The second Lemongrab slowly began to wake up by the notice of the morning light. His body still felt a bit sore from last night's fall down the stairs, but he couldn't feel any better. His half bitten face may feel stingy as well, but he shouldn't bother by this sudden slow heal since the injury was very major. He did wonder though if his missing part would ever grow back. He would want to talk to Bubblegum about it, but it would only break this into suspicions. From what he could tell by when he was going to bed that his brother seemed to be feeling better. The way he started to look peaceful again and the way he accepted his hug even from accidently breaking their doll. Maybe he was just stressful from that loss and the younger one knows how much he loved that thing as much he did.
He'll just tell him when he wakes up that he was sorry and that he promised to fix it as soon as he can. But he just try not to think about it for now as he hugged his brother close to him. Instead, his arm went all they way to his chest. His eyes fully opened as he quickly got up and his heart quivered. His brother was gone. Every morning even ever since he was created, his brother would always wait for him to wake up before following him out of the room. So this was extremely rare for him to experience. And if something is extremely rare, then something bad happened to him while he was asleep!
He looked around the room worriedly and hoping that he was nearby the room.
"Brother?"
There was only silence. His heart was then beginning to pound.
What if he was kidnapped?
He pulled the bedsheet away from him as he jumped his way out of the bed and rushed to where his scepter was hung on the wall. He could not notice the sound sword as he quickly snatched his weapon. He rushed to the door slamming it open and rushed out of the bedroom entering the huge stair. He looked down to see the next floor only to find it empty.
What if he was badly injured?
He continued on running down stairs and looking around on which way to go.
"Brother?!"
Maybe he must be at the very bottom floor. That would most likely be where they sent today's task to the other Lemon Children every morning. Either that or he maybe went to the dining room for breakfeast. So he decided to continue down stairs. As he did so, his heart pounded even more and his eye widened.
What if he was...dying?
"BROTHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!"
It took him minutes in panic to go all the way to the first floor and many rooms to the lobby. He looked seeing barely any people in there except one random Lemon Child stopping where he was walking by and was looking at him anxiously.
"Um," he took a moment to smile and wave, "good morning, your majesty. Is there any problems going on-?"
"Where is he?!" he rushed towards him and grabbed him by his shirt causing him to have his eyes widen in fear, "WHERE IS MY BROTHER?!"
"I," he stammered in reply, "I-I saw him earlier in the morning going to the dining room. Why? Is something going on?"
The clone just froze there for a moment thinking about it.
He knew he didn't have time to reason with the citizen. Even if he did go to the dining, he HAD to make sure he was ok. He wanted to make sure he wasn't doing anything that might lead him into danger. Without a sound, he carefully released the Lemon Child and ran back up stairs to go where he told him. The male lemon just stood there a bit confused.
"Your...welcome?"
-
Second Lemongrab was already running past the hallways in the second floor and it didn't take long to finally reach to the doors that would lead to the dining room. He didn't know what kind of thing he might face, but he knew that he must be ready if he was going to save his brother. Cautiously, he slipped out his scepter, turned the doorknob, and opened the door rushing to the room armed and ready. What he saw made his heart slow and his his jaw nearly drop as his bracing expression disappear. Far off in the back of the dining table, he saw his older brother having breakfeast all by himself before it was interrupted by the clone's entrance causing him to look up at him.
"Oh," he said this not showing any expression at, "goodmorning, brother. You seem to have slept pretty late. I was about to plan on waking you up, but..."
The youngster cannot help just stare straight at him speechless. He didn't know what to think of this unacceptable reason. It was just...why?
The eldest looked at him starting to be filled with concern.
"Brother, you look pale. Is there something that is bothering you?"
The clone just paused. He started to no longer feel fear and shocked. Instead the fire of anger began to form on him.
"Something that is bother me?"
The eldest one's concern slowly turn into confusion. The youngest can no longer hold the anger much longer.
