Heartbreaking Bells

“Where’s Rey?! What did you do with my brother?!” She took guard.

“Wait a second sis, it’s me! Rey!” I raised my hands to face height.

“Don’t lie you pervert! What are you doing in the middle of nowhere with no clothes on!”

“This is a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Just think about it for a second. Do you really think someone would go through the forest like this?”

“Of course! I’ve done so myself!”

She seemed somewhat proud of her declaration…

“Wouldn’t that make you the pervert…?”

“Shut up! It’s gender relative, besides, I’m the one asking the questions here! if you refuse to answer then… you leave me with no choice…” She firmed her stance.

“Wait… sis… this is really not what it looks like!”

“I’ll give you one last chance! What did you do with my brother?!”

“I’m telling you, I’m him! Don’t you see the pieces of cloth?”

“Enough!”

She pulled out one of those jiu-jitsu moves on me, so folded like origami—I tried to explain the misunderstanding.

“Do you remember when your beetle grew in size seemingly out of nowhere?”

“Yeah, I checked on the books and mine was bigger than the largest registered! Wait… how do you know about Beety? You must be a stalker!” She tightened the grip.

“Ouch-ouch-ouch, you named her?”

“Of course! What kind of monster doesn’t name their pets…?” She tightened even more.

“Ack! Well, I was the responsible for that too! It’s the same phenomenon.”

“Explain yourself.”

“Logic will not convince you but if I’m correct—I can make wishes come true by lying.”

“Wishes come true…?” She lightened the grip.

“Both when your beetle and I grew, you wanted us to do so, didn’t you?”

She let go of me,

and with a melancholic face I hadn’t seen on her

asked:

“Then… would you prove it?”

“Prove it?”

“Would you make my wish come true?”

“Yeah! just say it. If that will make you believe me.”

“Then…

I wish…

I wish I was never born.”

“Huh?”

The forest was loud before, filled with life, but when she wished—it was no more, it became quiet—for me to better understand her prayer.

I’m sure the forest loves her—and this is the way to repay all the time she had spent with.

“What are you talking about sis…?”

“Exactly what I said.”

She forced a smile, but said smile… it hurt, it made her eyes hollow. And I understood what I should’ve felt the day of my death, I should’ve felt this desire to have heard wrong, to return to when we were lying below the rainbow, forging a siblings bond.

But the forest—making sure I understood her so-called wish, told me not to comply.

The silence—It was meant to be a cry for help.

“I…

can’t—”

She sank her claws in my chest, tackling me down in rash.

And sitting on top of me she cried:

“Then shut your fucking mouth! Don’t go spraying hope… Don’t promise things you can’t follow through…

Don’t offer me a way out!”

Her tears dripped on my face, while her nails still latched to my flesh. I… couldn’t say anything, so I just let her cry. I didn’t ask why, felt irrelevant at the moment.

Fangy tried to calm her tears, but it had the opposite effect—she apologized to him, crying even more—saying farewell.

“I’m sorry fangy... I’m so sorry... take care, yes? I’m sure you’ll be alright so... make sure to live a happy life, ok?”

Fangy growled... and then he grabbed her shirt.

“Let go, we can’t go hunting anymore...”

*Grrr*

“I said let go!”

*Aouf…*

“I don’t need you anymore so… Get out of my sight ok?! it’s an order!”

Fangy whimped and followed his final order—with a tail that wiggled no more.

When she calmed, she just headed back, and I simply followed her to the place where she never belonged.

Her wide, confident back had become a child’s, and I couldn’t do anything but walk behind.

The forest stayed quiet, for me to better think, and when she left, it returned to its former, begging her to return.

“Wait here, I’ll bring you some clothes.”

“Ah… thanks…”

She left the clothes and left, leaving me wondering—if I could do something to help.

——————————————————————————————

“How can this be? My little baby… why?”

“Don’t cry mother. I’m still your son regardless of how I look.”

“Pssst, I told you there was something fishy around the young master.”

“This is no time for your ‘I said so moments’ stay quiet…!”

Honestly I expected much more backlash from everyone…

“I came as soon as the letter arrived. Where is he?”

“Dear, look at what happened to Rey!”

“Hm, there’s no doubt. He really is our son. These purple eyes are proof. *Sigh* Come with me Rey. We have to talk.”

“Uh… yes…”

You won’t even say hi to your son…?

“What are we gonna do?” Mother said.

“For now let’s focus on tomorrow’s preparations. We can’t neglect the importance of the event.” He said while walking.

“Ok… I’ll go with Sara.”

“Sara? Tomorrow’s preparations? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t worry about it now. Listen to what I have to say—Do you know why we have purple eyes?”

“No? I was born basically yesterday, remember?”

“Hah. Yeah. Well… Humans, unlike magic beasts, cannot control our mana at birth. We train our minds and body in order to gain access to our soul, and with it, we can cast spells by controlling our mana. People with purple eyes are different tho, we can control it from birth—in a certain way we are closer to beasts than to humans—and for a long time we were feared as demons. So you my son, casted some type of spell, and before we learn how to revert it, you’d better get used to this new body of yours.”

“That’s a lot to take in…”

”You can process it while asleep, so we should go to sleep now, tomorrow awaits.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah, we’ll travel to the capital.”

“To the capital? Why?”

“For your sister’s wedding of course.”

My sisters… wedding?

———————————————————-

*Ding* *Dong* *Ding* *Dong*

I can’t help but think—The only reason she dragged me into her adventures, the only reason why she was so eager to share her passions, was that I—a newborn—was her only hope.

That even within her family, a baby was the only one who wouldn’t judge her—for valuing freedom above everything else.

That my sister, my awesome sister who entrusted her way of life to me, yearned for a bond greater than expectations.

That she chose to spend her last day on the forest with someone who might understand, just a glimpse of what it meant for her.

And that even if I couldn’t help her, I would at least be able to extend my arms, close my eyes, and smell—life itself.