"Lloyd."

He was crying on the ground, already in his other form. "Go away! I don't want to see you, Jo!"

"I'm not Jo."

He kept crying until he sat up, wiping his blood tears. He looked around. "Where are you?"

He saw a pale hand reaching out for him. It didn't look like his skin. It looked truly white. He didn't want to touch it, but curiosity killed the cat. He touched the short three fingers and was brought to the dark place. It looked nothing like the places he's been before with the colorful flowers or pretty things. It felt so cold, so terrible.

"....who are you?"

"I knew it." It didn't have a voice he could describe. It didn't sound male nor female, yet somehow sounded like both at the same time. "I'm the one they don't like. The one that's wrong. The one they wouldn't tell you about."

It was hiding in the dark. Lloyd felt its grasp on him tighten as he was brought deeper to where it lived.

"Marie and Beom killed me."

He gasped, quickly covering his mouth so it wouldn't see his fear. His mom wouldn't hurt anyone, at least not intentionally. His father, it was possible. He was soldier once.

It suddenly showed its face. It tried so desperately to look human. It had ears, two black eyes, short black hair, and lips. But it was obvious that it couldn't. There was no nose, the eyes were too small, the ears were slightly long, the mouth was too wide, it had no nose, it didn't blink.

"Your parents, their parents, killed me." It hid its face again, going back to the comfort it had grown used to. "It wasn't my fault."

He stood there in shock. Its face looked like his in a way. "...what happened?"

It remained quiet. Lloyd could see into its eyes now, the other moving away when it saw him looking. "You met the other one, the cold color one?"

It took a minute for him to realize that it was trying to say the color white. "Yes, I named it Étoile."

"Well, 'Étoile' and I are twins." It saw Lloyd smiling. "I hate it. It's the evil one, not me." It stopped, burying itself deeper into the blanket of emptiness. "It's all its fault for what happened."

"What happened?" He tried to sound as gentle as possible. "Please tell me."

"...It took up too much space, there was no more room for me. So I grew wherever I could find. But it wasn't correct, so they killed me." It paused. "'Étoile' died as a result of it, too."

Lloyd thought about the book. Baby 3. Baby 4. Now, it made sense. His mother was anti-abortion, strongly even. His father never brought up the topic, even when asked to by the counsel.

"I'm sorry that happened to you." He looked down, feeling it look up. "Is that why they don't like you?"

"Yes, they made that very clear." Its voice was bitter. "Jo, especially, he sent me here. Da-Eun didn't let me see you for years. I didn't even know Lily existed until ten years ago."

"Does Lily hate you?"

"Yes, but she only does what she's told by Jo. I hate Jo." Lloyd saw it breathing, its tall body going up and down. "I suppose you hate me too."

"No."

It looked at him, its eyes wide. It stepped into the light, its face being visible again.

"I know what's it like to not be born correctly." He had to pause now, covering his forehead. "I have girl parts and bones, but I'm a boy. And it's causing me many problems."

"But shes are gorgeous."

"I like men."

It gasped, souring its face. "But aren't you a he? Hes go with shes!"

He crossed his arms. "Not true, a he can be with another he, and a she can be a she."

It raised its eyebrow. "I didn't know that. I like shes." It became bitter again. "I told them I was a she because I like shes, but they called me he to get me angry. I'm not a he, I want to be a she!"

He smiled slightly, remembering François. "You can be a she if you want. A she is a woman."

"I've seen them before, and I want to be a woman. They have beautiful hair and voices. They wear pretty clothes and have those funny circles on their bodies."

"I'll call you a she. Do you want a feminine name?"

She nodded. "Yes, but I don't know any."

"I'll call you..." He thought his favorite Disney movie. "Aurora. It means dawn."

"What's dawn?"

"When the sun comes up." He turned to the night sky outside the dark. "Look."

He moved his hand, and up came the sun. She never saw a sunrise. It had so many colors she had never seen before. The cool ones, hot ones, then ones in between. She slowly stuck her hand out, and she felt something she had never felt before. It wasn't bitter cold. It was warm. She stepped outside. Lloyd saw her body. Two arms, four legs, no neck, and no private parts.

He held her hand. Aurora turned to him. All she ever felt were slaps of bitter rejection. She never felt what Lloyd was giving her. It was acceptance and care.

"You see this often?" She didn't look away from the sun.

"Everyday."

"You're very fortunate."

He raised his hand up, and then her world of dark turned blue. It hurt her eyes, but she embraced it.

"What's that color?" She tried to touch it, frowning when the blue didn't get on her hand.