"BOTHERING MEEEE?! WHAT COULD BE ANYTHING MORE BOTHERING THAN TO LEAVE ME ASLEEP WITHOUT TELLING ME THAT YOU WERE GOING ANYWHERE?!"
The oldest paused and blinked for a moment.
"I just needed to be alone for a while. You didn't think that just because I woke up without telling you I was leaving, doesn't mean that I was in danger or anything that stupid."
The wave of anger went passed his body making his teeth clench and causing the unsatisfying growl to escape his lips.
"Wait," the eldest noticed something before narrowing at him a bit, "You DID think about that, didn't you?"
"WHAT DID YOU THINK, BROTHER?!" He blurted, "That I would just notice that you were gone and just think that you were safe someplace in the castle while you are being eaten alive by PESKY BIRDS OR WORSE?! YOU NEARLY SCARED ME TO DEATH!
"That's enough!" He stood up from his chair glaring at him, "you have just wasted your morning panicing about me until you rushed into this room and you know what you discovered next? SURPRISE, I'M ALIVE! Problem solved!"
The youngster just narrowed again after getting startled by his brother snapping on him.
"Now you can go ahead and and join breakfeast OR you can continue the argument...AND LET'S SEE IN THE END WHO'S THE ONE WHO GETS EATEN BY PESKY BIRDS!"
The clone's eyes widened from he has just heard. How can his brother say anything like that?
But he noticed that after that loud outburst, he saw that his brother's anger faded moments later and looking straight at his expression blankly. But he just let a frustrating sigh come out of his mouth as he pressed by his palm on his head with his eyes closed shut.
"Just join me for breakfeast."
He started to look concern and yet, he just muttered to himself in anger until he walked next to him, pulled up his chair, and sat down. He was no longer even hungry when his brother got the chefs to serve him a bowl of candy lemons. The only thing he could while his brother was eating was to pour the milk into the milk and silently stir it. He was hoping that the other Lemongrab had snapped out of this madness that midnight. But he was wrong. The thing he was fearing was still stirring inside his beloved brother's mind like the milk poured into the clone's bowl wetting the dry food as the example.
In fact, this wasn't the first time his brother has went missing. The last time his brother went missing, it was worse...
It was months ago that morning when the clone woke up to realize that his brother was not on the bed. He began searching all over the castle and even requested few Lemon Children to look for him. An hour later, few became everyone. Another two hours, Lemon Children began searching outside of the Lemongrab Castle. The more the hours pass, the more the clone became extremely worried. He was so scared, he let his citizen search without any rest. Even him, the brother, went out farther away from Lemongrab Castle to look for and by the time the sun setted, luck never warmed him. He went back to the castle and was in his throne room sitting on his throne. Trying his best not to sob, he held a random Lemon Child closer with the few other Lemon Children trying their very best to comfort him.
But he just try to ignore them knowing that they were desperately anxious for their older leader as well and began to run out thing that can make him calm down.
Oh glob, please don't take him, he squeeze his eyes tightly as his whimper began to be heard. Please don't take the one that I desperately love. Without him...without...
He couldn't take the bearing any longer as he released his tears his sobbing hiccuping his body. He didn't even know what he would do without his brother by his side and he didn't know where to begin with. He didn't even felt ready to take the throne all by himself. And being different then everybody else..
"B...brother."
His buried his face on the Lemon Child who seemed a bit irritated and yet, worried at the same time for one of the Lemon Brothers going through this pain. Soon after, he heard the door open as he lift his head in hope that maybe that they had found him. Instead he noticed that the Lemon Children's faces showed the impression of defeat. Trying to at least stay positive, the youngster straightened up and wiped his tears as soon as they approached him.
"Have you found him yet?"
The children looked at each other trying to find a word to say. Then looking away, a Lemon Child walked up closer to him and stood there facing him.
"Your majesty, we have looked all over outside the castle and yet, no trace can be found," the clone was already starting to frown again as his citizen continued speaking.
