Days of Innocence Epilogue: Brothers in Mischief

The two boys ran snickering through the large enclosed yard of Bevelle temple. The taller of the two boys pointed to some bushes and tugged the to other boy toward them.

"This way."

Both boys ducked into the hedge and disappeared in the bushes. Safe in their hiding spot the shorter boy flopped onto his back, his black hair narrowly missing getting caught on a branch. The other boy sat and leaned back. They both struggled to catch their breath between fits of laughter.

The taller boy heard a noise outside the hedge and quickly leapt at and clamped his hand over the other boy's mouth.

"SHHH!"

Both boys held their breath and stayed as quiet as possible at the sound of angry footsteps that paused only a few feet away from them.

"Damned brats! Where the hell are you?!"

Both boys remained perfectly still and silent.

"I'm going to get your father if you don't come out right now!"

The man must have been stupid if he thought the boys would fall for that. Like he wasn't going to tell their father anyway. They heard more grumbling and as string of curses as the man moved on to continue his search.

The boys didn't relax until they were sure the man was out of earshot. The taller boy removed his hand from the other's mouth and sat back on his haunches.

"You know, I don't think the sensei appreciated that snake you put in his desk, Auron."

Auron lay on his back snickering trying to contain himself.

"Nope, he sure didn't."

"We are SO gonna get it when father finds out."

"Yep, we sure are."

"That was the funniest thing I've ever seen."

Auron lost complete control and broke out in hysterical laughter. The other boy burst out laughing as well. Auron sat up for a moment.

"Oh Braska."

"Hmm?"

The other boy looked to see the sphere in Auron's hand. Braska's eyes grew wide and he gazed at the sphere.

"You didn't."

Auron nodded.

"I did."

"You recorded it?'

"Yep."

Braska nearly pounced him.

"Well let's see it!"

Auron set the sphere on the ground and flipped a switch and the sphere flickered to life.

The scene was the classroom. There was a slight snicker from behind the sphere, Auron. To the side there was another muffled laugh, Braska. The sensei entered the classroom and closed the door behind him.

The sensei glanced up at the boys behind the sphere.

"Auron, put that sphere away."

"Yes, sensei."

The sphere didn't move and more muffled snickers could be heard as the sensei went to open the drawer of his desk.

"Auron."

"Yes, sensei."

The sphere still didn't move.

The sensei opened his desk drawer where he kept the book he taught from. Much to the sensei's shock and horror a large snake jumped out of his drawer and coiled up on the desk hissing at him.

The sensei jumped back and nearly climbed up the wall as hysterical laughter broke out from behind the sphere at the sound of the sensei's screams.

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

The sensei let out a high-pitched scream as he pointed an accusing finger at Auron and Braska. The boys were nearly rolling on the floor with laughter but somehow Auron had managed to keep the sphere still.

The sensei's voice had noticeably risen a couple octaves in pitch.

"You! You'll get it for this!"

The boys behind the sphere continued their hysterical laughter until a warrior monk threw open the door of the classroom and stormed inside.

"What's going on in here?"

There was an "Uh-oh" from behind the sphere and the room began to move as the two boys ran and leapt out the window.

The sphere went black.

Auron and Braska had been intently watching the scene unfold on the sphere and then suddenly fell back in hysterical laughter. Had they actually know that the sensei was terrified of snakes, well.they probably would have added more. Kids are cruel like that.

Auron was laughing so hard he never noticed the mischievous look in Braska's eye. Braska suddenly pounced Auron, thwacked his head, and then bolted from under the bush and took off running.

"Hey!"

"Catch me if you can!"

"Braska, wait up!"

Auron jumped to his feet, shoved the sphere in his pocket and darted after Braska.

Braska was much taller than Auron, he was a year older after all, and his long legs enabled him to run much faster. Auron called after Braska.

"Braska! Wait up, you're not being fair!"

Braska glanced back and stuck out his tongue at Auron in a taunt and continued running. Auron knew there was no way he could catch Braska, so he decided to outsmart him instead.

Braska slowed when he no longer heard Auron's footsteps behind him. When he glanced back and saw that Auron wasn't behind him he stopped and turned around.

"Auron?"

Suddenly Auron darted out from behind a bush and pounced Braska pinning him to the ground.

"Gotcha."

Auron sat over Braska with a huge grin on his face, but he wasn't the only smart one. It was Braska's turn to play a mind game.

"Get off me!"

Braska's feigned anger caused Auron to sit back on his haunches and let Braska up, but he had been fooled. Braska took advantage of the shift in leverage and tackled Auron.

"Gah!"

