BEEEEEEEEP!

Thorn turned to look at his left side and noticed a fast car approaching on his direction.

He didn't have time to react nor to run so he just closed his eyes, stand rooted on the ground and waited for the car to hit him.

"WATCH OUT, KID!"

BZZT!

Everything went by so fast in just a blink of an eye.

The little green capped boy opened his eyes, only to find out and realized that he was on the other side of the road.

"Are you okay, kid?" A boy, with red, ruby eyes and wearing a black jacket designed with red lightning streaks on it, asked Thorn.

As the black capped boy with a lightning logo on his cap crouched down and faced the boy he just saved, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Thorn!?"

The leaf element looked at the boy who just saved him and he too, was surprised.

"C-Cousin Thunderstorm...?"

"What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed in there!"

Thorn just lowered his head down to the ground as sobbed softly, remembering what had happened a while ago.

Thunderstorm looked at him pitifully as he pulled Thorn into a hug, letting him cry on his shoulder. The leaf element hugged him back tighter, trying to hold back his tears as he sniffled.

"Shh...It's okay, bud. I'm here." The lightning element softly said, carrying him up from the ground and patted his back gently.

"Thundy!"

Two boy's came running towards Thunderstorm and Thorn's direction.

One boy wearing a black cap that was worn backwards, and black unzipped jacket with red shirt worn inside, designed with neon patterns on his jacket and one boy wearing similar to the other, except for the position of his cap was worn sideways and was wearing a full-zipped jacket, with his colors blue, white and yellow combined.

Thunderstorm recognized who they were. They were his siblings, approaching towards them in a fast pace.

"Wow, geez. You're really a fast--" The blue capped boy paused as his cyan, blue eyes laid on Thorn who was carried on Thunderstorm's arms.

"Hey, is that--" Thunderstorm cut off the black capped boy.

"Thorn. Yeah. I saw him running across the road and nearly get killed himself by a car so I dashed towards here to save him."

Confused, the leaf element turned his head towards to what the commotion was all about.

"Cousin Quake? Cousin Cyclone?" He asked, his green, puffy eyes gazed at the two boys.

"Thorny!" Cyclone exclaimed, waving his little hand to the green capped boy.

"Thorn. You have to be careful next time. Even when you were going to cross the road." Quake reminded his little, leaf elemental cousin who only nodded in response.

"Wait, what were you doing here, Thorn?" The lightning element asked, his brows furrowed with his ruby eyes looking at the leaf element in confusion while he carries him.

Thorn's innocent, green eyes started to water again, with its pupils shaking from his eyes.

His lips curved into a gloomy one.

Tears started to fall from his eyes again as he remembered everything that happened a while back.

He hated crying. But, he just couldn't take it anymore.

"Thorn..? What's wrong, bud?" Quake asked worriedly as he wiped his little cousin's tears away.

Thorn didn't want to explain nor mention to them everything about what had happened. Especially about the fight him and his big brother had created.

So, he lied.

"Nothing. I just remembered my parents and I missed them very much." He felt bad lying but, he thinks it's the only way for the three of them to end the conversation and to stop them from asking Thorn some questions, instead of them getting angry at his big brother.

Indeed, Thorn and Solar's parents were long gone. Their father left them and their mother passed away due to a sickness that cannot be cured. So, only the two siblings were left alone.

Sometimes, Thorn thought a lot about their parents and would cry often because he truly misses them.

But, in his situation right now where his beloved, big brother doesn't want nor need him anymore, made it worst for him to accept.

To accept the fact that, he was now all alone.

No family to bring him joy, no friends to have fun and play with, no brother to be there and comfort him, but luckily, he still got his caring cousins beside him.

All of his cousins were pretty much close with him. They would get in touch with each other whenever they would have a family reunion. They would often spend time with each other when they have free time and would always support and care for each other whenever one of them was feeling down or alone.

They never lie to each other when they noticed something was up, but unfortunately for Thorn, it was his only way for getting off topic about the fight between him and Solar.

In fact, it was his first time lying.

Thorn never lies and was always honest with his family, his cousins and his brother.

But, he didn't want his big brother to get dragged into any situations like this, for some reason that Solar doesn't want nor need his little brother anymore in his life.

"Oh." Thunderstorm pursed his lips. "But, that does not explain anything on what you were actually doing in here." He said, staring his ruby eyes straight into Thorn's little, innocent, green eyes in suspicion.

Sometimes, Thunderstorm knew that something was up. He can tell if someone's lying or not. He's like a detective that can tell whether the person was guilty or not.

And, he somewhat found Thorn's answer suspicious.

"The truth, Thorn." The lightning element said. "Tell us the truth." He repeated, his ruby eyes narrowed into slits like something was up. Indeed, there was.

"Umm...." The leaf element lowered his head a bit, avoiding the gazes he was receiving from his three cousins.

"I'd already told you..." He stammered, making it more suspicious. Not just for Thunderstorm, but to Quake and Cyclone as well.

"Thorn. You know, we don't like lies, right..?" Quake asked as he raised one eyebrow up with his arms crossed.

Thorn just sighed in defeat, nodding to them afterwards.

"But, before I can say the truth, can I stay at your house for a while?" He asked, glancing at them one by one.

"Sure. But, is your brother, Solar around though?" Cyclone asked the leaf element.

Thorn shook his head and lied, again. "He went somewhere and told me that I can stay at your place for a while for me not to get bored at home."

His heart ached when he thought about his brother, but he just doesn't like his brother to get into trouble. He just loves his dear big brother. Well, loved now actually...But, he still cares for him.

His cousins fell for the lie Thorn had made and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Alright then. Let's go!" Cyclone exclaimed as he started running towards the direction of their house, tripping to some rocks for a few times as he ran.

"Hey! Wait up, Cyclone!" Quake shouted, causing him to catch up with his little sibling since he had overprotective issues about his siblings getting hurt or getting into an accident, especially for Cyclone who was so clumsy at times.

Thorn giggled at the sight of this. Oh how he wished he had a sibling that he could play with and does care for him, not a sibling who is so busy with science and paper works.

"Let's go?" Thunderstorm asked, facing his leaf elemental cousin with a small smile curved on his lips.

"Yeah. Before it starts to rain right now." Thorn stated, smiling a bit as he looked up the sky which was now covered with dark, cumulonimbus clouds.

Thunderstorm only grinned and used his lightning movement to swiftly return home while carrying Thorn with him. In a few seconds, they were already in front of his cousins' home and entered inside immediately before the rain would start to pour in their heads.

<><><>

Meanwhile with Solar at home, he was worried about his little brother, fearing that something might happened to him.

If anything does happened to his little brother, he would take all the blame to himself.

In fact, it was his fault for being too harsh and mean to his innocent, ten-year-old little brother who just wanted to play with him all along.

It was time for him to apologize and make up for his mistake.

He was about to go out to look for Thorn and apologize to him when it suddenly rained, making him stay on the house for a while.