87. Sister
Russo
Drew loved coffee, and so did her brothers.
It was simply a day like no other-- the gamer she was, fingers clicking away at the keyboard and the other hand swerving around the mouse, eyes glued to the MMORPG she was absorbed in--
When Zen came right down, casually picked up Drew's mug of coffee, and went right back into his room.
...huh?
"JESUS FUCK, BRO!" Drew suddenly screeched. "MY COFFEE!"
"Goodness, Zen, what did you do this time??" Eve's voice came from outside, having been doing the laundry. "Drew, language!!"
Zen, blank-faced, scampered away as quickly as he could, balancing the coffee perfectly in his hands.
"GAH! I DIED!" Drew screamed, "Zen, come the hell back here with my coffee! You made me die!"
-
Russo bent his neck back and looked back up to the sky-- and wondered how the sky could always shine such a brilliant shade of blue.
His legs hanging over the cliff, his arms put back as he leaned his weight on it.
He closed his eyes.
Below him, the chasm seemed to have no ending to it.
He closed his eyes, deep in thought.
"...I wonder what Zen is doing now?"
-
-
Rei
Waking up, I found I lay on a mat on the ground, a cold compress on my head.
Lambo wasn't with me.
My throat was sore and I felt sticky with sweat. It was warm, and my head throbbed a dull ache that I could mildly bear.
Pushing myself up with a groan, there was a compress on my foot as well.
I sighed. Looking around, I found the girls gathered, looking towards a bright orange light in the distant trees.
Fuuta noticed me first, and made his way over from where he was.
"Rei-nii, are you alright?" he asked worriedly, helping me get into a comfortable seating, "Are you alright?" he repeated as if I didn't hear the first time.
"Yeah... just a little dizzy." I mumbled, turning my eyes to Lambo, sleeping at the side. When did I make it back? I couldn't recall at all. My mind was blurry and my thoughts were hard to gather. "What happened?"
"That's our line," Fuuta sighed, "You came back here after that weird light, and right after Tsuna-nii left... and the moment you came in you just collapsed. We were worried sick, but Bianchi-nee said you would be alright and..."
"Don't push yourself," Bianchi interrupted, "You've been reckless enough today. Get some rest for the rest of the time."
Get some rest, you've been reckless enough today.
I clutched the hem of my coat, and bit my lip in frustration.
"I'm sorry," I mumbled softly, only to Fuuta and Bianchi, "I'm sorry I'm always so useless."
So pointless.
What am I even doing here? Why did I ever find it in myself to get involved? Why would I do something so pointless. I'm trying too hard. I'm being an idiot. I don't have a place to be here! All I ever needed to do was sit still and be the side character I am!
"Mii?" Mimi crawled out from inside my coat.
Even a mouse is worried about me...
"There's nothing wrong with it, Rei," Bianchi soothed, crouching down and leaning closer. "No matter how you are, you are important to someone, and that's all which matters."
"It's frustrating to be weak," I muttered.
"Weak?" Bianchi chuckled, "You opened your box weapon, didn't you? That's plenty strong."
"Still..."
"Rei-kun!" Kyoko quickly ran to my side, "Are you alright? How are you feeling? Do you need anything like water or--"
"Rei-san, how's your leg?" Haru added in frantically, "Do you need your medicine bottle?"
At that, Bianchi and Fuuta stepped aside-- and I was left to answer the girls on my own.
I forced out a smile I didn't feel at all.
"I'm okay, just a bit tired." I told them, "I think I'll sleep the rest of the battle away. Cheer on Tsuna and the others in my stead, alright?"
Pulling my hood over my head, I lay down and rolled over to the side.
My chest burned, the emptiness that filled my stomach nothing but an irritating, constant discomfort and unsettlement.
-
Drew was much stronger, despite being just a girl.
She could jump and do somersaults on a daily basis, and her best talent was definitely in skateboarding. She'd do the most dangerous stunts anyone could think of, all day sometimes, only to get caught by Eve and reprimanded the rest of the night.
