Aniki to Otouto

Aniki to Otouto (Big Brother and Little Brother)

A GW Faery tale

By Sakura

Mukashi, mukashi, there were once two bothers who had lost both their parents and were now forced to live with their abusive stepmother. She had them doing all the housework while she and her daughter Relena lived the good life.

One day, sick and tired of the maltreatment they've received, the elder brother said to his golden haired otouto, "Q-man, let's split this place," flipping the lackluster braid over his shoulder. "I mean she treats that spooky looking daughter of hers better than we do."

"But Duo," Quatre began, "where are we going to go?" He was the more practical of the two.

"We'll think of something. Anything's gotta be better'n this," Duo complained.

Before he could say anything further, the chestnut haired boy grabbed his little brother's hand dragged him out of the expensive mansion and into the enormous forest fifteen miles away.

What the brothers didn't know was that their stepmother was actually a very powerful witch. When she learned they had run away into the forest, she placed a spell on every spring, brook, and stream there.

"Hmph," she said adjusting her glasses. "That should show those ungrateful brats not to run from me." She and her equally wicked daughter laughed maniacally.

Meanwhile Duo, after all the running he did, was getting thirsty. And hungry, but the thirst was stronger at the moment. He was about to drink from the spring they were resting by, when Quatre heard someone speak to him:

"Drink from me, and a lion you'll be."

Frightened, the golden haired boy did the only thing he could think of, he yanked on Duo's braid.

"Yeowtch!!!" screamed the older brother as he was pulled backward and forced to land on his rear. "Why'd ya do that Quatre?!" he asked rubbing his sore rump.

"Sorry aniki, but my uchuu no kokoro told me not to let you drink from here. Besides the water doesn't look healthy."

Duo begrudgingly agreed with his otouto and left the spring and came to a brook as they went deeper into the forest. Duo bent to drink from the brook. Once again his younger brother heard a voice:

"A drink from me and a dragon he'll be."

Duo shrieked as he felt himself yanked from behind and again landed on his bottom. "Oi! Watch the hair Q-man!"

"I'm really sorry Duo, but…" he meekly spoke.

"Lemme guess. Your uchuu no kokoro, ne?" The blond nodded. Sighing the older boy held up his hands. "OK, OK I won't take a drink, but the next water hole we come to, I'm getting a drink. Space heart or no space heart. I'm dyin' of thirst here!"

Deeper still they went and finally came to a stream. As with the others a voice spoke to the golden haired boy:

"Should ye drink of me, a fox ye'll be."

Quatre reached for his aniki's braid, but it was too late. Duo had already drunk from the stream and a chestnut furred fox stood in his place. "Oh Duo, why couldn't you see the pattern! Now I've lost you forever!" The little blond then slumped down and wept.

Upon seeing his reflection in the water, the fox cried, "My braid! My beautiful braid! You've no idea how long it took me to grow that!" He then sat on his haunches and joined his otouto in his weeping.

Once Quatre recovered from the shock he picked up Duo's cross and hung it around the fox's neck. "Don't worry aniki, I promise I'll find a way to turn you back someday," he said trying to sound confident. 'I hope,' he added to himself.

In search of shelter for the night, the brothers discovered an abandoned cottage. Deciding this was the perfect place, Quatre and Duo resolved to spending the rest of their lives at the cottage. There was plenty of food and Quatre was certain that not all of the water in the forest was cursed.

Once she was certain enough time had passed for the brothers to drink from the water, the witch removed the spell thinking that one of them had become a ferocious beast and killed the other. Little did she know that what she thought was only half true.

The two lived at the abandoned cottage for the next few months without any incidents surviving on what Quatre was able to catch and find. Duo helped too, but there was only so much a fox could do without a proper pair of hands.

