The Brothers’ Decision

An injured David swung open the door leading to his parent's library.

He was met with Aziel sitting on the floor between the lifeless bodies of their parents.

Hashira stood nearby, watching Aziel with eyes of pity.

As Hashira noticed David, he ran toward where he stood.

"Aziel told me everything," Hashira said, "how are you holding up?"

Hashira detected that none of what he was saying was reaching David.

Looking into David's empty eyes, Hashira realized that David was focused on his elder brother on the floor.

"Turns out it was true," Aziel said, staring down at Rosa and Isaac's bodies.

"It took me a week to get here," Aziel continued, "although I could've just teleported with my mirrors, I took my time. Grasping whatever hope I had left, thinking and wishing that somehow, they would've escaped. And they'd be here, in their physical bodies waiting for us to return."

"I did too," David added, "but we received the worst possible outcome."

"If only I was stronger," David said, dropping to his knees.

He continuously slammed his fist into the floor, causing the bookshelves to rattle and drop some of the books they held.

"When I received Kanashimi, I felt more powerful than ever before but, all that power still amounted to nothing."

The pity in Hashira's eyes grew as he watched David. Just as Hashira was about to stop the rampage, David stopped himself.

"I know what you're thinking," David said as he looked up, "you're going to give us one of those wise speeches about how it wasn't our fault."

"Well-" Hashira began.

"But it was our fault!" David said shakily.

"We're the reason that Mother and Father decided to stay and fight!"

"If we weren't so naive, we would have all made it back safely!"

Hashira looked toward Aziel who, still sat between his parents. The look on Aziel's face implied that he agreed with David.

"Disgusting," Hashira spat, "you're trying to delay your sadness by imagining these what-if scenarios. Face it."

"Your parents are dead."

"They died not because you convinced them to stay. Those two willingly went along and fought."

"They died because they wanted they loved and wanted their legacy to live on through their children."

"If you truly believe that they wanted you to survive and spend the rest of your lives mourning them, then you weren't worthy of their sacrifice."

"Oh wise one," David said sarcastically, "what shall we do?"

"Do you expect us to just ignore the fact that our parents died?" David asked, "I don't give a damn about what you think. I'll mourn them until I feel satisfied."

"I don't want you to ignore their death," Hashira replied, "it's alright to mourn but, I expect you to move on eventually. Chase a dream or something. Anything that'll allow you to put their death behind you."

"Then train us," Aziel said abruptly.

He was now standing up beside David.

Following Aziel's sudden comment, David also got to his feet.

An unsure Hashira raised an eyebrow.

"Why are you seeking power?" a suspicious Hashira asked.

A sudden explosion of dark prana followed and, Aziel and Hashira looked toward David, the source.

David's aura knocked over one of the bookshelves, which crashed into another, causing a domino effect.

Within seconds, hundreds of books were scattered around the library.

"What an amazing idea, Aziel," David said, his aura growing.

Noticing Hashira's confused expression, David shouted, "Revenge!"

"What other possible reason could there be?" David continued, "with Hashira training us. We'll be able to grow strong enough to avenge our parents!"

"No," Hashira declared.

In an instant, David's aura dissolved and stopped the growing mess within the library.

"What do you mean no?" David asked.

"I mean that I refuse to train someone who's seeking power solely for revenge," Hashira answered.

"First," David began, "you tell me to chase a dream. I then tell you that my dream is to avenge my fallen parents and, you refuse to help me achieve that goal?"

"I told you to chase a dream that would allow you to put their deaths behind you," Hashira argued, "revenge is a dream that puts their deaths at the forefront."

"That's the point," David shot back, "once I avenge them, I'll be able to put this all behind me."

"There are better ways to reach acceptance," Hashira said, "something as simple as forgiveness-"

"Forgiveness?" David roared.

He ripped the top half of his hakama off, revealing the hole Kaizen left in his body, "does this look like something forgiveness can fix?"

He pointed his finger at Aziel's scarred left eye, "does that look like something forgiveness can fix?"

Before Hashira could respond, David threw the clothing he ripped on the floor and stormed toward the door.

Before exiting, David looked back and said, "let's go, Aziel. We'll train on our own."

Aziel looked at Hashira and then David. Too conflicted to make a choice, Aziel stood in place.

"Wow," David scoffed, "I'll be back for you tonight, Aziel. It won't take long for you to realize that I'm correct."

David disappeared, leaving Aziel and Hashira in the room alone.

Not uttering a word, Aziel and Hashira proceeded to clean up the mess that David's aura had created.

David floated alone in space. His only company being a solar system beside him.

"I can still fly due to unlocking my ririsu," David said, "but I still don't feel as powerful as I did back in hell."

He looked down at his body. The hole was almost identical to when he first acquired it a week ago.

"Normally, a wound this severe would only take a couple of seconds to regenerate."

"So why is this injury healing so slowly?"

David let out a sigh and, he looked toward the solar system.

"It didn't take long to find a solar system that was nearly perfectly aligned."

Excluding the dwarf planets, the solar system beside David held fourteen planets and a scorching red star in the middle.

With seven planets on each side of the star, the solar system was almost perfectly aligned.

"Alright," David said, lifting his hands towards the solar system.

He began to manipulate his ririsu prana in the hopes of regaining just a bit of the power he felt in hell.

His dark prana erupted and, he quickly began to sweat. David let out a shout of frustration but, he continued to try.

