Longing burned in Twilight's heart. He wanted nothing more than for
Emerald to appear before him so he could wrap her up in his embrace, revel
in the warmth and love of his beloved sister. But as always when the
impulse presented itself, he swallowed a lump in his throat and shoved the
feeling deep down where it was smothered in other worries and emotions. The
one that surfaced to take its place was a deep sadness that mingled with
confused fury. Now it was Sunray he longed for. Wishing he'd come with a
sad smile and arms open for a brotherly embrace. He shut his eyes tight to
avoid letting the tears slide down his cheeks. They would show up too well
on a clear moonlit night.
As if someone had decided to answer half of his prayer, a portal opened up and Sunray walked out, eyes blazing. This was not the sentiment that Twilight had wanted to meet his brother on, and forced another lump of grief into his stomach.
"You damned hothead," Twilight thought mournfully. "Just say you're sorry and we can put this behind us. Don't make anything worse for yourself." He instead spoke sharp and defensive words. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to know how Charanth is," Sunray replied huskily. Sincerity was not what Twilight heard, though he suspected that it was anyways. Regardless, Twilight's heart gave a defensive throb and his eyes blazed his own warnings.
"Well he's not going to be up dancing a jig anytime soon, thanks to you," Twilight spot. Sunray shot him an equally venomous look.
"I never touched him," he growled, raising his head high to show his pride and confidence, but his shaking body betrayed him.
"Fine," Twilight sneered, "you sent your goons to beat him up."
"My clan is not full of goons," Sunray growled. "We're not bloodthirsty like this place." Twilight took a threatening step forward.
"Take that back!" he snarled. For a brief moment he froze, the same words echoing in his ears in his father's voice. He backed away slightly, taken by the memory. Would they ever go away? Sunray misinterpreted this as false confidence and gloated over his supposed victory.
"No," he jeered. "What are you going to do about it?" Twilight bit back his tongue, but it lashed out anyways.
"Look you runt," he roared, "you're one of the weakest things to crawl over this earth, using magic to survive. Go spend twenty years in a forest and see if it kills you or strengthens you, like I did."
"You weren't training," Sunray muttered, reopening a portal. "You were hiding. Like you always do." Before Twilight could counter, he was gone. Twilight shut his eyes and tried to ignore the rage and pain that built up behind his eyes. This was not happening...
"No!" a voice shouted in his head. "Denial never works. Face your problems like a man!" Twilight grumped at the voice and decided he needed to be with someone close... Someone he hadn't seen in a while... A brother he could trust. Smiling at the prospect of this visit, he teleported away quickly.
"Ten?" Twilight whispered, looking into the black murkiness of the forest. A loud thump behind him had him whirling around to face a foe. He struck out quickly only to be blocked by lightning reflexes. He smiled, relaxed, and hugged Ten.
Ten rolled his eyes gently and gave him an awkward pat on the back. Twilight laughed, feeling tears well in his eyes.
"You're in your late twenties and you can't take affection," Twilight pointed out. "Come on, give me a hug."
"No," Ten replied bluntly, and gently shoved Twilight aside, though his smile and eyes said otherwise. He swung up and took a seat on the branch so that he could look down on Twilight. This was a habit that still got on Twilight's nerves. "So, what do you want? It better be good, waking me up in the dead of night like this. You're lucky I didn't rip your shell in half thinking it was a Pokemon gone mad." Twilight laughed heartily despite himself, and despite the salty tears rolling down his cheek. Ten noted that but didn't make any move towards him.
"Well you sorta did," Twilight laughed. Ten flinched, thinking that if he didn't calm down, Twilight would be choking on those laughs. "You see, the funny thing is, my brother's trying to kill me and my 'larger' family. So I guess I am mad." Ten sent down a piteous look. Now was as good of a time as ever to display some emotion, so he swung back down and hugged Twilight.
"Buck up, Twilight," Ten sighed. "Could be worse."
"No it can't," Twilight muttered.
"This is just a family feud," Ten pointed out. "It's not like he has a deep and burning hatred for you. It's not..." He trailed off. Twilight finished, "Like Seven." Ten gave him a half glare and let go of the embrace.
"Sorry," Twilight muttered. "You're right. But I'm scared, bro. This is water against fire. It's not hard to figure out who's going to take the heavier hits." Ten shrugged.
"Such is life," he sighed. "Try to avert this, if you're so worried." Twilight gave him a half hopeful look. Ten did not like it.
"Don't look at me like that," Ten warned. "I'm not getting my paws into this dirty mess."
"Please, Ten," Twilight pleaded. "You could turn the tide for this." Ten's eyes gave a flash of anger and before Twilight could brace himself, Ten had slammed him to the ground and snarled.
"I'm not getting involved!" Ten growled. "Don't be such a damn fool, Twilight. Don't be proud, like I am! Try to mend this and don't destroy your family. Think, boy, this isn't just you and Sunray. The lives of two clans and the rest of your family hang in the balance!"
"But I didn't do anything!" Twilight growled back.
"So?"
Twilight blinked. "So?!" But he couldn't think of anything to reply back with. "So..." Ten nodded.
"So..." he said somberly, letting him off.
"So I guess I'm a real walking Muk, huh?" Twilight sighed. Ten smiled warmly. "Thanks bro... Oh, and Ten?" Ten glanced back curiously.
"Yes, Twilight?"
"If I come out of this alive... Promise me you'll call me brother from now on."
