Reborn

Emperor

With the echo of those words Zion was able to speak again, but he didn't. He couldn't. Torn between having to choose the eternal love of his life or his favorite nephew. Avarice. Greed swelled inside him because he knew of the past he and Layla had and what he wanted. Growing up with his brothers, he was the sweet talking bad boy and always had girlfriends, young and old. With his gangbanging money and demeanor, he could've gotten anything he wanted. Layla, his "hunt", which he could never capture was swept off of her feet by his older brother Dwight. Confusion arose. "The town's Latina princess is with my bum of a brother? I doubt he even knows what to do with that thick piece of mustang meat", he thought to himself witnessing the relationship. As time went on and he matured, he understood what having a female partner was for other than sex; to complete. Layla was loved by both families wholeheartedly and received blessings from everyone, except Zion of course. He wanted her all for himself; to be his whole, the yin to his yang. He would go out of his way to woo her behind everyone's back. But to no avail, mission failed. For years he stood by and watch the love between Dwight and Layla grew more and more, and so did his greed. Bottling that monstrous greed up, his worst nightmare had happened. News came that the couple were getting married. Pain ensued. He was disgusted. Wedding day came and so did immense migraines. Zion stood in line with the youngest brother Malik, best man, and the other groomsmen as he saw the love of his life get married away. "Does anyone here object to these two? If so then speak up or forever hold your peace." Blood dripped down the side of Zion's mouth how hard he bit his tongue, prohibiting him from speaking. From then on for years he would watch as the two lived their lives in love and harmony, nowhere to run or hide, not even at work at the garage.

His love for Dwayne was unimaginable, him being his first ever nephew and a second father to him throughout the years. But Layla? His first place trophy to his second place life? Out of the question! "It's funnier seeing your lust come out firsthand than gazing through the scrying technique. You're really thinking of letting a child die? Actually, you're right. They already have a next one and they can make more. Chop, chop, let's go, I'm not getting any younger!" Malika stared into Zion's clueless face with a sinister smile. His facial expressions altered into cycles of cluelessness, worry, wrath and grief. Malika broke the silence once again, interjecting, "at this point it isn't about Layla or Dwayne is it? It's about Dwight, still." Zion shouted in an exclamation of anger as if he was caught red-handed. "NO! I CAN CHOOSE NOW! FUCK DWIGHT, I ONLY DISLIKE HIM!" Malika shook her head with a smirk like a detective reaching the conclusion of a long drawn out investigation. There was no need for Zion to be lying at this point. Matter of fact, at all, in the presence of a High Witch. "I felt your body temperature fluctuate this whole time. Not only can your face give key answers away. You say you dislike your older brother as if you can brush it or sleep it off, but that's not the case here, moun fou. You HATE him. When people say they hate someone, especially a family member, it's just a strong dislike. For example, they take pictures, have daily conversations with them off of whim, smile at them, care for them when they're at their lowest, can be in the same room with them for long periods of time; you on the other hand, have achieved five of the seven blessings from the Princes of Darkness. Get all seven and you might win a divine prize", she said with a sarcastic tone. "Well, not exactly 'blessings', curses actually? Zion, you cannot stand Dwight's existence. You weren't there for his or Malik's birthdays, your parents', never took pictures, you skinned your teeth and balled your fist at the sight of Dwight's face, you scoff, you even went as far as to poison him at his own wedding and slip that lust potion into Layla's food. I would like to add hiring of assassins, a personal attempt of assassination, masturbating to pictures of Layla in the shower... this is a very long rep sheet, and might I go on? Say no more—". Zion erupted in anger and shame, "enough already, I get it, I'm a horrible human being! I chose Dwight. Protect him at all costs." A steady silence fell between the two. Malika cracked her neck and took an exhaust-ridden stretch and yawned until her mouth could not open any more. "You know, you're no fun sometimes. I was getting to the good part too. Remember Gabby? I remember Gabby, you should remember her too, yeah; your second girlfriend that 'went missing mysteriously'?" Zion abruptly slammed his fists onto her table with all of his wrath, knocking over a jar of centipedes. He motioned to Malika over the table, getting nearer to her face so that their eyes meet as close as possible. A small growl effused from Zion's mouth, "don't speak of her, EVER!" Malika rose her eyebrow and twisted her head in confusion. She brought up one arm towards Zion's chest and spoke, "உட்கார், Uṭkār!" An unknown force threw him back into his seat and held him down. Zion gritted his teeth and struggled for freedom, but to no avail. "Zion, I want to hear from the horse's mouth; why did you sacrifice Gabriel for fortune and luck?" Rapid heartbeat. Brain waves accelerating. Chills.

