Meaning of the Word "Brother"

Couldn't, Wouldn't

He looked directly into my eyes at that moment. And in that brief second, time had stopped, and I realized the scene before me. My brother was on his knees , his hands at his sides in defeat. The young boy's clothes were tattered and torn everywhere, blood soaked into some of the fabric as his cuts show openly through the damaged clothing. My brother's hair was matted and dripped of sweat, as it was plastered to his forehead. But his eyes, his eyes are what I held. For they displayed something I have never seen before through those brown eyes. Fear. His eyes showed fear, as a tear dripped down his dirty face. But there was also something else in those fear filled eyes, something I couldn't decipher, it looked  The salty tear dropped and dried on the black shoes that stood before him. And held his head in the air, his chin resting on the silver dagger whose point scarcely touched his throat. The daggerhad drips of the boy's blood on the side of the blade. The blood barely covered the detailed intricate gold designs on the side.

 I returned my gaze form the blade back to my little brother .I reached for his face cautiously, I was taken back by the fact that my fingers just went through, as if I were a ghost. I treid to call his name but no sound formed. I could only watch.

I walked around Taemin so that hid back was facing me, as to get a better look at the one holding the dagger.

I fell to my knees, my hand clamped over my mouth, keeping me from yelling. But still, a small yelp slipped from my lips. I felt hot tears fall onto my cheeks. The figure standing emotionless, with the coldest eyes I have ever seen, was nobody else but me. Kai. Holding a blade to Taemin's throat.

Time started to move once again. Taemin made little wimpering sounds, and "Kai" only stood there, emotionless, and still. Taemin knew he couldn't struggle free or the point against his throat would surely kill him. More tears streamed down the younger's face, and the fear in his eyes turned to something I also have never seen before, disappointment.

I couldn't bear to see anymore. I turned my body in the opposite direction, trying to drown out the pleading whimpers coming from Taemin.

"You..." A gentle voice whispered.

I turned back around, turning to the one that called me.

"Y-You..."

I waited for him to continue, knowing he wouldn't be able to hear my voice, nor would the one standing before him would answer.

"You..." With a little more strength in his voice he said. "You promised." And with that, the silver dagger was lunged forward.

"NOO!!!" I screamed as I reached for Taemin. As that happened, I lunged forward, almost falling off of the bed. I frantically looked around for the room for "Kai" and the young boy. But to my dismay, none in sight.

I sighed."Just a dream." I looked at my hand skeptically. "But just in case....OWW!! Yup, I'm awake."

After I said that, a little giggle was heard from in front of me.

"Hello?" I called.

I heard a little bit of shuffling around, but no answer. I sat upright and looked to the edge of the bed and peering out from the edge of the bed was two chocolately, brown eyes and a mess of brown, fluffy hair.

"Busted." I said.

Taemin came out from his hidng spot, I saw that he was still in his pajamas, barefoot. He had a pout on his lips. I smiled on the inside but I make it look like I wasn't very happy on the outside.

"I-I'm sorry, Kai."

I crossed my arms over my chest."You know Umma and Appa would kill you if they found out you're in here."

Taemin's gaze fell to the floor, and he started to fiddle with his fingers.

"I-I know. I know what Hyojin and Seungho say, but...." he said sadly."But I heard you making a bunch of noises in your sleep from outside the door. It sounded like you were crying so I came in.

I made no reply, because I probably was crying about the dream.

A worried look passed over Taemin's face, and he leaned onto the bed.

"And I can see you really were, huh?"He gently reached out for my face, his forefinger cupped a loose tear. "What happened? You had a nightmare, didn't you? What happened in your dream?" I looked at Taemin, his eyes, now not full of disappointment and fear of me. Now it had only worried and sadness for me. How could I tell him, when that is what is to happen anyways? The dream was probably a reflection of what's to happen in the future.

I shook off his hand. "Nothing. I'm fine. Now you had better leave before Umma and Appa find out." I shooed him out of the room before he asked anymore questions. I watched his back as he walked in the opposite direction, before finally closing the door. I leaned my back against the door, sliding down until my bottom hit the floor. Held my face in my hands and softly cried.

What I saw in my nightmare was what is supposed to happen. It is the rules. I am to kill Taemin, or Taemin is to kill me. It is a brutal fight in front of everybody we know and love.

Here, twins are frowned upon. It is thought that one child born is their child, and one is a clone. Of course the parents can't just kill one child, because there is the possibility that they would hav killed the real child, and left alive the clone child. So it is a curse to the child if it was born with a twin. And in order to relieve the child of its curse, when they develop and reach a certain age, they are to fight to the death, proving who is the clone and who is not.