"Blue. It's my favorite color." He felt her hand shaking. He looked over at her and saw red tears coming out of her eyes. He went to wipe them but froze when he heard the other voice.

"Lloyd! Are you here!"

Aurora was already hiding in the dark again. Lloyd kept the world colorful for her as he ran to Lily. She looked absolutely terrified.

"Lloyd, you can't be here." She grabbed his hand and dragged him away. "I'm not even supposed to be around him. We need to leave before he sees us!"

"She. Her name is Aurora." He waved goodbye to her before they were out. He hoped she saw.

"But they said-"

"They're wrong." His voice came off as bitter.

She stopped dragging him, looking at him with wide blue eyes. "...but older siblings know best..."

"She's kind. She just needs a friend."

He saw his grandparents and rushed to them, leaving his sister standing alone. He told his grandparents about her, both of them looking numb.

"Shining star." Da-Eun spoke smoothly. "That's great that you and 'her' get along, but that's not what we wanted to talk about."

"Oh, what is it then?"

Grandpa Doh sighed. "We're sorry about the illness."

He paused, then looked up.

-

François' face was the first thing he woke up to. He played with his hair. He felt surprisingly happy despite being in pain. He looked at the clock and began to shake him awake.

"Franny, you're late for work! You were supposed to wake up five hours ago!"

The redhead groaned. "Having an off day." He pulled the other closer to him. "Sleep."

----

Lily didn't dare tell the others what Lloyd said. She just said that he was still upset.

She slowly itched her way toward where she was. She was shaking as she walked toward the blue sky. She knew her siblings would kill her if they found out.

She found Aurora still sitting in the sun. When she saw her, she started to run back into the dark.

"Wait! Wait! I wanted to see you!" She spun around, shocked.

Lily picked up her hankbok as she went to her. Aurora never saw that color either.

"What's that color?" She suddenly touched the fabric, the other trying to hide her shaking hands.

"Y-yellow." Her voice shook. "It's a happy color."

She smiled at it. Lily didn't understand. All her life, she was told that this white creature was a terror. Her grandparents don't speak about her, Étoile doesn't bring her up without crying, Da curses her out, and Jo said if she ever came around them, he would hurt her. She didn't even know it was a she until today.

She spoke fast. "They said you're bad. That you, um, almost killed our mom."

"Your mom. She isn't a mother to me." Aurora became bitter again. "She killed me. She hates me."

"But why? I never understood." She blushed. "I never understood why everyone hates you."

"...I never understood that either." She wiped blood off her cheek. "I wasn't in the right place, apparently, so she got rid of me."

She was too embarrassed to keep asking. A part of her wanted to just scream and run into her big brother's arms. The other part of her wanted to stay.

"You're a woman."

Lily looked down. "Oh, yes. I look different because I was born and was able to look human, but I died a few minutes later." She got teary-eyed, remembering the few moments of warmth and love she felt when her mother was kissing her tiny hands and letting her lay on her breast. She remembered the comfort in her father's hand that was bigger than her sick body. She wanted that back so desperately.

"I want to be a woman. You look so pretty and I want to be pretty like that."

Lily only smiled at her, not knowing what to say. She never really paid attention to her body. She looked her age, early twenties. Her hair was long and soft, and her grandmother loved to brush it out and put it in tight Korean styles. She has breasts, though she really doesn't know why. She has curves, pretty blue eyes, nice dresses, shiny jewelry, and everything that every woman would want, including her sister.

"Do you have any-

"Lily!"

She felt her heart sink to her stomach. Aurora sank back into darkness, completely hidden.

"I'll be back!" She picked up her hankbok again before running away. "I promise!"

-----

Lloyd didn't sleep at all, playing games on his phone. Once François was awake and in the kitchen, he tried to get up. His legs felt like jelly. He thought about his sister and how alone she must be now. He grabbed his head before falling. Of course, his knight in shining armor came to him in a few seconds.

"Sorry, I just got dizzy." He rubbed his forehead, feeling it ache.

The redhead was picking him up despite the protests. Apple was following close behind. "I got my princesssss."

He had him on his lap as he sat back down, Lloyd squeezing his spread thighs. François cut the dragonfruit Ho gave them. He never tried it before, but it looked pretty cool.

"No." Lloyd turned his pointy nose when the other put it to his lips.

François sighed. "I know, but you got dizzy. Just a little bit, I promise."

He took it. The other felt like he was talking to a toddler. His husband goes days without eating. He doesn't feel hungry, or he avoids the pain it brings. He avoids water because that hurts him too. He would happily strave to death if it wasn't for the taller or his father making him eat three times a week.