"We, your people, have been searching for hours. We are tired and starving. So if we can at least call it a night-"
"NO!"
The searchers flinched and froze a moment by their leader's sudden blurt out.
"B-but your majesty," the Lemon Child stammered a bit trying to stay focused, "your brother can be anywhere. W...we don't even know if he is alive or-"
"DON'T YOU EVEN DARE SAY IT! He is not...DEAD!" His voice cracked by trying to force that last word. But he just kept his glare on them before pointing out,
"But he can't be so unless you just sit there and do nothing about it! NO REST NOR FOOD TILL YOU FIND HIM! You understand?!"
The Lemon Children shivered until they froze and look at each other anxiously. After a while, they turned before all dipping their heads with no choice left, but to not upset him.
"Y-yes, your majesty," the leader sadly murmured as he watched the group walking away with their heads down. The clone just watch them for awhile and slowly frowned before looking back down to the Lemon Child still being held on his arms. He once again felt his weigh down again in worry.
They're going to find him, he thought to himself. I'm sure they will...right? Brother is the oldest and he knows the world better than I do. He will find his way back home. He will.
The groups were walking close to the door with their eyes still locked to ground. But when one of them was about to reach out for the door, a door slammed open causing them to disappear towards the wall until only a soft groaning sound was heard. With the clone and several citizens hearing this, he quickly looked up before they did.
Behind the opened door, there were was another bigger group with eyes locked on their father. The one in front of the huge group was a small green lemon child with a huge oval nose.
"Your majesty!"
He ran towards him with the others following him until he immediately stopped halfway close to him. The citizen panted loudly with his eyes still glue onto the clone's surprised and concerned look.
"Your majesty," he announced, "hoom, we found him!"
The young's eyes widened. He quickly sat up letting the Lemon Child slip out of his arms and fall face-flat on the floor. He ignored the small person's small response when hitting the floor.
"Where is he?!" He demanded while the Lemon Child got up and anxiously glanced at him before crawling away.
He, hom, just entered the castle. Hom, he's at the entrance room."
He looked out to the exit feeling the weight once again lift out of his body. Looking at the green lemon one last time, he left his throne, shoved the group, and ran out of the room. The Lemon Children followed him, but they cannot not follow from his sprinting pass the hallways. It wasn't long before he reached a door almost a minute later and rapidly open it to take a step inside the entrance.
He turned to his left from the loud voices and noticed people crowding around very close to the opened entrance door. What they were crowding around though was a lemon person taller than them and had same exact appearance as the clone. The only thing that was different about him was the black suit with a sound sword equipped on his green belt.
Curious and astounded, he closed the door behind him and slowly walked until he stood almost a block away from the crowd. He was seeing him. He looked healthy. But he's still felt worried if this was not his real brother. He was so gone for a long time, that it seemed to be impossible he made it back without any scratches or illness. Even he doesn't know his ways back to the castle since he mostly spends his time in here.
But since his brother IS the oldest, he must have been on many adventures before even he and their Lemon Children were created since he did use to be alone. So why does he still a bit negative that he is still not home yet? Trying to get a bit closer, he began to clearly hear citizens asking him tons of questions
that even he has been thinking about:
"Are you ok?"
"Where have you been?!"
"What happened to you?"
The crowd were just getting louder as the drew closer to him while the elder looked around at them with a blank stare. Deep down, the clone can tell he was started to get irritated. It just seems since him and his brother have familiar personality, he can always read of what he is feeling and sometimes of what he is thinking about.
"Alright Alright," he slightly tried shove them away, "don't touch me!"
Once again, the youngster's widened again as his heart slowly pound in emotional happiness.
He finally knows he was not mistaking it. Not by the personality that he has always known. It was him. His brother.
"Yeah come on," he started getting crowds to slowly back away, "move it."
He muttered at one of them with some still talking. He glanced all around the crowd until he turned back to where his little brother was standing.
