Fan Fiction ❯ Illusia ❯ Koura - A Lonely One : Interlude 3 ( Chapter 49 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: Serenitychan13 
Interlude 3: Bleeding, Broken Hearts
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Suspense / Supernatural / Romance / Fantasy / Action / Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.25.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.5K | Visits: 138 | Status: Completed
Interlude 3: Bleeding, Broken Hearts
Anime/Manga: Fan Fiction | Genre(s): / Suspense / Supernatural / Romance / Fantasy / Action / Angst / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 01.25.2004 | Pages: 2 | Words: 1.5K | Visits: 138 | Status: Completed
Interlude 3
The night was clear. There was snow on the ground and icicles decorated the branches of the trees. The full moon made everything sparkle. It should have been a pretty night, but at this point I thought nothing was beautiful. I was leaning against a boulder, standing in its shadow, waiting.
The scratches down the right side of my face were still bleeding, but not as badly as when they were fresh. They weren’t deep, probably wouldn’t even leave scars. My side was burning in pain and still bleeding heavily. It seemed to be throbbing. My chest was almost numb, but that was worse than the pain. I hated the prickling sensation in my skin. I shifted a little as I saw the one person I least wanted to see right now.
Terran. For once in my life, the sight of my brother was tearing my heart out.
Once he caught sight of me, I knew there was no turning back. Still, I didn’t want to do this. Taelia stood behind me and said “Go on, get it over with.” The girl was so sick; she was going to hang around and watch me.
Slowly, still in a lot of pain, I stepped out of the shadows. I couldn’t believe I was about to do this. My own brother… I had sworn when we lost our parents that I would protect him from then on out. Now I was about to do the unthinkable. I was about to drive a cursed knife into my brother’s heart.
I could practically hear his heart stop for a second when he got a good look at me. I must have been some sight. Strings of hair soaked with my own blood and sweat stuck to my face and my clothes were stained all over with fresh and dried blood. Slowly, still trying to hold the wound in my side closed, I staggered towards him. A shooting pain cut through my chest and I doubled over as he reached me. I had to give him the chance to escape, to get away from what awaited him.
If only he had listened to me…
“Terran… Brother… Don’t do this… I’ll be fine…”
I coughed hard and fell to my knees. Blood dripped from my lips to the snow, staining it red. I saw Terran’s face pale; he looked like he was going to be sick. He knelt down beside me and my heart clenched as he gently pushed the bloody strands of hair off my face. Out of reflex, I winced as he accidentally brushed the slash that ran diagonally across my left eye and down my cheek.
I shivered as a cold wind seemed to cut through me.
“No… Koura, you need help!” he cried. “What do you mean ‘Don’t do this’? I’m not just going to leave you here to die!”
“It would -” I coughed and blood spattered his shirt. “– be better… if you did…”
His sad brown eyes were full of tears and he was looking at me with a mix of grief and fear on his face. His eyes, for some reason, had always looked sad. I had always wondered if it had something to do with the fact that he didn’t really remember our parents. Then a determined look set his face.
“I won’t leave you here!” he insisted, one tear escaping from his eye. “Come on, grab my hand and I’ll get you out of here…”
I was still hoping that he would leave me if I told him to. My voice came out as a whisper as blood continued to drip from my lips and stain the snowy ground red.
“Terran… if you know what’s good for you… You’ll leave me now… Please, my brother… I’ll die anyway…”
Like I said, my brother has one hell of a thick skull. He ignored my request, or rather my order, completely. Carefully, he pulled my arm over his shoulder and helped me up. My head dropped forward onto my chest. I was exhausted and having a good bit of trouble breathing. There was so much blood in my throat, filling my lungs.
“Koura, you’ve lost too much blood,” he said firmly. “You’re talking crazy. You’re my brother and there’s no way I’m going to leave you!”
Even if he had a thick skull, he had a good heart. I tried to smile as I whispered to him again, my voice rasping.
“Then… I have no choice, Terran… I have to say good bye here…”
It nearly killed me to say that to him. I pulled that cursed knife from the leather sheath at my hip. He looked stunned and tears ran down his face. Slowly, a haunted look came over his tear-streaked face. He took a shaking step back, tripped over a rock and fell down in the snow. I wanted so badly to help him up and get us both out of there. But I couldn’t.
