Wrath

And Jesus said unto them, "I watched Satan fall from Heaven like lightening." – Luke 10:18

Why is it that when something traumatic happens in your life, you are bound to be tormented by that one event for the rest of your days? Why is it that human beings are cursed with damned emotions on a daily basis; making events replay over and over in their heads like some kind of sick twisted movie set on repeat? Things happen, and people die. For some, it is hard to get over death, especially if it could've been avoided in the first place. This is the case for humans, at least… but what about otherworldly beings? Do demons, too, succumb to the sometimes heart-wrenching consequences of their actions? Do harsh times bother them as they do us?

I have always pondered such thoughts about my brother. I may be the son of Satan, too, but I have inherited no such demon blood from him. It just arouses my curiosity when I see my older twin brother doing such carefree acts without a hint of remorse. He constantly disobeys my orders, falls asleep not only in my class, but his regular school classes too, and just generally lives the "slacker" lifestyle. Is it such that a demon can live that way, while humans strive to do their best and struggle every day to get by with what they have?

I envy Nii-san. He is the one who obtained Satan's entire demonic heritage, not me, and even though he is labeled as a threat to us all, he still manages to get into the same private academy I've spent so long studying and practicing for. He barely went to school during his junior years for Christ's sake.

Even now, at this late hour, he calmly rests in his bed across the room from me as I lay awake in my own, thinking this all through in my head. Manga books with dog-eared pages and empty late-night-snack bowls litter his side of the room. I can hear him softly snoring, most likely having some perverted dream about one of the girls in my mangas that he so graciously helps himself to. I swear sometimes it really pisses me off how much my brother and I are unalike. We're twins, aren't we supposed to be the same on some points?

This whole ordeal has me sighing in agitation. What am I supposed to do with him? I wonder to myself. Father wanted me to protect him, and I'm doing my best. He's always depending on Satan's power – if only he'd listen to some of the lectures I teach he'd understand other ways of protecting himself too… I can't help someone who won't even help themselves first! I slightly grit my teeth and exhale through my nose. I can feel my brows pulling down into what I'm assuming is a very ugly scowl; very unlike me to put on such a face.

Nii-san has always been a problem from day one. Father, being the Saint that he was, took us in and gave us a home – and how did Nii-san repay him? He broke his rules and threw away his trust. Nothing happened the entire time I lived at the monastery with Father and Nii-san, but the day I moved out… Father died.

If I had just stayed one day longer I could've helped Father fight! I could've tried to save him. Nii-san said something to Father – I know he did. I don't know exactly what though, but it had better been worth it and I hope Nii-san is proud of himself, for it cost Father his life. He did nothing but protect Nii-san and he fought to the very end to uphold the responsibilities of being a parent.

Nii-san, I grunt to myself. My eyes roam over to his still form, Kuro curled in a ball right next to him. I can't hear my twin snoring anymore, though he's probably sleeping more soundly now. I glance over to the clock on the wall. If it weren't for the moonlight shining through the windows, I probably wouldn't be able to read it.

It's almost half-past one o' clock in the morning.

I sigh again, removing my glasses and placing them on the stand next to my bed. At this late hour, I cannot believe I am still awake. I'm usually good at suppressing these emotions, but tonight they've reared their ugly heads and have decided to waltz through my mind like an all-night party.

How could I stay up so late thinking about how much of pest my demon brother is anyway? Am I insane?

I soon roll over and face the wall, closing my eyes and trying to breathe nice and easy. I'll never get to bed if I keep working myself up like this. I can think about how to deal with Nii-san later. Right now I have a responsibility as a teacher to be well rested and ready to teach tomorrow's lesson undistracted.

I lay still for a bit, letting my mind drift to other things – like how I should stock up on supplies soon. I should go and see Shiemi and her mother tomorrow at the Supply Shop before classes start. I'm actually able to calm down some in the minutes that pass. Before I know it, the thick, numbing blanket of sleep covers my entire body and I transcend into the realm between consciousness and slumber.

That is, until something behind me makes a barely audible sound.

It's a faint noise, but with the room so quiet my ears pick it up easily, slamming me back awake with a jerk. I growl low and dangerous in my throat from being woken up again. Whatever made the noise is going to face some serious consequences. I can't tell what the sound was at first… something like a peep? A squeak?

… Perhaps a mouse? I wouldn't be surprised, seeing as Nii-san lives like a pig.

In that case, I guess I shouldn't really worry too much. We do have Kuro now, after all. I lean back a bit to glance over at Nii-san's bed, trying to find out if our pet deity is already on the little pest's trail. Maybe witnessing its untimely demise will be enough to set my mind at peace and I'll finally be able to get some sleep. Although, what I see instead has me puzzled.

Nii-san seems to have become restless in the time I'd been trying to sleep. Kuro has taken notice too, and has now perched himself on his master's torso. I watch as my brother twitches and whines in his sleep; most likely a nightmare, I deduce. Oh, how I can remember waking up in the middle of the night, panting and sweating, when Nii-san and I were younger. As soon as I would wake from the pseudo-danger fantasy, I would silently slip from my bed and make my way to my twin's bed instead and spend the night there, and vice versa. Nii-san and I always relied on one another whenever we had bad dreams as children.

