The Bird and the Garden 2: Restart!

Chapter 27: Nightmares

Y/N could feel his world crumbling. He didn't want to lose him. He squeezed Vao as tight as he dared, his tears staining his brother's wounds. And with a growl, he tried to lift him. To carry him to safety. But when Vao shrieked in pain, Weiss stopped Y/N. "D-don't move him! You'll kill him faster!" She begged. Y/N rested back on his knees, still cradling Vao. He could barely find the words to speak.

"... Verde... She's still alive, Vao... You aren't going to leave her, are you...?"

Vao's eye met his, tears welling up. "... She... She's al-live...?" He whispered back. Y/N nodded.

"Y-yeah... Which is why you can't give up... You swore you'd always be there for her! And I'm not about to let you break your promise!"

But deep down, he knew Vao didn't have a choice. "V-Vao... Please... D-don't go..." As Y/N began to break, Vao just smiled up warmly at him, running his bloodstained hand across his cheek.

"N-nya... Ha... Ha ha..." Vao chuckled. "We had... A lot of... F-fun, didn't we...? A lot o-of adventures..."

"And we'll have more," Y/N hissed through clenched teeth. "We'll have a thousand more! We promised each other Vao! We promised when we were kids that we would be Huntsmen together! So you'll keep that promise! We'll have another adventure! We... W-we...."

Vao ran his bloodied fingers through his younger brother's hair, shaking his head weakly. "N-no... Y/N... It's over... I-It's all... Over... Our adventures together... They... Th-they're over... It's... It's over, Y/N..."

"Shut your fucking mouth, Vao!" Y/N screamed. Weiss couldn't speak. She had her hand clamped over her mouth. She could see it in Vao's eye. In his movements. His final moments were approaching. Shakily his hand reached out to her, pulling the heiress into. Vao snickered softly, his breathing beginning to shake.

"I... I-I love you guys... S-so... Fu... fucking much..." Vao panted. He was running out of breath. "Y-you guys... Made e-everything worth it... You made... Me s-so happy..."

His grip was weakening. They grew desperate, trying to shake Vao awake. But Vao just gave them a gentle smile, his eyes growing hazy.

"Th-thank you... F-for all the f-fun we had together... I l-ove... I love you... S-so... Mu... Ch..."

They could feel it. The thumping of his heart had stopped. His arm finally drooped down, dangling limply behind them, and his head falling forward. His raspy, labored breaths stilled, and he wasn't responding to their cries.

Vao had died in their arms. Y/N felt everything break. He shook Vao gently, trying to get one last response. But he had fallen silent.

Vao was gone.

He'd never wake up to see him snickering again. He'd never again go on a mission with him. He'd never spend the holidays with him. He'd never see that smile, that smile he never knew he needed so much, ever again. Y/N felt a cry rise up. That cry warped, it twisted, into a wail of distress.

Weiss was crying. Burying her face into Vao's frigid shoulder, they didn't even hear the doors slam open. Yang and Cardin screamed in horror as they ran to meet them, Junior frozen in place with his hand over his mouth.

But Raven and Verde. They felt the worst of it. The Huntress approached shakily, staring down at her child's body. Her worst fears had come true. Just as she had said, he got himself killed. Raven dropped to her knees, reaching a hand out and gently stroking the side of his face.