Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ Snow ❯ A Brother's Memory ( Chapter 14 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: Serenitychan13 
Souzou's memory of his little sister's death.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.25.2004 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.0K | Visits: 180 | Status: Completed
Souzou's memory of his little sister's death.
Anime/Manga: Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 06.25.2004 | Pages: 1 | Words: 1.0K | Visits: 180 | Status: Completed
"Souzou?" asked a soft voice. "Souzou, can I ask you something?"
"Sure you can," he answered, trying to hold in his sadness. "What is it?"
"Am I dying?" she asked, her sweet little voice shaking in fear.
Souzou bit his lip, tears filling his dark brown eyes. The doctor said he couldn't do anything more for her. All they could do was wait and even then it didn't look good. She probably didn't have long if the fever didn't go away. That was two weeks ago and her skin still felt like it was on fire.
"Don't give up, Reika," he said softly. "You can't give up."
Reika stared at her brother. Their brown eyes were practically identical. It was what really identified them as sister and brother, besides the same silky black hair and slim build. And she could always tell when there was something he wasn't saying. Slowly, she reached for her brother's hand. He brought his hand to meet hers, feeling the heat of her fever-burned skin. She was just getting worse.
"Don't bother holding back," she said quietly. "I'm tired of not knowing. Am I going to die?"
Souzou squeezed his little sister's hand. He couldn't meet her eyes. The ten-year-old girl wrapped her arms around her brother, burying her face in his shoulder. Tears escaped from his eyes and he returned her embrace.
"I didn't want to tell you," he whispered. "I thought it would make you lose the will to live..."
"Did you ever think that maybe I wanted to lose it?" Reika whispered fiercely.
Souzou couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Reika, come here," he said hoarsely, pulling his little sister into his lap and holding her tight. "I don't want you to go... But if you feel that much pain... Do you really want to go?"
She tightened her arms around him.
"I know how much I'll miss you," she said, her voice soft. "And I'm scared..."
Souzou kissed the top of his sister's head and let a tear fell on her hair.
"I'm scared too," he whispered, his voice rasping. "I don't want you to die, Reika."
"I just want the pain to go away," she said softly. "I'm tired and I hurt all over all the time..."
"I know I'll miss you," said Souzou, shaking badly. "But I only want what's best for you... And sometimes, the best you can do is let go."
Reika began to cry, her tears soaking into her brother's shirt as she clung to him. She could feel herself growing weaker, but she didn't want to let go yet. When their mother left, Souzou swore that he would protect her always. She didn't want to leave the safety of her big brother's arms. But she could feel something pulling her away.
"Souzou?" she asked, her voice softer than it had been. "Will you stay with me just a little longer?"
"Of course," he answered, stroking her hair to reassure her. "I'm not going anywhere..."
Reika settled back in Souzou's arms. He looked down at her to see her smiling. Her dark brown eyes, so much like his own, were shining. He smiled back at her, though he could feel his heart breaking. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. Then she settled back down again, snuggling comfortably against his chest.
"You know," she said quietly, still smiling. "I don't feel so bad anymore..."
Souzou felt something inside him break. His sister was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Tears streamed down his face unchecked. Gently, he shifted Reika down to cradle her in his arms. He used to hold her like that when she was sad or scared. Often, he would end up holding her just like that until she relaxed and fell asleep. He looked down at her face and almost broke down. Though the fevered red tint was gone from her thin face, it had been replaced by a deathly white coloration. But still she smiled at him.
"Reika..." he whispered, his voice choked with tears. "No matter what, whether you're here with me or not, you'll always be my little sister... I'm going to miss you... so much..."
Reika's breathing was getting slower. Her beautiful brown eyes were half-closed and her skin was rapidly cooling. She reached a thin, pale hand up to touch her brother's face as her vision clouded. Souzou covered her hand with his own, holding it against his cheek.
"Don't cry, Souzou," begged Reika, her voice sweet and full of concern, "Don't worry. It's not so bad. Like you said, I'll always be your little sister... I'll miss you too, though... But I promise you'll see me again someday..."
Souzou held his sister tight against his chest, trying to force back tears. Reika's breathing had almost stopped completely. She only had enough strength left for a few words.
"I love you, my brother," she said softly. "Goodbye Souzou..."
Her sweet voice trailed off and her dark brown eyes closed for the last time.
"Goodbye Rei-chan," whispered Souzou, almost in disbelief.