Somehow, he never laid his eyes off the one who slowly open his mouth a bit and began forming tears on his eyes. It was like as if he knew what he was thinking and afterwards straightened up slightly to face him. The young still stared at him speechless as his lips moved slightly trying to let a word out.
"Brother?"
With the elder still staring out, the Lemon Children glanced at each other before moving a bit out of the way for room. He fully then turn straight to his brother.
"No fear brother," the elder answered out to him, "I am fine. I'm home."
He started to feel tears running up as he tried to avoid a sound by biting down his lip.
He did look fine, he thought as he held his hands together and slightly shivering. He was home... His voice began to let out an endless loud whimper.
He was...alive.
The elder blinked by his brother's impression as he took a step closer to him.
"Brother, you have to let it go." he replied to him trying not to look upset, "I was only gone for several hours-"
No, he could no longer take the pain as he let his arms down both forming a fist as his eyes closed tightly shut with some tears spilling out.
It felt more than several hours. WAY more!
And without even thinking out what to do next, he let his legs rush towards him.
The elder's impression then formed a quick frozen surprise when he felt his younger brother press his forehead onto his. Next thing the clone knew, the painful emotions escaped his mouth forming a long shrieking cry as he let more tears shed out of him. The first Lemongrab can't help but slowly frown and let him nuzzle his head. The Lemon children could only watch watch frowning a bit as the crying of one of their fathers has lasted for a while.
But the elder just tried comforting him a bit before pulling him away by holding his shoulder letting him look straight at him. He was actually a bit surprised how the crying made his face completely wet with his eyes now slightly pink.
"Where were you...?" The elder can't help but look a bit guilty when the clone whimpered. He tried to think of a word for while and yet, how can he react?
He didn't recognize that he was silence long enough for the other one to grabbed him by the shoulders narrowing.
"WHERE WERE YOU?!"
He made another pause before looking up at him.
"Listen brother," he grabbed his hands before softly pulling it away and letting it be glued to his, "you must listen to what happened. I was lemonapped by a crazy ice wizard along with three others. I didn't even recognized it until I noticed I awake in a dungeon that had obstacles and mazes. But the only point is that I made it out safely.
"An...Ice wizard? W..where is he?" He narrowed in hatred as he put his brother's hands down.
"Do you even know his name?! Because I would hunt down ANYBODY who tries to hurt my dearest brother!"
But the elder didn't show the face of revenge at all. The only thing he did was rest his hand on his shoulder.
"No worries, my dearest brother, for this man was malfunctioned. Besides, I took care him so he will no longer do anymore crimes."
The youngster's anger slowly faded and froze again. Then he continued to tear up and whimper. Seeing this, the elder started to grow a bit irritated before letting out a sighed.
"Alright," he muttered a bit, "tell me what your worried about now."
But the clone just couldn't still help the feeling at what has just happened.
At least he now knew where he was, how he disappeared, and how he survived. He was home, healthy, and now he can longer worry. Yet, the fear still somewhat hold him as he wrapped his arms around him before letting himself rest his head on his shoulder. It took a while for the elder's irritation to softly fade when he heard sobbings.
It took a while to let the words out.
"F-forgive me brother. I...I just got really scared.I almost thought you were gone. I thought that..."
The clone chocked up by that thought of half the sentence as he frozefor a moment.
"I...just thought I was not ready to take over the place alone. Oh dear brother, I was so worried. I was so-"
He knew he couldn't speak anymore after breaking into a sob.
But the elder just comforted him again back with a returned hug.
"No no," he told him, "No more crying, brother. You are still young for me to leave you alone. My fault that I forgotten what will happen if you worried about me."
The Elder's eyes late on snapped open an paused for a while.
"But in fact," he murmured glancing down at floor before forming a slight smile "I am glad you were worried about me."
-
Those sentence always still seem to hit him every time he thinks about it. He was so upset and worried at that moment, that he didn't get it at first. He first thought that his brother finds it funny when he would see him suffer. But he wanted to slap himself by the face when thinking about that dumb opinion. Ofcourse, he would never want to see his younger brother suffer and he remembered how he comforted him no matter how long he cried after his return.
