A/N-Hi guys! Sorry for not updating for two days, my wifi was down. It was hectic! Here is an agsty chapter that is kind-of(?) Bharat and Shatrughan centric. 😊

Choose!" the monster repeated. "Choose, Ram, between Bharat and Shatrughan. One will still be alive, and the other will be dead." Ram's heavy breaths lingered in the air as his heart stopped. The world began to fade slowly as his eyes clogged with dirt. Lakshman's furious growl beside him brought him back to reality. Choose between Bharat and Shatrughan? He couldn't! He shouldn't! How had he come to this?

Flashback

"I need you to get a ruby jewel in the middle of the forest, Ram. Take along your brothers, they will do well to venture into there." Sage Vishwamitra said, hands folded in front of him as if the forest was no big deal. Ram opened his mouth, ready to speak worriedly about his brother's safety. Lakshman could defend himself, very well in fact, but could also run into situations too quickly. Bharat was tough, but very peaceful. Shatrughan could make a genius plan, but often over exaggerated and couldn't execute it. "Do not worry," the sage interrupted, "They will be alright. The forest should have been cleared of all monsters."

Present

Clear of all monsters. Yeah right. Ram turned towards Lakshman hesitantly. As always, his brother looked confident in him, sword drawn, ready to follow orders. He was no worse for wear, except for a few minor scratches on his arms and a fire burning in his coal black eyes. Ram would have been scared of him if it were not for the fact that Lakshman looked up to him and followed his every order gladly.

"Ram bhaiyya!" Shatrughan's wail tore into the silence. "Choose Bharat! Please," Lakshman swayed a bit on hearing his twin's lonely voice, but his hand on the sword handle just tightened. Ram sighed. It was good to have a steady pillar beside him in case he fell. Ram knew that Lakshman would always be there, and even if he felt weak or confused, or ever strayed from the path of calmness, that Lakshman would pull him right back.

If only Shatrughan were here. And what, Ram thought guiltily. Have Lakshman been captured? Would you rather have Lakshman be at the mercy of that demon instead of Shatrughan? The thing was, what they really needed now was a ploy. Usually it would be Shatrughan who had a plan, experienced with his years of pranking, plotting, and scheming. But Shatrughan was captured.

Flashback

"Ram bhaiyya," Bharat whispered, clutching onto Shatrughan's arm even though he was younger. "Can we please go back? The Sage wouldn't mind if we were scared." Shatrughan beamed.

"Scared? Our Bharat? Impossible. How about you go back, and we stay here?" Bharat stiffened and stood right back up, hand grasping his mace quickly.

"I would never leave you, Shatru. Nor Laksh, nor Ram bhaiyya. No, I'm coming along. You people run into things too quickly, and I would certainly feel uneasy if you just dilly-dallied along without a clear presence of mind. That is me." Shatrughan laughed, shaking his head, and even Lakshman allowed himself a small smile. Ram knew the real reason, however. Bharat was heavily protective of Shatrughan, barely ever letting him out of his sight. Rather like Lakshman was of him. And Ram liked that. The fact that someone was always there to be his statue of strength in the darkness.

Present

Ram gulped. Shatrughan would never forgive him if he didn't choose Bharat. Bharat would never forgive him if he didn't choose Shatrughan. Those two were so attached to each other, even if they were as different as day and night, life and death, milk and coffee. Shatrughan was extroverted, flirty, humorous, mischievous, and savage. Bharat, on the other hand, was introverted, shy, quiet, peaceful, obedient, and artistic.

Ram often wondered how it happened. How Shatrughan had insisted at the very beginning, upon following Bharat around, crawling behind him enthusiastically. How Bharat had taken his baby brother under his wing. How they were now possibly both at the end of their lives right in front of him. Ram tensed up. What he would not give to be up there instead, to have his brothers escape while he fought with the monster to the death. Knowing Lakshman, he was thinking the same thing too.

"Ram!" Bharat's strained shout rang in his ears. "There is no question about your choice. Choose Shatrughan! LEAVE!" The monster laughed violently at the indecision, the sacrifice, the struggle, the obvious anger and conflict that flashed across Ram's face at his brother's words. He couldn't choose either of them. The monster was very serious about killing the other. Bharat...Shatrughan...Bharat...Shatrughan. Only Lakshman's steady stream of violent, cruel, tortuous words that were angrily muttered under his breath kept Ram sane as the names of his two brothers repeated in his mind over and over again like people whispering incessantly into his ears.