And that pain came just a few minutes after he ate. He didn't even eat that much. He had maybe four small pieces. He clung to his husband, feeling like a monster was ripping his stomach up and dancing on his kidneys. François rubbed his back, feeling guilty for giving him the food. He knew he needed it, but it was like giving him poison.

Eventually, his stomach relaxed, and he was back to playing videos on his phone. His husband, still worried, ate quick, then walked with him still in his grasp upstairs.

"Are you going to carry me all day?" He was thrown onto the bed, laughing.

"Hmm, yes."

-----

Lily was sitting back in her bedroom on the floor, grandma doing her hair again. She found her with Aurora and was now oddly silent.

"Are you angry?" She asked in Korean.

"No, but why were you there?"

"Lloyd was there before, and she was...eager, to talk to someone."

The only sound for a while was the brushing of her long brown hair. She thought about her. Why does she live in the dark? Jo said he put 'him' somewhere where 'he' wouldn't bother her. She didn't try to do anything terrible to her. If anything, she just wanted a friend.

"Why is she far away from us?"

Da-Eun knew the question was going to come eventually. She remembers when it first happened. She was there.

"...she wasn't growing in the right place, and she made your mother very ill. She needed to have an abortion, which meant killing the baby before it was born." She put a clip in her hair. "But, the doctor accidentally killed Étoile as well. So, your mother didn't have babies in her tummy anymore."

"...but it was an accident. Accidents happen."

"I know, dear, but some accidents need to be taken away." She pulled a mirror in front of them. "All done. How lovely."

She looked up. All she could see was her sad eyes looking back at her. Her sister didn't deserve to be alone. It wasn't her fault.

"Can she live here? With us?"

"I would love to have her here, but your siblings wouldn't like that. They don't understand mistakes. For all they know, she made their mother ill on purpose."

Grandma picked up her things and left, leaving Lily alone. She sat on the floor, her eyes staring at her dainty hands.

---

"Babe, sex was amazing." François was laying on the bed, shining with sweat.

When he didn't get a response, he looked over and saw the other sleeping. Poor thing, the excitement tired him out. He spooned him, his head on his bony back.

His mind tried to think about it, but his heart quickly shut it down.

Lloyd would be okay. This was just another bump in the road that will go away soon. He survived so much. Why would cancer get him down?

But why didn't he see the signs sooner? They're together almost all the time. He should've pressed him more on the weight loss. He should've convinced him to quit the royalty thing earlier.

The doctors said there's literally nothing they can do. He found out about the bloodletting when he and Lloyd went to the doctor last week. Apparently, she took his healthy blood as well as the "sick" blood. She made the cancer worse. He remembers the anger he felt in that tiny office. It was hot, teary anger. They found out that if Lloyd did decide on chemotherapy, his epilepsy would become so dangerous that he'll die in the first month from the seizures. But now that he isn't doing anything, it's going to spread more. It already spread to his kidneys and pancreas. Soon, it's going to be in his appendix and liver and then all over his stomach. It's going to eat him up.

He turned on the TV. Lloyd will be okay. He'll get better, and everything will go back to normal. He'll have energy and want to eat everything in his husband's bakery. He'll play his piano and go out with the dogs. He'll be happy again. He isn't going to die.

He can't die.

----

"I've killed before."

Lily was back, standing in the sunlight. "You have?"

"Yes, only when it was needed."

"Who?"

She smiled, beaming about the success. "A man with green eyes."

Lily's siblings don't believe in killing. They think it's bad. She thinks that too, but sometimes, it's not unnecessarily a terrible thing.

"Lloyd has um, cancer."

"What's that?"

"I don't know." She moved back and forth, liking the way her dressed moved. "But I know that it's bad, and it causes him pain."

"Well, that's not very good."

"Maybe...we could do something about it..."

----

Lloyd, still tired from sex, was sitting outside with Jr. He was growing fast, it seemed like he grew an itch every day. He was going more comfortable with the world around him, but it seemed like he had no brain at times. He would hear food open from the kitchen and run to the bathroom. He would try to swim in his water bowl instead of drinking it.

He looked at the things around him. He couldn't believe how Aurora never saw all these colors before. Why would Jo treat her like that? Why would his grandparents let it happen?

He got up just as Jr was hissing and clawing at something. Then he heard a cry. He rushed to pick him up and saw the hissing head of a white snake in his mouth.

"Mec, putain d'enfer." He quickly took it out of his little teeth and threw it before it could bite him.