It did take a while for him to recover from this event when he finally realize what he meant by this. He was glad that he was worried about him because it proved that he really cared for him. How he love him and respect who he is. He guess it just another thing he knew about that makes him happy.
But...
He turned to look at his brother whom was eating his food without even laying a satisfying look at him which caused the youngster to frown. This wasn't the happiness that he was looking for.
In fact, it was the exact opposite. It was only annoyance and anger that he found from the elder's face instead of that happy, thankful impression. There was no denying that his brother was feeling better. He knew it was just continuing.
"So...slept well?"
He blinked and turn to him when he heard him speak, feeling somewhat intensity by the decent tone of it.
"Yes. I mean-" he rest his left head on his palm only to feel a harsh sting. Forgetting the huge chunk was still there as if he was dreaming about it, he let out a soft painful grunt with his teeth clenching a bit before releasing his away from it. He made a hiss trying to show that he can avoid the pain and let his hand gently rest back on his chunk to soothe it. He can still it feel somewhat wet and sticky with lemon essence.
He glanced a split second and finally took a look at his brother staring at him go through this. With his face looking puzzled, he couldn't read if he was annoyed, confused, or guilty about his.
"I'll See if I can put bandage around that thing."
But the youngster just turn to him with a bit of a glare and annoyance not knowing if he was still fighting the pain or angry about the elder's disappearance. He instead unexpectedly let out a small growl from his throat while saying,
"I'm fine," in which caused the other Lemongrab to narrow back.
"Then stop being such a baby then and let me eat," before continuing to eat his cereal a little more aggressively in which made this behavior a little unusual.
But feeling like he was still thinking too much, he snapped out of those crazy thought. He felt that he shouldn't have gave him an attitude like that and that he must still feel upset about destroying it. He close his eye and let out a long sigh before looking back him.
"Brother...listen," he began feeling the guilt rise a built, "I know that you are still upset about our son-"
"Yeah," he mumbled with food stuff on his mouth without looking at him, "so what?"
"Well, I just want to say..." He paused for a moment trying to find a good word to say "sorry".
"I just got really overwhelmed about the hatred and...It just made me really upset enough to know if you really meant it. I just seemed to have snapped all of a sudden..."
He couldn't speak anymore with no idea what to say before he laid his eyes on the ground with the look of guilt in his eye. The first one just look at his clone for a long time. Then he turned away with no changing expression.
"Ok, fine."
He looked up at him with a bit of a surprised.
"W-wait, what?"
"I forgive you. Besides, I have other things to worry about."
The youngster then let out a confusion before letting out the word,
"Huh?"
The elder realized what he said and glanced at him,
"You didn't hear anything," and look back to his food and continued eating it.
The clone tried to process exactly what he meant by this. However, he wasn't even sure if he should continue questioning what exactly Lemongrab was thinking since his brother never keeps secrets from him. But feeling like he was completely overthinking about his behavior once again, he snapped out of it.
Speaking of secret, he thought, I have to tell him about the child I created last night. It would hurt if I keep this a secret from brother.
He pause for a moment and stared at him as he tried to think of how he is going to say this.
"Hey, um, brother?"
The first let out huge frustrated sigh after putting down his spoon.
"What is it now? Don't you see I'm eating?!"
He was a bit startled by his little aggressive tone, but replied,
"Well...I-I was just wondering. Do you ever wanted us to have...MORE Lemon Children?"
He blinked twice in huge confusion while staring at his clone.
"More Lemon peeps? What are you talking about? We have enough thousand Lemon Children to satisfied. Besides, even if we did make more of them, we wouldn't even know HOW to make them! Remember when Mother Princess erased those memories of the formulas?"
The youngster's eyes widened a bit by this realization.
"W-waited, did she?"
"Yeah," the elder started to look confused, "You should remember. We were there when she erased the formulas out of our heads."