Flashback

"Lakshman?" asked Ram, keeping an eye out for unusual movements. "What is wrong?" Lakshman unsheathed his sword tensely, and surveyed the area, jaw squared tightly. By this point, all four brothers, in fact, the entire ashram had accepted him as the one who would alert them to monsters.

"Something, bhaiyya, is wrong. Something is VERY wrong. We need to leave. We need to leave right now." Bharat grabbed onto Shatrughan and pulled him behind his body, retreating slowly. Even at that moment, his heart pacing at a beat it had never before, Ram admired Bharat's mental strength and awareness.

Shatrughan began to plan, as always. "Where is it? Where is the sound?" Lakshman pointed towards the rustling bushes, the flying birds, and a light laughter. Bharat swallowed hard and Shatrughan's chest began to rise and fall at an unsteady pace. They stayed close to each other as all four observed the skies. Suddenly, his breath quickened audibly as he glanced towards the skies. A cloud of dirt was being released into the air as if something were approaching steadily.

"RUN!" yelled Lakshman.

Present

"Choose, choose, Ram. The faster you choose, the faster it gets done with. Time is ticking, isn't it? Or would you rather prefer that both die? Death together, now wouldn't that be nice for brothers so close? Martyrs. But that would be one bright life wasted, now wouldn't it? " she spoke tantalizingly. This, this, abomination, yes that's what it was. This abomination, not even deserving the title of a woman, enjoyed his mental turmoil, was watching them for entertainment.

Bharat struggled in her large hands as Shatrughan shook his head and pointed at Bharat. The devotion they had to each other was unparalleled, perhaps overpowered only by Lakshman's. Ram glanced at Lakshman, who looked murderous. What would Lakshman do? If he had to choose between Bharat and Shatrughan, both dear to his heart, what would his second brother do?

The answer was obvious, Lakshman would charge, catch the monster by surprise, free both of them, let them escape, and either die in combat or brutally murder the enemy. It was just the sort of thing that Lakshman did. Now that I think about it, Ram thought, I'd rather die than choose. He couldn't let one of them die. HE SHOULDN'T.

And yet, involuntarily, his mind was already racing practically, logically. A logic that Ram really did not want. Rather than both being dead, maybe saving just one, however hard the decision would be to make, was better. Shatrughan, or Bharat, would live their life in misery, in guilt, in brooding but at least they would be alive. Lakshman would be broken without Shatrughan. Shatrughan would be broken without Bharat. Ram would be broken without any of them.

Flashback

They did not run, they bolted, as fast as they could. But a heavy thumping followed them, and a large tree fell right in their path so they had to turn and face the monster. What greeted them was the ugliest sight ever. A giantess, with moldy green skin that hung off her bones like blubber. Large, protruded lips, pink like human flesh. Rotten yellow teeth that made Shatrughan gag.

"Hahahahah. Human flesh is quite rare in this area." Bharat and Shatrughan ran opposite ways from Ram and Lakshman, staying together. Bharat had wide, popped eyes, and Shatrughan's breath was interrupted as his limp that he had acquired from the broken kneecap years ago decided to show at that very moment.

The monster stomped heavily, as dirt rose. She laughed, declared, shook the grounds, and threw trees at them for what was probably minutes, but what seemed like hours to Ram. Bharat always managed to pull Shatrughan out of danger right in time, as they clutched onto each other. The monster noticed this, and lifted the two up in her large hands, prying the grips they had on each other apart.

"Choose, Ram!" she squealed. "Choose between your two brothers." Lakshman stood up and looked to him for orders. Ram just stood there.

Present

The time was not to stand. Ram cleared his throat, sent a glance at Lakshman that told him just what to do, which, at that moment, was stand by, and walked up.

"I choose Shatrughan." The monster dropped the struggling, crying Shatrughan from mid-air, fully intending for the prince to die, but Ram caught him in his arms. He had chosen Shatrughan because he was the one closest to him. He sent another glance at Lakshman not a moment too soon.

Letting out a battle cry, Lakshman charged, climbing up its legs, running on its unsteady arm, and hacking at it until it dropped Bharat, who had looked ready to accept his fatal fate.

"Bharat! Are you okay?" Ram asked, catching him and setting him on the ground. Bharat nodded slowly as a response, and hugged Shatrughan tightly, not ever intending to let go. Ram took that as an okay, and joined the battle, where the rakshasi attempted to catch the speedy Lakshman around as he managed to continue mutilating her limbs, one by one.

