Despairing Darkness

By: Angel Of Darkness

Chapter 2 " Guilt,"

Ken Ichijouji stared at the floor as he waited outside of his older brother's room.

Three months had passed, and things hadn't changed. Osamu was still the center for everyone's attention, still getting the genius publicity. Things had changed for Ken, though. He spent less and less time around his brother, keeping to himself. He played alone, and never asked anyone for help anymore. He liked it this way. Although the pain of loneliness and the feeling of worthlessness overwhelmed him, he still had one pleasant thought, and that was that at least he wouldn't get hurt again. This way, he could prevent the hurt again. This way... was for the better. Ken patiently waited. Osamu had come in his room moments before and told him to wait outside of his bedroom door. Ken had no idea what he wanted, since he hadn't touched any of Osamu's things and hadn't spoken a single word to him in the past weeks, but he decided to find out anyway. Still, it didn't cease his curiousness, and the little flame of hope he still had locked deep inside of him. But he had learned to hide it - over the years, he had learned to hide everything.

The door finally opened and Osamu's eyes met Ken's. He cast a small smile.

" Hey, Kenny-boy."

" Hi, Osamu Onii-chan.." Ken whispered, still looking to the floor. " I.. I wanna tell you I didn' play with your toys, Nisama... I..."

But Osamu cut him off.

" I know you didn't, Kenny-boy. You've been really good."

This made Ken lift his face up and stare Osamu right in the eye. " Yeah..?"

Osamu kneeled down so he was at Ken's height and placed his hands on the child's shoulders.

" Yeah. And because you have, and since I'm not busy right now..." - Ken's heart pounded in his chest - " how about you and I have a day? Just the two of us?"

Ken's face lit up. " Really?"

He and Osamu hadn't had 'a day', as they called it, in years. Osamu's changed attitude surprised him. He was so happy right now he could cry.

" Really," Osamu smiled, ruffling Ken's silky Indigo hair. " now, go get your shoes, okay? We're heading to the park for some ice cream."

" Oh! Thank you, Osamu Nii-san!" Ken threw his arms around Osamu in a tight embrace. Osamu laughed and patted Ken on the head. Ken grinned and ran to get his shoes on. Once they were, he shot up and grabbed Osamu's hand in his own. Osamu grinned back down at him before calling to their parents,

" Mom, Dad, Kenny-boy and I are heading out to get some ice cream."

With that said, Osamu and Ken raced out the door, Ken's small heart blistering with hope, hope that everything was somehow turned around. The only thing he felt now was an undeniable happiness. But that happiness wouldn't last long...

" Okay, Kenny-boy, what kind of ice cream do you want?" Osamu asked as they stood before a man with a cartridge of many flavors of ice cream.

" Banilla!" Ken pointed at the cartridge. Osamu laughed and shook his head.

" You mean ' Vanilla', right?" he chuckled. Ken giggled and nodded. The Ice cream man grinned and started filling up scoops of ice cream. He smiled at Ken and Osamu.

" You brothers look out for each other," he said, " you're all each other has. You never know when one of you's is gonna be gone so you's gotsa look out for each other. Here ya are, little guy," he handed Ken his cone and Ken's face brightened.

" Thank you!" he chirped happily, licking the ice cream with his tongue. Osamu ordered his ice cream and the two boys continued down the street, along the park. They saw children playing everywhere.

" See, Kenny-boy?" Osamu broke the silence, " when you're a good boy, we can do these kind of things. I just want to let you know that. Although we can't play everyday, we can once in a while, okay?" the older brother smiled at the younger one.

Ken nodded and smiled. " I understand, Oni-san. I'll be good, I promise."

Osamu stopped and ruffled his brother's hair.

" That a boy," he said praisingly and they continued.

They made it to a cross light. The light switched from Red to Green, and Osamu took his little brother's hand in his own.

" Okay, Kenny, let's cross."

Ken giggled in delight and took a step a little too far.

" Ken, look out!" Osamu screamed as the car came speeding towards Ken, and with a speed he didn't even think was possible, lunged forward and pushed Ken out of the way. The car's horn sounded, the bright light filled the sky. Ken looked on in horror as the car impacted with Osamu's body and sent him flying into the air.

" OSAMU NII-SAN!" the little boy screamed in horror. Osamu never gave him a response. His body hit the ground with a loud impact, and then he was still.

There was silence along the streets as the boy lay there, unmoving. Ken's face was filled with horror and shock as he stared at Osamu. For a moment, his eyes followed the car that sped past him, the one that had hit Osamu. He had to see who was driving. Then he saw. A woman. She was staring right at him. She had purple shades that covered her eyes, long white hair that came to her waist, and she wore a red dress. She peered out the window towards Ken and smirked. Ken gasped in shock. This woman had no remorse for what she had just done. The smirk widened on her face as Ken stared at her in awe. He was too frozen to move. Too numb. The second that was only a second, but felt like forever, soon passed, and the car sped off away from the scene.

People ran forward towards Osamu's unmoving figure and gasped in shock.

" Isn't that boy genius? Osamu Ichijouji?" a woman screeched placing a trembling hand over her mouth. Another woman gasped.

" Oh my, you're right! Hurry, someone call an ambulance!"

Ken didn't even hear them. His mind was going haywire. He saw Osamu's body hit the ground. He saw the bright headlights, heard the car's horn, and saw the woman's face. The one with a satisfied smile. No one even seemed to notice he was there. They're concentration was on Osamu and Osamu only. Finally, the ambulance came.

" What happened here?" an officer asked a neighbor of Ken's who had been at the park with her 3 children.

" A car sped and hit the boy genius! He had no time to react!" the woman shrieked, hiding her children close to her chest, to hide them from the horror. A group of police officers, paramedics and firefighters closed around the boy.

" Hey, kid,"

came a gentle voice from behind Ken, making the startled boy jump out of his skin. He turned and saw a fire fighter. The man had blonde hair and Blue eyes that held concern for the boy.

" Do you know him?" he asked, gesturing to where Osamu lay.

Ken stiffed a nod, his eyes still wide in horror. His body was shaking.

" B – Brother..." Ken managed to choke out. The man understood. He nodded and stood, then walked over to the group.

" How's the kid?"

One of the officers in the group turned and sadly shook his head.

" The impact was fatal. The boy's ribs crushed the inside of his chest from the hit and blocked his airway. He... he didn't make it..." The officer hung his head in shame.

" Oh, God.." the blonde whispered. " We're going to have to tell the parents, and get this child home."

The officer was confused at who he was referring to, but the blonde man swayed his head and nodded over towards Ken who's eyes were downcast on the ground, staring at the pool of blood around his brother. The officer nodded in return and walked slowly over to Ken. He placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. Ken jumped from the sudden movement.

The officer blinked in surprise and frowned at the little boy. " It's okay, son. I'm here to take you home. Can you tell me where you live?"

Ken nodded, and told him, a great pain in his eyes. To the officer, it looked like he had just been hit by the truck himself. The officer nodded and led Ken to the police car opening the door for the child. Ken went inside, but his movements seemed slowed. His eyes stared out the window at Osamu, who was now being put on a stretcher. Ken saw his eyes closed and the a puddle of blood coming out of his mouth. As the officer got inside and put the key in the ignition, without him knowing, and as the sun reflected on his face, a single tear ran down Ken's cheek.

" Osamu... I didn't mean it..."

End of chapter 2. Please R&R!