AND WE'RE BACK!

Warnings --->

WC: ~1300

Enjoy!

Smoke.

That was all there was.

For some reason, Xay didn't spawn in the cave like he predicted, but rather on the surface.

And while there wasn't quite as much smoke as he originally thought, there was still quite a bit.

Xay glanced around in horror at the forest, or what used to be a forest.

It wasn't completely gone, but it was certainly severely damaged. Ashes coated everything, and the scent of smoke lingered in the air. Xay shuddered, guilt stirring inside of him.

Just tell Xisuma, Xay told himself. Then figure out what to do next.

Xay peered at the barren landscape in front of him, trying to figure out the direction of his house. The lack of trees and familiar landmarks had completely ruined his sense of direction-

"Are you sure?"

Xay's head whipped towards the sound. A voice.

"Yes. I'm sorry,"

"P-please, c-can't you-"

"Sir, there's nothing we can do. I'll be back in a bit."

And then the sound of a vehicle driving off.

Xay stayed silent, feeling like he was holding his breath.

What just happened?

Xay narrowed his eyes in the direction of the voices. He couldn't see anyone due to the foggy atmosphere, but he knew one of the voices by heart.

Xisuma.

He was right there.

Better now than later.

Xay took a deep breath, braced himself (although he wasn't really sure why), and started running.

"Xisuma!" Xay called out as his figure came into view.

It was like slow motion.

Xisuma turned around, then covered his mouth with a hand, his eyes widening. Tears were already pouring down, but they only quickened as Xay wrapped his arms around Xisuma. The pair crashed to the floor, too overwhelmed by each other's presence to give a scud for balance.

"How- wh- XAY!" Xisuma shrieked. "HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?!"

"Disappointed, are we?" Xay joked, holding back tears of his own.

"Never," Xisuma breathed. "But I don't understand, we checked everywhere for you."

"I'll explain later," Xay mumbled.

Maybe.

"Why are you crying?" Xay giggled, wiping the tears off of Xisuma's face. "I was only gone for a couple of hours!"

"It was the most stressful and horrible hours of my life," Xisuma murmured. "I thought I lost you-"

"Well, you didn't," Xay replied firmly. "And you never will."

"At least tell me how you survived all the fire," Xisuma pleaded. Xay hesitated.

What's the worst that could happen if I told him?

Xay took a deep breath, then snapped his fingers.

"What the-" Xisuma scrambled back, fear in his indigo eyes.

"This," Xay said softly. "Is how I survived."

"I don't understand," Xisuma tried after a second. "That's- you-"

"I can generate an abnormal amount of heat with friction," Xay explained. "Or, rather, snapping to make fire."

"That's... not good," Xisuma said meekly.

"I wouldn't say that," Xay chuckled. "It's not the best, no, but... I'm magic!"

"How have you gone years without telling anyone?!" Xisuma yelped.

"Because I don't want to be found!" Xay told him with a laugh.

"You... don't want to be found?" Xisuma sounded... confused. "Wouldn't you rather live without the fire?"

What.

"No," Xay replied. "I'd rather live like this."

"Maybe you should get those powers checked out..." Xisuma suggested. "For your own safety."

No.

NO!

"I don't need to get them 'checked out'!" Xay flashed back.

"Xay, please," Xisuma, to Xay's horror, began. "No one can handle complete control over fire. It's too much."

"I can! I have been for years!!" Xay cried.

"I'm so sorry... but this is what's best for you," Xisuma murmured. "We're going to get those powers extracted."

"EXTRACTED?!" Xay shrieked. "'Suma, no. Please-"

"It's what's best for you," Xisuma said firmly. "I'm just looking out for you."

"I don't need you to look out for me!" Xay spat. "I trusted you, Xisuma! And now you're doing this-"

"Please calm down," Xisuma pleaded. "And you don't have to stop trusting me, I trust you-"

"Do you, though?"

Xay's voice was a whisper.

Xisuma didn't respond.

"You don't," Xay snapped, anger overtaking him. "You never have-"

"I do, I swear," Xisuma tried again. "But this is too much for anyone. When the officer comes back, I'm telling him."

"What's stopping me from running away?!" Xay yelled, getting up. "What's stopping me from leaving you?!" Xisuma narrowed his eyes.

"I am," Xisuma's tone changed completely, going from desperate to... cold. "I- I don't want you to die or-"

"THEN DON'T SENTENCE ME TO MY DEMISE!" Xay shouted. Xisuma placed a hand on Xay's shoulder.

Xay flinched.

The hurt in Xisuma's eyes was like a glass shattering, jagged pieces of sadness threatening to stab anyone who came too close.

"It'll all be okay," Xisuma promised, smiling softly.

"NO! It's like- you're taking a part of me, Xisuma!" Xay shrieked, shoving Xisuma's hand away.

"It's over, Xay," Xisuma murmured. "They're coming."

"No... please, no..." Xay whispered.

I'm an idiot.

Why did I trust him?!

"This is what's best," Xisuma promised. "You'll thank me later, I promise."

"No I won't!!" Xay cried.

I should've listened.

I can't believe that I did this.

I've made a hell of a mistake.

"I just want you to be safe!" Xisuma choked out, extending a hand to Xay.

"I JUST WANT YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

Flames.

Flames flared up, separating the two brothers.

There was a crash from the other side of the flames, where Xisuma was standing. Xay shrieked and stomped on the flames, and they died down. Xisuma have clearly jumped back and fallen in surprise, and the two locked eye contact.

"This is dangerous," Xisuma said softly. "Xay, how can you say that you can handle this?"

"I-"

Xay was cut off by realization.

I almost killed Xisuma.

I ALMOST KILLED MY OWN BROTHER.

Xisuma lifted himself off the ground, holding his left hand in his right.

Xay wanted to scream, to cry, when he saw Xisuma's scorched fingertips.

My fault.

"I- I'm sorry," Xay whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from the burns on Xisuma's hand. "But-"

"What if I had been closer?!" Xisuma cried. "What if I had died?! You say that it happens because of friction, but that certainly wasn't what happened here!! You don't have control! One day, Xay, this power will get someone killed."

"It hasn't yet!" Xay argued, although he knew that Xisuma was right.

Not about everything, but about one thing in particular.

He could've killed Xisuma.

That's not okay. At all.

I need to get better control.

"Getting the powers treated or extracted or something is the best solution," Xisuma said. "Be reasonable for once in your life, Xay."

"I can't," Xay whispered. "I can't get them removed, I need the fire-"

"As long as you're safe," Xisuma murmured. "I'm sorry that it has to be this way, but I don't want you to be overwhelmed or controlled by the magic."

"You're not sorry," Xay spat. "You're not. Because you don't get it. You never will."

"I-"

Xisuma was cut off by the sound of sirens.

The officer returned.

It's over.

"I'm not going with you," Xay snapped. "I need my magic, I r-"

"Trust me, Xay," Xisuma whispered, taking his gloved hands. "Please trust me with this one."

"You've lost my trust," Xay spat, jerking his hands away. "You lost that, just like you've lost me."

Xisuma knew exactly what he meant.

And the hurt in his eyes made it so much worse.

But it was true.

Trust had collapsed.

Xay took one step back, then another,

But, then, Xisuma reached into his pocket.

It all happened before Xay could understand what was going on.

A walkie-talkie.

Xisuma said two words into it without breaking eye contact with Xay.

Two words that ruined everything.

"Found him,"

'SUMA NO-

-Storm