Pain erupted through him as he felt his back hit the floor. A choke escaped his throat. His uniform clinged to him; it was drenched, partially with water but also blood. A force thrust his chin upwards.
Kiku wearily opened his eyes. Yao stood above him, his foot holding the Japanese man down. The former's eyes burned with hatred and desire for revenge.
"See how it feels?" barked Yao. "This is pain, Kiku. You never thought about this, did you, aru? Well, you should've thought before walking out on me! You used to be intelligent, Kiku... but apparently..." Yao bent down ever so slightly so that he was closer to his former brother's face. "Thirst for power overthrew you."
Kiku didn't even waver. He ached all over, and didn't feel like fighting more than he needed to. In fact, he was happy to lay here...
But that was when he remembered that Yao thought that he was strongest.
"You broke your promise," muttered Kiku. "You said we'd never fight... yet here we are."
YEARS EARLIER
Shallow breathing filled the room. Yao sat on his veranda, eyes closed in content. A soft, fragrant breeze complimented the warm Chinese air itself; after a long day, this was just what he needed. Slightly dense gusts of wind played with his hair like a sleepy child. He smiled at the thought of a young neighbour of his playing with the long strand of hair on the right side of his face.
All of a sudden a light moan broke the tranquility. Surprised, Yao turned his upper body and peered into the darkness. The little boy on the floor, wearing an oversized blue kimono, tossed and turned in his sleep, gently at first, quickly growing more violent. Yao crawled closer as the sleeping boy whimpered, shaking.
"Kiku?" Yao said quietly, worried about his little brother.
The boy flinched subconsciously, then quickly sat up with a gasp. Something danced in his coffee brown eyes that Yao had never seen before; it was a mix of panic and tears.
"Kiku, are you okay?"
The Japanese boy recoiled as if a giant axe had just been swung at him. "Yao-san, I-" He quickly mopped the crystal orbs from his face with his sleeve. "I'm fine, nii-nii."
Skeptically, Yao raised an eyebrow, but his face soon melted into a look of pity. "Kiku, you can tell me if something's bothering you, aru. You are my brother, and I want to know if anything's wrong."
"I had a dream," muttered Kiku after consideration, hugging his knees. "We fought, Yao-san. Will... will that ever happen, nii-san?"
Yao took a couple of seconds to register what his brother had just said. "No, Kiku. I promise you that we'll never turn against each other, ever."
For a couple of silent moments, the pair watched each other. A silent conversation occured between adult and child, trying to figure the other out. Ever since Kiku had turned up in the bamboo forest, Yao had been itching to know more about the mysterious boy. This, really, was the first time that the boy had really spoken his mind...
Yao picked up his brother, and once again took a seat out on the veranda. "Look, Kiku. The moon is so bright, aru. Isn't it nice, aru?"
Weary from his abrupt awakening, Kiku leaned back into Yao behind him. "Hai, it is...
"Nii-san?"
"Yes, Kiku?"
A weak smile, the first Yao had ever seen from the child, played on his lips. "Goodnight." Clinging onto a stray bit of his brother's silken clothing, Kiku curled up, and, within a matter of minutes, was asleep in his nii-san's arms.
YEARS LATER
Yao flashed back to reality. He was staring in his brother's face; it had turned from the flashback Kiku, small and timid, to the cruel, emotionless man he was today. The Japanese man's eyes were still the same, though; calm, hiding many secrets.
"Kiku... what happened to you, aru?"
Almost as if taunting his ex-brother, Kiku stayed silent for as long as possible.
"Well, aru? Spit it out!"
"I grew up," Kiku replied calmly. "Like you said I would." His foot collided with Yao's stomach and he allowed himself to stand. Politely, he waited for his opponent to come together, and the duel between the once loving brothers commenced once more.