"I DO remember! It's just..."
He turned his head away from him for a while trying to process exactly how come he still remember this while puffing his cheek out a bit.
Did she maybe forgot to erase it?
He just shook his not wanting to talk about it to him now.
"Nnnnevermind," he turned back to him almost feeling embarrassment rise a bit the more the elder's confused face started to appear more.
"Okay? Then why are you asking me these stuff?"
"Well, if I...DID remember how to still do it, what would you think if I made a lemon child all by myself. Would you be okay with it?"
"W...why?"
"Just answer the question, BROTHER!" He blurted out with his heart pounding in worry."
"BUT I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU'RE-"
First Lemongrab paused for a long time. Then he narrowed.
"Wait...are you saying what you THINK you saying?"
"Listen," he halted him with a frown, "there's something I should-"
"I really do HOPE you still remember how to make one.
"B..brother-"
"And that you actually made one all by yourself. Do you know how UNACCEPTABLE that will be? How it will hurt ME?!"
He then grew silent for a moment glaring at his clone.
"Well," he turned away from him staring at his cereal, "that would be something I would never want to believe that monstrosity exist."
The white one's heart was now pounding in huge anxiety by this tone and yet, filled with confusion.
"W-why is that, dearest friend?"
He just remained silent for almost a minute. Then he dug his hand on his bowl of cereal with some milk spilling out unto the table as he was doing so. He was confused until he stopped harshly stirring the bowl before raising his wet hand out of it carrying one of the lemon candy while his eyes targeted it.
"You see this lemon candy, brother?"
He looked at it and slowly and anxiously nodded.
"Think of it as the one you created. The MISTAKE. When a mistake is created, it is considered created as one of the Lemongrabs. All Lemon Children had always been created by both Lemongrabs. This mistake was only created by one. Only ONE!
It is an unacceptable law to the kingdom and hurt fully unacceptable to me! So if a mistake is EVER created, it would have its reward..."
The second one's mouth dropped open in a short gasp filled with fear as he watched the elder let the lemon candy disappear by the grip of his hand hard enough to hear a very loud crunch inside. He then opened up his hand to only to see crumbs just rest on the palm of his hand. While the youngster looked at it speechless, the black one turned back to him with coldness deep In his eyes.
"Death!"
He couldn't help but stare at him with fear and shock in his eye by this sudden behavior that his beloved brother was given. He knows how even if they are exactly the same by him being a little more aggressive then him, it was not as much as this. He knows that he wouldn't have the heart enough to killing someone rather than tortuting. He was beginning to feel scared again.
"Well?!" He glared at him again, waiting for the clone's answer. He was frozen for a while as he tried to keep acting natural and to think of what to do. Should he tell him or would it be the first time ever that he would ever lie in front of him? If he tells him the truth, He would blame himself for a child's death. If he lies, he will blame himself for lying to a person that he should never lie to.
He would probably never look up to him again and he has worked really hard to be a good brother to him. Should he risk it? He close his eyes shut sighing.
I have no choice, do I? I'll hate myself for this crime.
"Forgive me brother for my thoughts were someplace else. I even show no reason why I questioned this."
The black one nodded,
"Hmm, good. I know that it would be a false truth if it was actually the truth. Now, would PLEASE let me eat now?"
"Y..yes."
"Good, cause no more talking!"
He quickly turned back to his cereal and continued devouring his cereal nearly spilling milk on the table once again. He once again ignore his questioning on his sudden desperation for food. He just look down at his empty bowl that is still not poured with anything yet. The thoughts that played in his head made him no longer have the appetite for breakfast. He can't do it. He can't just create Lemohope that he worked so hard on and see his life already be taken right in front of him. In fact, he would never want to bare any of their Lemon Children to be killed or destroyed by one of their fathers. It will all be his fault.
Guilt on beginning to betray his only best friend began to stir both his lemon heart and mind as he gazed endlessly at his bowl.