Disclaimer: I don't own DC.

Author's Notes: And this story isn't based solely on the anime, it was just a story, but it's kind of based on the case where the girl had a brother 15 or something years older than her. He died in a magic accident, but I decided to change some things. I just wanted to write a more meaningful story.

The Accident

By: t0ky0-chan

In my life, there are hardly any memories worth calling back. When I was 10, my father committed suicide because of pressure from work and my mother died from a broken heart a year later. My brother was 21 then, and so he had legal authority over me. He came back after college and took me in. We lived in a small apartment in Tokyo. He paid for my expenses and he got me anything I wanted. But we never had a brother and sister bond. We never had a bond that siblings were supposed to have. In cases when parents died, siblings were supposed to hug and talk to each other. We didn't. We'd say 'how was your day' and answer with 'okay' and then leave it as that. Neither of us made an effort to improve our bond. Now, 15 years later, I work as a consultant at a law firm and my brother paints in his studio across town. He opened classes and took in many students. He was talented. I was jealous, until that day.

I was at work late, at the law firm two blocks down from the Beika Central Hospital. When the call came that my older brother had been in a car crash, and when they asked me to come down to the hospital, I literally ran like a madman there. I arrived at the hospital and the doctors told me that my brother was in surgery and that he'd like it if I waited.

I took a seat in the waiting room, and that's when two police officers approached me. Their faces held grave expressions, as if they saw such horrors every day. I asked them. I asked them what happened. They told me, hesitantly, that my brother was riding his motorcycle. He was just crossing an intersection, the light WAS green, but a drunk driver came speeding down the road. My brother saw the car, but it was too late to turn anywhere. He swerved and the car hit his motorcycle, and then the momentum of the hit caused my brother to fly off. If not for his helmet, my brother would have been dead upon impact. The drunk driver was alive. He didn't get anything but minor cuts. I hated that guy's guts.

Then the doctor came out. He said my brother was awake, but he was a bit...different. I ran, leaving the policemen to follow me. I ran into the hospital room and my brother was there. There was bandage over his right eye and another one wound tightly around his forehead. My brother smiled and beckoned me over with his right hand. On that arm, there were bandages everywhere. His whole arm looked as if it was covered in white. I ran over and stood by his bed. I didn't know if I should hug him or just talk.

"Onii-chan..."

Then he looked up at me. And I saw it. It made me cry. I just slumped to ground and started pouring my eyes out on the side of his bed. My brother found my hand and held my hand, patting and stroking my hair.

"Shhh, don't cry..."

I couldn't stop crying. It was just so...unbelievable. My brother comforted me for a long time, he didn't curse at the drunk driver that now stood in the doorway. The driver was a teenage boy, younger than I was, only 16, and he hadn't meant to hurt anyone, he didn't mean for anything to happen, it was only a dare. I was going to curse and fling myself at him, but my brother's grip on my hand told me not to. Then I looked at the doctor who stood silently in a corner of the room.

"Will he ever be cured?"

Sadly, the doctor shook his head no. "I'm sorry, miss."

I started crying again. My brother, my idol, my only family, was now blind. He'd never be able to see my smile; he'd never be able to see the beautiful colors that he once painted. Yes, my brother was a painter. He loved the colors and the shapes and now he could no longer see them. I wondered why he didn't curse at the boy in the doorway. I wonder why he didn't get upset that his life's work, his career, his dream had been shattered. Then the doctor spoke.

"Miss, your brother, Taito, his left eye was never really strong and when he hit the ground...somehow his eye just...some vessel in his eye ripped...and well, we're really not so sure how it happened...and his right eye...its in a bandage because a shard of glass from the car somehow...jammed into his eye...it...it..."

His explanation was met by silence. That's when the teenage boy from the door spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Taito-sensei."

I jerked my head up. Sensei? This was my brother's student? My brother's own student ran him over?

"It's okay, Kesuki."

"Onii-chan," I cried, "how can becoming blind be okay? How can getting run over by your own student be okay? Onii-chan, this isn't right. We should sue him. We should-"

"That's enough, Saiko," my brother cut in.

"Onii-chan!"

"Kesuki, come here." My brother held out a hand.

Kesuki walked over to the bed cautiously. He seemed be expecting a surprise attack from me at any time and I would have given him one if my brother hadn't been holding on to my other hand.

