[Thorn's POV]

"You can now go upstairs and pack your things. We'll just be here waiting for you." My earth elemental cousin, Quake told me as I gave a nod in response.

I went upstairs to proceed to my room, gripping on to my backpack and my small, green suitcase.

I guess...this it it.

For me to leave...home.

My cousins, together with their parents agreed that I'll be staying with them and become a member of their family, a part of their lives.

By cousins, I mean, I'll live with Cousin Quake, Cousin Thunderstorm and Cousin Cyclone.

Well, I was happy to hear that.

But, I'm just not ready to leave home yet.

I'm just not...

Because, all the memories me and my family had were right here to where I am right now.

Home.

Even though there were depressing memories, like our father left us and our mother passed away, my big brother and I still remained strong as ever and fought harder together along the way.

But now, the thought of my big brother's gone too, made me feel weak on the inside.

Without him, I couldn't fight the feeling of depression.

Without him, I couldn't face my own fears.

Without him, I couldn't control myself.

And without him, I feel useless.

Just...useless.

I sighed deeply and shook the thoughts in my mind right now.

'I'm just here to get my things and live with my new family...' I thought and kept telling that to myself repeatedly.

I was currently walking along the hallway to go to my room, when both of my feet stopped infront of my big brother's door.

Suddenly, the feeling of hesitation hit me to whether or should I take a peek inside my big brother's room for a few minutes or just proceed to my room and pack up my things for me to go.

Out of nowhere, my hand started to reach for the doorknob while trembling.

What am I doing...?

'Open the door', says half of my mind.

While my other half says, 'Do not open the door'.

And I asked myself....

Should I open it or not?

I bit my bottom lip as I have decided.

I'm not gonna open the door.

My hand dropped back to my side as I gloomily went pass my big brother's room.

As I reached my own room, I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it open, making the door swung wide open.

The light from the hallway eliminated the dark, pitched-black shadows from the room.

I immediately went towards the window and separated the curtains covering from it.

As I open the blinds from the window, the bright, natural light from outside emitted across my room.

My lips formed a small smile at the sight of this.

It somehow reminds me of my light elemental big brother, Solar...

I sighed sadly, with a thought in mind that...

"He's not coming back..." I mumbled to myself as I went to my wardrobe and opened it, showing off all my clothes tidy and orderly stored inside.

One by one, I took all my clothes from the closet and placed it inside my backpack and my suitcase.

As I was silently getting all my clothes from the wardrobe, I was surprised when I saw a small, white envelope dropped between my clothes and fall off the ground.

I carefully placed my stack of clothes on the ground as I kneeled down and picked up the small envelope from the floor.

I rose up from the floor and stared at the small envelope in confusion.

As I turned the envelope over, my eyes widened in surprise as I saw what was written on the back of the envelope.

For my one and only family, Thorn.

Curiously, I immediately opened the envelope and took whatever it was inside.

I gasped when I took what was inside the envelope and stared at it.

A letter.

A letter, to me.

From my big brother, Solar.

I unfolded the letter and started reading what he had written for me.

"Thorn...?"

I stopped reading as my eyes lit up when I heard that voice.

'No, it must be my imagination.' I thought as I went back to reading the letter.

"Thorn?"

Here it is again...

That voice...

But no...he can't be...

I shook my head as I continued reading the letter.

"Thorn."

I couldn't take the eagerness of looking back anymore and turned around.

My eyes widened and gasped.

My heart just sank when I saw...

[End of POV]

"B-Big brother...?"

The said person smiled as he leaned his body on the doorway with his arms crossed together.

"I knew I would find you here." He said, grinning.

"No...This can't be-- You can't be-- I saw you--" Thorn stuttered as tears started to form from his eyes.

Surprised, the light element immediately approached his leaf elemental little brother and kneeled down as he gave him a comforting hug.

"Hey, shh..." He soothed. "It's okay...I'm here."

The leaf manipulator sobbed quietly as he returned the hug back tightly, gripping on to his big brother's jacket.

"H-How...? I-I saw you d-died..." He stated, a suppressed sound of hiccups escaped from his lips as his tears were threatening to spill from his eyes.

A sigh escaped from the light manipulator's mouth and loosened the hug a bit to see his little brother's face that were now messed up from crying.

He wiped all the tears off his little leaf elemental brother and gave him a sad but warm smile.

"Hey, you know as they say, 'The body dies, but the body's beauty lives."

The leaf elemental looked up to his big brother with his eyebrows furrowed. "What does that mean?"

A small chuckle escaped from the light elemental's mouth as he put a finger on his chin.

He hummed. "How can I make this easier to explain?"

He smiled brightly as he had come up with an idea.

"Ah! Okay, it means, whenever a person dies, his body decay, but his soul and good trait remains." He stated, giving his little brother a gentle pat on his head.

His leaf elemental brother's eyes lit up with awe.

"Woah, so deep." Thorn commented as his eyes sparkled in joy. Solar chuckled slightly at the sight of this.

"But..." The leaf element lowered his head, a feeling of sadness hit him again as he looked at his big brother.

"I didn't want you to go..." He mumbled, but the light element heard it all along.

Thorn's big brother smiled once more and stated, "You know, life is pleasant; death is peaceful. Well, it is the transition that is troublesome..."