He looked at the body. It looked taller than him, and it was moving. Lloyd screamed as he stepped on the head, killing that part of it.

François and Benjamin were running out. The redhead pushed the other behind him and was stupidly going to punch it before the pitbull put it in his mouth, shook it, then threw it two doors down.

"Are you ok-" he felt something slimy underneath his shoe. He looked down and saw the snake's black eye still in his sneaker. "Ew!!!"

"I didn't even know we had snakes-BEN DON'T EAT IT!" He grabbed his red collar and pulled him away from the already half-gone head, Benjamin licking his lips. "No, no! Bad boy!" Jr got picked up. "François Jr. just bit his head off."

The other chuckled and rubbed his head. "Probably thought it was a treat."

Suddenly, there was a sceam from a woman. "WHAT THE FUCK!"

And just like that, they got in the car and drove away.

----

"Fuck! That fluffy thing ate the long death!"

----

Marcel was talking non-stop when they got to the house. He loves to talk now, he never shuts up. Not like anyone wanted him to be quiet, it was nice to hear his voice. He's changed quite a lot since the last time they saw him. He had long dreads, which were pretty cool. But, the little shit decided to cut school to get his nose pierced. The look on his grandmother's face was almost picture worthy. He's not even a little shit anymore, he towers over everyone.

"Bro, can you get me more fornite skin?" Marcel was sitting on the couch, playing on his switch.

"No, I got you some last week. Don't you have money?" François was with him. He knew his brother didn't respect him anymore. It sucked.

"Nah, I spent it on the nose shit. Hit me up."

"No, Marcel."

He huffed and walked off, not forgetting to call his brother a "Karen." The older sighed. He wished things could go back to being normal. When Marcel would listen and only cared about school. When he loved him.

However, there's one thing that never changed. He went to Lloyd, cringing slightly when Benjamin started to lick his hand.

"Are you feeling well? Is François being nice?" His other brother, who could hear him, rubbed his hands.

"Of course he is." He saw the look in his eyes, that hatred. "You know the thing that happened was an accident, right?"

He stayed quiet. He remembers how scary Lloyd looked, like a broken doll. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He still doesn't know what happened. It was like someone just flipped his light-switch and turned him off. Then, he was turned back on. But in a way, it still wasn't right. He looks so exhausted. His hair is unkempt and long, his eyes look dark, he's starting to look like a lemon, and he looks so skinny. It was all his brother's fault.

He went up to his room, playing video games. Rose looked so much different. She always looked put together before. She lost weight, making her face look narrow. She had bags under her eyes and had more wrinkles. Pierre cut his once long hair to his shoulders. He looked pretty much the same, but his personality dipped. He was quiet, not smiling or laughing. He was empty.

François and Lloyd didn't come here for no reason. They wanted to tell them about the diagnosis. They gave each other a face that said, 'Nevermind.'

"Are you kids doing well?" She sounded like a robot, monotone and flat.

Lloyd had to hold his husband's hand. "Yeah, pretty much. Are you-"

"-Yes, just fine." Pierre nodded, then sunk back into the couch.

Nobody wanted to speak. The animals offered no comfort, despite Ben hiding in-between Lloyd's legs because Jr was hissing at him. They left earlier, stating they needed to get something.

François stood by the driveway. Everything looked so different. Everyone was sick. His grandparents are sick, his husband is sick, and his mom was sick. He now saw why Marcel never wanted to be home.

Lloyd walked up to him and held his hands. François tried not to look at the skin difference. Now the other was the darker one, but he was yellow. The whites in his eyes were starting to turn yellow too. Yellow was becoming his least favorite color in the world.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know to help them." His voice was deep.

"They'll be okay, I promise." He hugged him.

He hugged him back, smelling his vanilla perfume. "I wish cancer never existed." He started to cry, sniffling. "I hate cancer."

Lloyd swallowed. "Me too. Cancer sucks. I'm okay for now, please don't worry."

"I wish I could take your cancer away and just...I don't know!" He hugged him tighter, feeling his bones. "...M-make it run away!"

"I know." He stroked his fluffy hair. "I know you would kick its ass if you could."

They walked to the car, not hearing Marcel's window slamming shut.

-----

François was sitting on the couch when he got a call. When he saw his brother's name pop up, he instantly picked up.

He didn't even get to say hello. "Is it true that Lloyd has cancer?"

He froze up. How the hell did he find out? "..yes-"

He heard the other crying. He started to cry too. It got worse when he heard the door open and his grandpa ask his little brother what was wrong.

