So I've finally updated this! Aren't you all proud of me? I've been so busy with school, it took a while to write it. But the good news is, I've already started on the next chapter! But please take a look at this one!

Slowly, pale eyes fluttered open, revealing tired amber orbs. The vision was blurred at first, and the eyes blinked a few times to focus. Finally, sight was cleared, and the eyes came to rest on a spiky-haired teen looking on, worriedly.

"Brother…?" came the soft, coarse whisper.

Carrot let out a small sigh, sitting back in his seat. Looking at the one in bed, he asked quietly, "How do you feel, Marron?"

"Alright, I suppose…" replied the younger. "Better than before. But what are you doing here, Brother? I though you were going with the others."

The other simply shrugged. "I was going to…but when your fever grew worse, I decided to stay behind. Besides, why should we have all the fun if you can't?"

"But you were looking forward to this vacation for a long time," Marron argued. "You wanted to go out for a while, didn't you?"

"Well, yeah, but I can do that anytime. Vacations will come and go, but you were sick now. Besides, there aren't too many chances when I get to take care of you…"

Looking at his older brother, the mage smiled slightly.

Returning the smile, the elder placed his hand on the other's forehead. "You're fever's gone down…Guess the medicine worked after all."

Carrot stood, walking over to a table. Watching him walk off, Marron slowly sat up. "What medicine?" he asked curiously.

The spiky-haired teen returned to his brother's bedside, handing the other a glass of water. "Grand Pa sent over some stuff to help you get better."

Taking a sip from the glass, the mage placed it down on the nightstand next to the bed. "How did it get here?"

Suddenly, the door swung open, and both teens looked to see a concerned Onion standing there.

Rushing over to the bed, the older man pushed Carrot aside, embracing the younger sitting on the bed.

Marron sighed slightly. He was afraid his father was here. As much as he cared for his father, he didn't enjoy the attention his father gave him. Perhaps, if Onion gave him less of it……

After a long moment, Onion pulled away, holding Marron at arm's length. "How are you feeling, Marron?"

"I'm alright now, Father," the mage replied, smiling slightly.

"Of course you are!" the man said proudly. "You're strong, after all! Stronger than this goofball…"

Carrot's eye twitched slightly as he got up. "Pop, what are you doing here?"

"I'm checkin' on my boy," he replied indignantly. "Besides, I have to make sure he's okay since you're here…"

"What's that supposed to mean?!" the teen demanded a little loudly.

"Well, you're probably just making him worse……"

"Me?! You're the one who bursts in here unexpectedly while he's trying to rest!"

As the father and son began to argue, Marron flinched slightly, their loud voices feeding his growing migraine. He never enjoyed it when the two argued, but he especially disliked it now.

Thankfully, Grand Pa walked in through the open door. Seeing the two argue, then looking at Marron, the small yet powerful man literally kicked them both out.

"Marron is still trying to recover," he said, "and you two aren't really helping." With that, Grand Pa closed the door on the two as they sat in the hallway.

They blinked for a moment, as if doubting that that had actually happened. Then, turning to his father, Carrot said, "Look what you did!"

"What I did?!" Onion replied, looking back at the teen. "This is all your fault!"

"My fault?!"

"Yes, you're fault! If you hadn't started yelling……!"

"Well, if you hadn't come in to begin with……!"

Onion got to his feet, dusting himself off. "Okay, look…..arguing didn't get us anywhere except kicked out. So for now, let's stop so we can make sure your brother gets better, alright?"

Getting up, the teen nodded. "Fine…"

And so, both father and son creaked open the door, just barely enough to look inside. They watched as Grand Pa instructed Marron to lie down, and the teen obeyed wordlessly. Then, the elder placed his hand on Marron's forehead. His hand began to glow slightly, and the teen's eyes closed as he fell into a peaceful sleep. Satisfied, the old man retracted his hand, turning and walking to the door.

Seeing him coming, Carrot and Onion pulled away from it, leaning on the wall of either side of it. They tried to act as cool as possible when Grand Pa came out.

"So how is he?" Onion asked as the smaller man closed the bedroom door.

"He'll be alright," he replied. "But he won't be completely healed for a while." The old man then looked at Carrot. "If you want to catch up with the others, you still have time."

The teen blinked slightly. "Really? I can?"

"Hmph." Onion folded his arms across his chest. "It wouldn't surprise me if he did. Leaving his younger brother while he went to have fun…"

"Shut up, old man!" Carrot growled. "It just so happens that I'm staying until Marron gets better, so there!"

The father was about to say something when Grand Pa began to drag him away. "Come Onion, let us go and greet Big Momma."