One day, the king decided to go hunting in the forest. Upon hearing the horns in the distance, the fox swished his tail, the instinct to run almost unstoppable. When the golden haired boy asked him what was wrong, he said, "I'm bored. I haven't been outside in ages. Can't you just lemme see what all the noise is about?" He gave his little brother his best puppy dog face.

Quatre was a bit wary about letting his transformed brother out while there were people about, but he couldn't stand to see him moping around all day. He was a fox after all now and foxes need to run free outdoors.

"All right, you can go, but just stay out of sight and be back by dark." The fox yipped in delight. "Oh I forgot! Do you think we need a password? In case someone finds this place?" Quatre asked, stopping just short of the door.

"D'oh!" Duo said, swishing his tail once more. "You're right! We've been here all this time and neither one of us ever thought that she might come looking for us!"

"It's settled then. How about this? 'Shinigami's back from hell,'" the blond said, remembering his elder brother's self-given nickname.

"That'll do! Now can I go?" The fox impatiently swished his tail and tapped one forepaw on the floor. He really needed to get out. Smiling, Quatre opened the door and quick as a flash, the fox was out the cottage and out of sight.

A few hours later, there was a scratching at the door and a voice called, "Shinigami's back from hell!" Quatre was relieved to see the fox standing outside, a very satisfied smirk on his face.

The next day, the king's hunt continued. The king and his huntsmen had seen the fox the day before and were determined to catch it. For it had managed to sneak into their camp while they were away and made off with the king's lunch. The king had been angry enough to kill it, but once he caught glimpse of something gold around its neck, became very intrigued.

As with before, Duo begged to be let out and watch the hunt. Never able to say 'no' to anything his brother wanted, Quatre agreed only after the fox promised to stay hidden and be back at a decent time.

As soon as the king's men saw the chestnut furred fox with a gold cross around its neck, they gave chase. Duo giggled to himself as he dashed through the underbrush and led them on a wild goose chase. He was much too agile for them in his new form. He teased them all day enjoying himself immensely. He even made off with the king's lunch again.

However when he paused to see that the sun was about to set, one of the hunters was able to get a shot in and wounded the little fox in the leg, forcing poor Duo to yelp in pain and limp home.

Under orders to follow and capture the fox, the lead huntsman and the king's best friend, followed the fox until it came to a small rundown cottage. Intrigued, Wufei crouched down among the bushes and watched as the fox scratched on the door with one paw and called, "Shinigami's back from hell!"

The huntsman gasped as a golden haired boy answered and began to fuss over the fox, carrying it into the cottage. Once he saw that it was safe, Wufei ran back to the king and told him what he'd seen.

Quatre bandaged the fox's leg with much scolding and fussing. Duo looked up at him as sheepishly as a fox could. The next day, the king still refused to give up on his hunt and poor Duo still wanted to go out. Seeing there was no use in trying to keep a fox inside, sighed and let him out. "I only hope he's learnt his lesson this time," Quatre said, worried for his brother's life.

When they once again spotted the fox, the king said, "Follow it, but do not hurt that fox. I want him alive. Also make sure you keep him in sight at all times and on the run until sundown."

One of the men was about to question him, but King Heero gave one of his infamous glares o' death and the hunter wisely decided to keep quiet. Dorothy had been on the receiving end of those glares often and knew from experience what happened to those do dared defy the king when he glared like that. She could hardly afford to be on the king's bad side.

The hunters did as they were ordered and chased after Duo all day and when the sun was about to set, the king pulled his friend aside and whispered, "Show me where you followed the fox to yesterday." Wufei then led him to the little cottage.

Knocking on the door, the king called out, "Shinigami's back from hell!"

Upon opening the door, Quatre eeped seeing that it wasn't the fox. There stood a young man about his brother's age with short unkempt brown hair and piercing blue eyes. He was dressed in, of all things, a pair of ultra skin-tight black spandex shorts and a green tank top, the only sign of his true social status being the sword at his side.