The muscles in his arms and legs clenched into a thousand knots, which quickly created a burning sensation.

Just when he thought he'd get some of his ririsu prana out, David felt his body give in.

"Damn it!" an irritated David shouted.

With his hand still lifted, he began to manipulate his signature prana.

A small ball of condensed spatial prana appeared in his hand.

"Damn it all!"

The ball suddenly turned into a thick beam of prana that eradicated everything within the solar system.

With the solar system gone, David was completely alone.

"How can I avenge my parents," David said, "if I can't even tap into my true power and potential?"

Aziel stood on the balcony on the third and final floor of the library.

He was leaning against the balcony's railing and staring into the distance.

"It's nearly sunset," Aziel muttered, "David will be back any moment from now."

He heard the door behind him open and, Hashira walked out and joined him on the balcony.

"I thought I'd find you here," Hashira said.

Aziel stayed quiet.

Hashira also leaned against the railing and joined Aziel in staring out into the distance.

"You know," Hashira began, "this is where your parents went when they needed a break."

Aziel once again stayed quiet.

Hashira sighed, "Aziel, I don't think you and David understood what I was-"

"No, I understand," Aziel said calmly, "but the thing is, I understand where David's coming from too."

"In the end," Aziel explained, "both of your ways are to achieve the same goal."

"David wants to achieve acceptance through revenge while you think it's better to achieve it through forgiveness."

"But," Aziel added, "If I'm being completely honest, I don't think I could ever forgive Kaizen."

"You don't need to forgive Kaizen," Hashira replied as he put his finger on Aziel's forehead.

"The person you need to forgive is Aziel."

"What do you mean?" Aziel asked.

"You blame yourself for your parent's death. You blame yourself for your and David's injuries. And, you blame yourself for what's going on in David's head."

"None of that is your fault, Aziel. And, if you want to finally be able to accept what happened and move on, then you'll have to forgive yourself."

"Forgiving yourself allows you to let go of the sadness, anger, shame, guilt, or just about any feeling you may be experiencing."

"Do you know why that is?" Hashira asked.

Aziel shook his head.

"It's because the act of self-forgiveness grants peace. The kind of peace needed for one to accept their circumstances and go on with their life."

"Well," Hashira said as he patted Aziel on the shoulder, "I don't want it to seem like I'm forcing you so, I'll let you think on it."

Hashira proceeded to the door and, before closing it behind him, he said, "as soon as you're ready, come help me prepare for Rosa and Isaac's burial. Also, let me know if you have any locations in mind for where they should be buried."

Aziel nodded his head and, as Hashira closed the door for the first time in a week, Aziel felt as if he could think clearly.

A few hours later, David appeared in the library.

"Already preparing for the burial?" David asked Aziel and Hashira.

Aziel and Hashira nodded their heads.

"Well," David said, "what can I do to help?"

"Wait," Aziel jumped in, "I've made my decision."

"Save it for later," David replied with a smile, "let's forget all of that for now and put our parents away peacefully."

With a smile, Aziel nodded his head.

"So, where are we going to bury them?" David asked.

"I was thinking in the backyard," Aziel responded, "there, they will always be at the library, where they created the books that changed the world of explorers."

"Sounds great," David said, "let's get to work."

In less than an hour, the three men completed the arrangements for the burial.

Hashira stood by the backdoor, watching as Aziel and David put their parents to rest.

Isaac and Rosa's graves were side by side, with Aziel and David talking above them.

"Time for the finishing touches," Aziel said, "what'd you bring for father?"

"The first book he ever wrote," David answered as he placed the book on the ground in front of Isaac's tombstone.

"The book was on his theory of infinite dimensionality," David explained, "a theory that's now universally accepted and that has been proven correct hundreds of times."

Isaac's tombstone was engraved with the words, "Isaac Creed: He who laughs."

"What'd you bring for mother?" David asked Aziel.

"A bouquet of roses," Aziel replied as he placed the roses on the ground in front of Rosa's tombstone, "after all, she loved the smell of roses almost as much as she loved us."

Rosa's tombstone was engraved with the words, "Rosa Creed. She who loves roses."

The twins stood up and took one last glance at the graves before staring at each other.

"Well," David began, "lay it on me."

"What's your decision?"

"I won't join you," Aziel replied, "I won't chase after unachievable vengeance."

A distasteful frown appeared on David's face and, he turned around.

"You've made your choice," David said, "I won't fight or argue with you beside our parents' resting place."

Aziel turned around and, the two brothers now stood back to back.

Just before they began to walk in opposite directions, David spoke.

"I have one last question for you, Aziel."

"What is it?" Aziel asked.

"I know this pained you as much as it did me."

"So, how do you plan on accepting this and moving on?"

"I'll tell you," Aziel said, "if you tell me your plan as well."

"Alright," David replied.

The two brothers said their answers in sync.

"Revenge," David said.

"Forgiveness," Aziel said.

The two brothers began to walk in opposite directions.

Aziel walked toward Hashira and the library.

David walked out into the distance.

"I promise you this," David whispered just loud enough for Aziel to hear, "I'll avenge our parents."

"I'll find a way."

"I swear to it."

Aziel and David looked back at each other one last time. Both saying their silent goodbyes to their brother.

They each turned around and walked, facing the path they chose head-on.

And with that, the two brothers went their separate ways.

Aziel seeking acceptance through self-forgiveness.

David seeking acceptance through revenge.