Thanks to everyone who followed, favored, and reviewed!

mimi-chan and aliling-chan: Well, here's a hint of what happened during the time skip.

Big Eater Queen: Yeah, I love Eragon; of course I had to make a shout out! And Alfred will come around...you know, eventually.

kittyhawk09: Thanks again for the review!

NummiNumNums: Gil cannot see the stuff! ...or can he? And since Matthias is bonded with Lukas, he can use Lukas's magic, which means he can use Lukas's eyesight when he wants to.

Thanks for the reviews! You guys are awesome!

Disclaimer: I don't own diddily-squat.

Matthew was a very easy-going person. He wasn't one to hold grudges, nor one to hold something against someone. He got along fine with most people he met (if they happened to notice him), and was very unassuming. That being said, he was very surprised at himself when his resentment towards his brother lasted for more than a day. Eventually, the uncomfortable resentment grew into weeks, followed by months, which turned into years. Nearly three years, to be precise. What was even more shocking was the resentment was directed towards none other that Alfred, one of the most important people in the world to him.

Ever since the boy could remember, he was always extraordinarily close to his younger sibling. They shared a bond that was akin to that of a twin, despite the age gap. Because of their bond, no matter what Alfred did, he never seemed weird to Matthew. It was just Alfred. That all changed when the two boys started school.

Being often ignored and forgotten can make one very perceptive. Matthew had never stood out all that much at home anyway, but the amount of sheer ignorance was brought to a whole new level at the school house. The only times the teacher called on him to answer a question, she called him Alfred. At first, this annoyed Matthew, but he quickly grew used to it.

It was at this time in his life where he noticed some strange things; for example the fact that Alfred always seemed to be concentrating on some invisible object. He would literally be staring at nothing. Whenever the teacher asked what Alfred was starring at he would respond with an answer akin to:

"The floating blown-up frog that's glowing, of course. It's right there!"

...or...

"That cat that just ran through the window. I think it had three tails..."

...maybe even...

"Miss teacher lady! Miss teacher lady! There's a giant pus-filled insect on your face! Quick, remove it before it eats your brain!"

Of course, that last one was a wort that was actually on the teacher's face that the teacher had newly acquired because of the stress of dealing with Alfred. You see, every time he would make one of these ludicrous claims, he would be reprimanded not to tell lies. Alfred would proceed to vehemently claim that he was not lying. After a few minutes of this, the teacher would proceed to take out the ruler and whip his hands, which is why Alfred had determinately scarred hands that almost always had an open wound or two.

Whenever Matthew talked to him about it, he would always say something like, "I did see it there! Come on, Mattie, who're ya going to believe? Your own brother, or that stupid hag of a woman?" Matthew chose him every time, consarn all logic.

Even before school, Alfred would describe the unusual things he saw to Matthew, claiming that he couldn't see them because my eyes were "broken".

Walking home every day, Alfred would complain about how annoying it was that everyone's eyes were "broken". He lamented that it wasn't fair he got punished for being the only one who could actually see what was right in front of him.

And Matthew believed every word. Why wouldn't he?

It wasn't until later that Alfred became neurotic. He began reading weird books, always stole the salt from the kitchens, tried convincing Ma and Pa to replace everything in his room with a replica made or iron, etc. The kind of stories he always told Matthew entailed of things like,

"They're out to get me Matthew, don't you see!? I have to take precautions! Salt will keep them from getting to me, so I'll just have to put it everywhere..." And he did.

Matthew never saw his brother without a jug of the salty substance. He was constantly replenishing it around the school house, around the farm, at home, on the path they walked everyday, etc.

At the beginning, Matthew was genuinely worried for the safety of his brother. As the months passed, he began to be more worried for his brother's mental safety.

Matthew knew Alfred was weird. He knew it since they started school. He had unusual quirks like his eating and boundless energy, his ever-present grin and inability to really get angry, his habit of laughing really loud, and the way he just started chasing nothing. Matthew used to think that he himself was the weird one, but when he witnessed the behavior of other kids his age, he realized with a shock that it was Alfred, not him, Alfred that was weird.

Alfred, who always told Matthew how weird Matthew was.

Alfred, who claimed to be the only normal person in the world.

Alfred, who was so oblivious to his own abnormalities.

Alfred, who tried so very hard to fit in with the other kids and make friends, but never seemed to cut it.

