How I Saved My Brother

There was a clear sky that day. The light of the sun illuminated our pathway. Kanou had been walking with me through the huge back gardens behind the pool house. I looked over at him, a golden sunset behind his head as he kept looking forward. He was deep in thought about what our parents expected of us, again.

“Come on, Kanou,” I said, pushing on his shoulder. “Stop thinking about it. Not going to change what they want Hinata to do. We’re lucky to have been born second and third.”

“We don’t even know her, Kenta. She hasn’t done anything wrong, she just has that stupid family name. She didn’t choose to be born an Akechi. Doesn’t that bother you?” I narrowed my eyes at him.

“It bothers me exactly as much as it bothers you. You know that.” The wind began to pick up, blowing through our hair. “Hinata has already accepted it. We can’t change his mind. And its not like we can go to the Akechi house and ask for a truce. We’d get our asses kicked so fast. She’s probably much better trained than we are. Probably even better than Hinata, too.” Rage showed on Kanou’s face. Not a pretty picture. Anger never suited him.

“We’ve been trained for bullshit we didn’t even want to be trained for. We were forced to for absolutely no reason! Who the hell tells a pair of sixteen year-olds they have to kill a girl they’ve never met?”

“Calm down, Kanou. They only told us we’d have to kill her if Hinata fails.” I felt compelled to add humor to the situation. It usually calmed him down. “Hell, if he fails there’s no hope for us to finish the job, regardless of what mom and dad tell us to do. We probably wouldn’t be able to get close to her if we wanted to,” I said facetiously. Kanou’s tone was still serious.

“Well, that’s to be expected, since the Akechi’s poor daughter is being hunted like a defenseless animal.” I rolled my eyes.

“I’m sure she’s not defenseless. Probably always carries a weapon on her, even if she’s got a bodyguard by her side.”

“I hope she has a bodyguard,” Kanou whispered.

“Hinata would yell at you for saying that.”

“I know. I don’t care.”

“You’re too honest to him. Mom and dad, too.”

“Why shouldn’t I be? Deceptive people ruin the world, erasing trust and leaving everyone hating each other.” Kanou’s fists shook angrily as we continued walking. “I wish we could stop the fighting.” I smiled.

“Maybe we can. You never know. Maybe the Akechi daughter wants to end it too. I can’t imagine she’d be okay with protecting a useless rock with her life.”

“You really think we’d be able to convince her to give up the rivalry?” His tone was thick with skepticism. “I think all that pacifism has gone to your head, Kenta. There’s no way we could stop something that’s rooted so deep.” He poked me in the cheek. “And Hinata would kill us for it.” I pushed his hand away.

“I really believe he wouldn’t. And I know we can end it. You just need to have faith in people.” I smiled optimistically at him. All he could do was sigh at me. “And you can’t say shit because you’re a pacifist too.” Kanou folded his arms and pouted while I chuckled. We reached the end of the flowery maze at the edge of the woods behind our home. Kanou and I immediately got a bad feeling. Something didn’t seem right about the air. Or the trees.

“Kenta.”

“I know.” On the defensive, I took my phone out and called Hinata, ignoring his voice through the speaker and leaving it at my side before addressing the dense void of vegetation. “Show yourself. Now.” A man leaped down from a high branch, dressed in black and brandishing a knife. I put myself in front of Kanou at once. “What do you want,” I yelled at the man, trying to make myself seem as scary as possible.

“Your location is useful information. Thanks for making your identity clear.” An Akechi informant, I thought. “Your heads will look lovely on their mantle,” the man shouted, rushing towards us.

Kanou and I started running back through the garden, hearing Hinata call our names from the house that now seemed miles away. Kanou was faster than me. He kept getting farther away. I jumped over flowerbeds, ducked between rose bushes, knocked down statues. Anything to try and increase the distance between me and the Akechi attacker. The steps behind me grew closer until I felt a hand grab my arm. I spun around to push the informant away, and as my hand touched his chest, I felt metal in mine. I fell backwards with the man on top of me, trying to take the knife out and continue chasing after Kanou. All I could think about was Kanou. I grabbed the man’s arm and refused to let him take the knife out of my chest. Breathing was painful. My strength started to fade. You will not catch him, I thought. I will not let him get hurt. I faintly heard Kanou scream my name. My vision began to blur. The man ceased his struggle with me as Hinata’s foot smashed his face. With his own sword, Hinata sliced the man’s chest open. I heard the informant’s shriek cut short as Hinata slit his throat.

“Kenta,” Hinata screamed as he took the knife out. “Kenta, stay with me, stay awake.” Time started to distort around me. I heard the rushing of the paramedic’s footsteps. I saw Kanou’s face. I saw his tears as Hinata held him back, and the ambulance lights revealed the fear on his face.

“Kanou,” I barley wheezed before a paramedic hushed me. My lungs burned and I felt like I was drowning. You’re safe. All that matters is that you’re safe.

My mind didn’t focus on how I wouldn’t make it to the hospital. It didn’t concentrate on the pain in my lungs and my sliced arteries. It didn’t center on the informant never being able to tell the Akechis where we were. It didn’t even linger on how Hinata didn’t hesitate to kill him. All my attention was on Kanou. My twin brother. My best friend. Fighting that man was never an option. Acting in violence never crossed my mind even as he grabbed me. If it had, I would have been no better than he was. They loaded me into the ambulance and Kanou stood over me for a moment, knowing they would soon drag him away from me. As all my strength drained, I could not help but smile at him while the darkness closed around me.