A/N: Hey all! This is my first story in the Lone Ranger universe. I've only seen the new Disney movie, so if I mess background stuff up, I am sincerely sorry. If it's really, really far from canon, then consider this AU. I apologize for any OOC-ness. This little idea has been floating around after watching it again last night. I hope you like it! This is a oneshot about the idea of 'Kemosabe'.
Kemosabe. Wrong brother, according to Tonto. When John heard what it meant, he felt a deep-seated anger and frustration rise up in him and it was all he could do to stop himself from lashing out. He was never a violent man, but that word brought up a well of grief from his past.
All his life, that's what he heard from people. He was the wrong brother. His older brother, Dan, was the one everyone preferred. No one even tried to hide it. Dan, of course, tried to cheer up his little brother but John never listened. Eventually, he began to believe it, for if one hears something from many people enough times, they start to believe it themself.
The first times he had heard it, it had been an honest mistake from people. People would hear his last name and ask him things that were meant for Dan, before realizing that oops, this was the wrong brother. But as time went on, the mistakes were less intentional. When he beat Dan at anything, which was less likely but it did happen on occasion, he would hear the usual mutterings.
'The wrong brother won. It should've been Dan.'
When their father made sure he got a proper education, people were doubtful that he would ever amount to anything. When the two of them were together and introduced to anyone, they would shake Dan's hand firmly and eagerly, but would barely give John a second glance.
He knew why, of course. He was different from most people in the town. While other young boys his age would go out, playing cowboys and Indians, he would be found in a quiet little corner with a book. He was shy and reserved while his brother was outgoing and adventurous. People were attracted to Dan's winning and fearless personality, while John's introvertiveness usually caused them to skip past him like he was little more than the dust beneath their feet.
As they got older, John knew he had to get away. He began immersing himself in law books, for the strict rigidity of the law applied to every person, no matter who they were. It made them all equal, and for that he was grateful. Granted, he knew people twisted it for their own means, but he had little to no encounters with such people and therefore paid them little mind in his endeavors. He threw himself into his studies with new vigor, giving him a safe place to retreat to when he heard those dreaded words.
'Wrong brother'.
It finally reached its peak when he met Rebecca. He had never met anyone with such a sparkling personality that matched her beauty in every way. She was his light through the gloomy darkness and they grew close, closer than mere friends. Unfortunately, she also caught Dan's eye and people knew it. When Dan asked her to marry him, she confessed that her heart lay with John instead. People were appalled. She had fallen in love with the wrong brother. Eventually, John persuaded her to be with Dan. He was planning to leave, and she could stay and raise a family with Dan. Her reputation wouldn't be lowered and she could be happier with Dan than she ever could be with him. So she agreed, and they got married three months later.
This was what prompted him to finally leave to go to a prestigious law school. He could become a lawyer and finally be recognized for his own person, not just Dan's little brother. But as much as he tried to distance himself, he always felt the call to go back home. When he heard about the death of his parents, he finally realized how short life was. He knew going home would be painful for him, seeing Rebecca and Dan together, but he decided that no matter what happened, he would be with his brother again for it had been far too long since they had seen each other.
That ended in disaster, for he only had a brief period of time with Dan before he was killed. Tonto had made it clear to him that Dan should have been the one to survive. Things would have been far easier if John had died instead. He accepted that with silence, knowing it was true. A lot of things could have been avoided if Dan had been at Tonto's side. Even dead, Dan's influence continued to overshadow him.
Throughout their crazy adventure in chasing after Butch and his cronies, the words kept cropping up.
'Wrong brother, wrong brother, wrong, wrong, wrong.'
John felt those emotions from his childhood creep up again. He could never be good enough, no matter what he did. He didn't deserve the shiny star pinned to his coat or the excited whispers of a lone ranger wherever they went. He knew they believed he was Dan Reid, the great warrior. The one who tried to keep the peace between the Comanche and the railroad. If John had died instead, maybe Dan could have prevented the war and brutal killings that followed.
He even heard the words from Butch himself while they were on the train.
'Maybe I cut the wrong heart out.'
There it was again. The wrong one. He was always the wrong one. It seemed so unfair that he had to endure such a label throughout his life. Just once, he wished he was the right one. That people would accept him for who he was, weaknesses and all.
At last, the moment came, but not the way he was expecting. He had expected crowds of people cheering for some great accomplishment, and a person in power telling him that yes, he was the right one. Instead, he was facing the woman he loved riding on a horse next to a hijacked train.
"Let me guess. Wrong brother?" he asked, echoing the words he had always heard.
"Not this time," she replied with a smirk and gave him a passionate kiss.
Not this time. This time, he was the right one. This time, he was not the wrong brother. Not Kemosabe.
A/N: The End! I know some of those movie quotes aren't exactly right, but I couldn't remember what exactly they had said so I tweaked it a teensy bit. I just felt like, if that was me, always hearing that I was the wrong one, I wouldn't always take it so well. So maybe he was used to it, I don't know. I hope you liked it!