---Marron's POV---

A soft breeze flutters the leaves of a huge oak tree slightly as the birds sing their songs of joy. Butterflies dances in the air, while the flowers express their love with their many colors. The sound of laughter is heard as the children enjoy this day, and the sun beams brightly over the land as if to encourage such things. All seem to be right with the world as I walk alone in confusion.

"Where am I?" I voice aloud to myself as I scan my surroundings once more stirring memories from the past. Memories that flutter through my mind on quick beating wings that I can't seem to catch. A feeling of urgency suddenly comes over me, and I found myself drawn to the Oak Tree. On silent feet, I make my way towards it as a strange sound rips through the air. A sound, so unnatural in this world of sunshine and soft breezes that it grounds the singing birds to a halt. This sound was that of a child sobbing underneath the Oak Tree.

I move closer to try and get a better look at the other side of the tree. It is then that I saw him. A small boy sitting with his back to the tree with his head encased in his arms sobbing. It only took one glance at him to tell why he was crying. His long black hair that seem to cascade unto his arms were messy with bits of grass and dirty in it, and his once white robe was now stain with dirt and mud and torn in different places. Then the bruises that could be clearly seen on his small hands told all that was needed about his tale; he had been in a fight.

"Don't cry Marron!" "You're a big boy!"

I whirl around in surprise to find a small boy behind me. His dark brown eyes lock upon my own golden brown ones as he ran his small hands through his long black spiky hair. A small bandage sported on his right cheek as he smiled at me.

"Don't cry Marron, you're a big boy, so don't cry." He replies again and then walks straight through me.

In shock, I turn once more to look at him as he goes beside the sobbing boy.

"Carrot?" The little boy replies as he raises his head revealing his face in that sea of hair.

"Let's go home…." The spiky hair boy smiles and then reaches out his hand to help the boy to his feet.

"Okay brother," he responses, and reaches out for the spiky hair boy's hand. Just when the two were to meet the smaller boy's hand past through his brothers. In shock, he looks up into his brother's face with fear in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," the boy retorts and starts to vanish. "I'm so sorry."

"Carrot?" tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Be a big boy, Marron, don't cry." The boy tells his brother as he vanishes completely. The little boy once more alone sits in shock with tears in his eyes. His hand still outstretched waiting for his brother to grip it. "Brother," he whimpers. Then suddenly as if gaining courage by his first whimper he screams…

…."CARRRRRRRROT!"

"Carrot…no," I awake with those words on my lips. Drench in sweat, I turn and look out my window. The moon and the stars beyond greet my vision, and in them I see him. My brother, a smile on his face as the wind blows through his short spiky hair. I then blink my eyes, and in that instant he disappears from his place among the stars. Just like he had been taken from my life.

Sluggishly, I got up out of bed. My limp hair covers me like a weeping willow as I search in the moonlight for my robes. Sleep was now the furthest thing from my mind as I set about my task and quickly got dress. Then with a stealth that I had hone as a child I left my room and made my way downstairs.

I need to be alone with my brother one last time. I thought as I round the corner and went through the door to the main room. Here Carrot's body rest incase in a beautiful coffin color mostly in black with an orange tingle around the edges. On the lid in bright orange letters the coffin read: be at peace.

A small sad smile came to my face as I slowly approach it. No matter how beautiful the coffin is; it's still a coffin I sign as I kneel beside it. It just didn't feel right that my brother should be there, and a part of me was expecting him to throw back the lid and look around the room carefully before asking if Tira or Chocolat was nearby. When hiding from those girls he had been known to seek spots weirder then this for refuge. This thought made a true smile come to my lips for just a second before it was once more replace with the small sad one. Carefully so as not to make a sound I lift the lid so that I can look upon my brother.

It was then that I receive the biggest surprise of my life, an empty casket. My mind froze as my heart began to beat rapidly. What did this mean? Had Big Momma stolen his body? I quickly replace the lid and got back to my feet. "If so why?" I spoke to myself in a whisper. My mind suddenly came back to life with thoughts and possibilities, and in the mist of them all, one that spark hope roam. What if Carrot isn't dead?

------

My brother

Always kind and true

Rest peacefully

Rest well

Only remember one thing

Now and forever, I love you.

------

Terror grip Carrot's heart as he stares into the eyes of the beast. It's moon shape iris seem to stuck up his soul as its hood seem to cast an darkness over him that dares to swallow the rest of him whole. Its white fangs, long and curve like a scythe, gleam with an luster that no light could give it, while its coils, larger than any man, rattle against the nothingness of the ground as if impatience for its meal. Slowly it drops its triangle shape head towards him.

"Now that you ssssssee usssss will you come to usssss asssss we have come to you?"

"Who..What are you?" Carrot replies as he back away from the huge snake.

"You do not recognize ussssss?" A bright glint seems to come to the snake's huge yellow eyes. "We are one of your own beasssssst gene," it smirk. "We are call Sssssssagmisssssss, and we need your help."

"My help?" Carrot began to tremble under its glare. "You're a hundred feet long snake and you need my help!" He spoke before he could silence his own tongue, and then searches the snake's face for any type of emotion. A snake that big won't even have to bite me just swallow me whole. Carrot thought as he continues his search for any signs of angry. There was none, and Carrot began to relax a little. Just a little, for snakes are cold-blooded creatures that can never truly be trusted. They survive by catching their opponents with its guard down.

"Yessssss," Sagmis hiss. "Come to our lair and we will explain all." It slowly starts to curl its coils around the helpless Carrot. "It isssssss just a little way from here."

"No-no-thank you, I think I'll rather stay out here." Carrot looks around at the coils as nervous as a rabbit in… well in a snake's den. But unlike the rabbit he couldn't run for the snake double its body around him like a wall. A huge jade-green wall that now was twice the length of a single man.

"Then we will not fight with you." "For you are to help ussssss." Sagmis spoke as he raise his head upwards, but never once taking it's eyes off of Carrot's, and it's fork tongue flicker out of its mouth once. "We don't ssssssensssse the pressssensssssessss of the othersssss, ssssso we guessssss itsssss okay to ssssstay here." Its eyes then close to slits," for what we are about to do needsssss not be interrupted." Then without another word it struck, the motion was so fast that only luck save Carrot as he fell backwards in surprise. Long scythe like fangs misses Carrot's head only by a hair's breath as it found its teeth seizing nothingness. It then recoils its head in the same fashion and look downward at its miss prey.

"Ssssssstay ssssstill and help usssss." Sagmis hiss as he ready his head for another strike. This one Carrot knew would not miss.