He stayed where he fell. My guess is that he was too shocked to get up. I fell back down on my knees beside him, looking down at him. He looked up at me sadly. He had tears in his eyes. So did I.
“Close your eyes, Terran.”
My voice was choked with emotion and I could feel my face streaming with tears and my own blood.
“I don’t want you to see this.”
I wanted to close my own eyes then hopefully wake up and find this had all been a bad dream. But that would have been a miracle and, unfortunately, right now I was dealing not with miracles, but with curses. I was pulled from my thoughts and inner grieving when I heard my brother say my name…
“Koura…” he said softly. It seemed to take all he had just to say my name.
He hid his eyes behind his wrist, crying silently. I touched his forehead gently, ruffling his hair a little. When he was younger, I always used to push his hair off his forehead before he went to sleep. It always tickled and he would go to sleep smiling. Now the gesture made his whole body shake and brought more tears to his eyes as my hand left blood on his forehead.
I was trying so hard to control the tears in my own eyes that my heart hurt more than any of my wounds.
“Why Koura? Why?” he asked through his tears.
I was trying hard not to break down.
I closed my eyes and whispered to him. My voice came out hoarse and more choked than ever before. It was horrible, feeling my throat constricting around tears and my own blood.
“I’m so sorry, my brother… Forgive me…”
I wanted nothing more than to reach down and wipe the tears off his face. I needed to. But since I couldn’t, I just hoped he could someday find it in his heart to forgive me…
I wondered if I would ever see him again.
“Good-bye Koura…” he said softly, his voice trailing off.
“Good-bye Terran…”
He closed his eyes and braced himself. Could he have been expecting this? Did he know about it already? I let a soft sob escape, feeling as if my heart were about to break.
I closed my eyes and drove the cursed ice blade straight into his heart.
I couldn’t look at my brother’s face as I picked up his limp form and pulled the knife from his chest. At least I could get him out of here before the curse took effect. Looking around, I saw that Taelia was gone. Maybe he could have a decent chance to get away. I silently prayed that the girl in his dreams was real. I tried so hard to convince myself that she was as I carried my brother’s body out into a quiet, fairly hidden part of forest.
Finally, I forced myself to look at his face as I laid him down gently at the base of a huge god-tree. His eyes were still closed and his expression was peaceful. I held him close for what I thought would be the last time before laying him back down and turning away.
I didn’t get more than five feet away before I fell on my knees, crying as if my heart had finally shattered.
The night was clear. There was snow on the ground and icicles decorated the branches of the trees. The full moon made everything sparkle. It should have been a pretty night, but at this point I thought nothing was beautiful. I was leaning against a boulder, standing in its shadow, waiting.
The scratches down the right side of my face were still bleeding, but not as badly as when they were fresh. They weren’t deep, probably wouldn’t even leave scars. My side was burning in pain and still bleeding heavily. It seemed to be throbbing. My chest was almost numb, but that was worse than the pain. I hated the prickling sensation in my skin. I shifted a little as I saw the one person I least wanted to see right now.
Terran. For once in my life, the sight of my brother was tearing my heart out.
Once he caught sight of me, I knew there was no turning back. Still, I didn’t want to do this. Taelia stood behind me and said “Go on, get it over with.” The girl was so sick; she was going to hang around and watch me.
Slowly, still in a lot of pain, I stepped out of the shadows. I couldn’t believe I was about to do this. My own brother… I had sworn when we lost our parents that I would protect him from then on out. Now I was about to do the unthinkable. I was about to drive a cursed knife into my brother’s heart.
I could practically hear his heart stop for a second when he got a good look at me. I must have been some sight. Strings of hair soaked with my own blood and sweat stuck to my face and my clothes were stained all over with fresh and dried blood. Slowly, still trying to hold the wound in my side closed, I staggered towards him. A shooting pain cut through my chest and I doubled over as he reached me. I had to give him the chance to escape, to get away from what awaited him.
If only he had listened to me…
“Terran… Brother… Don’t do this… I’ll be fine…”
I coughed hard and fell to my knees. Blood dripped from my lips to the snow, staining it red. I saw Terran’s face pale; he looked like he was going to be sick. He knelt down beside me and my heart clenched as he gently pushed the bloody strands of hair off my face. Out of reflex, I winced as he accidentally brushed the slash that ran diagonally across my left eye and down my cheek.
