The next morning, Patry agreed to leave the room and stretch his legs outside. He was looking a little better, though the 16-year-old looking Elf was still traumatised by what had been through previously. Even so, he knew that he couldn't hide inside a room forever, especially one that didn't belong to him. As he let his thoughts wonder, Patry slowly walked further from the Church, and into the small forest around it. His nightmare, while weird and terrifying, had still run home an important point. If he was so easily broken by the most mundane and easily the least harmful kind of torture, then how could he ever fight, much less destroy that damn Devil? While he doubted that Zagred would use tickling him of all things to make him suffer, still, he had to be strong! No matter what he could not waver. For all the people that he'd loved and lost in the past, and for all the people that he'd come to love over the past 9 years. William agreed, "there is no way that we'll ever let some Bastard Devil hurt the people that we love. And so, we have to be strong now, right Patry?" the human Teenager asked cheerfully.

Patry smiled slightly, "heh, you know you've really grown up a lot William. Is it weird that I'm just as proud of you as Dad is?" he muttered out loud. "Urgh, will both of you shut up already?! All this emotional crap is making me want to vomit!" Dark Patry complained, groaning loudly in disgust. "Hmph, well excuse me for having more emotions than just rage and hatred" the Elf replied snippily. "You do realise that you're talking out loud, right Big Brother?" William asked. Patry gasped and immediately stopped in his tracks, quickly looking around to see if anyone had noticed. When he saw that no one was around, he sighed in relief, 'why didn't either of you tell me sooner?!' the Light Mage thought in annoyance. "Because it was funny" the Dark Elf replied in slight amusement. "Sorry Patry, I only just realised it myself" his human host replied apologetically. The Light Mage sighed again, before stiffening when he felt another Mana Signature near him. He relaxed almost immediately though when he recognised the Mana. It was, after all, a Mana Signature that he knew almost as well as his own, despite the short amount of time they were able to spend with each other. Patry smiled softly, "I know you're there. You can come out, I won't hurt you, I promise" the Elf called gently.

A small boy shyly stepped out from behind a tree. He looked to be around 11-years-old, and had golden eyes, pale skin and messy black hair. Aside from the hair colour and rounded ears, he was a mirror image of- 'Yuno, my precious baby brother' Patry thought, memories of the boy as a Half-Elf flashing through his mind, causing tears to gather in his eyes. "Are you alright?" the younger boy asked, seeing his tears. The Elf sniffed, before wiping his eyes, "fine, s-sorry. You just, reminded me so much of someone I knew- someone I lost" Patry replied, bitting his lip to try and stifle his soft sobs, "I just- miss him so much" he added. Yuno slowly walked towards him, "I'm sorry that he died. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to be sad though, right?" the younger boy asked. The white-haired boy smiled tearfully, "no, you're right- he wouldn't want me to be sad. He'd, want me to keep living for him and everyone else," Patry reached down and gripped his chest through his clothes, "it still hurts a lot though. In fact, it feels like it gets more painful every day. I've lost everyone I ever loved, and it was only by luck that I now have other people who I love and who love me.

I tried so hard to protect him, but- *sob* I failed. I loved him so much. I promised him that I would always be there to protect him! But I- couldn't keep that promise! I'm sure that he feels like I abandoned him! And that he hates me now!" the Elf cried, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face, eyes squeezed shut and his whole body trembling from the pain in his heart. Suddenly he felt a small, gentle hand touch his cheek. Patry's eyes snapped open in shock. Yuno was gently wiping away his tears with his hands, a sad, caring and still somehow intense look in his golden eyes, "please don't cry, I know your Little Brother is gone, but he still loves you very much. I'm sure that he never hated you. In fact, he never could. Your Little Brother still loves you even now, no matter how long it's been. So please, don't cry Patry!" he begged softly. The Teenage Elf cringed in agony. His Baby Brother was right in front of him, and he had no idea what he should do. He wanted desperately to tell Yuno everything! To tell him the truth about their past and wrap his arms around the boy, to swear, that this time, he would protect him no matter what. His most precious person- more tears blurred his vision, and he almost thought he saw the human boy's form waver between his own black-haired human one, or his white-haired Elf form.

Patry shook his head, 'alright, that's it! To Hell with this crap! He's my Little Brother, damn it! And I'm not going to pretend otherwise!' he thought viciously. He quickly wrapped his arms around the younger boy, sobbing as he held his Baby Brother close for the first time in 471 years. Yuno seemed a little surprised, but he wrapped his small arms around the Elf and rubbed his back, just like Father and Sister always did to make them feel better when they were sad or in pain. And he could tell, that Patry was in massive amounts of both right now. He wasn't even letting out a quarter of the pain he was feeling right now, like he was holding them back for some reason. "Shhh, it's okay, everything will be okay" the black-haired boy said softly, comforting Patry as he continued to cry out his pain and agonising guilt.