She's broken many bones, but they all fixed up better than ever. The trapeze, the tightrope, balancing on the ball-- Drew was the Master at Circus Arts.
She was truly the most genuine 'clown' of the three.
She had plenty of flaws, but always had her own way to bulldoze out of everything.
She never faltered.
So why? Why am I so weak now?
Why is Ninomiya Rei so different from Drew Cite?
Why is Rei such a coward, when Drew was the boldest of the brave?
It was so unfair.
-
-
-
"Have you ever thought of your bucket list?" Eve brought up the topic, brought to mind by a TV show they were viewing. An absent-minded question, with Drew's head on his lap and Zen lying upside down with his legs handing over the backrest of the couch.
"That list you'd want to accomplish before you die?" Drew asked, "Hmm..."
"Sleep," Zen mumbled.
"Sleep it is," Drew agreed.
Eve sighed, "Such inspiring dreams," he rolled his eyes.
"What about Eve?" Drew lifted her head, "Is there anything in particular you want to do before you die?"
Eve, at that, cracked into a smile. Putting a hand on his sister's head-- he turned to Zen. Their eyes met, and Zen broke into a smile too.
"I guess," Eve chuckled, "it's a Magician's Secret."
"Between just Zen and you??" Drew got up, "No fairrr!"
-
-
"Get stronger, Drew," Russo had said the night before, "You may not be able to achieve now, but I just know you'll get stronger at a later point in time."
"How can you be so sure?" I had argued back, "My strength is less than half of what it was when I was a girl. I can't even train myself, and- I'm a burden. We're Mafioso now, I don't think I can live up to--"
Russo interrupted, placing a finger on my lips and shushed me softly. "I know you'll be a great Mafioso, Drew," he chuckled, "After all, you were the sister of Eve Cite."
At the point of time, I didn't really understand what he meant by that.
"Hey, Eve," I could only remember to ask, "What exactly--" a hesitation, I didn't know why I faltered. "Who exactly were Mera and Biru?"
Russo smiled sadly. "It's a very long story."
"We have time," I insisted.
We spoke the night away, sharing everything and anything that came to mind. Secrets never told, promises never fulfilled--
Everything in Drew Cite's life ended up sounding like a lie, a fake, a false pretense. A little being protected and sheltered, never noticing the littlest things around her.
Drew Cite was simply an idiot, I realized. An oblivious, gullible girl.
Drew Cite was just a fucking idiot.
Russo pecked me on the forehead. "Promise me that these would be your last tears as Drew," he whispered.
"I promise," I sniffled.
Wrapping his arms around me, Russo chuckled.
"Thanks for being my sister, Drew," he whispered, a strangely pained tone in his voice. "I truly missed the times."
-
-
-
Russo
Russo stood up, clutching his shoulder. That one arm lay limp and immovable, that partt of his already regressing to what a corpse like him was supposed to me.
He found his sight blurring in each blink-- And blood seeped through some of his wounds, onto his clothes. For the first time since his very first death-- he felt what the humans perceived as Death. Pain. Suffering. Agony.
But he found himself glad, happy, and absolutely satisfied.
"Thanks for granting my final wish, Void," he spoke to nothing.
Turning around so his back faced the edge, he looked towards the forest, to the bright orange light in the distance.
"Not quite at the end yet, but I guess this is where I go." he chuckled. "Man, I wish I could've seen the ending!"
Light-headedness washed over him, and he staggered, barely keeping himself on the ground. He chuckled. What a stupid ending, he thought.
Standing right back up, he looked toward the light again. His sight was leaving him second by second-- and every inch of his body screamed in absolute torture, as if someone was ripping him apart cell by cell.
Yet, his smile never left him.
"Adieu, ma soeur." he whispered.
Farewell, my sister.
Taking one step back, Russo closed his eyes.