Hey guys! I have to tell you something...

One week ago, my uncle passed away. It was really unexpected and I haven't found myself able to write since I got the news, despite having a little more time now. Today was the cremation, and I felt and feel more about it than I can express to the people around me. I feel like I want to tell people about it, but everyone already knows what happened, so that won't do. If you want ask something about this matter, don't be shy. I really don't mind to talk about this.

This story was an idea that I once had and I really felt like writing it now. You know, just to vent my feelings a little. It may seem a little dramatic to some of you, but this is how I felt today and the past week and some thoughts are litterally mine...

I don't own Inazuma Eleven GO. I hope you'll enjoy this story, but I don't care if you don't. This is the one story I wrote for myself and not for others.

He shuffled towards a big round hut in the middle of the village. He ignored the looks he got from the other villagers. He pretended not to hear the whispers. The words were too soft to make out, but he knew they were talking about him. About what he had done. Everyone talked about that.

The people around him either pitied him or disliked him. But that did not matter, because he disliked himself too. Heck, he hated himself. Since his parents passed away, his only job was to look after his younger sister. To protect her.

And he failed.

.

Drought had afflicted the isle, causing bad harvests all year long. The fishers had not caught much either, leaving the people on the verge of starvation. A few elders had already died from deseases or lack of nutrition. Everyone was convinced that they had somehow angered the god that protected the island. To appease him, the council had decided on a sacrificial ritual. One young girl would be sacrificed in order to safe the island.

The names of every girl on the island were placed in a big bowl and two names were drawn out. His sister Ariki had been one of them. Two groups of young men were compiled to represent them in the ritual that took place yesterday. Shuu was the first who volunteered to fight for his sister, but even after the seven days before the ritual took place, his team had not come together. Feeling utterly helpless, he had visited the Jizo statue that represented the god and begged the deity to spare his sister.

He had spent most of his afternoon at the little shrine, continuously praying and begging to the entity. When he finally left, his eye had caught a glimmering object in the grass. It had turned out to be a white, pearl-like stone. It was beautiful, and Shuu estimated that he would be able to trade it for something quite valuable.

He looked from the stone to the Jizo statue and back as a realization sunk in. Is this a sign? he had thought. Did the god send this to me to save Ariki? He had been convinced by that thought. He had believed it. He had beleived that the god was on his side.

What a fool had he been.

.

He had used the valuable stone to make the other team promise to lose. It seemed like an ideal solution, but things didn't go like he had planned it. He was found out and it was ultimately decided that his team lost, even before the ritual match was played.

And now his sister was to play the role of the sacrifice. His little sister, who he had sworn to protect. And now he could do nothing.

He looked up when he realized he had stood in front of the great hall for a while now. The great hall was where the council gathered to discuss the future of the village and the island. But he knew that they would not be here now. Only one person was inside this building.

He slowly raised his hand an knocked on the door frame. His fingers trailed down the complex patterns that were cut out in the wood. Those patterns underlined the importance of the building. After the muffled 'Come in!' he slowly moved the curtain aside and stepped inside. His eyes had to get used to the dimness in the room, but he immediately saw his little sister.

"Ariki..." he breathed. That was all he could get out at the moment.

"Nii-san!" she squealed excitedly and got up from the ground. She wore her usual white shirt and brown pants. Her hair was tied in her usual ponytail with her usual white and red string. She was bare-footed, as usual, and she wore her usual smile.

The only thing that was unusual about her was the small blue bracelet that she wore around her left wrist. That bracelet was the proof that she was the sacrifice, that she was destined to be taken by the deity of the island.

"Come, come, come," the girl chanted as she took his right hand with both of her hands and pulled him along. "You worried me, I thought you wouldn't come anymore. I was going to look for you, but they told me not to leave this place. Come, sit down now. You have to taste this," she rambled as she pushed him down and turned towards a plate. She held it out to him and kept on encouraging him until he hesitantly took a piece from it and stuck it in his mouth. It was a piece of dried, sugared apple. Sugared fruit was a popular treat in the village, since it tasted good and it didn't rot soon because of all the sugar. It had been rare to eat it this year, though, since food was scarce.

"Mmmm," he said softly because it seemed like Ariki was waiting for a response.

"It's good, isn't it?" his sister laughed and she stressed her point by putting a piece of sugared orange between her lips and chewing enthusiastically. She made satisfied sounds until the fruit was down her throat and then she sighed.

Shuu felt his eyes, his nose and his throat burn when he looked at her, but he refused to let the tears out. He dug his nails into the palms of his hands and bit down on his cheeks. It worked, for a little while.

"Nii-san, what's wrong? You're so quiet."

"Ariki..." Shuu whispered and the burning feeling in his throat came back, ten times more intense than before. His voice broke when he said his next words. "I am sorry." Tears streamed silently down his cheeks. "I am sorry. I am so, so sorry."

Ariki tilted her head to the side. "Why would you?"

"Because of me, you will..." He couldn't do it. His voice trembled and broke and the tears wouldn't stop either. He agressively wiped them away, but they just kept coming. Why was he so weak in front of his little sister? He should be the one to support her in her final hours!