Even against the will of the town, our parents never beieved in this. They loved us both equally, both of us were loved as thier own children. But in order to please them, they hid us from the outside world so that nobody would know that they had us.

But one day... one foolish mistake, we had our happy lives taken from us.. Our secret was exposed. Our parents were killed for treason the next day. The people still did not know who to kill so they  kept the both of us alive. We have lived with a couple who took us in ever since.

I made my way over to the dresser that sat beside my bed. Place directly on top, was a picture frame. I grabbed it and smiled at the memory. Both of our parents were looking up at a the camera. Both of them were on either side of a crib, where their 3 month old, baby boys were sleeping. We both had small green caps on, and little puppy pajamas to match. How our parents were able to tell us apart I'll never know. The picture depicted Taemin's miniature body snuggling up to mine as he slept and my small arms drapped over him, as if i were a protector of some kind. Our parents and even us, looked so happy as a family.

the day our parents were taken from us still lingers in my mind.

Our parents went out so that they could go run errands, but they couldn't bring us with. And the never would. Because Taemin and I were a secret, we weren't known by anybody, so that we wouldn't have to do what we do now. They protected us from that fate. It was I who always watched over Taemin, because he always got into a little bit of trouble.

"Kai. Kai. Kai. I'm bored." Our parents had been gone for 15 minutes and he is already bored. Aish, this kid.

"Fine. What do you wanna play?"

Teamin thought for a bit and a wide smile spread across his face.

"Hide and Seek!! Hide and Seek!!!" he cried as he was jumping up and down.

"Okay, I'll go hide and-"

"NO! I wanna hide. You can count."

I was a little unsure about that. Taemin could get into things he wasn' supposed to. But he had such an eager smile on his face I just couldn't say no to.

"Alright, but don't go off too far."

"Okay!" He said excitedly. "You count!" He yelled as he ran off.

I counted to 10... since it was the highest number I knew, and went searching for Taemin. I called out his name and listened out for his giggling. When we played this game, Umma and Appa always played with us, but I didn't like being on Taemin's team becaus ehe alwas gave away our spot with his random giggling.

I called his name throughout the house until I saw that the back door was wide open. I was in utter shock. Without any thought, I ran out the door praying Taemin was alright. I ran until my lungs burned, but still no sign of Taemin. After a long amount of time, I heard his crying not too far away.

I ran to the source and saw him. A tall man was standing over him, and Taemin was crying, probably because he thought that the tall man was scary. As he did everything. Hearing him cry my brotherly insincts kicked in and I ran.

"No, no, no. Don't cry. I was just asking where your mother was. Do you have a mother? What is your name?" The man tried to comfort him but nothing worked, Taemin just continued to cry.

In that instant I was standing in front of Taemin, like a lioness protecting her cub. When worst came to worst I wasn't going to let the man, let alone anybody, touch Taemin. The man was a little startled by my appearance, but that was soon flooded with horror as he looked at the similarities between us.

He pointed at us, and started to open his mouth, but no words formed, but just a low scream. But it definitely caught the attention of a crowd. I still had the intention of protecting Taemin, evenif I didn't exactly know what was going on at the time. Taemin was just cowering behind me, squeezing the back of my shirt. As hte crowd formulated, people started to take pictures, like we were some new freakish discovery.

"Kai! Taemin!" I heard a familiar, loving voice call.

Taemin and I immediately ran to our mother, hiding behind the dress she was wearing. The crowd stayed where they were but looked at our mother and father, and loathing washed over their faces. I walked in front of my mother, as I was doing ot Taemin. Mymother touched my shoulder and gave me a soft, apologetic smile, and stepped in front of me.

The man that was harrassing Taemin stepped forward and pointed an accussing finger at our mother. "Do you know what you've done? You have broken the law!"

My father stepped next to my mother and he held onto her hand, squeezing it tightly. "We know what we have done, but, if you could only spare our sons, we are willing to accept any punishment you were to give us." He looked to our mother in for an approvement and she sadly nodded.

A tall, bearded man stepped forward, who I later found out was the mayor, and he spoke." Very well then. You are willing to accept any punishment? So be it. And as you requested the boys will be spared... but, when they get older they are to participate for the fight. Now come with me."

My mother placed her hand over and softly cried, while our father her back. She turned to us slowly and knelt down so that we were level with her face.

