Relative Truth
Inspired by Saga of the Discarded by Kiri-Ryu and believe it or not, Erk and Nino's A support (o.o)
Music, when soft voices die,
Vibrates in the memory-
Odours, when sweet violets sicken,
Live within the sense they quicken.
Rose leaves, when the rose is dead,
Are heap'd for the beloved's bed;
And so thy thoughts, when thou art gone,
Love itself shall slumber on.
Percy Bysshe Shelly,Music, When Soft Voices Die
The last one fell with a thud on the grassy terrain, his eyes wide open and filled with an expression of gruesome pain. The weapon in his hand was nothing extraordinary or of any great value to one or the other in the army, so Rei decided to leave the iron sword beside the enemy's corpse- a memento of some sort, he guessed. He took a deep, shuddering breath and let his grip on the tome he held loosen, but only a little bit, because in a battlefield like this there was no telling of what might happen if he had let his guard down completely.
He shifted a bit in his place where the tactician had told him to stand, and, out of the corner of his eye, he could see his brother bounding over to where he was, having finished off a mercenary seconds before. Lugh was looking at him earnestly, as he was prone to do ever since Rei had joined the army. Lugh would have said something to Rei had Rei not narrowed his eyes and pressed his finger to his twin's lips, effectively silencing him.
Lugh just stared at him, confused.
There was a slight crackling of leaves. Truthfully, it was only a faint sound, like the whisper of the passing wind, but Rei had learned long ago to keep his eyes and ears open. Noise was one thing, but complete silence was deceptive and somehow more eerie, because when everything was quiet it gave you the feeling that you were being watched. Kind of like what Chad had been doing a lot- spying and hiding in the shadows like a stalker.
It was completely understandable for Rei to prepare for a battle, if not expected. However, there was something odd about the feeling that perhaps one who had never engaged in combat at a certain range before would be able to comprehend. So Rei just waited.
A pink nose popped out of the bushes.
Rei just stared at the rabbit emotionlessly, then at his brother. Lugh's eyes were glazed a bit and he was biting his lower lip- a habit he had carried since they were younger whenever he was edgy or excited. Rei mentally rolled his eyes as Lugh approached the rabbit carefully, but not before looking around first to check for any opponents in the area.
"Lugh," he hissed softly, "what are you doing?" He crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows impossibly high. Lugh waved him off, and maybe it was only his imagination but he thought he heard Lugh's voice in his mind telling him to lighten up a bit.
Lugh was still a kid, and he was still a kid, and no matter how many deaths their hands had caused they would still look, feel and think as children did.
Then, Rei had to ponder, if we were children, why are we fighting in this war?
Lugh's hand gently massaged the rabbit's head affectionately, a small, melancholy smile plastered on his face. His fingers rubbed against the white fur, and frowned when his fingers felt a huge gash on the rabbit's side, to which the small beady eyes of the creature closed at in pain.
Rei had to fight back the mental images of people he had killed in his mind. But even though the rabbit was in a mother load of pain…
It was amazing to watch, this death.
Rei told himself that he would want to have someone like Lugh hold him when he died, just so he wouldn't mind the pain so much, especially that loneliness that had been burning up in him ever since he had left the orphanage.
It was only after a few minutes of Rei's contemplation that he realized that Lugh wasn't moving anymore.
The rabbit had stopped breathing, but Lugh still held it in his hands.
"Rei," Lugh whispered, "let's go back later."
He would have retorted; he could have. He should have, if he didn't want the whole army to tear their hairs off wondering where they were or if he didn't want his brother to have anymore nostalgic twinges in him anymore. But he didn't.
As he watched his brother bend down to kiss the rabbit's head, he supposed he could stay.
When Lugh lay down on his cot that night, he just stared at the ceiling.
Rei did the same, too.
They stayed that way for a few moments, not looking at each other or talking. Rei thought of something particularly nice or entertaining to say to his brother, anything that would break the silence, but that didn't seem enough. He was responsible for his brother as Lugh was to him, but perhaps Lugh didn't need him as much as he initially thought he did.
Maybe it was the other way around.
He sneaked a glance at Lugh and wondered if Lugh knew the amount of power he had over him. If Lugh would ask him of anything, anything at all, he would give in without hesitation. And if Lugh had been there to stop him before he had left the orphanage, he would have complied.
The next morning, he predicted, he would find Lugh's pillow that he likes to clutch on for dear life stained with tears. Small matters, petty fears that include those of the people around him… those made up the big things that provoked him, that badgered him to no end. The smell of death would still be fresh in both their senses, the memory of home long withered away.
Death.
It was a bad age to die, he guessed. Because right now, they felt and knew that they were secretly immortal. But the pain wasn't what hurt more- it was the knowledge that they weren't that would pierce through their minds like a dagger to your chest, proving them wrong and making their sense of self a little more brittle.
"Rei?"
He didn't respond.
"Rei? Are you still awake?"
"Mm." He made a low, acquiescing sound, pretending to have been wakened by Lugh. He didn't want to drown out the last of his brother's simple pleasures and needs, just like his did long ago.
"Could you…" Hesitate for a moment, let the full realization of how your words would sink in to the other hit you, and then you would be frightened and would keep it inside you until it wanted to burst but you can't say it because—"Could you promise me one thing?"
"…What is it?"
"If you leave again, please…"
"…"
If you leave again, you'd never come back and I'm scared- so scared- that you'd forget me and leave me alone forever- "… take me with you."
"…"
Lugh was on the verge of choking out his words. "I don't want to be alone."
Rei let out a heavy sigh, and buried his face in his pillow.
"Count on it, Lugh," He whispered, mostly to himself than to his brother, "count on it."
Maybe after everything else, he would have to leave again and break his brother's heart. Maybe somewhere in the middle he would find that he was dying and there would be nothing left for him after death. There were a thousand other things that would and could happen to prevent his brother's wish from happening, but this he knew: he wasn't going to leave anytime soon.
END
One word: Review:3