"Son, whatever you do, the princess isn't going to notice you." Mahinahong sabi ng ama niya. Ngumiti lang si Blu.
"Oh, she will. One day."
✥✥
Years passed by, Blu was getting taller, he was more polite to everyone. He had his values, his beliefs, and his goals. Every dawn, after school, he would run from one mountain to another to get ready for their ranger physical exam.
He would learn combat with his brother and compete every night.
He would glance at the palace window, hoping to see the princess walking out for some air. Some nights, he can see her, some nights, he can't. He knew her condition, about her heart. He got sad, but that just motivated him more to become a ranger.
He had everything he needed back then, until one day, his brother didn't return from ranger training. They said that he died from an attack from other clans. His brother had enemies at their academy. Enemies from another Kingdom.
He was attacked alone and died on the spot.
His brother's friend gave him what his brother treasures the most. His ranger jacket.
His brother was supposed to graduate from ranger academy and be announced as an official ranger but this happened. Blu kept that as a memory. He also lived by his brother's words. That he should be a good kid, and Blu was trying his best to be one.
He was now seventeen years old. A well-grown boy.
The Van Saint family wasn't just an ordinary family. They had connections and their name alone rings a bell. They would attend parties, making Blu miss most of his nights waiting for the princess to come out. His parents would introduce him to some ladies but he would decline any offer.
He was the most good-looking one in the parties he attended but to him, he wasn't available.
His eyes were already fixed on the princess.
"Gusto mo lang ba siya dahil prinsesa siya o may iba kang dahilan?" Tanong ng pinsan ni Blu sa kanya.
"'Yung ngiti niya. Because honestly, I don't really care if she's a princess or not. Just her smile, bro. That's all it takes for her to draw you in." He answered, wearing a loving smile on his lips.
"Bro, you're whipped." Natatawang sabi ng pinsan niya at lumingo-lingo pa habang umiiling. "But I hope hindi na 'yan umabot pa sa sensitive issue natin, bro." Sabi nito.
"Issue?" Tanong ni Blu.
"Yeah, it's when your eyes go blue when you look at someone. Remember, the hair tradition, bro. Gotta live by Van Saint rules." Sabi nito at tinapik ang balikat ni Blu bago ito umalis. Mahina lang natawa si Blu at sumandal sa railings dahil nasa terrace naman sila.
"I'm not even hoping that she likes me back." Mahinang sabi ni Blu sa sarili at tumingin sa buwan.
✥✥
Tingin sa kanan, tingin sa kaliwa. 'Yun ang ginawa ni Blu bago niya sinuot ang isang cap at kinuha ang shades niya tsaka umalis ng Archia. He was sneaking into the woods, avoiding the sun and hanging on to his brother's jacket.
"A vampire in the middle of the day?" Agad na tumigil si Blu sa paglalakad at tsaka tumingin sa treehouse na nadaanan niya. Agad niyang tinakpan ang mukha nung makita niyang ang kaibigan ito ng Kuya niya.
"Where are you off to, huh, Van Saint?" Tanong nito at naningkit pa ang mga mata nung makita ang jacket na suot niya. "At ba't mo suot ang jacket ni Drake?" Tanong nito, addressing Blu's brother by his first name.
Hindi sumagot si Blu hanggang sa dahan-dahang umangat ang gilid ng labi ng kaibigan ng Kuya niya.
"Ahh, sneaking into Diamond Hill again? Hoping to see her this time?" Natatawa nitong tanong at hindi alam ni Blu na namumula na pala ang pisngi niya. "Uhh.. it's a ranger's duty. To look after the princess." Aniya at natawa lang ang kaibigan ng Kuya niya.
"Dimitri, you're a new recruit. You're supposed to patrol the castle at night." Natatawang sabi nito.
Still, Blu insisted and went on his way. He endured the heat of the sun and walked through Diamond Hill's lobby. He was catching everyone's attention. With his tall posture, his wide shoulders and his milky white skin plus his plump lips.
Every girl was turning their heads on him.
But on his mind...
"The princess. Where's the princess? Pumasok kaya siya? Hmm, baka nasa library. She likes books. I should give her a book. Nah, she doesn't even know me."
And so, he went into the library, also hiding from the sun that was almost burning him. And in that small section of the library, he saw how beauty made its way into darkness. How Zia walked towards a certain shelf and how she brushed her fingers on the books.
The moment he met her gaze, he was frozen.
It was happening. She was finally looking at him. She saw him.
"Are you okay?" Her voice had his knees going weak. Blu slowly took off his sunglasses, making Zia recognize what he was. "What are you doing here?" Nag-aalalang tanong ni Zia sa kanya.
Blu wanted to leap in joy. She was really talking to him. He wasn't roleplaying in his bedroom as a child anymore. They finally had a real conversation.
"Looking after you, m'Lady." He hesitated to call her that. He wanted to call her 'princess', the name he always wanted to use. But he was afraid, he was nervous. "You're only supposed to look after me during the night.. uhh.." This was it, she was finally going to know his name.
"Blu, m-my name is Dimitri Blu Van Saint, m'Lady." And just as he said his name, Zia handed him her own jacket. Her sweet strawberry scented jacket. "Cover-up and go home, Blu." It was unreal. She was saying his name.
Nag-alangan pa si Blu na kunin 'yung jacket hanggang sa si Zia na mismo ang humawak sa kamay niya. They were electrocuted but she said she was fine.
After that encounter, Blu brought her jacket home and just laid in on his bed and just looked at it. He then remembered how soft her hands were at kung saan siya nito hinawakan. Para siyang baliw na kumuha ng panyo at binalot ito sa parte na hinawakan ni Zia pero saglit siyang natigilan.
"I'm acting like a pyscho. Van Saint, umayos ka." Sabi niya sa sarili at sinapo pa ang mukha niya. He was just too happy. They had their first conversation. She talked to him, smiled at him and even gave him her jacket.
After that encounter with Zia, a lot of things had happened to him. He was punished but he did not regret any of it. That punishment alone gave him another chance to talk to her again. This time, they were alone and they had a lot of time.
They shared stories. They looked at each other's eyes. They shared the same air. They shared the same thoughts. It was everything that Blu dreamt.
And when she said that his eyes flashed blue, he knew he was stuck.
All he thought was that it was a big fat crush on her and how he admired her but his eyes gave him away. He was whipped. He fell.
To Zia Muirgen Allison-Wen, he fell hard and there was no way he was getting back up.
❅ Snow ❅