What really broke Matthew's heart was when he would hear the other kids talking behind his brother's back. The worst thing Matthew had ever heard about his brother was when a group of a few kids were talking to a new girl from Lithuania, Tori. She wanted to go talk to Alfred because she found him "cute" , nice, and he looked lonely sitting all by himself. The group of girls she was with said,

"You can't hang out with him!"

"Why not?" asked Tori.

"Alfred Jones is a freak," said another. "He's really weird and always lies to the teacher. Trust me, you'll be better off avoiding him at all costs."

"But he was really nice to me today...how could he be a freak?"

"He's delusional," said a third girl. "He sees things that aren't really there. Him being nice to you was probably just an act. He's really a warlock in disguise, and the minute you be his friend, he'll probably turn you into a toad or something."

The first girl spoke up again, "Besides, who would want to be friends with a freak?"

To put a cherry on top, Alfred became smitten with Tori. It made Matthew so angry; if only Tori had never spoken to those girls, Alfred could've gained an actual, real friend. Matthew made sure that Alfred remained unaware of those horrid rumors. He couldn't bare the thought of how heart-broken Alfred would be if he ever found out.

Even so, Matthew began to wonder if the girls' claims were true; was Alfred simply delusional?

The more Matthew thought about it, the more it made sense. One day, when the two boys were walking home and Alfred was dragging the salt can and rapidly talking about all the different types of ghosts that could hurt him, Matthew snapped.

"Alfred, why don't you just stop lying?!"

The younger stopped dead in his tracks to stare at the older with wide, incredulous eyes. "W-what do ya mean, Mattie?"

The violet eyed boy groaned his annoyance. "I mean that you wouldn't get hurt so much by teacher if you would just stop fibbing and admit nothing was there! You could actually have friends if you would just stop thinking that supernatural beings are out to get you, because they're not! You know why, Alfred? Because they DON'T EXIST!" At the end of his rant, Matthew was panting; he'd never screamed at anyone. It was actually very exhilarating to the young boy.

Until he saw the tears well up in his brother's big, green eyes.

Gilt stabbed though the older brother's heart. "Alfred, I'm just worried—"

"I'm sorry," Alfred interrupted. Tears were flowing down his shadowed face. Head down, he sprinted off in the direction of their house, salt can trailing behind him.

Matthew called after him, running behind him. He felt bad for hurting his brother's feelings, but Alfred had to face reality sometime. He couldn't be indulged in his fantasies forever!

When Matthew got home he planned to go to his brother's room and talk to him, but he was immediately cornered by his mother.

"Matthew," she said calmly, "Do you know what happened to Alfred?"

Matthew paled slightly and said quietly, "Um, no, no idea."

She raised one eyebrow. "Oh, really? So you don't know why he ran straight to his room, crying?"

She was staring so intensely, that her son couldn't even muster up the courage for another lie. "Why does Al lie?!" the young boy cried out, exasperated. "He talks about things that aren't there, saying that they're there, and he always get smacked because of it, and people don't like talking to him because of it, and—"

"Matthew, that's enough!" Said boy snapped his mouth shut. The woman knelt down to her son's level, grasped his shoulder and looked him in the eye. "Now I'm only going to say this once, so are you listening?" He nodded. "Good. Alfred is...different than you and most other kids. He sees things a different way. Are you following me?"

Matthew scrunched his eyebrows in concentration. After about a minute, he nodded. "So, are you saying that the way I see things isn't the way Al sees things?"

The woman smiled and nodded. "Exactly. Everyone sees things a different way. Alfred's way of seeing things is just more unusual that most. So...don't get upset at him for something he can't help, okay? And if he ever gets upset at you for the same reason, than you just tell me and I'll set him straight. Understood?" Matthew nodded, prompting his mother to kiss him on the forehead, and send him off to do his chores.

Matthew had every intention to apologize Alfred, but the later acted as if nothing ever happened. After that incident, he never mentioned the supernatural or ghosts ever again. Matthew thought that maybe his mother was wrong, and Alfred was just lying for attention. (He was, after all, quite an attention hog).

It seemed to be the case to Matthew, until he noticed his brother doing the same routine he did in the first place with the salt and whatnot. He was as paranoid as ever; the only thing that changed was he had stopped talking to Matthew about it, and was a lot more discreet that he originally was.