Black Clover

Eventually the Teenager cried himself out. He still had a lot of pain and guilt in his heart, so much so, that he may never end up forgiving himself for not being there for Half-Elf Yuno when he needed him the most. But he at least felt a little better. After a few quiet moments between the two, the younger boy spoke up, "do you mind if I ask?" he began, causing Patry to hum in acceptance. Yuno looked down nervously, playing with his fingers, "who, was it that, you lost? He asked haltingly. The older boy was silent for a while, his soft breathing being the only sounds between them. Just when the human was about to take back his question though- "he was my baby Brother. I- wasn't their when he needed me. And he died," Patry replied, voice almost completely devoid of emotions except for a faint tremble. Yuno's eyes widened in horror at the thought. Patry was only around 15 or so, so his Little Brother had to have been a little kid, maybe even younger than he was!

"I'd promised, when he was only a baby, that- *gasp* I would always protect and love him, no matter what *sob*," tears were streaming down from his eyes, but he gave a watery smile, "you r-remind me o-of him, you know. *sniff* You're a-pperanc-es are, so similar. Except he had white hair, like me, *sob*. H-he was, such a kind, gentle boy, so *sob* happy, a-and, cheerful. He was always so *sniff* happy whenever I, w-was able to come see him" Patry explained through his tears, rubbing his eyes and nose. He inhaled shakily, then continued, "we weren't b-blood related, but, *sniff* his Father was my friend, so- he, and his wife, named me their s-sons, older b-brother" the Teenage Elf finished. "He sounds like a nice boy, I'm so sorry for your loss" Yuno repeated gently. Patry eventually managed to control his cries, smiling slightly down at his Brother's Reincarnation, "you remind me so much of him. Not just your appearance, but your voice, the way you act, move, talk. Although, you're a bit shyer that he was" the Light Mage added.

"Really? We're that similar?" the black-haired boy asked softly in contemplation. "Mhm. When I'm with you, even though it's still painful, I don't feel like my little brother Yuno is completely gone. It almost feels like, he's right next to me right now" Patry said with a soft smile, feeling a little more of the pain in his heart lifting. "I'm, happy that you think so, but I don't want to replace your brother Yuno or anything" the other Reincarnated Elf replied awkwardly, a blush on his face. Patry shook his head, "I don't see it that way. As far as I'm concerned, my brother is my brother and you are still you. But- I feel a lot like how I used to feel when I was with him. I'm not saying that you'd replace him or anything, but, just that you could be my Little Brother too," he replied with a smile, before back-peddling when a thought occurred to him, what if this Yuno didn't want the weird looking, strange older boy all of a sudden saying that he was his Older Brother? "O-only if you're okay with that, of course" he stuttered nervously. Yuno blushed slightly and a small smile appeared on his face, "I don't mind. I think I'd, really like to have you as my big brother. Only if you don't mind sharing me with all the other kids here, we all think of each other as brothers and sisters. Also, Asta, a boy who has ash-coloured hair is my rival, so don't be surprised if he declares you his big brother too" he replied, slowly getting more animated, until he gave a wide, bright grin as he talked about Asta.

Patry chuckled, "heh, don't worry, I don't mind at all" he replied with a smile. Then he blinked in slight surprise, 'huh, that sounded like the way Licht used to talk' the Elf realised, before giving a mental shrug. He grinned as another thought came to him, a memory of an activity that he and his Little Brother used to do all the time. "You know, my brother Yuno and I used to play together a lot. Do you want to play one of the games that we did back then?" Patry asked, hiding his mischievous intent. "Sure, if you want to, I don't mind," Yuno replied with a smile, "what was the game?" he asked curiously. The older boy felt a little apprehensive about this, but reassured himself that he would be very gentle, and would stop as soon as the younger boy said too. "Cover your eyes with your hands and stand still" Patry instructed. The 11-year-old did so. The Elf walked slowly around him, until he stood behind Yuno. "Big brother?" the younger boy asked in confusion when nothing happened for several seconds. However, he suddenly squealed in surprise and laughter when he felt gentle tickling in one of his worst spots- his underarms!

Yuno immediately pulled his hands away from his face and tried to twist around, reaching for Patry's hands, "Nahahaho, that tiiihickles!" the boy giggled crazily, squirming around to try and get away. "We used to play this game all the time. My Brother's underarms were really ticklish too. Unfortunately for me, his Father, Licht, would always come along, sneaking up behind me and tickling me when I wasn't expecting it. I'm insanely ticklish, and he was always able to torture me by accident because he was so good at tickling. I'm just lucky that no one, including me knew about my actual worst spot back then, otherwise it would have gone from playful, to actual torture for me" Patry explained, shuddering slightly at the memories. He pulled himself back to the present, watching his Reincarnated Little Brother giggling like crazy. He was sure that the boy's tummy was just as ticklish as his past self's, but he wasn't trying to torture Yuno. Especially after what he'd been through only a few days ago. Speaking of not wanting to torture his Brother, Patry decided to stop.

Yuno kept giggling for a minute afterwards, arms wrapped tightly around his middle. When he was finally able to calm down, he turned to face Patry and pouted, "that wasn't fair Big Brother" he whined. The Light Mage chuckled softly, "sorry, but you were the one who wanted to play the game with me!" he defended himself with a smile on his face. "Anyway, why don't we play some different games now?" Patry suggested. "Like what?" the younger boy asked. The Elf grinned, knowing another game that he would always win, "wanna race?"

To Be Continued