Siblings

It was a strange dream again.

But it was not the dream of her life as another person but rather a dream from the past.

A forgotten memory of which Asami never recall until now.

It was 12 years ago, when she was 8 years old while Haruto was 5 years old. Their father brought them to a distant mountain, he said that he wanted Haruto to accompany him to a certain place. She didn't know where it was but what she sure of was that it's quite far from their home.

Asami asked to go with them too but her father said that she shouldn't so she threw tantrums and in the end was brought along.

Their mother was staying at home. For some reason she didn't intend to go with them and chose to look after the house while asking the three of them to be careful.

They went by car and stopped at the nearby small lake before they went out and walked inside the forest past the lake.

The forest was very quiet as if there's no animal living but Asami could still feel some insects around them.

After walking for about one hour they reached deep inside and arrived before a rocky cliff covered by thick vines all over.

Asami's father searched around for a big boulder covered by vines the least and put his hands on the boulders before he moved it little by little with his limited strength.

Haruto and her helped a little too by pushing beside their dad. They didn't know what he's trying to do but seeing him having a hard time made them wanted to lend a hand.

The boulder was moved to the side, revealing a hidden hole on the cliff. Their father asked Haruto to come with him, while asking Asami to stay behind.

Of course she wanted to enter too but this time her father sternly told her to which Asami was very surprised since her father was usually very soft on her. With no choice she waited outside the small cave reluctantly and puffed her cheeks.

One and a half hour later, there's still jo aign of her father and Haruto so she started to get worried and lonely.

Disregarding her father's word, she went inside the hole too.

It was small so her father had to crouch to enter but Asami was still a child so she didn't need to do so and could enter easily.

Overtime the small path started to get wider and wider until it was as big as a basketball stadium.

There's nothing there other than stones and soils but at the end of the path was a rusted metallic door with an odd looking pattern and covered by thick vines, giving impression of the structure to be left for a very long time.

Asami thought they must went inside the door since no one was here so she approached the door timidly. When she got close she finally recognize the pattern on the door to be an illustration of a dragon.

A massive and long eastern dragon with seven spheres coiling around its body. It was carved with remarkable craftsmanship as the illustration seemed very real and striking.

Asami absentmindedly reached out her hand to the door in an attempt to push the door open but at the same time when she touched the stony structure...

"---!!"

A bizarre shock attack struck her entire being and made all of her body convulsed greatly while her eyes were turning blank. She began to fall to the ground but then the little girl had a strange vision of a gigantic brilliant golden dragon eyeing her with its red eyes amidst the starry universe and galaxies before she finally fell unconscious.

Asami woke up, already inside the car and the sky was already red, signalling it was approaching dusk. How long did she pass out? Must be a few hours at least.

For some reason she didn't remember what happened after she went inside the cave, even her father who's driving the car did not say anything and just said she passed out near the entrance.

She looked at her younger brother who was sleeping beside her before she went for another sleep by leaning against his shoulder.

....

Asami opened her eyes and found herself in a unfamiliar room. Her mind was still dizzy so she needed some time to regain clarity.

She remembered the recent events and how she was controlled by that nobleman and used her power against her supposed allies.

She gasped and raised her body in response of such disturbing and horrible memories. Before long she finally recalled the rest of the event, how she met with Rikka and her supposed dead younger brother.

Ifrit sensed the agitation of his master when she saw Haruto despite being controlled, that's why he targeted the young black haired boy alone.

And then Rikka brought her to her senses and she could share Ifrit's vision that was fighting against her brother and how he defeat Ifrit with her restraining the beast with her last strength.

With that she finally calmed down thinking they were all alright. She sat still on the bad with her still weak body, it was unknown ehat she was thinking of right now.

After a few minutes later the door to her room was knocked by someone.

###

Haruto put his hand on the door with a very complicated feelings. He was very happy Asami already regained consciousness but at the same time he's also afraid to face her out of shame.

The others decided to leave him alone and let him face his family by his own self so they all stayed on the living room downstairs.

Haruto took a deep breath and knocked the door timidly but loud enough for the person inside to hear the knock.

*Knock* *Knock*

"Nee-san? Are you there? It's me."

.....

...

.....

No answer.

He knocked the door again this time a bit louder and called again but still received no answer.

"Nee-san, I'm coming in okay?"

Having no choice he decided to just opened the door and entered the room.

After he went inside, he turned on the magical lamp for the room, brightening up the dim place.

He finally could see the figure of his sister, Asami sitting on the bed half blanketed. Asami was turning her head against him and gazed on the window at the side.

"....."

"....."

No one said anything.

Haruto was feeling melancholic and tried to open his mouth but no sound was coming out. It can't be helped because he didn't know what to say.

Asami's face and expression could not be seen from his position so he didn't know what kind of face she was making.

This silence made him even more nervous and uneasy, his heart was beating like mad from the tension.

Thinking there's no use staying in this eay he braced himself and approached Asami's bed slowly.

Asami should heard his approaching steps but she still did not turn to look back on him, keeping her face away from his sight.

And then Haruto stopped just in front of her bed, near the person herself while looking very complicated and anxious. Thus the boy opened his mouth,

"Nee-GUH!?"