The king stared at the boy before him. He had never seen such a beautiful person before. The sunlight was echoed in his blond hair and his eyes resembled the clear blue sea. He had the most innocent face that Heero thought he was looking at an angel, a rather nervous one.

Smiling and trying not to blush, the king asked the first thing that came to his mind. "Will you…?" He couldn't seem to find the right words. "Will you come live with me?"

Once again Quatre was shocked. The golden haired boy blushed, trying to figure out why the king had asked that. Seeing that he was waiting for an answer, he spoke, though rather shyly.

"I'd – I'd love to, but…" The king's heart fell. "I just can't leave my fox behind."

Heero chuckled, relieved. "If that's what's keeping you here, you can bring him along. He's good exercise for my men."

The blond thought it over some more and finally agreed as long as they weren't mean to his fox. Just then said fox came racing home, completely out of breath. Seeing the king with his little brother he swished his tail angrily and bared his teeth. After a quick explanation and an apology from Heero, the fox wagged his tail and ran around Quatre and the king like a puppy. The next day the two brothers left the cottage and returned to the castle with the king.

After a few months of happiness at the Heero's palace, the brothers' stepmother learned through her daughter Relena, that they did not perish in the forest as she had thought. Blind with anger and jealousy, the witch disguised herself as a chambermaid and snuck into Heero and Quatre's room.

She and Relena had come up with a plan to kill the king's lover and have her daughter take his place. When the boy awoke, he was startled to see his stepmother standing there. Smiling wickedly, she grabbed a pillow and began to suffocate him with it while Relena held him down.

By the time Heero returned from a neighboring kingdom, his poor Quatre was dead and buried and Relena was given his form. However Heero wasn't going to be fooled for long.

Quatre's spirit refused to leave the king or his aniki. Each night would come to the gardens where Duo was known to romp around in and check on him as he slept curled up into a ball of fur. After stroking the fox's fur for a few minutes he would vanish only to reappear in their room and kiss his beloved before vanishing until the next night. No one had witnessed this except for Wufei while he watched over the fox and Heero.

Wufei tried to tell the king, but Heero just ignored him saying that it was utter nonsense since Quatre was with him each and every night. That night as usual, Quatre's spirit appeared in the gardens, but had a forlorn expression on his usually peaceful face.

"My dear aniki, Heero my love. I can only come two more times then I must leave you forever."

Wufei said nothing but decided to continue keep watch over his friend and the fox. The next night, the boy's spirit appeared again, saying as he stroked the fox. "My aniki, my Heero, I'm only able to come once more then I most leave forever."

Wufei became more determined than ever to make Heero listen to him. The third night, he woke the king and dragged him to the gardens. After hours of waiting and much grumbling from the brown haired man, they were rewarded with a visitation from the ghostly figure of Quatre.

The golden haired boy had tears in his eyes as he crept over to the sleeping chestnut furred fox. "Aniki, Heero, this is the last and final time I can see you. I must say goodbye forever now." Just then Wufei ordered the fake Quatre be brought in and moments later, a rather indignant blond boy was pushed into the gardens. "What's the meaning of this?!" he yelled. Upon seeing two Quatres, the king realized then that the one he'd been sleeping with was indeed a fake. Going to the spirit he asked:

"You're really my Quatre aren't you?"

Facing his love with tears streaming down his cheeks, the ghost said, "Yes Heero it's me." The fake Quatre screamed then dropped dead reverting to the form of the witch's daughter Relena. As if by some miracle, Quatre's ghost became less transparent and became more and more solid looking until he had regained his body. Wufei smiled, glad his friend was no longer being hoodwinked.

The day after, the witch was brought before the king who promptly ran her through with his sword and then burnt her corpse. As the last wisp of smoke died, in the gardens where once a fox played, stood a boy Heero's age with long chestnut hair and wide violet eyes.

Wufei was startled, but soon became even more shocked when said boy pounced on him and began covering him in kisses, happy to be in a human body once more.

~Owari~