The elder brother was at a lose for what to do about it; so he didn't do anything and kept his quite concern to himself.

Years went by and the patterns didn't change. Once or twice Matthew tried to talk to him about it, but Alfred became a professional at dodging conversations he didn't want to partake in. The two boys were still as close as ever, but Matthew couldn't help but feel that ever since that day he yelled at Alfred, something in their close bond broke and was never mended properly. There was a patch-work job, but it just wasn't the same; Matthew knew they couldn't go on like that forever.

That's when Matthew met Gilbert.

The violet eyed boy had never really had a friend. (It was kind of hard to when everyone forgot about you). So you could imagine it came as a bit of a shock when an albino (a very muscular albino) boy around Matthew's own age began talking to him for no reason at all.

It went a little something like this:

Gilbert: "Hey you! Blonde girl with the glasses, I'm talking to you!"

Matthew: *Looks around before cautiously pointing to himself.*

Gilbert: "Yeah, that's right, you! Geez, are you stupid or something?"

Matthew: "...I'm a guy..."

Gilbert: "...are you sure?"

Matthew: "Yes, I think I would know what gender I was!"

Gilbert: "Are you sure? Do you have the right parts? Because it doesn't grow in when you're older, you know."

Matthew: "Yes, I know!"

And that was how their friendship began. The rest is history.

The good thing about Gilbert is that he was a good distraction from Matthew's concern's about Alfred. One day, Matthew found himself lamenting his fears for Alfred to Gilbert. The albino boy listened well to his boyfriend, despite his advice not being very good:

"Take all his stupid salt and lock him up until he stops being weird! It worked with me!"

...sometimes, Gilbert could be even dumber than a bird. Even so, Matthew still adored the albino boy for whatever reason.

Before Gilbert, Alfred was the person Matthew cared the most about in life. Matthew was always concerned about his younger brother, always wondering what was wrong with him, why he was so...so...different. However, Matthew must have liked "different" people; Gilbert certainly wasn't what someone would consider "normal". He was rude, crude, albino, and gay. And you know what? Matthew liked it.

That's when he decided that he didn't have to understand Alfred. Alfred was...Alfred. He was an ever-changing, unsolvable enigma, and that was okay. All Matthew knew was that he loved Alfred as much as one could love a brother. He didn't need anymore than that.

Then Alfred got an apprenticeship with Ol' Man England, which threw Matthew for a loop again. Why would their Ma sign him up for that? What was the point? What was the purpose? What did spooks even do?

Alfred reacted like a normal person a first; he was outraged and horrified that their Ma would sign him up for that, let alone without his consent. Matthew felt for him, he really did, but it would only be for two months.

Then a whole lot of crap happened where Alfred found out about him and Gilbert (what was Alfred doing there in the first place?!), got freaked out and didn't talk to him for a month, and when he finally did, he...he had changed.

He looked better; there was something about him that radiated a confidence he never had before. Worst of all, he seemed happier.

Matthew couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason their Ma send Alfred to Ol' Man England, but how did she know? What was it about working for the temperamentally-old spook that Alfred found so enjoyable? Matthew was certain that Alfred would come back lamenting about how he hated it at Ol' Man England's, and demand to be sent home for good. As always, Alfred surprised him.

But when Matthew inquired as to what a spook actually did, (he'd heard the rumors, but he wasn't one to believe in such prejudice gossip), Alfred said he couldn't tell him. The words sliced through Matthew like shards of a broken sword, cutting quickly, but deeply. Alfred had never, ever told Matthew that he couldn't tell him something, ever. Regardless of what whether Alfred told him or not Matthew would find out from Mr. Wang, but even so...it caused a rift between the two.

Nevertheless, Matthew was certain the issue could be resolved. So, like always, he put the issue aside for a later date.

However, that proved to be an even worse idea. The more time passed, the more withdrawn Alfred's life became from his. Alfred even got a friend without telling Matthew; his name was Matthias whose family was from Scandinavian countries. The only reason Matthew even found out about Matthias was from Gilbert, who had taken up hanging out with Alfred and Matthias. Which, in Matthew's point of view, was just...weird.

When it came to the point that Gilbert knew more about Alfred's life than Matthew himself did, that's when the quiet boy snapped. It just didn't fly that Gilbert, who didn't even like Alfred at first, knew more about what he did than Matthew himself did.

