Chapter Text
It was the middle of the day in the hidden Oni Village as a young boy with bright blue hair walked through
He was looking around, glancing at the people and buildings as he passed them, a small smile on his face
’I can’t wait until Onee-Chan is done with her duties, then we can play’
He saw the way the adults looked at him. Some with amusement at the young child waddling through the village. Some with pride at the next generation of their clan. Some with scorn, because of the nature of his birth
But he didn’t care about any of them. The only thing he cared about was a specific member of this village
’It doesn’t matter what any adults say! I’m Onee-Chan’s brother! I can handle it!’
He thought with a light smile on his face
Eventually, after a few minutes of walking he accidently bumped into a young man
“Ah, sorry!” The boy quickly apologized to the man, and the man turned to do the same but stopped when he saw who it was that bumped into him
The young man simply stared at the boy as he walked past, still bowing and apologizing
As he began to walk away, he could hear the young man’s voice behind him
“A cursed child like you only lived this long because Ram-Sama has the Oni God’s blood… Don’t you forget that… Rem…”
Rem didn’t look back… He didn’t want to… So instead, he just kept on walking
The sound of crying could be heard deep into the night
The crying of a newborn, one with bright blue hair
"Twins have always been taboo in our clan" A tall, old figure spoke. His shadow looming over the two newborn children in front of him
In front of him atop an alter were two infants; one with bright blue hair and the other with bright pink
The blue haired infant continued to cry as the pink haired infant looked over at him
"A single horn... To think I would see cursed children in my generation..." In the middle of the blue haired infant's head was a small glowing horn, no bigger than a pinky. A single horn
The old figure raised a blade into the air "It is our duty to keep our clan pure of these abominations. There will be no exceptions"
As the blade rose, aiming to snuff the lives of the two young souls in front of him as the crying grew louder. Two large horns began to sprout from the temple of the elder
"Shield Temae's eyes... It will scar her..." Sadness appeared on the expression of the old figure for a moment before determination covered his face
The pink child watched the blue, seemingly reacting to the increased volume with a grimace, her hand reaching out to the boy beside her
"Forgive me..."
Quickly, the blade fell towards the two children before a gust of wind erupted from the alter with such strength and ferocity that it made the elder topple over and the blade to fall to the ground with a dull thud
The room filled with silence
Laying on the alter were two infants; one with bright blue hair sleeping softly holding his sister's hand, and another with bright pink hair and a glowing horn shining through her forehead. The horn crackled with energy and illuminated the darkness more than anything, even the bright horns of the elder
"It...! Can't be!" The old man spoke in a quivering voice
Several of the people behind him stood in silence at the display of sheer power before them
Seeing this, all of them couldn't help but bow
Even the parents of the children had no choice but to bow before her
The Oni God
Rem and Ram were two members of the proud Oni tribe. But unlike the adults around them, Rem and Ram were twins, and thus only had a single horn each
Normally, the tribe would execute all twins at birth but apparently, the tribe elder wasn't able to due to Ram always stopping him once he grew close using her magic, even as a newborn
'Onee-Chan really is amazing... So young, and so strong...'
The little Rem thought as he looked over at his sister, walking hand in hand through the village
Ram held incredible power, enough to overpower every single member of their tribe
In contract, Rem was completely average. Below average even, due to him only having a single horn
He tried to ignore this fact, trying to tell himself that even if he wasn't as strong as his sister he could still be valuable
But every time he walked past one of the adults in his village, he heard their whispers
"Ram-Sama is amazing... Imagine what she could do if she had two horns" "She would have surely been the greatest Oni to ever live if she wasn't born a twin" "It's truly a disappointment..."
He tried to ignore them, but it became harder every time he heard their words behind him. So instead he just squeezed his sister's hand and walked with her. She squeezed his hand in return
Rem loved his sister, and his sister loved Rem
'Onee-Chan will always be there for me, always be there for Rem...'
The twins continued to walk through the village, eventually coming to a stop at their home. They stood in front of the door for a minute in silence
Rem didn't want to enter, he didn't want to hear his mother and father speak about him and his sister like they were things that they weren't
He didn't want them to put such high expectations on her, or to imply that it would be better had he not been born
They very rarely gave into those thoughts, but it happened enough times for the fear to appear in Rem's mind
Rem hated such thoughts, because he could never think of anything to say to oppose them
They were right. Ram's strength was unlike any in the tribe had ever seen, despite only having a single horn
If Ram was able to do so much with just one horn, one can only imagine what she could do if she had two
Rem rarely engaged with such notions, and Ram even less so...
'But... What if she hadn't been born a twin? What if I wasn't born? Would she be happier?'
Rem glanced over at his sister, still squeezing her hand
Ram was already looking at him with a soft smile on her face, seemingly waiting patiently for when Rem was ready to enter the building
'Ah...'