"François gave Lloyd cancer!"

His heart stopped. He never thought about like that, but God, it made sense.

"Marcel, don't say that-"

"But it's true! He gave him cancer!" He hung up the phone before he hugged grandpa and cried into his big chest.

The older sat there, looking at his phone until it went dark.

He let Lloyd smoke.

He let him drink.

He yelled at him, he made him cry.

He stood up and walked over to the kitchen. He heard Lloyd singing and playing piano from upstairs. It's his fault. Sergeant Doh is going to lose his son, Mrs. Sauveterre is in a mental hospital, all because of him.

He opened the drawer. He picked up a knife, the same knife Lloyd cut himself with before. He sat on the couch again.

Apple, knowing what was going to happen, ran to get Lloyd.

"Apple, princess, what's wrong?" She was jumping on his pants.

He went with her downstairs, expecting her to want an early dinner.

François was sitting there, looking like a deer in headlights.

In his right hand, the stained knife. His left wrist was bleeding.

"Lloyd, it's okay. Lloyd. Lloyd, please." He stood up, grabbing the other's shoulders. "Lloyd. Lloyd."

He stared at him, then went back upstairs. Apple was trying to help, but she didn't know what to do. François was crying again, the knife on the couch. He never wanted Lloyd to find out, he was able to hide it for almost a month.

"Lloyd. Lloyd, please look at me the same."

He locked the door, then screamed at the top of his lungs. It made François' ears ring and the animals scared. Blueberry tried to walk over, but he quickly opened the door and threw her out. He did the same with the cat. Benjamin just left, afraid. He never raised his voice at them, he loves them.

"Lloyd-" he slammed the door in his face, locking it.

He deserved death. Look at what he was doing. He's destroying everything and everyone around him. He's driving his mother crazy. He's a blackhole. He was turning into the cancer and killing everyone.

He rushed into the spare guestroom that was connected to the piano room. Next to the bedroom was a bathroom. He flew open the medicine cabinet, breaking the door off. He saw his pain medication, his epilepsy pills, all the fucking bullshit that isn't going to help anymore.

"Lloyd, don't do it!" He heard Jo's voice in his ears. "Lloyd, think about mom and dad!"

He screamed again, blocking out his big brother's voice. He grabbed the bottles of medicine and started to shove pills down his throat.

François was trying to kick the door open, the animals hiding in the corner of the stairs.

Beom, who went to see his wife, was driving back in a panic. He had the worst feeling in his stomach. He tried to call Lloyd, then François. Nobody was answering.

Lloyd's body tried to throw up the medication, but he kept shoving more and more until there was none left.

Lights were flashing. He saw his brother's crying face, then his grandmother's. He reached out for her hand, feeling himself becoming cold and falling forward.

François finally broke the door as Beom slammed open another. Blueberry was crying and looking at grandpa for an answer. He rushed upstairs, feeling like he was in a horror movie. He heard a scream. Something in him made his body almost float.

He saw Lloyd's hair before he saw François. He almost fainted.

His yellow son's hair was almost black. His eyes were wet and shut. Empty pill bottles were scattered around the floor.

"DOH, CALL THE HOSPITAL." He saw his son-in-law's red wrist and face as he did CPR, his hands beat red as they went up and down on Lloyd's chest. "NOW!"

Neighbors were outside when they heard the sirens, the flashing red and blue lights making the houses shine. The paramedics were gone in a flash with the doll-like man covered up in the back. Beom was running outside just has they were leaving.

"DON'T TAKE MY BABY AWAY!"

He tried to run after them, his legs shaking and his body becoming sore. His eyes watered as the ambulance became nothing more than a dot before completely vanishing.

Everything he loved was disappearing right in front of his face. He had no wife to comfort him, and no son to hold.

He dropped to the ground, wailing into his hands. François came from behind and fell, spraining his ankle. He hugged the broken giant, crying with him. The other hugged him back, grasping onto his gray shirt.

The neighbors stood by, watching the show.

Beom got up. François did as well, then cried in pain because of his foot. The giant picked him up and carried him inside. They didn't care about the looks or whispers. They closed the door behind them.

Apple sat by the door, waiting for Lloyd to return. Blueberry slowly walked by and join her, both the girls leaning on each other.

Jr cried out of confusion, looking at the little spots of blood from François' wrist. He wanted warmth and pets. He wanted to be held, to be loved. Lloyd wasn't there. François was there, but absent. He cried by the steps, his little body shaking with each meow.

Benjamin sat down and let Jr get under his paw, the two brothers falling asleep.