Gathering up all the courage the timid boy had, he went to Ol' Man England's house and confronted Alfred himself. He just wouldn't be able to live with himself if he let their relationship just slip through his fingers without a fight.

Ol' Man England's house was...much different that what he expected it to be. For one, it was more of a mansion than a house, but it also had a very cheerful aspect to it that would make any child's eyes widen with wonder.

The first thing Matthew saw was the garden, which surrounded the whole house and looked to go on for miles, if Matthew didn't know any better. It was, simply put, the most beautiful thing Matthew had ever laid eyes on. There was everything from flowers, to fungus, to trees, and even shrubbery. It almost felt...magical. It was certainly surreal.

The next thing that came into view was the mansion. It looked to be a few stories high, painted in a very grandiose way with blues, blacks, whites and greens mixed throughout. It didn't even look ridiculous in the slightest way.

Maybe this is why Alfred says he likes being the Ol' Man's apprentice...I know I would like it if I got to live in a place that nice.

Once inside, Matthew tried calmly talking to Alfred, but Alfred simply dodged all of Matthew's inquiries. Then Matthew started crying. His brother's eyes immediately softened, always being a sucker for tears.

Much to his own chagrin, Alfred led Matthew to his room, mumbling about having to be quick so Kirkland wouldn't catch them.

The younger proceeded to sit Matthew down, and told him everything. Alfred told Matthew about what a spook was, what they did, about all the different realms, and what Alfred himself did on a daily basis as a spook's apprentice.

When he was over, Matthew simply stared at the ground in terse silence.

"Mattie?" Alfred cautioned. "Look, I know this is a lot to believe—"

"Yeah, it really is," Matthew cut in. He looked at the boy who was as close to him as a twin. His eyes were rimmed red, not out of sadness anymore, but anger. "I knew you were always obsessed, but Alfred...what kind of fool do you take me for?"

The bespectacled boy's pale blue eyes widened in astonishment. "I'm not lying to you, Mattie! How could you think such a thing of me?!"

"How could you expect anyone to believe that load of syrup?! All I know is that ever since you were apprenticed, you've grown further and further away from me, and you're constantly getting hurt! And now you're admitting you had been lying to me about all of your injuries, only to give me more lies in return! And your eyes...god Al, your eyes..." Matthew stopped to choke back a sob as tears started freely flowing down his face. Alfred made a more to go towards Matthew, but Matthew pushed him away.

"You almost lost your eyesight, and you told me that you got kicked in the back of the head by a horse, only now you say that some jabber-jay—"

"...jabberwocky..."

"Whatever! Spit into your eyes, nearly melting them from your skull! What really happened, Alfred?"

The half-blind boy looked at his brother desperately, now also in tears. "I'm telling you the truth, Mattie! Why can't you just believe me?"

But Matthew only shook his head, and walked away. Oh, what a mistake that was.

The next week, Mr. Wang sat Matthew down to talk to him about what a spook really did, and how they worked hand in hand with them. It turned out that the real reason Matthew was chosen to be Mr. Wang's apprentice was because Matthew was quiet, intelligent, nearly invisible, and Alfred's brother. Everything matched up perfectly with what Alfred had told Matthew, and Mr. Wang never joked. The possibility that both Alfred and Mr. Wang lied to him about the exact same thing were very slim...especially considering the two shared nothing in common. So that meant...

Matthew felt sick to his stomach. All those years...Alfred had been telling the truth about everything. He was never off...no, quite far from it. He was the only one who could see what was really there. And Matthew didn't believe him. He never believed him.

Oh god...

Alfred had done many things towards Matthew over the years that would be considered unforgivable by most. He constantly accidentally beat Matthew up (kid didn't know his own strength), ridiculed him for things he couldn't help, was always insinuating that he was better, always showing Matthew up in their ma's eyes...in truth, it was surprising the two were close at all with every stupid, thoughtless thing Alfred would do. However, every time, Matthew would forgive his younger brother because he loved him so much.

Something Matthew was unused to was he himself being the one that messed up, and he messed up badly.

How did one apologize for something like that?

Page Break

"HELLOOOOOOO?! I asked like a billion times, but no one seems to be listening! Who're you talking abo—"

"Can't you just shut your mouth for one second, you ungrateful brat!?" Kirkland snapped. "We heard you the first few hundred times, there isn't a need to repeat yourself so constantly!"