"Kai, Taemin. Umma...Umma and Appa are going to be gone for awhile. I promise it will not be forever. I promise. But it will be for awhile. Okay? Can you be brave for Umma and Appa? Can you two watch over each other for that long?"

We both nodded. And at the time we still hadn't known what exactly was going on. Her and Appa gaveus one last smile before kissing our foreheads, and leaving with the tall, bearded man. I held Taemin's hand, a tear fell down his cheek and I cupped with my forefinger before squeezing his hand.  All the while, I heard them both crying, and I watched their back until they faded away.

A thin, pale woman walked up to us, along with a manI assumed to be her husband.

She spoke quickly and punctually. "You are to be living with me from now on. Come along." She lead us ot a large black car. Where her husband took the driver's seat, she took the passenger, and Taemin and I sat in the back.

She continued to talk to us about our new living arrangements, the rules and she mentioned that her name was Hyojin and her husband was Seungho. Of course I didn't pay any attention, I just had my mind focused on our parents. Their sad faces as they walked away.

I felt a warm hand squeeze my own. "Kai, I'm scared." he whimpered.

I his head and told him not to cry. "Everything's gonna be alright. Taemin, I promise I will protect you as much as I ever can, because you are my brother. I smiled at him and he did so too. But little did we know the pair of hawk-like eyes, listening and watching.

What made it all even more infair was that Taemin and I were never treated equally after we moved in with them. Umma and Appa or Hyojin and Seungho believed that they knew who was the real child. They treated me like I were their own son, but Taemin was nothing more to them than another servant they were able to boss around. Taemin wasn't even aloud to call them "Umma" or "Appa". He called them by their real names.And I wasn't even aloud to call him "Brother". I tried to tell them it was unfair but they only wave it off and tell me "He is the clone, he is worth nothing more than those who clean shoes for a living. Maybe even less so." Hyojin would say with a disgusted look on her face.

I eventually convinced her that Taemin was to sleep in the guest bedroom, rather than the cellar, to which he always snuck up into my room saying it was scary and he got nightmares. Even then, I got a room the size of a master bedroom, while Tamein got one almost as small as the attic. Ever since then, they never complied to anymore of my comlaints about Taemin's living situations compared to mine.

I even snuck into Taemin's guest bedroom to give him comfort, but we were both scolded and left to our own rooms for the day, not to see each other for three days.

After that incident I tried as much as I could to disconnect myself from Taemin. Taemin used to come to me for everything, wether it was a small scrape on his elbow or the fact that he got scared of a duck he saw. Taemin always camed to me, because I cared for him.

Sometimes, it looks as though Taemin doesn't notice the difference our "parents" treat us, but I know better than to think Taemin is that stupid. I have known him all my life so I know he knows, but he doesn't show it. He never shows when he is upset or angry, at least not when I am around, I have caught him crying in his room or angrily throwing rocks into the small river that runs through the backyard. But I can never approche him or he just completely goes bipolar and starts to smile even when there are tears streaming down his face.

A flood of tears started to run down my cheeks as I remembered something. The dual to see who is the clone is on our birthday, which is coming up soon. Puting the frame back onto the small dresser I went to the calendar that hung right above my bed frame. Our birthday is in three days time. That is why the nightmares of Taemin are showing up more frequently. We had ot fight to the death in 3 days.

I looked out the window in my room to te backyard. I saw Taemin next to the small river again, throwing rocks forcefully into the water. The sunlight lit up his face and I saw ittle sparkly dots on his face. I knew he must he crying as well. He knew about the fight soon. He kne whe would have to hurt me and I would have to hurt him. It hurt my heart to see him this way, but it was better than him just smiling it off, acting as if nothing had ever happened.

I heard a chuckle from behind me. "Pathetic, isn't he?" said a voice that made my skin crawl. I turned around to see my "mother" standing a few feet behind me and my "father" standing in the doorway nodding, agreeing to what she said.

I didn't say anything, because I knew hse would only get angryif I stood up for Taemin, and start to punish him for what I may have said. So I kept my mouth shut. I continued to watch Taemin throw rocks into the lake.

"Do you think you are prepared enough to fight?" She asked. I didn't reply.

"I know it is against the rules to give either one of you fighting lessons of any kind but, I think it'd be beset if we just-"

"No."I said, cutting her off. "When I face Taemin, I want to do it honorably. I could see the reflection of her face through the mirror to see she wasn't too pleased with my response, but still respected it.