*SLAP*

A hand struck his cheek powerfully, making his head turned to the side.

Haruto's mind blanked and he absentmindedly touched his left cheek, the one who just being hit by Asami with all her strength.

Her power should be weak and her strength was definitely incomparable to him. And yet somehow it hurt far more than even the strike for Ifrit.

"....Liar." Asami spoke quietly.

"...Eh?"

"...You liar...."

"...."

Liar.

That word struck his chest deeply. Perhaps even more than the slap from her just now.

"You promised before to not leave me....."

"....."

Indeed he promised that. It was during the time of their parents funerals. He swore to protect her and be by her side forever.

"You broke your promise."

"...."

Yes, he broke that promise. He died and left her alone just like that.

"I'm sorry...."

In the end he could only say that while hanging down his head in shame and guilt.

Asami raised his head and glared hatefully at him with tears on her eyes.

"Sorry!? You think it can't be solve by just saying sorry?! YOU LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR LIAR!!"

She pounded on his chest while shouting madly.

Haruto too was crying in regret and guilt because it was all his own fault, everything.

At that time his sister was clearly have a bad premonition, that's why she strongly refused to let him leave the house. And yet because of his own foolishness and disregarded her words, he died and left her alone.

How could he did not have regret and guilt? His heart felt so tightened, his shame was tormenting him along with Asami's outburst.

He didn't say anything other than "Sorry" while Asami kept hitting his chest and cried like a kid.

Twenty minutes passed and Asami finally exhausted all her strength and released his body.

Harhtuto still hung his head while bitting his lip strongly. His heart was very hurt right now from the overwhelming sense of guilt.

Not a single one of them faced each other on their eyes while the room returned quiet again.

"....It was my own fault too."

Asami suddenly opened her mouth and said.

"....?"

"....I know you're just worried and tried to cheer me up, that's why you went out of the house at that time."

"....But If only I listened at your words at that time."

"Yes, you really are an idiot. You always been like that, not listening to my words, even when I scolded you since we're a child it always went through your other ear like an air...."

"....I don't have anything to say about that."

Haruto was very mischievous and naughty when he was a kid. Almost everyday he would get in a fight with other kids, drawing scribbles on their neighbors house, pressing other's doorbell and ran away immediately. That kind of things.

Asami would always mad at him for his misdeeds and preached him with her hands on her waists. But alas, Haruto just snorted and laughed playfully.

When he grew up it was a lot better but there's still things Asami would scold him for in the house or told him not to but he never complied, making Asami frustrated and gnashed her teeth with "Gunununu...!"

But he never thought that character of him would bring them into this kind of situation.

"...Fufu."

Without knowing when he was recalling his antics back in the pas shamefully, Asami suddenly let out a chuckle as if she was thinking about the same thing.

"Right, I'm also a fool. I already know what kind of person Haru is so why at that time I didn't grabbed his collar, dragged him to his room and locked him there instead? Aah, I'm re~ally such an idiot."

"Nee...san?"

Asami faced him again and this time she was smiling gently at him as if her previous rampage did not exist.

Haruto was dumbfounded and speechless from Asami sudden turn of behavior.

"You and I, we are both stupid. But it can't be helped, we are siblings after all."

"...."

"We make a lot of mistakes. I'm also the one who pushed you that far in the past because of my own weakness too. I'm the older one here and yet I depended on you too much. And when I tried to work hard to help you, it made you worry instead because I pushed myself too much, I just can't do it right. We're both making blunders, we're both an unbelievable idiot...."

Asami raised her body and walked slowly while a bit stuttering from her still weak condition. But she approached Haruto with a helpless and bitter smile on her face.

"That's why...."

She reached out her hands and stroke Haruto's cheek. The one she slapped before, gently.

"I'll forgive you....."

"....!!"

Haruto's eyes opened wide in shock.

"So, will you also forgive me? This foolish older sister?"

"....Nee-san."

"We're family Haru. And it was a family's duty to scold and forgive when the other family member's make a mistake. No matter what they've done, a family will forgive them in the end. Isn't that what makes us family?"

"...Will you really forgive me, Nee-san?"

"Of course I am. That's why I'm sorry too Haru. For always making you worry. For always depending on you without being able to stand on my own...."

"....Maybe you're right Nee-san. We really are a siblings huh. We're just so similar to each other....."

Haruto smiled bitterly. Why they both just like to hurt other person's feeling from their own stupidity? From their own weakness? In the end they're both suffered the same thing, and that is for being such a weak person.

"....Haru, I'm already alright now. I won't force you to make another promise again. If I don't want you to go away again, this time I will do it with my own hands. I WON'T let you leave me even if you want to. Is that clear?"

Asami smiled and stared directly at Haruto's eyes. It was the same determination he showed when he vowed to protect her in front of their parents' altar, no perhaps even stronger than him.

"...A little brother must do as his sister said, right?"

He wryly smiled and raised his hand like giving up.

"Hmph, as if you ever listen to me."

Asami snorted seeing his shameless words.

After that they began to smile brightly and laughed together happily.

With his the two brother and sister were finally reunited and reconciled with each other.