Reluctantly, I closed my mouth and furrowed my eyebrows in annoyance. I was all too used to Kirkland's PMSing.

"They're a society whose sole purpose is ridding the world of anything from the other dimension, regardless of if they're in the other realm or not," said Mr. Wang, quietly. "They're ruthless murderers. Trust me, I would know."

My eyes widened as my breath got caught in my throat. "Great scotts...are...are you serious? There are people that actually do that?"

"Oh, they've been around for thousands of years," said Kirkland. "People are afraid of things they don't understand. When someone with the sight doesn't have proper guidance, they don't understand what they're are seeing most of the time, especially since everyone around them cannot see the same things they can. Often, these people end up put into insane asylums, but when they aren't, depending of the type of creatures they've been exposed to, they believe the creatures are demons on earth and since they can see them, that means it was their destiny is to expel them."

I gaped at Kirkland, flabbergasted. "That sounds so...so stupid and horrendous!" I cried.

The Briton sighed, and looked up as if he was trying to recall an old memory. "Does it? It's quite common, actually. It's also quite understandable. Intelligence has nothing to do with who gets the mutated gene that allows us to see past all the barriers. It's all completely random. No one is 'chosen', or anything like that, contrary to popular misconceptions. As a result, a lot of the time the most unfit, moronic people end up with the sight."

"Still," I protested, "people shouldn't be so stupid as to kill things like fairies, mermaids, and other good creatures form the other realm!"

"Alfred, you have to remember that not all 'good' creatures and 'good', and not all 'bad' ones are 'bad'. If only it were that black and white...also, don't you remember how paranoid you were before I properly explained to you what you were experiencing?"

"He has a point," Matthew chimed in.

I huffed in annoyance. "Okay, maybe you guys have a point there...but...why did they take all of the archives, and why tell us it was they who did it? What's their motive?"

A flicker of emotion passed over Kirkland's eyes, as he gave me a very intent stare. I couldn't read his expression, but it made me squirm nonetheless. "I don't know," he said slowly. He was lying.

"There's a lot of ways someone, especially someone such as themselves, could use the archives," spoke Matthew. "That's why they were so well hidden."

"Apparently, not well enough," Mr. Wang grumbled. "Maybe they're trying to go after everyone associated with the creatures?"

Kirkland gave a hearty sigh and rubbed his face tiredly. "I certainly hope not. Even so, your records wouldn't say anything involving the creatures from the other realm, or mention anyone's involvement with them. They couldn't get any information they would want out of that."

"Maybe they just took them to taunt you," I reasoned. "You know, to get under your skin as if to say they can do things right under your nose and get into your most 'secret' place without you even knowing until it was too late."

Kirkland studied my face for a moment. "You might be onto something there."

There was a tense silence as we all contemplated what this could mean. It was obvious Kirkland and Wang had dealt with these guys before; but where, and when? And what had happened?

"We better get going," Kirkland broke through the quiet atmosphere. "We'll just wait this out for a while before we can figure out what their next move will be."

I followed Kirkland out the door, and back towards home. I was a bit disappointed and relieved at the same time that I didn't see Sakura on our way out.

Sakura...

Suddenly, my whole being filled with dread. What if that stupid society found her? What if they...my blood ran cold, and I stopped dead in my tracks. No...I wouldn't—couldn't—let anything happen to her. Not Sakura. She didn't deserve something like that.

"-hey, Alfred, what's the matter with you?"

My head jerked up, and I realized that I had stopped in my tracks. "Huh? Oh, sorry. I zoned out there for a minute."

When we got inside, I asked Kirkland what had been on my mind. "How do you know them?"

His whole back grew tense before he relaxed, and turned to look at me with an expressionless face. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said, too calmly.

"I don't believe you," I stated bluntly. "If you want me to help you, then you have to be honest with me."

The (shorter) man glared at me and spit out, "I will tell you what I want to tell you, because you are my apprentice, and you will do as I say. These people...believe me when I say they are no one to be messed with, or taken lightly. I'll tell you about my involvement with them eventually, but just..." he seemed to choke on his words for a minute before he ground out, "just don't do anything stupid that would get yourself hurt."

I gave Kirkland a smile, and laughed loudly.

"Why you—"

"Aw, I love you too, old man."

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