I snap back reality when I notice Nii-san rolling his head from side to side with a pained scowl gripping his features. Slight growls are emitted from his throat as he grits his teeth. Kuro walks up my brother's torso and begins pawing at his face. His meows start out low and worrisome, but with each passing second they increase in volume; the black cat tries to wake up my brother from the dream he's trapped in.

I guess I shouldn't let Nii-san suffer any longer. Nightmares are one thing I know we both hate, so it's only fair that I do him an act of kindness and help him out.

A light whine escapes Nii-san's lips as my feet touch the floor. Combined with Kuro's cat-calls, it almost sounds like they're talking to one another. I laugh at the thought of my brother being able to communicate with demons and such. Although my laugh is a bitter one; his new-found telepathic abilities only strengthen my detest for his demonic powers.

But then, my laugh is cut short – my brother twitches abruptly and then snaps his eyes open.

It all happens so fast after that; I had to blink a few times to make sure I was seeing correctly. In an instant, Kuro is grabbed roughly by the scruff of his neck and thrown across the room, only halting when he goes crashing into a wall. The deity falls to the floor and is still. Nii-san reaches for his sword leaning up against the wall, yanking it from its sheath like his life was in danger.

In danger? Why would he think-

The blue flames signifying his birthright from Satan brightly lick and swirl around his head and body. In my temporary blindness I take a few steps back and throw my forearms up to protect my face.

He's gonna set the whole place on fire!

"Nii-san!" My words are lost to the growls rumbling from his throat and the crackling and fizzing sounds coming from my brother's aura. The heat is unbelievable, burning my arms even where I stand.

And then, the unthinkable.

Nii-san flicks his right arm out and brings it in front of him, his sword pointed directly at me.

Now, I have two options: one, I could scream and run out of this room - and possibly out of the whole entire building - and hope Nii-san doesn't give chase.

Or two...

The nightstand next to my bed has my attention. And it's not just because my bifocals adorn the top of it where I set them earlier, no; something much more needed is in the drawer, right next to the spare pairs of glasses I hide in there. However, Nii-san's blood-red pupils seem to be following my every move. If I make a haste movement, I may find myself missing an arm… or worse, split in half.

I audibly gulp.

I don't think Nii-san heard.

I put my hands up in a surrendering fashion, noticing how the littered manga books and bowls just inches away begin to melt and char due to the intense heat. "Easy, Nii-san," I coo, "It's me, Yukio. I'm not going to hurt you." I ease my way towards my nightstand little by little, gazing upon my brother's tense and trembling form. His eyes follow me inch for inch, but he does not make a move. My mind races for more to say, "What is it that has you so upset," I ask, "Did you have a nightmare?" My voice is light and I place a reassuring smile on my face, trying to alleviate Nii-san's hostile behaviour. Alas, my question only causes Nii-san to scrunch his face even more. His tail flicks back and forth in distress; the bundle of hairs at the tip splayed out in all directions, like that of a vengeful cat's, or an overused broom.

My eyes never faltering from my brother's, I reach my right hand down ever so slowly as my nose catches the faintest whiff of burning wood. "Look, it's alright to have bad dreams, Nii-san, everybody does once in a while. You just have to shake them off. After all, it was only a dream…"

I snap into action; my hand rips the drawer open and I snatch up the gun hidden inside in no time flat. Even Nii-san wasn't expecting this, seeing as his eyes grow a bit wide when I reveal my weapon. Both hands shaking, I grip the gun, extending both index fingers over the trigger and close my left eye to get a better aim. It's a bit harder to see with my bifocals off, although with Nii-san's bright blue flames enveloping his form, I'm pretty sure I'll hit him. "Drop Kurikara," I state plainly. I feel as though I'm on a regular mission, but this time I'm facing my own flesh and blood. If only I could figure out what exactly caused his outburst!

As expected, Nii-san doesn't do as I say; does he ever? Perhaps he isn't as far gone as I thought. Nii-san continues to stand there, sword pointed towards me, ready to strike. "I said drop your sword, Nii-san! If you don't, I will be forced to shoot you. Don't give me a reason to!" My breathing is coming out ragged from the strain of pointing a gun at my brother for the second time since we've been at this academy. I regretted it the first time, and I feel even lower the second time around. Please, Nii-san, snap out of it, I mentally plead. I click the hammer of the gun backwards with my thumb, signifying my seriousness.

My action seems to strike some sort of chord in my brother. Only, I wish it was a good chord. Nii-san visibly flinches and lets forth a bloodcurdling shout. He then charges at me, both hands gripping koumaken.

I close my eyes and pull the trigger three times.

Everything goes silent after the violent cracking noises are emitted from my gun.

Slowly peaking from under my eyelids, I see Nii-san standing no more than a few feet away. His eyes are wide in horror and his body is completely frozen in time. Still shaking and his flames still sizzling, his blue orbs cast downwards to where my shots hit their marks.

