Fallen Rose

Prelude

1999

It had all started out so well.

A marvelous year for the young man, like something out of a dream. In all his life, Hiroshi Saei could have never imagined what was to come.

After years of tribulations, a small, curly-haired man, a musician known more to the public as Lady Stardust, finally received some good his way.

How was any of this real? He could never believe it!

Hit after hit, blessing after blessing! The newest star to hit the stage, truly a spectacle! All was going so well for him. A handsome fiance, a cheerful 6-year-old daughter, and adoration from so many! It was a golden year, quite the experience for the young man.

It was all steady, could anything go wrong?

That is what he believed; until his fiancé was incarcerated. August 26th, 1999, he was sentenced to twenty years for murder in the first degree. Controversy broke loose, who could've imagined the punk musician to be capable of such a deed?

Rumors started that Hiroshi might have been apart of the plan, inducing anxiety in the already shocked man. He had a hard time coping with it all; A childhood friend turned lover, he used to be so kind. Surely this must be a misunderstanding, he could never do this! Maybe wait on bail... maybe it's true, maybe he'll learn his lesson, come back a better man.

He waited for him, putting himself aside for the criminal. He tried to brush it off, he could always visit! He was well paid, his work was quite easy. As soon as this latest album is done, he will even have more funds for his daughter! He could handle being a single parent, certainly. He was responsible, and Minh Ly was a very well behaved child. No, nothing to worry about...

A few months had passed. November 1999. More unexpected news to come his way.

His father had gone missing.

News reports stated he had disappeared after a chaotic night, a disastrous play. Only adding more to it, another man was found left at the theater. He was discovered under a chandelier, unconscious and covered in blood. Michael Marfil, a man close to the runaway actor, was too distraught and dazed to answer questions.

"Aladdin...Aladdin....Come back...Come back...I need you...We can...Please..."

The wounded man would constantly mumble to himself, it's all he would ever say. Many suspected foul play, Aladdin Saei going off the rails and attempting to kill his best friend. Were they actually best friends? Were they more, were they less? Who could do such a thing?!

A search had been on its way for a month. No signs of him anywhere. They gave up, growing hopeless. Michael had gained a clear mind over the time, assuring it was all an accident. He was still distraught, begging for them to find him. They brushed him off, presuming he was alive, just gone rogue. He'd turn up when he wanted to.

Hiroshi watched it all go down through papers, web sources and news stations. Stress ran through his blood as everyone lost hope. Who knew what trouble his father could be in! Maybe he's fine... why should he care so much?

Conflicted emotions toiled in his heart. His father was never truly present in his life. At first, he tried to be there, but usually left Hiroshi's mother, Kaoru Koshi, to raise the child all herself. She was a caring woman, who tried very hard to be in her child's life to support him whenever he needed. She even set aside her career for him when it became too hectic!

Aladdin was the same at first. He had optimistic visions of his son, as well. He knew he'd be a big star, 'just like his old man'! He visited all that he could, but his schedule came in the way many times. Not to mention they were in different countries! Aladdin was from Italy, but as a stage actor, he would travel to many countries. He visited tons when he found himself in Japan, and convinced Kaoru to let him take Hiroshi to Italy.

Michael would visit too, even convincing Aladdin to reject a role to be with his son. Michael played as another fatherly role, taking an affinity to the young boy. He held a belief to give any and every child support and unconditional love, which contributed to the fact he gave so much affection.

It was evident he loved and cared for his child, but it seemed to fade over time. Less and fewer visits, care seeming to fade with the years he was gone. It was gradual; monthly visits, bi-monthly visits... yearly.. as he reached age 15, he stopped visiting. Letters would come in, parts of his old self peeking through, yet they mainly talking about Aladdin himself. His father came to grow quite an ego, yet Michael still stood by the both of them.

Michael kept up his visits, though they did slightly lessen with an influx of roles. Not to mention he had to begin supporting Aladdin as he seemed to fall from glory. Still, Michael made time for the young Hiroshi, becoming more of a father figure to him.

Aladdin was never bad at heart. Hiroshi had felt resentment towards him, but he didn't have it in him to hate his father. He knew there was still love there, only something was off. Maybe, if he found him, they could rekindle their old relationship. They could make up the lost years that spiraled from Aladdin's vanity and selfishness.

Media showed no hope in finding Aladdin. hardly believing he was even alive. Hiroshi knew he couldn't be dead, there no way. The fact it happened didn't come as a full surprise, he could tell from afar his mind was breaking. He never got the help he needed, probably wanting to hide it from the public.

Though over time, the public grew away from stage plays. Television was the big thing now, people came to care less about plays, as well as Aladdin. He was alone at this point, any attention from media was just mockery.

Hiroshi couldn't stand it. He needed to do something; he refused to let his father rot away.

He got to work, analyzing any news reports about him. He investigated any theories that floated around, grasping for anything that could help the search. He spent the entirety of this new millennia devoted to his research. He pieced together places he would be, no surprise in Italy. Most evidence led namely to Florence, many reports of an estranged man seeming to appear every few months. He was wrapped in a red curtain, making him hard to see. The only identifiable traits was a dark face that held a wide smile, sunglasses that rest on his long nose, and large bleach blonde curls that stick out under the cloth.

He knew this had to be Aladdin. The descriptions added up, as well as the photos. It was only a faint sight, but it all matched up to him. No one was able to get too terribly close to him before he just ran off again, but Hiroshi was determined to find him.

Now, March 2001, He was confident in his findings. He began to set off to find him, only first... he needed to gather some help. He couldn't do this all on his own.