Forgiving Light

Chapter 40

~Astral~ "I will not do it!" I refrain from allowing them to release more of my Life Light. "I will not do it!" I float back down to the ground.

"You are defying us, Agent 12. Why is that?"

"I will not do it," is my only response.

"We will be forced to take measures we do not wish to take with you."

"I will not do it!" I push them forcefully away from my conscience. "I will defy you! I will not kill him!"

"That is very brave of you, Agent 12, but bravery always comes with a price."

~Black Mist~ I don't understand. Why isn't Astral attacking? Something must have switched in him, and now he doesn't want to fight no matter what. Brave yet foolish. I wonder what the Light Forces will do to their favorite Agent.

Miza joins my side, watching Astral. "What do you think he's doing?" she asks.

Asterite, Nebula, Justice, and Leviathan go to Astral's side. Yuma and Cathy join them.

"Astral, what do you think you're doing?" Justice demands. "This is our mission. We need to fulfill it."

"Yeah," Yuma agrees. "You've been focused on this and nothing but this as soon as you found Black Mist! You can't just bail out now!"

"Yes, I can," Astral growls. "Killing Black Mist was not the mission, yet that is what they are asking me to do! I will not do it!"

"Looks like he's rethinking this whole thing," I tell Miza, landing on a building. I see some humans in white coats picking up the pieces of Astral's shattered temple gem. "I wonder what changed his one-tracked mind."

~Astral~ "Agent 12, you will do as we say if you do not wish to suffer the consequences!"

"I would rather suffer the consequences than kill my brother!"

"Very well, then. If that is what you so desire, then we will be more than willing to oblige."

Sudden bolts of powerful energy zap my mind. I gasp in shock as the energy intensifies. Bolts of lightning crash inside my mind, searing everything. As uncaring as Black Mist. Worse than breaking all of my gems combined!

"Will you obey, or will we have to raise the intensity?"

I shake my head, and more lightning crashes. I scream in pain and fall to my knees. I do not give in, though.

"I...I will not do i-it!" I repeat. "I will not do it! I will not d-" I scream as lightning rips right through, searing my thoughts and burning everything.

Still, I hold my ground.

"I will not do it! I will not do it!" I scream again as they go out full-force. It is like a hurricane, tsunami, typhoon, tornado, earthquake, and volcano all at the same time and in the same location.

A natural disaster inside of my conscience.

Then, silence.

~Black Mist~ Astral finally falls to his side, mumbling his phrase, but not moving anymore. His breathing is dangerously light.

A pang of...something hits me, making me rush to his side like I did with Dark. I grab his shoulders and make him face me. His eyes are unfocused, and he keeps mumbling "I will not do it". I cradle him in my lap.

"Astral...?" The others around me, human and Agent alike, back off. "Astral?" I shake him lightly.

Astral shifts his gaze to me. "N-Nii...chan...I tried..."

"Tried to what?"

"I...I tried t-to get you o-out." He falls silent for a while before resuming. "I tried...to g-get you out of th-the Pri...son...I...I visited you e-every day. You were a-always asleep..."

Tears come to my eyes. "You..."

"When...?" Astral whispers. "When did your...?" He does't have the strength to continue, but I know what he's asking.

"Seven," I say. "I stopped maturing at seven human years."

"Seven..." He chuckles softly. "That...explains a lot." Astral looks up at me with moist eyes. Tears fall from his eyes. "I...I'm so-sorry I c-couldn't..."

"You don't need to apologize," I assure him. "I...I forgive you."

Astral smiles softly. "Will...will I see you in th-the N-Netherland?"

I nod. "Yeah. Looks like I will." I pull my brother into a hug before he falls limp in my arms.

I hear the people around me sniffling and crying, and I can't help but cry as well. I hold my now-dead brother tighter before the other four Agents transport us back to thr Astral World, where I'm back in my Prison cell. I look down at my hands, and the crimson blood of the humans are still there. The proof that I was there.

That I killed.