"Nii-san, cheer up!" Ariki smiled and got up from her place. "Please smile, I love it when you smile!"

"How on earth can I-" Shuu started, but he cut himself off. He kept on wiping his tears away until no new ones came and then tried a shaky smile. It probably looked more like a grimace, but his sister laughed merrily and even clapped her hands. Her behaviour shocked him a little. Why was she so happy when she knew she was going to die tonight? Had the council members given her something to keep her quiet before the ritual? Because his sister was definitely acting strange.

"Ariki, why are you so happy?" he asked carefully.

"Isn't it obvious?" she laughed and made a few dance steps. "I can eat as much sugared fruit as I want and I get to wear this beautiful bracelet on top of that. And everything will get better after tonight. You're just way too rigid and serious, nii-san!" Still laughing, she threw her arms around her brother.

"Oi, will you-" Shuu started, but he stopped once he noticed the subtle change in his sister's voice. Her merry laughs changed into sorrowful sobs and she tightened her grip on him, not allowing him to look at her face. And that was when he realized that Ariki wasn't drugged, she was just acting tough. Of course she was scared by the upcoming ritual, but she didn't want him to feel even worse than he already did.

They stayed in each other's arms for the rest of the day. Shuu's tunic was wet from her tears and Ariki's eyes were red and puffy when she pulled away, but neither of them said something about it. An older woman knocked on the door frame and entered without waiting for a response. "It's time," she simply said and then turned away to give the siblings some privacy for their last goodbye.

Shuu looked back at his sister and felt his eyes burn once again. He was surprised his body could still produce tears after crying so much. Ariki smiled, but her bottom lip trembled and she, too, looked at the verge of crying. "Take care," she whispered in a broken voice.

Shuu could not say a word, even if he wanted to, so he bit his lip and nodded. Then he turned around and headed for the door, slowly letting go of his sister's hand. When he moved the curtain aside, Ariki called out to him.

"Shuu," she called. "Thank you for everything you did."

It was the first time she called him by his name.

As the curtain closed behind him, he broke into a sprint and ran towards the forest at full speed. Everywhere he looked, he could see preparations for the ritual and the festival that would happen afterwards. But he didn't want to celebrate, not when Ariki had to die for it. By running, he could distract himself from her words. She thanked him, while it was him who had brought all of this upon her! If only he had the conviction to win, and the courage to fight...!

He ran and ran and ran and ran, hot tears streaming down his face. He fell, but he got up and ran on. Branches slashed against his bare arms, his feet, his face, but he didn't feel it.

Maybe he could outrun this reality if he ran fast enough.

Shuu looked up when the muffled drumming reached his ears. His face was stained with tears and blood, but that didn't matter. He was sitting on a thick branch, high up in a tree. This place gave him a perfect view over the bay where the ritual would take place. It was quite far away from the village, but he didn't care.

Torches that floated on the water surface showed a broad pathway to open sea. They didn't move from their place despite the waves, so he assumed they were tied to buoys. A small boat detached itself from the quay and slowly made its way over the luminous path. Shuu blinked a few times and then he could make out three figures in the boat. Two were slowly rowing the water vehicle forward, but the third one didn't move. Even from this distance, he recognised Ariki immediately. She had folded her hands and closed her eyes, probably praying.

The music got louder as the boat came closer to open sea. And then came the moment that Shuu's heart skipped a beat: the two men stopped rowing and turned to his sister. Of course he couldn't hear what they were saying, but it was clear from the situation.

Ariki calmly raised from her seat and went to stand on the edge of the boat. Shuu clenched his fists when the men tied a rope around her ankle. He knew that the other end was connected to a heavy stone that would pull her under as soon as it fell into the water. His eyes filled themselves with tears, but he furiously blinked them away. He couldn't look away. He would endure this with her.

Ariki didn't show any emotion as the men lifted up the stone together, nor when the eldest shouted a prayer to the god. The sound of his voice traveled over the water as he pleaded the god to bless them with a good harvest in return. Shuu bit down on his bottom lip, harder and harder, to keep himself from crying. The metallic taste of blood barely penetrated him as he watched his sister.

Ariki stood motionless at the railing and looked blankly at the villagers. But then, she suddenly turned her head and looked straight him. Shuu felt his heart beat faster as the world around him seemed to slow down. There was no way she could see him in the dark forest, and at this distance! But she wasn't scanning the trees, she solely pointed her gaze at him.

Her lips curled up in a small smile as the men behind her lifted the stone above their heads.

Shuu's vision blurred, but he saw Ariki crystal clear. Clearer even than what should have been possible at this distance: he even noticed that her eyes were watery!

Ariki kept on looking at him and he saw how a single tear escaped her eyes.

The men threw the stone in the water. To Shuu, it felt like the rock fell in slow motion.

Ariki's lips moved, forming words that were only meant for him. He couldn't hear them, but he knew what she said by reading her lips.

Then he stone hit the water and pulled Ariki down.

A split second later, she was gone. Forever.

"Take care, nii-san."

Yn'e loft in skiere fûgel.
Hy komt net wer werom.