Final Hours

         "Brother..."
         That seems to be the only thing I can say as he drops from Father's grip. They're fighting - again. Nothing new. Brother always survived the fights; Father always stopped before he killed him. But this time, Father had lost it, and gone too far.
         "Mother, stop Father! Please, stop him!"
         I keep calling for Mother to intervene, but I know she won't. She fears Father far too much to step in the way. She continues to stand by me, her face stricken with horror at the sight of him strangling Brother, and the sound of bones breaking. I know then that Father has broken Brother's neck.
         I drop to my knees. This time, Brother is dead. I have lost my brother, my lover...I can't even run to him. All I can do was drop to my knees while the tears start flowing. I know that with Brother's death, there will be more bloodshed today. When Alec finds out, Father will be the next to die. Or Alec. Or, by some cruel twist of fate, both.
         I awake crying, and shaking. It was a dream.

         I look around the room, momentarily forgetting where I am. But it comes to me. I am in elder sister's room, alone. That explains the crazy nightmare I just awoke from. I hate the fact that sleeping alone allows nightmares to creep in. It's annoying, but Brother had once told me..."It's a fact of life, Nagatsuki. Either it will go away, or you will learn to handle it in time."
         I sure hope he's right. If I don't learn to deal with this, I'm seriously going to lose it.
         I decide to get up and see if Brother and the boys were awake yet. I doubt they are, but I might as well check anyways.
         I start to head for Brother's room, and I pass the main room, where Mother and Father deal with the villager's problems. There's yelling from inside. I begin to worry, so I run straight for the room. I round the corner, and stop. The people from the Order! I'm in trouble - they can't be allowed to see me!
         I glance at Mother as I try to run without being seen. Her face has a slightly horrified look on it as she notices me. Not enough for anyone else to notice. But they do realize something is wrong, and turn their heads. I know I'm caught. Suddenly, though, I'm off my feet, flying through the hallway towards Brother's room. Alec has saved me...again.
         Why is it always he that saves me? Why not Atticus?
         "Tsuki-chan...That... was close. Did you not know the Order was to be here today? They aren't to see you, remember?"
         "I know..." I say. "And no, I didn't know they would be here. Nobody told me."
         "Well," He replies. "You're lucky." I was on my way in there. They've called for Alexiel, Atticus, and I."
         Okay...Alec and Atticus, I can see. They're technically out of place here anyways. They're wolves, and they aren't supposed to be here...but Brother? Something's not right.
         "Why do they need Brother? What's wrong? Has he done something?"
         "Don't worry," Alec starts to say. "They just need your brother for a -"
         "Alec, silence!"
         I jump. I hadn't even realized Atticus was in the room.
         Oh no...He's angry...and Atticus is hardly ever angry, unless...
         "Little one," Atticus says. "Come here for a moment, please."
         "Atticus?" I ask. "Is everything okay? You seem angry."
         "Oh!" He exclaims, smirking a bit. His face eases, and I can see a faint smile pulling at his lips. "No, little one. I'm not angry. Sorry to have scared you. It's just that, you shouldn't be told things concerning your brother if they weren't told to you by him. There must be a reason behind you not knowing that they had summoned us today."
         "But usually when anyone is summoned by the Order, they go to them! Why are they here? Please tell me, I can handle it, and keep it a secret!"
         Alec flashes into view beside me worry written all over his face. Atticus, however, is expressionless, as often he was.
         "Well, Tsuki-chan...Someone saw you playing in the garden yesterday. We think he may have been a spy for the Order."
         Suddenly, my whole life turns upside-down. If the Order tries to investigate, I'll have to go into hiding. Or worse...Mother might make me leave the village, and send someone to watch me. I wouldn't be able to see Brother. I would be taken away from him.
         This can't be happening! Was my nightmare actually a vision of some sort? Perhaps warped by my fears? I need to see brother!
         I begin to tremble as I realize the trouble I could be in right now. Before I can stop myself, I fall to the ground crying, just like in the nightmare. This could cause so much trouble...Brother wouldn't allow anything to happen to me. If Father decides to say something about me, Brother will go after him...
         Alec and Atticus try to bring me back to reality, but it doesn't work.
         God, what have I done? This is my fault. Anything that happens now is entirely my fault. I know I am not allowed outside the palace when the workers are here...only our servants are allowed to see me...
         font:times}The Order would have me killed if they knew of me. They have always been trying to look for a way to get rid of Brother.
         Our family is strong. My family, the Kurusagawa family, is the last of the pureblood vampires. We are the beginning of the pureblood lines. And being the purest means that we are the strongest. The Order had been founded after Brother was born. They tried to make it so that powerful vampires, vampires past a certain level of strength, were killed. They have been trying to kill off the Kurusagawa family in the hope of ridding our world of the strongest vampires, so that the Order will be the strongest and most feared organization, rather than my family.
         But for a long time, they had failed. Then, after Brother was born, they saw how powerful he was, and had decided that any more children Father and Mother had would be the strongest yet; that the next child would be invincible.
         And they're right. I am 5 now, and I pretty much am invincible, after having all the seals that Elder Sister had placed on my power broken. They did not see Elder Sister as a threat because Mother had caught the Plague when she was pregnant with her, almost a thousand years ago, which made Elder Sister permanently sick.
         "Nagatsuki? Nagatsuki!"
         Brother?
         I finally focus on reality, and Brother is there beside me, holding me. I'm so happy...
         "Brother!" I throw my arms around him, and he wraps his around me, holding me close. "Brother, where have you been?"
         "I'm sorry, Nagatsuki. I was trying to get some things done before I spoke with the Order."
         "Brother...am I...am I going to be taken away?" I'm barely able to say it; I feel like I'm going to cry again.
         "Oh, Nagatsuki..." Brother says softly, holding me even closer. "No, my darling, you're not going to be taken away. You're not going to be killed or anything like that. You are going to stay here with me, and be my queen forever!"
         "Oh...Brother..." I can't hold the tears back any longer. I start crying.
         "Alec, Atticus," Brother says. "The Order is going back to their tower, and I have requested that you go with them."
         "Oh, okay..." Alec says. He seems worried now; I think he fears the Order a bit. He has the same fear as I - being taken away from Brother. He and Atticus love Brother very much, and the Order has the power to make his worst fear a reality.
         They look at each other. Brother's eyes seem to be tearing up, like he thinks - or knows - that something bad is about to happen.
         "Little one..." Atticus says softly. "Why don't you step over here with me a moment?"
         I'm curious as to why Atticus suddenly wants to pull me away, though I'm sure I already know. I try to keep my eyes on them. They're talking, and Alec seems very sad. I try to listen in. I'm only able to hear a little.
         "...Alexiel...they're going to try to kill us when we get there, aren't they?"
         There's a long pause. Brother looks so sadly at Alec that I'm sure I know the answer. Alec knows. I'm sure Atticus knows.
         "Yes...in exchange for Nagatsuki's life, Father told them that he could give them information on both you and Atticus. He told them that you were both trying to get with Anna...meaning you're breaking the worst law - a wolf dating a vampire."
         I know now why brother is so sad, and I too had quickly become very sad. Today, right now, is the last time I'll ever be with Alec, Atticus, and Brother all in one room. I have hope that they will make it out alive, but that hope is small. I know how strong the Order is. I don't want to lose Alec and Atticus. They're great friends.
         After saying his piece, Brother breaks down crying in Alec's arms. Alec, too, looks like he is going to cry.
         "Alexiel...shhh...there's no need to cry. I'll be fine. Atticus and I will go, and be back here later tonight. I promise they won't kill us."
         Somehow, I believe him. Atticus, I think, thought it was just an easier goodbye.
         Alexiel picks himself up. "You're right," He says. I know you both will return. While you're gone, though, I will have a...talk...with Father."
         "Alexiel..." Alec says sadly. "Please, don't go making trouble, okay?"
         "Alright," Alexiel returns a bit distant. "I just want to talk to him."
         "Well, we had best be on our way," Atticus says.
         "Right. We'll be back before midnight, I promise! I love you, Alexiel."
         Brother blushes, his normal response to hearing those words from Alec.
         "I...love you...too...Alec..."
         I giggle. It's cute, the way he stutters it. With a quick kiss, both flashed out of sight, leaving Brother and I alone.
         "Brother?"
         He seems to be in a daze.
         "Come, Nagatsuki..." He says in a far-off voice. "We need to talk to Father."

