Light and Dark

Chapter 16: Unbelievable

Snake heard nothing. He was so shocked, he could barely stand.

I'm too late, he thought.

Snake had lost Leru. To Vine. His older brother. It was all Snake could do to not leap at his brother and rip his throat open. He was about to respond, but Asteria beat him to it.

She scoffed. "You are a fool! He came all this way, mooning over-"

"Asteria, shut up!" Snake raised his voice. The command was so harsh sounding that Asteria shrank back. He was not about to let Asteria tell Leru for him.

He took a deep breath and took a step forward. He cringed when Vine stepped further in front of Leru.

"Leru? Look, I have to tell you something," Snake said.

"Say what you have to and then be on your way!" Vine called.

Snake had to swallow the words that were about to come out of his mouth. Instead, he concentrated on what he had to say.

"I've.... I've known you for a very long time, Leru. And ever since that fateful day that we met, I haven't been able to stop thinking about you," he said.

Leru closed her eyes. Tight. She didn't want to hear Snake's confession. It would only hurt him to hear her rejection. And it would hurt him so much more when she rejected him for his brother. Please, Snake. Please don't, she silently pleaded.

"You are the star that fell down from the sky and into my life. Your glow brightened my life up, Leru. I love you with all my heart, and I can honestly say that it would be an honor to be loved by a star in return." Snake finished his sentiment with a bow. He'd meant every word he said. He'd meant all of it with such love and adoration that he was so afraid he would fall apart. Now he only waited for Leru's response.

Don't make me choose, Leru pleaded silently. Cause I don't think I'll be able to.

Before she could answer, a rancid smell filled her nose. Apparently everyone smelled it, because all four of them lifted their heads and scented the air. Leru turned her head towards the tree line. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw movement in the shadows of the trees.

Vine and Snake apparently didn't notice, because they went right back to arguing. Vine strutted right up to Snake to where they were face to face. They argued in that position, yelling at the tops of their lungs. Asteria joined in, too, making the whole situation worse with her irritating screeching.

Leru couldn't listen clearly. She snapped. "SHUT UP!!! I can't hear!" They all quieted down and looked at her with surprise.

She turned back around to the tree line. This time she was not mistaken. Their was a flash of something in the trees; it was metal, and it had shone in the sunlight. She was about to warn the others, when an ear-splitting sound rang through the air.

And Snake had jumped in front of her.

A couple seconds ago...

Snake had seen it. Vine apparently hadn't because he came trotting up to him and pressed his forehead right into Snake's.

"You stay away from her!" Vine yelled.

"You can't make me! I will stay until she rejects me to my face!" Snake yelled back. Spit was flying from their mouths and onto each others' faces; neither of them cared.

The argument only got worse when Asteria joined in. Her voice had heightened into a shrill screech, and it was not pleasing to the ears.

"Listen to both of you! She's right there, and you two are still arguing about this?! You two are acting like cubs!" She screeched.

"Shut up!" The brothers yelled in unison.

"SHUT UP!!! I can't hear!" They all quieted down and looked at Leru in surprise. Snake internally chuckled. He followed her gaze towards the tree line. He saw the glint in the sunlight, and knew instinctively what it was. Before he could stop himself, Snake jumped in front of Leru and an ear-splitting sound rang through the air.

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Leru was frozen to her spot. Snake had jumped in front of her, and had taken the full blunt of the fire stick's projectile object. He fell on the ground in front of her with a thud. Blood poured out of a hole in his chest. Leru ducked down to his body as Asteria started screaming. Leru nudged and nudged his body, over and over begging him to get up. Snake's eyes were open, but they would never blink again.

Tears streamed down Leru's face as she let out a wail of despair. "Snake! Wake up! Please, wake up!" She screamed. Suddenly another pelt brushed against her. It was Vine. He grabbed her by her scruff, pulled her up, and flung her a ways in the direction of the eastern tree line. Leru bolted for the trees, not looking back. Tears flew down her face as she ran. I love you, Snake. Please never forget that! She prayed.

Vine and her reached the trees, but didn't stop. They ran and ran and ran. Vine had to pounce on Leru to get her to stop. He landed on her and she let out a frightened yelp. They rolled a little ways before they finally came to a stop. Vine got off of her. He brought her close to his chest with his paw. Leru was trembling from the shock and sorrow that wracked her to the bone.

He did his best to purr, to calm her down. "Please calm down, love," Vine whispered. But that didn't help at all. Soon, she let out heart-wrenching cries of despair. All he could do was hold her, and have her let it all out. Vine was hugging her to his chest, and she was snuggling ever deeper into his fur. He had to close his eyes and keep himself from falling apart.

Snake was dead.

Vine still couldn't believe it. His cheerful, boastful, annoying, cute, lovable brother. He was gone. Snake had been taken from them in the blink of an eye. He'd died mad at me, Vine though with despair. I'll never be able to say that I'm sorry.

Sorrow wracked his bones, and the only thing keeping him upright was the fact that Leru was crying. He hated seeing her cry. He was not about to cry before he made sure Leru was alright.

Vine backed up and looked into her eyes. Leru had calmed down a little, but her body still shivered. She looked into his eyes, and didn't like the view. Sorrow, despair, and guilt were all swimming around in his eyes. She knew he had to be on the verge of falling apart. Great Jaguar Gods, his own brother had been shot right in front of him! If anyone deserved to cry, it was Vine.

"Are you...are you okay?" Leru asked, sniffling.

Vine breathily chuckled. "Please. Are you alright? You were the one who was crying so much that you could've filled a whole other river," he said shakily.

She didn't like how shaky his voice sounded. Leru could tell that Vine was itching to let loose. But he wouldn't till he knew she was alright. Leru loved that about him.

"Are you okay?" She asked again, more seriously.

Vine looked down and sighed. He buried his face in her chest. She started to purr.

"Please, Vine. Don't hold it in," Leru whispered. At that, Vine lost it. He wailed. He screamed. He yelled. He lost all sense of where he was. But he kept his face buried in Leru's fur. Her presence was the only thing stopping him from running off and getting himself killed while he was trying to kill something else. And Leru took the full force of it. She even started to cry again herself.

There they were. Finally together. But not in the way they'd expected.