He looked down at her face. The color was totally gone from her cheeks. Her expression was peaceful, though. Her mouth still curved into a pretty smile. She looked like she had only just fallen asleep. He held her close to his heart, bowed his head and cried.
"Sure you can," he answered, trying to hold in his sadness. "What is it?"
"Am I dying?" she asked, her sweet little voice shaking in fear.
Souzou bit his lip, tears filling his dark brown eyes. The doctor said he couldn't do anything more for her. All they could do was wait and even then it didn't look good. She probably didn't have long if the fever didn't go away. That was two weeks ago and her skin still felt like it was on fire.
"Don't give up, Reika," he said softly. "You can't give up."
Reika stared at her brother. Their brown eyes were practically identical. It was what really identified them as sister and brother, besides the same silky black hair and slim build. And she could always tell when there was something he wasn't saying. Slowly, she reached for her brother's hand. He brought his hand to meet hers, feeling the heat of her fever-burned skin. She was just getting worse.
"Don't bother holding back," she said quietly. "I'm tired of not knowing. Am I going to die?"
Souzou squeezed his little sister's hand. He couldn't meet her eyes. The ten-year-old girl wrapped her arms around her brother, burying her face in his shoulder. Tears escaped from his eyes and he returned her embrace.
"I didn't want to tell you," he whispered. "I thought it would make you lose the will to live..."
"Did you ever think that maybe I wanted to lose it?" Reika whispered fiercely.
Souzou couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"Reika, come here," he said hoarsely, pulling his little sister into his lap and holding her tight. "I don't want you to go... But if you feel that much pain... Do you really want to go?"
She tightened her arms around him.
"I know how much I'll miss you," she said, her voice soft. "And I'm scared..."
Souzou kissed the top of his sister's head and let a tear fell on her hair.
"I'm scared too," he whispered, his voice rasping. "I don't want you to die, Reika."
"I just want the pain to go away," she said softly. "I'm tired and I hurt all over all the time..."
"I know I'll miss you," said Souzou, shaking badly. "But I only want what's best for you... And sometimes, the best you can do is let go."
Reika began to cry, her tears soaking into her brother's shirt as she clung to him. She could feel herself growing weaker, but she didn't want to let go yet. When their mother left, Souzou swore that he would protect her always. She didn't want to leave the safety of her big brother's arms. But she could feel something pulling her away.
"Souzou?" she asked, her voice softer than it had been. "Will you stay with me just a little longer?"
"Of course," he answered, stroking her hair to reassure her. "I'm not going anywhere..."
Reika settled back in Souzou's arms. He looked down at her to see her smiling. Her dark brown eyes, so much like his own, were shining. He smiled back at her, though he could feel his heart breaking. She leaned up and kissed his cheek. Then she settled back down again, snuggling comfortably against his chest.
"You know," she said quietly, still smiling. "I don't feel so bad anymore..."
Souzou felt something inside him break. His sister was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Tears streamed down his face unchecked. Gently, he shifted Reika down to cradle her in his arms. He used to hold her like that when she was sad or scared. Often, he would end up holding her just like that until she relaxed and fell asleep. He looked down at her face and almost broke down. Though the fevered red tint was gone from her thin face, it had been replaced by a deathly white coloration. But still she smiled at him.
"Reika..." he whispered, his voice choked with tears. "No matter what, whether you're here with me or not, you'll always be my little sister... I'm going to miss you... so much..."
Reika's breathing was getting slower. Her beautiful brown eyes were half-closed and her skin was rapidly cooling. She reached a thin, pale hand up to touch her brother's face as her vision clouded. Souzou covered her hand with his own, holding it against his cheek.
"Don't cry, Souzou," begged Reika, her voice sweet and full of concern, "Don't worry. It's not so bad. Like you said, I'll always be your little sister... I'll miss you too, though... But I promise you'll see me again someday..."
Souzou held his sister tight against his chest, trying to force back tears. Reika's breathing had almost stopped completely. She only had enough strength left for a few words.
"I love you, my brother," she said softly. "Goodbye Souzou..."
Her sweet voice trailed off and her dark brown eyes closed for the last time.
"Goodbye Rei-chan," whispered Souzou, almost in disbelief.
He looked down at her face. The color was totally gone from her cheeks. Her expression was peaceful, though. Her mouth still curved into a pretty smile. She looked like she had only just fallen asleep. He held her close to his heart, bowed his head and cried.