"Why?" he asked, but could do nothing as he was being dragged away.

Watching them go, Carrot sighed slightly. 'This week is already bad enough,' he thought. 'Now Pop's here…some vacation…'

After much hard work, Big Momma had decided to grant the Sorcerer Hunters a well-deserved vacation. All five of them had reservations to go to a beach resort to relax and have fun. They deserved it, Carrot thought, especially after defeating Sacher Torte.

Unfortunately, before they could go, Marron became sick, which was rather odd. Marron had never gotten ill before, and now seemed a strange time because of the beautiful warm weather. Still, concerned for the mage, Tira, Chocolate, and Gateau thought of postponing the trip, despite much whining from Carrot.

But Marron pleaded for them to go without him, wanting them all to enjoy their time off. He insisted that he would be alright, and that they deserved the time off, even if he couldn't join them. Marron also insisted that it would be an opportunity for Gateau to catch up with Éclair, insisting that she go in his place. They soon agreed to go in order to please him.

However, as they were going to leave, Marron's fever grew worse, and Carrot grew worried. He told the others to go without him, for he wanted to take care of his brother. The four left, Gateau and Éclair dragging Tira and Chocolate behind. The Misu sisters believed he was just using this as an opportunity to be away from them so he would chase girls, because they believed Marron would fine.

But, even if they lived with them when they were younger, Tira and Chocolate didn't know Marron as well as Carrot did.

Carrot could feel how weak Marron had become due to the illness. When they came in to say goodbye, the others had believed Marron had been sleeping, and indeed it had looked that way. But his brother knew better, and could tell Marron had collapsed because of his illness.

Days later, when Marron still had not awaken, Carrot voiced his concern to Big Momma. She then sent Milphey-Yu to the Sorcerer Hunters' Hidden Village to retrieve some medicine from Grand Pa. No one expected him and Onion to return with the Haz-Knight.

For Grand Pa to come down from the Hidden Village, Carrot knew that it meant something serious. He had felt Marron's illness wasn't a normal fever, but to have the old man come down made everyone realize how serious the infirmity was.

But where did it come from? They hadn't visited or seen anyone who was sick, and it had been a nice summer week. How could anyone, let alone Marron, suddenly become sick?

It worried Carrot to see his brother this way. Besides when he was a baby, Marron had never been sick before, and it seemed a strange time to start. It had come on so suddenly. It was so weird.

With another sigh, the spiky-haired teen carefully opened the door, quietly slipping into the room he shared with his brother. Looking at the sleeping figure on the bed, he smiled a little. "At least he's resting now," he said to himself.

He flopped on his bed, folding his arms under his head as he stared up at the ceiling. 'Well, I'm bored…' he thought. 'I've really got nothing to do for a long while…'

"I'm sorry…" came a soft whisper. Surprised, Carrot sat up, looking at Marron who was still lying on the bed, gold eyes staring up at the ceiling.

"Marron? I thought…"

"I'm sorry…" the younger repeated.

The elder Glace blinked. "For what?"

"If it wasn't for me, you would have been able to go with the others. I've ruined your vacation…"

"Hey…Marron…Listen, yeah I could have gone with the others, but it wouldn't have been as much fun without you there. I chose to stay behind, so it's okay. Besides, if it wasn't for you pulling my butt outta the fire all the time, I wouldn't be alive to enjoy anything. I owe ya, Marron."

The younger looked over at his brother who had a small grin on his face. Despite himself, he couldn't help but smile as well. "Well, Brother, if you want, you can go catch up with the others."

"Grand Pa already told me that, but I decided to stay until you get better."

"But Grand Pa said that I won't be completely healed until after our vacation's over…"

Carrot shrugged. "Then I'll wait until next time…"

"Are you sure?"

The elder simply waved it off. "Yeah, yeah. But only because I'm such a nice guy."

Marron tried to hold back a chuckle.

"But seriously Marron, you should get some rest."

"Alright…Will you be staying for a while?"

"I guess. I've really got nothing to do…"

"Okay." The mage closed his eyes and soon, a little too soon, fell asleep.

Carrot watched his brother for a while, surprised by the sudden slumber. 'There's something else wrong,' he thought. 'That has to be why the old man came down, there's no other reason. But then what's really wrong with him?'

Some distance away, unknown to those residing in the Stella Church, a young woman, accompanied by an elder man, possibly a servant, was checking into a place to rest for a few days.

The attendant, noting the young woman was a sorceress because of the marking on her forehead, pulled his book out to look for an open room. "Name please?" he asked.

"Lady Pomme de Terre," she replied.

TBC

There you go! Hope you enjoyed! Please review!