Three small cylinders with sharp-needled ends stick into my brother's torso. The powerful tranquilizer begins to take affect almost immediately; Nii-san's eyelids begin to droop and his balance is thrown off, causing him to sway slightly.

In a matter of seconds, his sword falls from his numb fingertips and makes a clang on the floor. I stare on as his knees buckle under him and he falls to the floor on his side. His eyes, wide and fearful, never leave mine as he speaks, "Y…Yukio… What if dreams… are omens of the future?"

Before my mind can register his words, my brother passes out entirely on the floor. And with his unconsciousness, his flames also seem to lose their heated temperature. Instead of radiating unfathomable heat, a cooler, gentler breeze is felt in its place.

Breathing hard, my knees finally cave in as well, and I slump to the floor next to Nii-san's form. I swallow the fear creeping up the back of my throat and grab a hold of Kurikara, placing it back in its sheath; his flames die away immediately and his long ears recede back to their small elf-like state.

I notice thick streams of water trickling down and across Nii-san's face while scanning his body for any sign of retaliation. The image of his trembling demeanor and his sharp intakes of breath flashes through my mind as a weak meow breaks the silence. I watch as Kuro, who has finally awoken, slowly walks over to Nii-san and perches himself next to his face. He calls out to Nii-san once again before tilting his head down to lap at his tear-streaked face. When Kuro looks back to me, his face is one of hurt and mourning.

"He'll be alright," I try to communicate to Kuro; feeling a bit strange when I realize I'm conversing with a cat, "I only hit him with sedatives." Kuro seems to mew in response, averting his eyes back to Nii-san's body. A few whines escape the black cat, as if trying to sooth my brother's tattered emotions.

Then, something hits me. "Kuro," I call out softly. The deity spins his head around to face me with a questioning look. "You know what was happening with Nii-san, don't you? You could probably hear what was going on inside his head. If his telepathy works one way, shouldn't it work the other?"

Kuro then jumps and begins meowing frantically to me. If I felt strange before, I definitely feel like a weirdo now. With Kuro meowing and me sitting here trying to figure out what he's saying, I feel like I belong in a psychiatric ward.

I pinch the bridge of my nose and hold up a hand. Kuro falls silent. "It's no use, Kuro. I'm no demon, so I can't understand what you're saying." The sharp fangs of agitation eat away at my nerves, leaving me on edge. I'm so close to the answer, yet I can't understand a word this creature is saying. As I kneel on the floor, trying to find some sort of way to solve this mess, I happen to glance at the clock on the wall. Although the black plastic rim towards the bottom is horribly misshapen from Nii-san's flames, the hands still tick away as if nothing happened.

Well, time does not wait on anyone.

"It's almost three in the morning." I run my fingers through my hair and huff. I look to Nii-san and the little tranquilizer darts protruding from his grey nightshirt. I look to my own blue one and wonder how his shirt remains unmarked while mine has black ashes and burn marks on the sleeves and chest. Brother's side of the room is a mess of burned materials and dark ash. Starting from the ceiling, a dark, scorched mark snakes a big black line down the wall and to the floor where Nii-san was first standing, then repeats on the other side of his room. Little blue embers leisurely consume his blanket and sheets as well as the now-unreadable manga books. I decide to start with that. Grabbing my suitcase from under my stand, I flick it open and pull out a small grenade-sized bottle of concentrated Holy Water. I hesitantly leave Nii-san's side and begin pouring the sacred liquid onto the sources of burning. I use half the bottle, making sure everything is doused and put out.

I then make my way back to Nii-san. He looks so uncomfortable in his position on the floor, yet is sleeping so peacefully. Kuro watches patiently as I gently roll my brother onto his back, eyeing the darts and tiny rims of blood forming around the intrusions.

I bleakly imagine what would've happened if we actually shared a dorm with other people while plucking away the darts with expertise. Shaking my head, I quickly push aside the idea of bringing Kuro to go see Mephisto for a translation. God only knows what he would think of this whole situation, or if he would even tell me the truth. As of right now, I'd prefer only Kuro and I be the witnesses to Nii-san's act of insanity.

... I really have no other choice. I'll have to wait until Nii-san wakes up to determine what to do from here.


Author's Note: I know I've been neglecting my other fanfictions, but please, bear with me! For any of you out there with your own fanfics, I'm sure you'll sympathize with me about writer's block. It's not like I don't feel bad about my fans. I still get emails about people favouriting "Don't You Get It?" and it makes me feel worse when I realized I haven't put out a chapter in a long time. It is a work in progress though so it's not like I don't have anything written. And as for "Screams Unheard," writer's block has got me right by the balls on that one. I still can't believe I posted that, but since it has been reviewed by ever-so-gracious fans, I will be continuing it as well. And hopefully writing this new fanfic will help me with my writer's block for my other stories; I've already got the majourity of this story planned out, so it's not like "Screams Unheard" where I had an idea at 4 in the morning and I decided to post it.