Three graves. Three younger siblings gone too soon. Three older siblings grieve about and attempt to keep living normally.
The first to die was him. Or at least, that is what Utah was told. Evan disappeared out of the blue, on a trip to Henesys to inform them about the shortage of pork that the farm always supplied. Last he heard is that Evan left for adventure, but he refused to believe that his sweet younger brother that was always stronger than him would be dead. Even with the letters coming back to the same old letterbox, he read them, honestly believing that the sender was Evan. And yet, as selfish as he was, didn't write a single response. The letters kept coming, and Utah kept holding onto that dream that one day he could meet Evan again. He never came home.
The first to really die was him. Orca watched him expire in her arms as he protected her once again, from Gelimer, from her plan to originally revive him, from her asking for them both to be human, from everything that she screwed up from the get go. And yet, the last thing he told her was to live. She promised. For Lotus's sake.
The second was him. And the worst part is that he had to deal the final blow. Valfor, as much as he steeled himself for the fact that their reunion ended him dead, dreaded it for the most part. And yet he still looked at him, as if insisting he do it, finish him off for the sake of the greater good. He done it, but it still hurt just the same. Like the story he heard around the base where Lotus died in Orca's arms, Damien died in his. It hurt. He feels like a piece of him is gone, again.
There wasn't a funeral. Of course there wasn't, there hadn't been any body to bury, and so no funeral was held in Henesys. There was a grave, but Utah never ever visited it. His parents called him rude for ruining his younger brother's name, and so he visited the grave to see the engraving of Evan's name on it. Instead of grieving and believing that Evan was truly dead, he chose to believe in the letters.
There wasn't a funeral. Everybody was busy dealing with the fallout of Gelimer's failed plan, and so Orca carried her younger brother's body and buried him herself. She tried marking the grave, but she doubted she could find the exact spot again. Nobody noticed she slipped away and came back in tears.
There wasn't a funeral. After all, who would want to host a funeral for the enemy? But at the end of the day, Damien was still his younger brother, and he just killed him mercilessly. The heroes were solemn as he carried the body, protecting it as if he was still alive all the way until his old burnt down home in Tynerum. He buried him there, with the ashes of the home, and swallowing all the memories he had. The heroes were kindly silent throughout his mourning. He resolved to get revenge for his fallen younger brother.
Utah realises he wants to travel. In reality he wants to find Evan, and the source of the letters, but he lies to his parents that he wants to fulfill Evan's bucket list himself. They kindly accept his well wishes and he trains a bit, for the monsters in his path prevent safe travel. He resolves to be a fighter, and as he leaves, he takes the letters with him to aid him in finding him. For Evan.
Edelstein is no place for the mentally broken, Orca realises. It isn't that the place is bad to say, but everybody is too busy to help her after she's gotten mentally broken ever since Lotus died in her arms. She couldn't exactly leave either, for fear the Black Mage would send more after her again. She tries her best to live despite such problems. For Lotus's sake.
After a long while, the realisation that Damien is dead is long swallowed down and regretted. Valfor knew that. He wanted to keep his brother around, and yet he couldn't find another way to save him and not have everything go under. He wants to hate him for all the damage he caused, but he couldn't, not even a little bit. He was still his younger brother. Whom he had murdered for the safety of the entire world. He weeps a little bit, before steeling his heart and and wanting to end the Black Mage. For Damien.
He ends up in Edelstein when he hears the news of the Alliance. He hears about the dragon master, and picks up his name as Evan, the successor to Freud. Utah wonders if the name was conveniently the same as his disappeared younger brother. He shakes it off as a coincidence but still winds up curious about the the next Alliance meeting. He tails one of the apparent commanders, before winding up colliding with a white haired girl before being dragged into a seemingly secret base and interrogated about why he was there by a purple skinned and winged man.
He wants to be in the meeting, that is what the warrior that collided with her says. He is looking for his younger brother, who is conveniently named exactly like the current dragon master. She is jealous that he even has one to have, and it badly reminds her of how hers died in her own arms. But she bites that jealousy down, because even she can't have it, it still isn't right for her to ruin to his hopes. She really wanted to, however.
Valfor is knowledgeable on what it is like to work on the hopes of reuniting with a younger brother only to lose him again. And while the man in front of him is hopeful, a part of him, the human side of him, wishes that he doesn't have the same ending he did.
There was never going to be another meeting, Utah finds out. He has gotten used to being in Edelstein to share past memories of the other two older two older siblings: the white haired girl, Orca, and the purple haired demon, Valfor. They both tell the stories of having their younger brother dying in their arms. Utah wonders if he would have that same ending.
It turns out the rumours that a warrior named Utah had joined the Edelstein resistance was true, Evan realises. He wonders if that was the same Utah looking for him, and thus he paid a personal visit to the Edelstein resistance himself. Lo and behold, his older brother stands in front of him. And yet, like himself, he has changed drastically. He himself has lost a lot of innocence and gained a bunch of maturity and large helping of reality. Utah, however seemed to have undergone a more stronger resolve and now holds much more powerful build. Evan silently muses about his parents at home now that both children had gone adventuring. That was when he realises that Utah had went up close to his face on his distraction. 'Brother?' he quietly mutters, before getting dragged into a bone-crushing hug. He makes a mental note to remind Utah of his strength, now that he is a warrior and him a mage.
The scene in front of her breaks her. Two brothers separated finally reunited tenderly in front of her, and she only bitterly wishes it was the same with her and Lotus. And yet, a small part of her feels happy for Utah to have found his younger brother, who was even the current era's Dragon Master. She leaves when she realises she is crying.
The scene in front of him breaks him. Evan is dying in Utah's arms, and it reminds him of Damien. It reminds Orca of Lotus as well, it seems, as she notices and freezes up at the scene as well. It was expected really, with Evan pushing his magic further and further until his body couldn't take it just to defeat the Black Mage. He just wished it didn't have to be this way.
Utah returns to Henesys carrying Evan's body. He buries him in the forest, where he said he found Mir all those years ago, and marks a grave for him. He adds Lotus's and Damien's graves too, since Orca and Valfor decided they want to move in with him. He wonders if they would appreciate the gesture.
Utah watches as the house burns down, with Orca still in it. Valfor is chasing the remnants of the Black Wings, but the house that he lived in for a big part of his childhood burns and he couldn't do a thing about it. He wonders if Orca finds peace in joining Lotus. He makes another grave.
Utah knows Valfor is half human, half demon. And he remembers that Valfor had once mentioned Damien being really sick because of it. But Valfor looked so strong, it was unexpected that he would end up bed ridden just like what he said Damien once was. Valfor seemed resigned to the fact that his time is running out. Utah eventually adds another grave to the forest.
He visits the graves alone usually, but sometimes he finds Mir there. Evan's dragon, he remembers Evan talking fondly about him before his untimely demise. And yet, the dragon mourns too, as it pays vigil on the same date each month for Evan. Utah cries, for he realises he is left alone after the other two met with their younger brothers in the afterlife.
The world is on fire, he realises. There is chaos everywhere, he realises. And here he is, defending Henesys with all his life. He remembers how to do farm work and fight, and so he will keep doing so with all his might. He knows it is dangerous, and will definitely end up with him joining Evan eventually. He finds he doesn't mind anymore.
Six graves. Three pairs of siblings meet in the afterlife.
A.N: It's been a while, huh? Well, I am just here to post something that was left unfinished. Don't expect more stories from me, but who knows from now on. No promises, and I guess I will see you guys around. Somewhen, somewhere else.