Brothers of Thunder

For Whom is There to Blame?

"Keep your eyes on me, Zen."

His brothers voice sounded as if he was yards away, but his blurry image was right before his eyes. The frantic tone in Kaigaku's speech sent a shiver down his spine.

The cold was instantly replaced by searing heat as the movement caused him to flare up in pain.

He tried to do as he was told. He fought against the weight dragging his eyelids down, causing him to blink slowly. Yet, his sight never sharpened and black seeped into the edges.

Through the haze, he could see the worried teal of his brother's eyes. The fear and desperation that he could hear from Kaigaku grew an ache in his chest. He wanted so badly to comfort his brother. His brother, whom he had never seen so vulnerable. The feeling was as unbearable as the burning in his skin.

"Aniki..." he gasped out before the light faded completely.

He felt water drip onto his cheek as the arms holding him pulled him closer.

"Zen! NO! PLEASE NO!" Kaigaku cried out.

While unconscious, Zenitsu felt little to no pain, but he could still hear everything as clearly as he would when awake. He hated it. There was no relief from the constant noise that beat down on him everyday and night. He can hear what people say about him when they think he can't. He can hear everything. He can hear his brother scream for him, but he can't do anything.

"Please don't blame yourself, Aniki."

"ZENITSU, DON'T LEAVE ME!"

"I'm... not going anywhere."

***

Something tangled with his feet. Glancing down, he marveled at the vibrant red color of the spider lilies around him. When he looked up once more, he found a river and more lilies on the other side of it.

He sighed at the beauty of it. Then he felt a gentle nudge. A force coaxing him to wade in the water to the other side.

He followed it. When he stepped into the water, he was surprised to find that it wasn't cold. It wasn't warm either. It had no temperature. Strange. The force pulled at him more and more with each step he took.

He was about half way across when he heard them. The worried songs of Kaigaku and Gramps reached him from the bank behind him.

"I should go back," he spoke to the air with a sudden feeling of anxiety.

The pull released and he was yanked from the water.

***

A voice gasped, "Oh my! I think he's stirring!"

"What?" Said another voice he didn't recognize.

"Gramps? Kaigaku?" Zenitsu mumbled groggily.

"Eh?!"

"Oh my... Well it really should be expected, Shinobu."

It almost felt like there were weights on his eyelids. With effort he dragged them open.

"Yoo-hoo!" A blurry figure waved in front of his face. He blinked and his eyes finally focused. Then he noticed the two girls watching him intently.

"Ah!" the boy exclaimed quietly. He slowly lifted the covers over his face with pink dusting his cheeks.

The taller girl with butterfly clips decorating either side of her head giggled.

"Hi there! I am Kanae Kocho! I've been looking after you since you have been unwell." She gestured to the other girl with purple coloring the tips of her hair. "This is my sister, Shinobu. She has been helping me with a few things."

Shinobu waved with a smile.

"Would you like me to call your master and Kaigaku-san for you?" she asked.

Zenitsu sat up a little and nodded.

"Alright. I'll be back in a bit."

The door tapped as she left.

Kanae turned her attention back to her patient with a gentle smile.

"You're not feeling much pain right?"

Zenitsu nodded again.

"Good." She grabbed night clothes and set it on his lap. "Here. I'll help you put it on, okay?"

He flushed with embarrassment again. "Okay."

Kanae laughed softly, "Sorry if you're uncomfortable, sweetie. We just don't want you to re-injure yourself. I'll just get you propped up and help get your arms in. You can do the rest."

A while later, they heard knocking on the door.

"Nee-Sa-- ahem..." they heard Shinobu stop herself. "Shut up, idiot."

"I didn't say anything!" Kaigaku's muffled voice cried indignantly.

"You actually... Nevermind." Shinobu continued, "Kanae, may we come in?"

The flower Hashira turned to the boy next to her. She smiled gently with a silent question hidden behind it.

Zenitsu smiled back at her in answer.

"Yes, come in." Kanae called to the people waiting at the door.

Shinobu slid open the door and stepped aside to let the people behind her in. Zenitsu's eyes lit up when Jigoro hobbled in.

"Gramps!"he cried happily.

At the boy's excitement, Jigoro chuckled heartily and increased his pace. He kneeled next to the futon with an expression much softer than his normal grin.

"Zenitsu my boy, you gave us quite the scare," he whispered as he pulled his grandson close.

The Kocho sisters took this as a cue to quietly exit the room.

After a minute, upon hearing stifled sniffles from his brother, Zenitsu pulled away to see Kaigaku with tears in his eyes.

"Aniki..." he called in a hushed voice. Unable to bare it any longer Zenitsu flung his arms around his older brother and held on for dear life.

"I'm sorry..." the raven haired boy whispered weakly sobs cutting in between his words. "I'm sorry, Zenitsu. I let this happen to you..."

If possible, Zenitsu squeezed him tighter. "No. It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I was stupid and that storm just appeared out of nowhere."

"Zenitsu is right, Kaigaku. Well, mostly." Jigoro continued with a calm smile. "Why you two are so quick to take the blame for something, I don't understand. This wasn't anyone's fault. Like he said, the storm simply appeared as if summoned by the gods. The point is, there was likely nothing the two of you could do."

"That's the problem!" Zenitsu flinched at Kaigaku's exclamation. "I have to be powerful enough to survive, to help others survive! If there is nothing I can do then that means... I'm weak."

Kaigaku felt a hand touch his cheek. He turned his head in that direction to meet his brother's eyes glancing up at him from behind his bangs.

"Calm, Aniki. Please?" was all that he said.

Kaigaku's reddened eyes widened in realization.

"Sorry, Zen. I... didn't mean to scare you."

The boy in question simply smiled warmly at him with his eyes closed as he usually does when he wants to give his Aniki something.

"Let's set aside this conversation for now, alright?"Jigoro asked as he enveloped the children in an embrace. "My boys are alive and well. This a cause for celebration not negative topics."

"Alright grandpa... but, uh... why is Zen's hair yellow?"