Ten made a face. He had a lot of pride and hope that his protégé would do well... Though that was asking a lot. However... He'd been so alone, so cold from everyone since his mother's passing... So angry, remote... But when he looked at Twilight he saw his mother's laughing smile and determination integrated. Just like he saw it in himself when he looked into a still pool of water. He let out a deep sigh.
"Deal, kid. Now shoo, go win that war the right way."
As if someone had decided to answer half of his prayer, a portal opened up and Sunray walked out, eyes blazing. This was not the sentiment that Twilight had wanted to meet his brother on, and forced another lump of grief into his stomach.
"You damned hothead," Twilight thought mournfully. "Just say you're sorry and we can put this behind us. Don't make anything worse for yourself." He instead spoke sharp and defensive words. "What do you want?"
"I wanted to know how Charanth is," Sunray replied huskily. Sincerity was not what Twilight heard, though he suspected that it was anyways. Regardless, Twilight's heart gave a defensive throb and his eyes blazed his own warnings.
"Well he's not going to be up dancing a jig anytime soon, thanks to you," Twilight spot. Sunray shot him an equally venomous look.
"I never touched him," he growled, raising his head high to show his pride and confidence, but his shaking body betrayed him.
"Fine," Twilight sneered, "you sent your goons to beat him up."
"My clan is not full of goons," Sunray growled. "We're not bloodthirsty like this place." Twilight took a threatening step forward.
"Take that back!" he snarled. For a brief moment he froze, the same words echoing in his ears in his father's voice. He backed away slightly, taken by the memory. Would they ever go away? Sunray misinterpreted this as false confidence and gloated over his supposed victory.
"No," he jeered. "What are you going to do about it?" Twilight bit back his tongue, but it lashed out anyways.
"Look you runt," he roared, "you're one of the weakest things to crawl over this earth, using magic to survive. Go spend twenty years in a forest and see if it kills you or strengthens you, like I did."
"You weren't training," Sunray muttered, reopening a portal. "You were hiding. Like you always do." Before Twilight could counter, he was gone. Twilight shut his eyes and tried to ignore the rage and pain that built up behind his eyes. This was not happening...
"No!" a voice shouted in his head. "Denial never works. Face your problems like a man!" Twilight grumped at the voice and decided he needed to be with someone close... Someone he hadn't seen in a while... A brother he could trust. Smiling at the prospect of this visit, he teleported away quickly.
"Ten?" Twilight whispered, looking into the black murkiness of the forest. A loud thump behind him had him whirling around to face a foe. He struck out quickly only to be blocked by lightning reflexes. He smiled, relaxed, and hugged Ten.
Ten rolled his eyes gently and gave him an awkward pat on the back. Twilight laughed, feeling tears well in his eyes.
"You're in your late twenties and you can't take affection," Twilight pointed out. "Come on, give me a hug."
"No," Ten replied bluntly, and gently shoved Twilight aside, though his smile and eyes said otherwise. He swung up and took a seat on the branch so that he could look down on Twilight. This was a habit that still got on Twilight's nerves. "So, what do you want? It better be good, waking me up in the dead of night like this. You're lucky I didn't rip your shell in half thinking it was a Pokemon gone mad." Twilight laughed heartily despite himself, and despite the salty tears rolling down his cheek. Ten noted that but didn't make any move towards him.
"Well you sorta did," Twilight laughed. Ten flinched, thinking that if he didn't calm down, Twilight would be choking on those laughs. "You see, the funny thing is, my brother's trying to kill me and my 'larger' family. So I guess I am mad." Ten sent down a piteous look. Now was as good of a time as ever to display some emotion, so he swung back down and hugged Twilight.
"Buck up, Twilight," Ten sighed. "Could be worse."
"No it can't," Twilight muttered.
"This is just a family feud," Ten pointed out. "It's not like he has a deep and burning hatred for you. It's not..." He trailed off. Twilight finished, "Like Seven." Ten gave him a half glare and let go of the embrace.
"Sorry," Twilight muttered. "You're right. But I'm scared, bro. This is water against fire. It's not hard to figure out who's going to take the heavier hits." Ten shrugged.
"Such is life," he sighed. "Try to avert this, if you're so worried." Twilight gave him a half hopeful look. Ten did not like it.
"Don't look at me like that," Ten warned. "I'm not getting my paws into this dirty mess."
"Please, Ten," Twilight pleaded. "You could turn the tide for this." Ten's eyes gave a flash of anger and before Twilight could brace himself, Ten had slammed him to the ground and snarled.
"I'm not getting involved!" Ten growled. "Don't be such a damn fool, Twilight. Don't be proud, like I am! Try to mend this and don't destroy your family. Think, boy, this isn't just you and Sunray. The lives of two clans and the rest of your family hang in the balance!"
"But I didn't do anything!" Twilight growled back.
"So?"
Twilight blinked. "So?!" But he couldn't think of anything to reply back with. "So..." Ten nodded.
"So..." he said somberly, letting him off.
"So I guess I'm a real walking Muk, huh?" Twilight sighed. Ten smiled warmly. "Thanks bro... Oh, and Ten?" Ten glanced back curiously.
"Yes, Twilight?"
"If I come out of this alive... Promise me you'll call me brother from now on."
Ten made a face. He had a lot of pride and hope that his protégé would do well... Though that was asking a lot. However... He'd been so alone, so cold from everyone since his mother's passing... So angry, remote... But when he looked at Twilight he saw his mother's laughing smile and determination integrated. Just like he saw it in himself when he looked into a still pool of water. He let out a deep sigh.
"Deal, kid. Now shoo, go win that war the right way."