The youngest brother, Malik, was said to be the most humble and smartest of the three, though Dwight holds one simple event over his head; getting his high school girlfriend pregnant at the age of 16. They both just recently graduated at the start of summer and had plans of later marrying in the future, but Gaia had other plans for the couple. At first it seemed like a catastrophe for the families being that they were both teenagers, but that quickly subsided when everyone came to an agreement to assist in raising the child. The hard looks turned to joyous smiles when both parents realized they were having grandchildren from the last born. When news arose that the couple were having twins, a rare sighting in both family trees, it was if they were more excited to raise the babies than the parents who were actually having them. Delivery day came. The worst had happened. During delivery, the umbilical cords got wrapped around both of the babies' necks. The doctor prompted that he could save one or the other while in the process of saving his girlfriend, Sasha. Her mother, in a great panic could not take the burden of losing either, however made the decision to save her. Sasha, in immense pain, desiderated that she wanted the twins to have a higher priority over her. The doctor declined. His medical training taught him to always save the woman's life over the child because you can always have another child. Malik, with a deep sigh agreed to Sasha's wishes. Hours went by. Surgeon, nurses, Sasha's mother and Malik, all covered in blood can finally rest that the newborns and Sasha are alive and well. One of the nurses handed one of the babies to Sasha and the other to Malik. "Oh gosh this one feels like a school bag on Chemistry and Physics day. But she is cute", Sasha said with an exhausted tone. "Why do both of them look like me? I guess your genes suck." "I rather they look like you than me. Waking up on the weekends to go see your ashy mulatto skin and slim crusty eyes from sleeping in all day was the best part of my life before this. Now I get to see two more? Feels like a lottery. But again, since you wanted to hog everything, I get to name them." Sasha rolled her eyes and smiled. Malik beckoned his eyes back and forth at the infants. "Okay, the quiet one in my arms will be Mya, and the osmium one in yours will be Milan." "Did you really call our bundle of joy osmium? Adorable names, but come on. Not even gold or something more precious?" Sasha's faint smile turned straighter by the second. Her body began to grow cold. She turned to Malik and then to her mother, softly uttering words. "I know has been a rollercoaster ride, from start to finish. Barely any future plans for ourselves and now these two. I learned that to love and to be loved is to feel the sun from both sides. And it's not a dominative feeling, it's cultivated. You both gave me strength by loving me and to love you everyone here is my greatest act of courage. Mommy, Malik, Milan, Mya, I love you." Tears trickled down the faces of the occupants in the room. BA DUM! BA DUM! Sasha's mother wiped her tears away and gave her a kiss on the forehead. "You made us proud no matter what. This isn't a mistake, it's a blessing." BA DUM! Sasha began to grit her teeth in enervating pain. "Can someone turn down the air conditioner? It feels like a tundra in here." The nurse and surgeon looked in confusion, knowing it was a perfect rectal temperature of 25.6 °C. They both ran over to check her temperature and pulse. BA DUM! Immediate flat line. 

Shock bellowed across the room. The nurse tried to pull both Malik and Sasha's mother out of the room, while the other took the baby from Sasha. Sound began to deafen. Malik's mouth wide open with his child in arms. The look in his eyes became furtive. There was a feint sound of wailing in the background being challenged by the noise of the electrocardiogram in the foreground. Small heartbeats and occasional flat lining protested each other. Malik looked down at Mya sleeping soundly through all of the confusion, reminding him of how Sasha would sleep through thunderous storms, school fights, loud yelling; anything, once she doesn't lose her beauty sleep. He smiled and cried holding the baby closer to him. He looked around for Milan. There she was in an already set cradle in the neonatal intensive care unit, crying out in hunger. Malik walked in and laid Mya right next to her in another cradle. Blank thoughts invaded his consciousness. The little drips of tears became ensuing streams. Malik's legs gave out and he dropped to his knees, a defeated young man. There was an agonizing pain not only in his heart, but his now shattered soul. His face then met with the teal tiles on the floor. The teal tiles turned to absolute white, followed by the rest of the room. Only things left were Malik's collapsed body and the two infants facing in front of him. A sweet calming voice echoed from the distance, "Please get up before you get germs Malik."