"But peace, is when time doesn't matter as it passes by, you know." He continued.

"Then, why were you working hard everyday just for us?" Thorn asked, worriedly.

"Thorn, work saves us from three evils: boredom, vice and need." Solar replied, his bright smile never leaving his lips. "Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work."

"But, do you cherish the memories we have...?" The leaf element asked, looking down on the floor gloomily.

"Thorn..." The light element smiled. "I love my past. I love my present. I'm not ashamed of what I've had and I am not sad because I have it no longer..." He sighed.

"But the memories we had were more indelible than ink and I will never forget them."

A single drop of grief welled up from the corner of the Thorn's eye as he looked up to his big brother's golden, bright eyes.

"And Thorn, please." The light element stared at his little brother gloomily. "Stop crying. I hated seeing you cry. It makes me feel weak on the inside."

"I can't...help it..." The leaf manipulator could no longer hold the heartbreak he was feeling and fell to the floor in a disheveled heap as his grief poured out in a flood of uncontrollable tears.

"I feel pain...in here." Thorn said, his hand trembling to point on his chest where his heart was.

Concerned, the light element quickly went to his little brother and soothed him by giving him a warm, big hug.

The leaf element sniffled. "I missed you, big brother. I wish you were here..."

Hearing those words made the light elemental's heart tightened as it ached.

He felt his wet hot tears fill up his eyes but he wouldn't let them fall.

"Hey...Thorn. You must be tired now...Do you want to lie down on your bed?" The light element asked worriedly as he forced a smile while fighting back his tears that were threatening to fall any moment.

His little brother gave a slight nod in response as he got up from the ground with the help of his big brother's guidance.

The two elemental brothers proceeded to the leaf elemental's bed and Solar supported his little brother to lie down his own, soft bed.

As the light element finished helping his little brother, he glanced at his little brother with a heavy heart.

He sighed as he turned around, preparing himself to leave his little brother but before he could even take a single step away, he felt a soft hand held on to his own hand.

"Don't go...Please don't leave, big brother..." His little brother, Thorn said, as he stared at his big brother's golden eyes with the pupil on his eyes trembling and his tiny lips quivering.

"Please stay with me..." The leaf element stated as tears raced down his puffy, red cheeks.

As much as it hurts, Solar wanted to stay with his little brother longer.

But, he couldn't.

He just couldn't stand seeing his little brother cry and hurt because of him.

But, he didn't want to break his little brother's heart.

So, he stayed.

He carefully sat near his little brother on the bed and caressed his little cheek.

"Can you...sing, for me?" His leaf elemental brother asked softly, making the light element smile warmly.

"Sure."

He went closer to his little brother and took off his green cap from his head, placing it beside him.

He looked at his little brother who was facing him with a warm smile as he gave a bright smile in return.

This is for you, Thorn...

"There goes my heart beating
'Cause you are the reason
I'm losing my sleep
Please come back now

There goes my mind racing
And you are the reason
That I'm still breathing
I'm hopeless now

I'd climb every mountain
And swim every ocean
Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken
Oh, 'cause I need you to see
That you are the reason

There goes my hand shaking
And you are the reason
My heart keeps bleeding
I need you now

If I could turn back the clock
I'd make sure the light defeated the dark
I'd spend every hour, of every day
Keeping you safe

And I'd climb every mountain
And swim every ocean
Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken
Oh, 'cause I need you to see
That you are the reason, oh"

The light element glanced back at his little brother.

I don't wanna fight no more

There, he saw...

I don't wanna hurt no more

His little brother resting peacefully.

I don't wanna cry no more

With a smile on his face.

Come back, I need you to hold me closer now

And his little hand held on to his.

You are the reason, oh

Just at the sight of this made his heart felt warm.

Just a little closer now

'At least, I get to see him for one last time...'

Come a little closer now

'One last time before I leave...'

I need you to hold me tonight

'And let my little brother live his own peaceful life...'

"I'd climb every mountain
And swim every ocean
Just to be with you
And fix what I've broken
'Cause I need you to see
That you are the reason"

Tears started streaming down the light element' s eyes as he leaned closer to his little brother's face and gave him a small kiss on the forehead.

"All that we see or seem is but a dream of a dream, my little brother..."

<><><>

A sound of footsteps echoed across the hallway as the two elemental brothers reached the leaf elemental's room.

The earth element smiled as he approached the leaf element who was sleeping peacefully on his bed.

He pulled the blanket on to Thorn's body to cover him up with warmth.

"Come on, Thunder. Let's continue to pack his things. As of now..." Quake whispered softly and glanced at their leaf elemental cousin.

"We let Thorn rest for a while..."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you don't understand this plot, let me explain.

Thorn was actually reading the letter from Solar which was hidden all along inside his wardrobe.

Remember that chapter where Thorn had ran away from home and he was about to ran after him but it rained?

Basically, he wrote the letter while waiting for the rain to stop and that was before the next chapter of the story started.

In this chapter, Thorn was only seeing Solar as a glimpse of his imagination until he lied down on the bed and fell asleep because he was tired.

And, I guess...This is the last chapter of the story.

Hope you enjoyed reading it! uwu 💕