"Give me your hand, Kesuki."

Kesuki obeyed. My brother guided Kesuki's hand to his face. He placed Kesuki's hand on his left eye.

"Kesuki. I am blind because of you. I have lost my ability to see, so there's no chance I'll be able to paint again. But feel this. Feel the part of me you took away. Feel the loss you inflicted upon me."

At this time, Kesuki had silently started to cry. "I'm really sorry, sensei. I really..." He choked back a sob.

"Kesuki, I forgive you, but not everyone will. And I got lucky you didn't hit me that hard, or else I'd be dead and you would be charged for murder, Kesuki. You can't let this happen again. Don't make that mistake again. Kesuki, you can't make this mistake again." My brother reached up for Kesuki's face. He turned it up toward him, but even as he could no longer see, he wanted eye to eye contact. "Look me in the eye, Kesuki. Look at who you are. You dropped low once, now pick yourself up and get back on the right track. I can't say I'm happy you blinded me, but this has caused me to think. This has caused me to think about all the things I have and how much I wouldn't want to lose them. I don't think this was an 'accident', God planned for it to happen, planned it so we would all be reminded of what we love and can't lose. Kesuki, go home and throw away your alcohol. You were a much better student when you didn't drink. Now go home and think of who you love and who you can't lose. Then go hug them and kiss them and tell them you love them. Go tell them you'll always love them.

"God gives us these lessons, to remind us when we've forgotten the most basic thing in life. Life's precious, and you can't waste it. I devoted my entire life to painting, and I completely forgot my family, my ONLY family. You need to learn, Kesuki. Will you learn?"

Kesuki nodded and wiped his eyes with the back of his free hand. "Yes, yes, I will, sensei. I promise you that."

My brother nodded and then released Kesuki's hand. Kesuki sniffed, bowed to my brother and then departed from the room. The doctor too, bowed to my brother and before leaving said, "If you'll remain for a week, Taito-kun, you'll be safe to go home." Then he closed the door behind him.

I turned to my brother, who was smiling. "Saiko. You understand now? I don't blame Kesuki. He made a bad choice, but he's learned his lesson. Sometimes in life, we have to forgive. And I guess I've learned my lesson. You know when I was lying on the ground, the last thing I thought of was you."

"Me?"

"I thought of how alone you would feel if I died, and how betrayed you would feel if I left, and how sorry you and I would be since we never got to know each other...I left for college just a few years after you born, and I didn't really bond with you after mom and dad died. So I knew I couldn't die. And I'm kind of glad I can't see you, Saiko. Because then I can't see you cry. I won't see you feel sad for me. I know you do and I'm sorry you have to feel sad, but every time you cried, Saiko, my heart was breaking. So I bought you everything. I made you own everything. I treated you like a queen because that's what I thought you wanted, but I was wrong. Love isn't just giving the other everything, its giving a part of yourself, in exchange for a part of them. And that's what I realized after this accident. I realized how much brotherly love I owe you for the past 15 years. You tried to bond with and I knew but I pulled away and shadowed myself. And...I'm sorry that I didn't realize that until now..." My brother pulled me into a hug. "I'm never going to leave you, so promise you'll never leave me either."

"Onii-chan...I promise you. I promise you..."

Fresh tears sprouted at the corners of my eyes. I let the flow. We stayed locked in that hug for a while. It was like I finally met my brother for the first time in the past 25 years.

And now, my brother walks with a cane and guide dog. He doesn't care. He sold his painting business and tried finding a job. He's been turned down many times so far, but he's determined. He's determined to show that he can still work well without his sight. He wanted to show everyone that one accident may have left him sightless, that accident was just a ditch in life's road, and now he was back on his feet and walking again. Many ignored him when he stumbled, but I was there to catch him and hold him back up. Others may not understand why my brother didn't just stay at home and become some bed potato, but that's because there are plenty of people that have disabilities around the world. That makes everyone special, because we're all different, whether in a beneficial way or not. And even if no one understands, I do. And I always will. I'll always understand the lesson learned from the accident.

fin-

Didn't plan on writing this...but I always wanted to write something meaningful. It was meaningful to me when I wrote it, but I doubt it has the same effect when you read it...ohh well. Please review!