Brothers

Chapter 14:

Not a kid anymore

Luke watched sky that night for hours more than he usually would before his birthday. He didn't seem as excited as he had in previous years. Guy watched him from the doorway. It almost made his heart ache how beautiful the younger looked by the window. His entire figure was outlined in a silvery blue light that touched his face ever so slightly, making his face seem so soft and pale.

Guy glided close to his side wrapping a blanket around his shoulders. It was an old tradition Guy was used to with both of the twins. Luke smiled a muttered sleepy 'thankyou', but the smile was weak.

Guy ruffled his hair and made to leave, until Luke called to him.

"Guy, can I ask you something?" Guy turned and met with Luke's emerald eyes.

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well," Luke turned to fully face Guy, taking his feet down from the window seat in his room. "Have you noticed anything about Asch?"

Guy cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean Luke?"

"I don't think he's well. And whenever I ask him about it he won't tell me anything..." Luke's gaze fell to his hands. Guy observed him quietly before carefully returning to his side. He kneeled in front of Luke and took the boy's hands gentally in his own. Luke's eyes took to a new emotion.

"He's suffering Guy, and the worst part is I have to watch him knowing there's nothing I can do to help-" Guy stopped him when he reached up and pulled Luke down into his arms. Luke seemed to become a ragdoll.

"Don't talk like that Luke." Guy sat Luke up across from him using the wall to help him stay. "You listen to me now, I've had it with your moping. You're still a child Luke, even if you look eighteen in the mirror, you're still only eight years old inside. No one expects you to fix everything so don't try to."

He took Lukes chin in his hand to force the younger to look at him directly. "Take it from someone who knows Luke. Beating yourself up about the things you can't do won't change the fact that you can't do them. Alright?"

"I know Guy." Luke gave a weak smile. "I just, I want to be stronger than I am now, so that I don't have to watch people suffer. Like Asch is."

"That's just like you, Luke. Always trying to be the hero." Guy messed up Luke's hair again, this time Luke tried to return the favour knocking both of them over. "Oi, cheeky!"

/

Outside Luke's door, Tear watched the boys playfight and laugh with a smile. She joined she hands as she made a silent prayer for Luke. She had come to an odd epiphany in the last few days about her relationship with him.

Luke was to her as she had been to Van, a little sibling. As a child, she had always looked up to the elder, but she'd never noticed the change as they both grew. Tear supposed it had something to do with being a 'little' sister.

Now she saw the feelings of pride which she felt watching Luke grow and teaching him about the world. At the time it had been a pain, the redhead was hopeless! But it was pleasant in an odd way, knowing she'd been such a good influence on him.

Loreilei, hear me now. Please let him become the hero he born to be...

/

At about two am in the morning,cornel Jade Curttis found himself wandering the moonlit streets of Baticul city, though he saw mostly by lamplight. Dispite the clear night sky, the city's natural walls blocked the majority of eerie light causing the city to be put to it's own devices when it came to getting around after dark.

For once though, Jade couldn't care less. At this moment in time he was mentally detached from the world around him, someone could have laid down dead in front of him and he would not have noticed.

When he reached the plaza balcany he stopped and looked out over the ocean in the distance where the moonlight caught the waves. The fridgid breeze bit sharpely at his exposed skin, unearthing painful memories of his childhood.

Jade removed his glasses with his left hand rubbing his closed eyes with the other.

There was an ackward reality to all these recent events, he decided. Life was so much more vulgar than he wanted it to be.

As a child standing at his late professor's grave he'd always promised himself that he'd never feel again, he'd never cry, he'd never be happy or sad, and that way he'd never feel the pain of death again.

But how stupid he had been. You can't make promises that it will always be sunny or that it will always be raining because, even without the score, such things will never come to pass. There must be balance. A unique balance that existed within everything and everyone.

Jade may have taken all the varibles and feelings in himself, but he couldn't influence the most powerful ones in other people. People like Luke.

That child. That arragant idoit who he'd met a few years ago, may just have destroyed the last thing keeping him from breaking the promise to his younger self.

Jade tucked the glasses in the front pocket of his uniform. He'd have to put them back on later for the sake of the fonic glyph in his vision, but for now it couldn't hurt to watch the waves for a while with his own eyes.