"Very well then." I watched as her figure started to disppear in the reflection out of the mirror. She closed the door with a little more forse than she had to, leaving me to talk to my "father". He probably wanted to wish me good luck in some way.

My "father" walked to where I was and looked out the window to Taemin. To be honest, "Father" was always more scary than "Mother" because his word was always the last in every conversation or argument that occured. I focused my attention to Taemin who was now got closer to the water to hit a log that hung partially in the river with a rock.

"Here." Was all "Father" said. I turned to face him, in his hand was a small piece of cloth that seemed to be concealing something. I looked at him questioningly but he just guestured for me to take it. I took it in my hands, it felt light in on my fingertips. Pulling some of the cloth away I saw a silver point and a small golden design trailed down the slender blade and farther into the cloth. I widened my eyes in shock, and a little bit of terror, as I pulled the rest of the concealing coth away. It was what I feared. The small silver dagger I used to kill Taemin in my dreams was right before my eyes. Everything was the same. Even the designed golden hilt was polished and ready to kill. The only thing missing from my dream was the blood from Taemin it had that covered it's side.

I tried to speak, I tried to tell him I didn't need it, that I didn't want it. But he just patted my shoulder as a sign of "Good luck." and left.

I look at the blade in my hands and then back at Taemin who was outside. Taemin was getting even closer to the river, trying to aim at the rotting wood of the old log in the river. He finally slipped on a loose patch of dirt and fell in, for a small river he was being carried away fast.

I panicked. Throwing the blade aside and loosing all normal judgement, I jumped out my two story window. It hurt a little, but I didn't care. Taemin was being swept away and I ran as fast as I could to catch up to him. I finally got far anough to where I passed him, he was coming my way but I didn't know what to do. I again, lost all sense and threw myself into the water. Luckily, I was a good althlete to do all of these things. I tried my best to grab him. I caught onto a wavering branch so that I wouldn't drift off as well. I reached for his hand and he outstreached his as well. I touched his finger tips but couldn't get a grip. He drifted off past me.

"Kai!" He screamed.

"Taemin, hang in there!" I let go of the branch letting the drift carry me along while I paddled to Taemin. I caught a hold of his collar and pulled him into my arms, using all of the strenght I had I swam us both back to land. I threw myslef onto the land coughing and coughing until all of the water escaped my burning lungs. Taemin was beside me coughing too, but then sat upright. Either tears or drops of water were running down his face, I was guessing the first.

"I-I'm so s-sorry, Kai." he sniffled. "I'm s-sorry. I shouldn't have gone out that far, and I got you wet, and tired and-"he stopped abruptly as he came to some sudden realization. "Your ankle is purple!"

I looked to where Taemin was pointing at and saw that this was correct. My ankle was purple. Probably from when I jumped from my window. I was lucky I was still able to run and swim to get Taemin.

"Your hurt! A-And it's all my fault! I shouldn't have gotten that close! And now that I did that your...your...hurt *sniffle* because-"

I pulled him into my arms giving him a hug, something I haven't done in years. "Because, that's what Brothers do." I whispered. Taemin cried and buried his face into my shoulder. I let him cry, patting his back to sooth his sobs.

"W-What have you done?!" I heard a screech-like yell. Taemin immediately pulled away, and dried his tears. From not too far, "Mother" was running down to the river with "Father" tailing behind.

"Mother" reached us in record time. Her face in complete horror.

"What-What happened? You two are soaking wet! K-Kai your ankle, it's-it's purple! What on Earth....!" She immediately whipped around so that she was facing Taemin. "You!" She pointed an accussing finger at Taemin. "This is all your fault! Look what you did to Kai!!" she then pointed at me but never took he hawk-like eyes off of Taemin.

"You!You!You! I should-" she raised a hand at him, but I was fast enough to grab it before it hit Taemin.

"No, Umma. It's my fault. I came down here to tell Taemin to knock off the noise with him throwing rocks and I twisted my ankle and slipped in. Taemin came in to save me." I said plainly.

Mother seemed to believe it but she sent one last lingering glare at Taemin before walking off, again, Father trailed behind her.

"Look, Taemin, I-"

"Kai! Let's go! Now!" She called, never looking back, nor turning back around.

I sent a thoughtful and apologetic smile to Taemin before following "Mother".

From what just happened, I have made my desicion, I know what must happen in the fight.


Okay this is the first part, yes I know it is very long. I'm sorry. the second part will be shorter I promise :)

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Red_lantern #1
This is so good, I love it!