How weird, a second chapter in less than a day.
Disclaimer: What I said before still stands.
I think I went a little overboard with Ven's personality, now that I think about it. Sorry bout that, folks.
By the way, this will all eventually make sense.
Note the word "Eventually."
Chapter One: Train Ride
Silently, I look out the scratched and dirty window of the train, staring out at it in boredom. I knew for a fact that I was stalling in a pretty sucky attempt to not talk to Ven, but I didn't care. I needed some time alone. Unfortunately, alone time is pretty damn hard to get when you're on a train headed to a town you can't even remember, trapped in the same compartment as your sulking older brother and have a bladder that seems ready to burst. Oh yeah. I really, really shouldn't have had that second soda. Or the third. Definitely not one of your best ideas, Minami.
"Sora," a soft voice says soothingly. Nope, I wasn't going to listen. Ven could go to hell. I wasn't going to fall for his psychobabble bullshit this time around.
I flinch when Ven's hand suddenly finds my shoulder, very gently kneading it between his fingers. I struggle not to cry when he says quietly: "I miss them, too."
My sapphire eyes immediately prickle with tears at this brief mention of our parents, of Mom and of Dad. Gone. They were gone now. Me and Ven were all alone now. I hear this soft whimpering noise and Ven pulls me into a tight hug, putting his head on my shoulder as he hums out a few bars of "Hikari," the song that Mom would sing to us when we couldn't sleep. Even now, knowing that she was gone and would never sing my favorite part of the song again, the song couldn't help but soothe me. Silently, we both start singing along to it: "When you walk away, you don't hear me say... please, oh baby, don't go; simple and clean is the way that you're making me feel tonight..."
A lame sort of half-smile suddenly appears on my face as Ven rubs beneath my eyes roughly, obviously trying to get me to stop crying. "Alright, runt, knock it off. There ya go. Much better. Show me some teeth, alright, lil bro?" Ven demands, flashing me a mouthful of bright and shiny white teeth. I could practically see my own reflection in them. Weakly, I bare my own teeth at him.
"... You forgot to brush, didn't you." Ven says in a disapproving tone of voice, giving me a sort of brotherly scowl as he places his hand on the top of my head. Wincing, I knew what would happen next. Even knowing that, I couldn't help but groan as he ruffles my messy brown spikes playfully, smirking in amusement as I give him a glare. "Well, you can brush your teeth at Uncle Cloud's house. I'm sure he and Uncle Zack have some sort of bathroom." He muses jokingly, his dark blue eyes flashing mischievously as he stretches out lazily and puts his feet up on the seat next to me.
"I wanna go home, Ven." I whisper quietly to him, putting my chin onto the windowsill, still staring out the window. I watch these greenish brown blurs zip past the train - probably trees or something – and I could feel an almost physical ache for the clean whiteness of our island. I wanted to go back to our house so badly, wanted to wait there at our battered old kitchen table for our mom and our dad like we did when Mom went into the hospital the first time, that it felt like a part of me had just been ripped out of me. That little cottage wasn't just a house, it was home. My home. I wanted to go home.
"... We ARE going home, Sora. Don't worry bout it. I'm sure Uncle Cloud and Zack and Aunty Aerith will be nice. … Anyway, it's better than going back to live with Grandpa Yen." We both sudder at the thought of staying with our "grandfather" in his creepy old tower. Ven smiles at me and puts a hand on my knee, squeezing it gently. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you, Sora. I promise that you won't be alone anymore." Ven promises quietly, his normally cheerfully eyes going dark with guilt. I nod solemnly at him and gulp nervously past the lump in my throat.
"What... What if the other kids don't like me?" I whisper hoarsely. Ven flinches as if I had just physically slapped him. A savage sort of gleam appears in his eyes and I knew he was remembering the kids from the island. He shakes his head violently, defiantly even. Holy crap, did he like me that much?
"They'll LOVE you. You're awesome, you know! My dork of a little brother, you'll do just fine in Twilight Town." He declares proudly, smiling at me encouragingly. I stare at him in complete surprise. Oh my god, Ven actually loved me. Even though I had totally screwed up his private school education with that Master Eraqus guy, and he still liked me? I had totally screwed up his life and he still cared! Whoa, my brother loves me. What a weird feeling.
"... Thanks, Venny." I mumble quietly in embarrassment, keeping my eyes glued to the window. A long heavy silence starts in the almost empty train compartment. Ven stays completely silent and I don't bother to speak, only focusing on the blurs. It was practically a game. Figure out what that blotchy thing looked like. I was between deciding that one blur was either a huge tea kettle or a very weirdly shaped sign when I suddenly hear a loud cough and someone hugging my waist tightly. What the hell?
"I'm sorry, Sora. For not being there." Ven's now husky voice whispers quietly into my ear as my older brother sobs into my shoulder. I feel a few tears drip out of my eyes as I lean my head against the icy cold window. I tighten my hand up into a fist as I tell him quietly: "I'm sorry you weren't there, too."