/

Meanwhile back in Daath the now five God Generals were in heavy debate over their most important mission yet, or at least, that's what Dist kept calling it. Apparently, what had happened was, while out and about training his new killing machines Dist had been contacted by Van and was given an envelope containing the orders for this "mission" which was of the utmost urgency.

Of course, the truth varied quite dramatically from that story. In reality, Dist had gotten up in the middle of the night to go star gazing, as strange as it sounded, he often liked to think that when he looked up at the moon, maybe his dearest childhood friends were also doing likewise. Van, having caught him daydreaming, told him to issue orders to the other God Generals which were enclosed in the previously mentioned envelope. The mission's status hadn't been mentioned at all, but Dist assumed that since Van had come out of hiding to give it to him persaonally, it must be of the utmost importance.

"...This is absolutely absurde. It's far too dangerous, especially since there are only the five of us." Lagretta remarked, placing the letter back inside the envelope and passing it to Arietta.

The younger took it hesitantly, wary of it's contence. The others in the room also felt the anexioty building between them, each was eagar to read the letter but each was worried by what exactly it was going to ask them to do.

"Numbers have never been the problem in the past, Lagretta." Largo said emotionless from his position leaning against the wall near the door. "We've had challanging odds in the past which we've been able cope with, why should we worry about size now?"

Arietta looked mournfully down at the letter before answering. "I don't think 'odds' are something that will impeed us here. Rather, I think what we're fighting is going to be what could make us fail." She got up from the sofa and wandered across the room to Largo who in turn opened the letter. Arietta returned to the sofa at the centre of the room and sat close to Lagretta.

Largo sighed, but otherwise remained expressionless. He passed the letter to Sync, who sat on the ledge of one of the grand windows looking out over the city. The younger seemed dazed as he took the letter, Dist noticed.

"What's wrong Sync? Don't tell me you've finally managed to stopped questioning your own exsistance-" The scientist was stopped by the knife that embedded itself barely an inche away from his head in his chair. The occupants of the room upheld a silence, their eyes drifted from Dist's state of hystreical shock to Sync's lack of evident disapproval. They may not have been able to see his icy glare, but they'd each be lying in ernest if they said they didn't feel it.

Lagretta broke the uncomfortable atmosphere first. "What are views on the letter Sync?"

Sync's mouth twitched. "If I could, I'd prefere not to be part of this mission at all. But we're already at a severe disadvantage, but non of you can wield fonic arts at same level as me so I guess I'm in."

"So are you so inclided to go? I would have thought you of all people would have something to gain by going, even if it's only a small advantage." Dist felt the sudden need to withdrew his comment when he saw Sync's wrist make it's way back into his pocket.

All he produced from it was a small circlar object which resembled a marble. He held the letter up to the light and held the marble behind it. It shone bright red and a line of text appeared on the reverse side of the letter. Sync read it quietly to himself before erasing it and tossing the document onto the coffee table in the centre of the room.

"What was that, Sync? What did it say?" Lagretta stood as she spoke. Her voice was demanding, but Sync didn't respond, instead he brought his legs up to his chin, resting his head on them to stare out the window. "Tell me now."

It was not a question or a statement, it was an order, one she expected Sync to follow.

After a few minutes, she got pissed off enough to leave without a word, slamming the door behind her. Dist excused himself shortly after, stating the need he had to get his beauty sleep, to which Arietta remarked he didn't on account he wasn't a girl and therefore didn't need any. He also left the room seething and muttering curses and bloody vengance.

Largo left the room a while after without a word. He showed more consideration for the door than the previous occupants.

Arietta got up and placed her monster down beside her. She then walked Sync, her expression was that of a sister to her older brother. She tugged his sleeve.

"Sync?"

"Yes?" He did not lift his head.

"They're just worried about you, don't feel sad."

"Their actions don't affect me."

"But their words do..?" Sync shook his head. She tried again. "Sync, don't be sad. You're like my big brother, so don't be sad." She put her arms around his waist and embraced him tightly. Sync uncurled from his position slightly petted her hair gently.

"Well, if that's the case," Arietta looked up hopefully. "Then it's my duty to inform you that it's way past your bedtime." Arietta huffed and stalked over to the sofa picking up one of the cushions before throwing it at him.

/