The two boys wrestled and tumbled along the ground their laughter echoing off the stone walls around the yard. They eventually collided with one of the walls and Auron found his leg jammed into the wall by Braska's weight. The wound that had been there was healed but was still tender.

Auron bit his tongue to prevent the yelp of pain from escaping his throat. He hoped that Braska hadn't noticed; he hadn't. Braska was too caught up in his own laughter to notice anything.

Auron pulled himself from under Braska and stood to his feet. Auron looked at the tall stone wall for a moment and then quickly scampered up to the top. Braska looked up as Auron stood on the wall and leaned down, his hands reaching down to Braska. Braska lifted his hands above his head and jumped. Auron's hands caught Braska's and he pulled the other boy up onto the wall.

Braska sat on the wall for a moment and grinned still remarking at how strong his companion was. It was Auron's great strength that enabled him to climb straight up that wall and to pull Braska up without effort. Unfortunately that strength also made him very unpopular with the bigger boys that he humiliated in his fighting classes. Those other boys became bullies that ganged up on Auron, and even the tough little warrior couldn't stand against those odds.

Braska always wished that he could help, but he was no fighter. Braska was tall and light, built for speed but not fighting. And so all Braska could do was comfort Auron when it was over and help him convince Father that it was nothing.

Auron was now walking along the top of the wall effortlessly, perfectly balanced. Braska stood and followed behind him. He reflected on the weeks that had passed since Auron had first come to Bevelle. He remarked at how the boy had warmed up. Auron would have never thought of pulling such a prank on the sensei or climbing on the walls of the yard when he had first arrived.

Auron came to the corner of the wall and made the turn with no effort. He walked a few more yards and then stopped and stood there looking out in the distance away from the temple. This had become the boys' favorite spot and it was almost a daily ritual for them. Here the wall overlooked the ocean and the boys enjoyed the cool sea breeze as it blew through their hair.

Braska turned to see that Auron was removing his boots.

"What are you doing?"

Auron took off his shirt.

"You're not."

Auron turned to Braska and grinned as he stood to his feet.

"You'll get hurt."

"No I won't."

"Okay, but don't expect me to come down there after you."

Auron suddenly stiffened as he felt the large, strong hand grasp his belt.

"Don't even think about it."

Braska froze at the sound of that voice. When the boys finally turned around they saw a not-so-happy Kale glaring at them.

"You two have a lot of explaining to do."

Braska thought of saying something but the look in Kale's eyes silenced him. Kale turned his back to them both.

"Put your clothes back on and let's go."

Auron slipped his boots and shirt back on.

"Hurry up."

Auron and Braska exchanged a glance as Auron took the other boy's hands and lowered him to the ground before jumping off himself.

Kale walked forward back toward the temple interior. Auron and Braska followed behind him silently.

---------------------------

Kale stood with his arms crossed and a very stern look on his face. Auron sat on his bed with his back against the wall and a stoic expression on his face. Braska was sitting on the edge of his bed doing his best to look repentant, but Kale wasn't falling for it. There was a long silence before Kale finally spoke.

"Why?"

Neither boy dared answer. They couldn't very well say, 'because it was funny as hell', so they said nothing.

Kale tapped his foot waiting for an answer. Auron pulled the sphere out of his pocket and handed it to Kale. Braska shot Auron a glance that said 'what did you give him that for? Are you nuts?!' Auron looked back at Braska and his eyes said 'we can't get in any more trouble than we're already in.' Braska would have disagreed with that.

Kale took the sphere from Auron and turned his back to the boys to look at it. Kale nearly burst out laughing when he saw what was on the sphere, but he somehow managed to contain himself and hide his amusement from the boys. When he had finished watched the sphere and regained his composure, he turned to look at his children. He hated to punish them, but he couldn't let them get away with what they had done, that would set a bad precedent and they would soon be out of control.

"Alright, neither one of you will be allowed to attend the blitzball game on Saturday."

"But--"

A glance from Kale quickly silenced Braska's protest.

"And you had better not pull a stunt like this again. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir."

"Auron."

Auron nodded.

"Yes."

"Good."

Yeah right! Boys will be boys and when they get together they will get into mischief. They will pull pranks and they will get into trouble. Braska and Auron would pull the exact same prank again on the exact same sensei many times over. And as they grew more cunning they would come up with better pranks. And they would get in trouble, but they didn't really care; it was too much fun to stop.

Someday these two boys would become more than brothers. Together they would share life, love, joy, despair, sorrow, and death. But right now it didn't matter, for these were the days of innocence and life, was grand.

----end----