         "Father!" Brother roars loudly. "I'll kill you for what you've done!"
         He lunges towards father. I already know it. They're going to fight. The nightmare is coming true. I know now that it was not a nightmare, but had indeed been a vision, as I feared. But there is one difference. This time, I will save Brother. Save him, or avenge him.
         Mother is standing beside me, with that same horrified look on her face. I look at her and think that maybe, just maybe, she'll save him.
         "Mother...please...say something, Mother...don't just stand there and watch your son die..."
         Nothing. She makes no movement, no sound. The only way to tell she's even alive is the way her eyes quiver.
         This is the time that I will intervene, the time that I will try to save Brother.
         "Brother!" I scream as loud as I can, hoping to break Father's concentration for a moment...just a moment...but it fails. The sound of Brother's neck snapping is so much louder than it was in the vision. I watch as he falls to the ground.
         Where is Alec? Why isn't he here? Is he dead too? Is Atticus? I have to kill Father...I have to avenge them all now...it's Father's fault that they're all dead. Alec...Atticus...I love you both...I was never able to say it...I hope you somehow know this already...I might not make it. Brother...I love you too...more than anyone will ever know...
         I run full-speed at Father. Mother screams my name. It's the last thing I'll hear from her before I reach Father. In a single, fluid movement, he twists around, grabs my throat, and thrusts his hand clean through my body. I know I'm going to die.
         The pain...so much pain. Did Brother feel pain? Are Atticus and Alec in pain? I love you, Brother...I love you, Atticus...I love you, Alec...
         Those were my last thoughts, and then, I'm sorry, Mother, that you have to lose two children...I tried to free you...and I failed...I'm truly sorry.
         In that instance, everything goes black. The pain begins to fade. I notice that I have fallen on Brother. At least this is what I've always wanted...to die by Brother's side, so I can be with him forever. We will all be truly happy now. The four of us, forever in the next world, where I know, together shall we be.