Prologue: The Beginning

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It all happened so fast, I never really knew what was happening until it was over and the damage was done. My brother was lying in my arms, struggling for breath. And all I could do was tremble and look down at him. He was dying. There was nothing I could do.

I was so young at the time. Ichiru and I had just turned eight a few weeks ago. I knew he was dying, but it never really sunk in how final death was. Until it was too late.

"It'll be OK, Ichiru, I promise. Just hold on. I'll go get mom and dad!" I started to put him down but he grabbed onto the front of my shirt. "Don't… leave…" was all he could manage to croak out as he clutched at me with blood stained fingers.

I nodded. I knew I should have left and got help. But that hopeless, scared look in his eyes just wouldn't let me leave. He started coughing then. I held him tighter.

My parents found us there, sitting on the ground a while later. Ichiru was just barely breathing and I was running my hands through his hair and whispering things to him that I hoped sounded soothing.

My father took Ichiru out of my arms. Everything was a blur after that. I barely even registered my mother gently pulling me up and leading me into the house. I remembered the red lights of an ambulance shining through the window. And my mother holding me back when I tried to run out of the house to go after it. I didn't want Ichiru to be alone.

My parents took me to see him a week later. They told me not to be scared when I saw him. That he was peaceful now. He looked peaceful. But he wasn't smiling, and I knew he couldn't be happy. Wherever he was, he was there alone.

The nurse told me that I should talk to him, that he might hear me and make him try harder to come back to us, before she asked my parents if they could speak with her outside. I sat by his bedside and held his hand while they talked.

I looked down at him, and despite his peacefully exterior, it was like I could see him screaming at me, anyone, to help him. Like he was trapped in the dark, alone, clawing his way to the surface but failing miserably.

"I'll save you, Ichiru," I whispered to him. I didn't know how, but I knew it then that I could save him. I reached my hand up and brushed the hair out of his face, then cupped his cheek. "I'll save you. I promise."

I'm not sure what happened then. I remember the hand on Ichiru's face getting warm. It started to burn, and I wanted to pull away, or scream, or do anything to make that unbearable pain go away. And then nothing.

Two days later I woke up in a hospital bed. A nurse was in the room fiddling with the machine above my head when I opened my eyes. She didn't notice at first, not until I asked her what happened.

I was released from the hospital that day. None of the doctors could find a reason to keep me. They had no idea why I passed out, and every time the subject of Ichiru or my stay at the hospital, they would get quiet.

Somehow I knew what they were scared of. They knew what I did. Even I wasn't sure how I did it, nevertheless, we all knew that I brought Ichiru back.

Ichiru lived, thanks in no small part to me. The nurse had told my parents that day that Ichiru would die, and if he lived, he would have brain damage and never be the same. It would be a miracle if he woke up at all. But there he was, walking around, his normal self again as if he was just in the hospital for some routine blood work.

I think that was when my life ended. I wasn't aware of it then, and wouldn't be for a few years. I was just happy that I had Ichiru again. I had brought back the most important person in my life, but it had its price.

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AU ahoy! I actually enjoy writing AU's. Putting other people's characters into different situations that they could never get into in the actual story. Fun fun! I really wanted to make this from an omniscient pov, but yeah. It's in Zero's instead. Because I rock at first person. Anyway, hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Next chapter will have spoilers. And I'm hoping it'll be longer. This is just the prologue, m'pretties! But I've never been known to write super long chapters.

One last thing: If anyone wants to be my beta, I would love you forever! I would give you Oreo's and ice cream in the flavor of your choice.