He had been chosen by the King of Reflection, to serve him as a Truth-Seeker in the war brewing ahead between the Kingdom. It was his greatest honor, to be selected by someone he had respected so much, and also had an uncanny resemblance to...
Being triplets to the famous Cerberus line was something so great, but though he was proud of it, it also weighed heavily upon his shoulders.
There were so many expectations, and he knew he should strive to be more. And yet he hid his nose in books and shied away from others in Amityville.
He was the middle brother. He certainly wasn't the strongest in a physical sense, nor in his social skills. But when it came down to it, like now, as Xiu collapsed against his back, he was determined to be a pillar of support and did it unconsciously, with only the intent of taking care of those who needed him.
He had no special talents as far as he could think of.
All he wanted was to make those around him happy. And so he tried, attempting to find a gift for his brother.
He had never done anything much.
But now, watching his brother lie there on the bed in a coma, and having them tell him that there was a way to save him, he felt a glimmer of hope rise within him along with determination.
He would save his brother.
It was only the second time when he reached the fountain, and under the delusion of being a hero no less, that he realized which was the right grail.
Just a simple one.
The truth was that he was an incredibly bad at avoiding people he didn't exactly want to meet, not because he didn't like them, oh no--
But when he remembered how bold he had been, he felt as though he needed to apologize. Somehow.
'You seem to be well informed and handle group behaviour well'.
"U-uh, thanks? That's... really nice of you."
The stark realization of it hit him, and he realized, at that very moment, that the King was a mere shadow of his brother, and he had to kill him so Thackery would awaken from his coma. Everything was cold, and his heart hurt with the realization... how could he kill someone that looked so much like his brother? How could he kill someone that talked and laughed like him, even if it was to save his life-- how....
Dear Arthur and Thack,
I might not come back.
That's what they said anyway. I didn't think it was right to beat around the bush even in this letter of... farewell, I guess? I mean, I imagined what it would be like to get this letter from either of you and I wouldn't want to read until the very end to realize that I could lose one of my brothers forever...
And so he introduced himself, and they had talked, and she had shown him something, a bright flash, which caused her to wobble on her feet.
He moved, instinctively to grab her and make sure she was alright, and then realized that he felt something incredibly warm with this unintended close contact...
"Tomoko, are you..." He took in a deep breath. "Are you happy?"
It seemed as though he was quite pensive, at this very moment. "I haven't really been a good prom date, after all..." Come to think of it, they hadn't ridden any rides, or won each other any prizes. "......Do you want this last dance?" He asked, holding out his hand.
He was standing there, waiting.
He didn't even know who he was waiting for. Who was the she Thack had mentioned? He hadn't even wanted to go to prom.
He sighed, and then, suddenly...
"I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me!" She beamed up at him and threw him into confusion.
He swallowed, but the lump in his throat remained, and so did the hot tears at the corner of his eyes. "At least you're real." He whispered to Tomoko, grasping her hand and pulling him into his arms as he choked back sobs. "At least you're real."
"Forgot? About you? Of course I wouldn't!" How could he ever forget about her? Never. He would never forgive himself if he ever forgot about her, because she was sweet and kind and...
"Oh." He mutters softly to himself, cheeks slowly reddening. "Oh. Thack. So that's what he meant by... oh." His hands are starting to sweat nervously and he wonders if he can wipe them on his cloak. "I uh..." He swallows down a lump in his throat, and smiles sheepishly at her. "I... think Thack, uh..., set us up."
The nibbling suddenly stops and he frowns, lowering his book to stare at the treats. There’s only one left, and it is untouched. The bakekitsune is nowhere in sight, and he sighs, bending down to pick that treat up when he suddenly feels soft tails brush his shoulder.
“Dear Tomoko,
I’m sorry that I held your hand--”
“Dear Tomoko,
I hope you don’t hate me for--”
He is in a pool, sleeves rolled up. A marking on his arm tingles and--
“Stop looking at me like that.” He groans, burying his head under a pillow. But she is persistent, he knows, as he feels little paws padding on his back, and nearly jumps as a wet nose nudges at the back of his neck. “L-lady, hey!”
He is climbing. Climbing and climbing, taking step after step, forcing himself upwards. He has gotten separated from her, somehow, and his senses are lost-- he can not speak, or hear anything at all. And yet he climbs, and climbs, and then he spots her, at the very top of the stairs, waiting.
I’m sorry. He mouths, patting her on the head.
The Final Decision