"This is for Shatrughan and Bharat!" roared Ram, pacing forward, leaping up, sending three consecutive arrows into her heart.She collapsed, landing with a loud THUD. Trees fell down noisily around them, trunks and branches splintering under her enormous weight. He landed nimbly on two feet, and gasped thankfully as the pulse in her throat died out.

"Dead!" he cried victoriously, but he trailed off a moment later, swinging his head back abruptly. A thought had just crept into his mind. A very scary thought.

"Lakshman!" screamed Shatrughan, voicing Ram's thoughts, standing up immediately, and running towards the rubble, Bharat following not a second later. Ram led the brothers, towards where the trees had toppled from the monster's weight, and lifted a log, where Lakshman was lying down.

"Laksh?" asked Ram hopefully, but Lakshman didn't sit up. "Help me, let's take him back!" cried Shatrughan, predicting accurately that Ram was about to start sobbing. Once Ram started to cry, there was no stopping him.

Pushing the leaves apart and running through the jungle path, Ram held onto his brother tightly. Guru Vishwamitra greeted them, along with the entire assembled ashram, on the other side, his happy face immediately morphing into something angered.

"Monsters...Bharat...Shatrughan...choose...Lakshman...dead." was all that Ram could mutter breathlessly as the guru carried Lakshman into the medical center.

"Might I ask one thing?" Sage Vishwamitra began, and upon facing no backlash, continued. "Why is it always one of the twins, especially Lakshman, who ends up here?" Ram just stared at Lakshman's body silently, not trusting himself to speak without his voice cracking. Once one tear flowed out, the rest would. Not just for Lakshman, but for Shatrughan, Bharat, for all the indecision that the monster had thrown upon him. Faintly, Ram wondered who he would choose if he had to. He never found an answer.

"He's alive, Ram. Just a few broken bones, but alive. He'll be fine. His body is actually managing to heal much faster than I expected." Shatrughan smiled weakly.

"What did you expect from our tempered tantrum? By tomorrow, he'll be eating chili pepper ladoos again." Bharat still held onto Shatrughan as if not believing that they were both alive. His face was paler than normal. Shatrughan, even, looked shaken, but could still tell a few B-class jokes which served only to lighten the tense mood.

"Ram, why did you choose me?" he asked, and Bharat too whisked his head up inquisitively, though not looking hurt. Ram swallowed, before turning towards Shatrughan thoughtfully.

"You were closer in reference to distance, to me. I could catch you, then. I had warned Lakshman that I would choose the one closer to myself so that he could free the other and I could kill the monster." Lakshman sat up relievedly at that very moment, even as the guru tried to get him to sit down.

"It's dead? Oh, thank god! Guess what I found?" He held up a large, ruby-red stone that Vishwamitra immediately snatched, studying it as if not believing his eyes.

"Where did you find that, Lakshman?" Ram asked. Lakshman shrugged. "It was under the tree next to the monster. I thought it looked cool, so I grabbed it. And then the tree fell." The guru inhaled sharply. This prince made decisions way too fast.

"Speaking of trees falling, why do I feel a bit queasy?" Guru Vishwamitra swallowed disbelievingly. "That would be the fractured hip-bone."

Bonus Line

"Lakshman, what are you doing?" Ram shrieked, pointing towards where Lakshman had beat Daura in a swordfight and was currently looking very smug. "You have a broken hip, Guru said not to do anything except lie down." Lakshman sheathed his sword.

"Well, bhaiyya. I tried. I finished carving figures of everyone in this camp. Including Daura and Riku," He handed each of them a shapeless lump of wood. "So, I needed something to do, and I figured sword fighting was just the thing! And my hip is all healed, see?" Ram almost fainted when Lakshman did a backflip.

A/N-I was already planning to make a chapter like this, focused in the forest, but then I got a request by n-i-t-h-y-a for a Bharat and Shatrughan centric story.You read my mind! Maybe not what you had in mind, but it didn't turn out bad...right? I enjoyed writing this one, as it was in quite a different style than my usual ones. It includes multiple flashbacks and time changes, but I felt that was necessary. I also added in some Ram and Lakshman, in some subtle (or not-so-subtle for the subtlety masters) hints at their close relationship.

The next chapter will be the last chapter (unless I change my mind) that is centered around Gurukul. Maybe not. This is what I have planned, but most likely, there will be two more chapters dedicated to Gurukul adventures, and then we will go back to the palace. Does that sound okay?

Thank you for 700 views! I did write a bonus scene, even though I wanted to end the chapter without one, promises are promises! I can't help feeling like I am really behind with the view counting. Ah well.