Chapter 8: A Storybook Ending
If Yukio were older, he probably would have thought more about the stories Rin told him.
Yukio was pretty sure he was the only one who knew just how good his brother was with words. No one thought Rin could do anything but hiss and curse with a disrespectful drawl and plenty of spite. It was because of that, no one ever thought Rin could weave a story, but time and time again Yukio saw his brother lie…no, twist and change the truth until things favored him more. A different word here, a controlled reaction there, and suddenly he could wiggle his way out of most trouble without anything noticing. Yukio knew it was wrong, dad told him lying was bad, but he couldn't help but be fascinated by how a little lie could change things for the better.
So, maybe Yukio had started practicing lying a tiny bit more than he should. If he could change a situation for the better just by changing a few facts, if he could keep Rin out of trouble by lying to the teacher, then what was so wrong with that?
Besides, Rin's ability to lie was what probably made him such a great storyteller.
Rin would tell Yukio elaborate stories whenever he got the chance. Sometimes it was throughout the day when they had free time, other times it was late at night, when they really should be sleeping but were being naughty and stayed up with flashlights under the blankets. No matter the time or place, they were stories Rin would tell him and only him, never with anyone else around. Yukio wasn't sure why, since his brother's stories were amazing, elaborate and giant tales about great battels and fights, so why wouldn't he want to share them? They were a whole lot better than the short stories that didn't really make sense other kids liked to tell each other.
Most of the stories were centered around the life of a character Rin simply called "The King" and what he did and accomplished in his life. Alone in a savage and near-lawless land, The King used his immense power to bring order to that entire world and eventually become, well, the king of that world. Yukio had found it funny how bad Rin was at coming up with good names even though he was so great at coming up with good stories. But he didn't say anything after Rin gave him an annoyed look, because then the story might have stopped.
The story came in fragments, told in nearly self-contained episodes, even if there was an overarching plot that came into play. It was hard for Yukio to keep track of it all because a lot of times things that happened a long time again were suddenly important. Sometimes The King was betrayed and parts of his own army turned on him, sometimes a minor character that had only been vaguely mentioned came back as a powerful force that changed everything and very nearly destroyed The King's plans. Sometimes someone important to The King would vanished and only be found, dead, weeks later.
Yukio learned pretty early on that Rin's stories usually weren't very happy. The fighting never seemed to end, instead going on and on for what seemed like forever, countless battels bleeding into one another until it was all just one huge mess. Yukio would never know how The King kept fighting for so long when it all just seemed pointless, like nothing he did mattered. Unless Rin skipped ahead in time, every piece of the story was about killing and slaughter, with such detail it made the young boy cringe. And yet, Yukio couldn't stop listening. Rin told the stories so well and with such passion that it sucked him in and he listened regardless of his own doubts, enraptured with the tales of all The King's triumphs and failures night after night, gasping at the twists and turns, and in awe of the powerful magic and brute strength described for him. Until finally, impossibly, The King actually reached his goal and ruled his entire world. Yukio thought the story would end there, because that had to be the end right?
Except no, there was one more story Rin had.
He wouldn't admit it, because it felt really girly and he was sure Rin would make fun of him for it, but he liked that final story the most. It was so out of place among the tales of epic battles and fighting, but for some reason Yukio couldn't help but feel drawn to it. Rin always told that story differently from the rest, his voice sounding really strange and his face downcast with a weak smile. Like he was happy and sad at the same time, and there was something scary raw there Yukio couldn't help but stare at.
He never thought his brother would be one to get emotional over a love story of all things.
The story of how The King fell in love wasn't a long one, but it still really confused Yukio. The King met a girl, tried to trick her, was tricked in turn, and somehow that led to love? It didn't make any sense and Rin was unusually vague about the whole thing, only giving bits and pieces as to what had actually happened. When Yukio asked how a girl could trick someone as great and smart as The King, Rin had looked weirdly embarrassed and refused to give a straight answer. He'd tried to get an answer out of his brother, complaining that not knowing made the story bad, but Rin had just gotten so annoyed he'd turned red in the face and sputtered angrily.
Yukio decided his brother just hadn't come up with a reason yet. Honestly, such a good story and he doesn't think about how to make the ending make sense? What was wrong with just saying they fell in love anyway? That's how it always went, at least.
Even though that was the last part of the story, Yukio still had a nagging feeling that he wasn't hearing the actual end. The King and the girl didn't even get married in it: Rin just said she was pregnant with twins and ended the story without another word. No amount of pestering could get him to continue, not even Yukio's usually full-proof pouting!
"I'll tell you when you're older." Rin had said.
Why did that matter? Rin told him all about people fighting and dying, but he couldn't hear about The King and the girl he loved just a little more?
It just wasn't fair! He wanted to see their happy ending already!