I shivered as a cold wind seemed to cut through me.
“No… Koura, you need help!” he cried. “What do you mean ‘Don’t do this’? I’m not just going to leave you here to die!”
“It would -” I coughed and blood spattered his shirt. “– be better… if you did…”
His sad brown eyes were full of tears and he was looking at me with a mix of grief and fear on his face. His eyes, for some reason, had always looked sad. I had always wondered if it had something to do with the fact that he didn’t really remember our parents. Then a determined look set his face.
“I won’t leave you here!” he insisted, one tear escaping from his eye. “Come on, grab my hand and I’ll get you out of here…”
I was still hoping that he would leave me if I told him to. My voice came out as a whisper as blood continued to drip from my lips and stain the snowy ground red.
“Terran… if you know what’s good for you… You’ll leave me now… Please, my brother… I’ll die anyway…”
Like I said, my brother has one hell of a thick skull. He ignored my request, or rather my order, completely. Carefully, he pulled my arm over his shoulder and helped me up. My head dropped forward onto my chest. I was exhausted and having a good bit of trouble breathing. There was so much blood in my throat, filling my lungs.
“Koura, you’ve lost too much blood,” he said firmly. “You’re talking crazy. You’re my brother and there’s no way I’m going to leave you!”
Even if he had a thick skull, he had a good heart. I tried to smile as I whispered to him again, my voice rasping.
“Then… I have no choice, Terran… I have to say good bye here…”
It nearly killed me to say that to him. I pulled that cursed knife from the leather sheath at my hip. He looked stunned and tears ran down his face. Slowly, a haunted look came over his tear-streaked face. He took a shaking step back, tripped over a rock and fell down in the snow. I wanted so badly to help him up and get us both out of there. But I couldn’t.
He stayed where he fell. My guess is that he was too shocked to get up. I fell back down on my knees beside him, looking down at him. He looked up at me sadly. He had tears in his eyes. So did I.
“Close your eyes, Terran.”
My voice was choked with emotion and I could feel my face streaming with tears and my own blood.
“I don’t want you to see this.”
I wanted to close my own eyes then hopefully wake up and find this had all been a bad dream. But that would have been a miracle and, unfortunately, right now I was dealing not with miracles, but with curses. I was pulled from my thoughts and inner grieving when I heard my brother say my name…
“Koura…” he said softly. It seemed to take all he had just to say my name.
He hid his eyes behind his wrist, crying silently. I touched his forehead gently, ruffling his hair a little. When he was younger, I always used to push his hair off his forehead before he went to sleep. It always tickled and he would go to sleep smiling. Now the gesture made his whole body shake and brought more tears to his eyes as my hand left blood on his forehead.
I was trying so hard to control the tears in my own eyes that my heart hurt more than any of my wounds.
“Why Koura? Why?” he asked through his tears.
I was trying hard not to break down.
I closed my eyes and whispered to him. My voice came out hoarse and more choked than ever before. It was horrible, feeling my throat constricting around tears and my own blood.
“I’m so sorry, my brother… Forgive me…”
I wanted nothing more than to reach down and wipe the tears off his face. I needed to. But since I couldn’t, I just hoped he could someday find it in his heart to forgive me…
I wondered if I would ever see him again.
“Good-bye Koura…” he said softly, his voice trailing off.
“Good-bye Terran…”
He closed his eyes and braced himself. Could he have been expecting this? Did he know about it already? I let a soft sob escape, feeling as if my heart were about to break.
I closed my eyes and drove the cursed ice blade straight into his heart.
I couldn’t look at my brother’s face as I picked up his limp form and pulled the knife from his chest. At least I could get him out of here before the curse took effect. Looking around, I saw that Taelia was gone. Maybe he could have a decent chance to get away. I silently prayed that the girl in his dreams was real. I tried so hard to convince myself that she was as I carried my brother’s body out into a quiet, fairly hidden part of forest.
Finally, I forced myself to look at his face as I laid him down gently at the base of a huge god-tree. His eyes were still closed and his expression was peaceful. I held him close for what I thought would be the last time before laying him back down and turning away.
I didn’t get more than five feet away before I fell on my knees, crying as if my heart had finally shattered.