Rem nodded with a weak smile as he began walking with his sister
'Of course she wouldn't... Onee-Chan loves me... And I love her...'
Rem and Ram sat at the dinner table, eating quietly while their parents spoke about their days
"How have your days been? I hope the village hasn't been putting too much stress on you Ram"
Rem didn't look up from his plate as Ram moved her gaze to meet her father's
"It was annoying" She simply responded, her voice dry and uncaring
"Ah that's unfortunate. Well there are a lot of expectations so you're going to have to do some annoying things sometimes" her father responded, letting silence permeate the table
Eventually, Ram spoke "But it wasn't so bad after Rem joined me"
Rem perked up faintly from his name being brought up
"Well I'm glad about that"
"Yes, make sure to always be there for your sister, Rem"
Their mother and father spoke to him with smiles on their faces. Rem nodded meekly as his mother continued
"It's very important that you take care of her so that you both grow up strong"
The father glanced at her for a moment before nodding with a seldom expression on his face "Right. I'm positive that Rem will have great power as well. He is Ram's brother after all"
Rem... Didn't know how to respond to these words
''Ram's brother'... Even if I am Onee-Chan's brother, does that really mean I'll become strong like her some day?'
Rem glanced over at Ram, seeing the displeased expression on her face. Rem always hated seeing that expression on his sister, she always got it when the adults would talk about him behind her back
'Ah, Onee-Chan is upset, how can I cheer her up?'
Rem tried to think of something, eventually realizing something that he could do to not only cheer up his sister but also prove his worth
Suddenly, Rem stood up
"I-I'd like to make dinner tomorrow!"
He shouted with a determined expression on his face 'I'll be sure to make everyone happy with the best dinner ever!'
His parents tried to reassure him that such a thing was unnecessary but he insisted that he wanted to do this
"What do you plan on making for dinner tomorrow?"
Ram asked curiously, her legs dangling off of the bed not reaching the floor as she sat alongside Rem
"I think roasted rabbit would be good... And maybe some nuts as well"
Ram nodded with a confident smirk on her face "I'm sure it will be delicious if Rem is making it"
Rem's smile immediately grew as he laid down, excited by his sister's support "thank you, Onee-Chan. I'll make sure not to disappoint!"
The next day Rem was up bright and early, already preparing for his excellent dinner
He was out in the forest gathering all he would need
'The rabbit will be the hardest part... The nuts not so bad. Hm... I should find a third option... Maybe tatoes?'
Rem stayed out in the forest for most of the day, searching for his harvest and finding everything he would need as evening began to creep in
The only thing he didn't have was the rabbit, which he was struggling to catch due to its speed and his lackluster reflexes
"Ah! Get in the trap! I've been out here far too long and need to start the dinner soon!" He shouted at the rabbit hiding in its burrow with a childish scowl on his face
As Rem continuously tried and failed to capture the hare he looked up and noticed the sky beginning to darken
"Oh no, if a storm is coming I need to get back..." He looked down at the rabbit also looking up at the sky for a moment "Hm... I'm sorry mister rabbit, but I'll have to cook you another day"
He declared as he picked up his basket full of fresh nuts and tatoes and began running back towards the Oni village
He needed to return before the clouds grew into a storm above him, before he would be swept up in the savage weather
"Ha... Ha... Ha... Come on...!"
But as he continued to run the sky continued to darken and droplets of water began to fall from the sky
"No!" The young Oni shouted as he picked up the speed
Winds picked up, blowing leaves in the wind and his hair in his face obscuring his vision
"Almost there...!"
As he saw the border of his village in the distance he smiled, safety in sight. Then he could prepare a wonderful dinner for his family, even if he couldn't secure the rabbit he wanted he could still make a great dinner that his parents and sister would love
"Ah!" But as he heard a deafeningly loud bang he fell to the ground, his basket falling on its side and releasing most of its contents
Only ringing could be heard in his ears as he looked back, tears beginning to appear in his eyes
He saw a tree, charred black and beginning to topple forward, falling directly towards Rem
He tried to get up and run away but his legs wouldn't move beneath him, he simply sat there and watched a tree several times his size fall directly towards him with a silent gasp escaping his lips
Rem closed his eyes tight, feeling too much fear to keep them open 'Is... Is this...?'
But his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of roaring wind as the tree was suddenly cleaved in half, and then again, and then again. After only 2 seconds the tree was severed to such a degree that the pieces could no longer be seen on the ground
He opened his eyes to look around him, seeing nothing but the storm before a flash of pink appeared in his vision
"Rem!" And before he could react he was embraced in a tight hug before being pulled away
"Are you hurt?" Ram asked him, a rare look of worry was on her face
"Ah... No, I'm fine Onee-Chan... Thanks to you..." He spoke with wide eyes staring right at her
Hearing this, Ram let go and helped Rem to his feet "We should return to the village"
"But the food I gathered..." Rem looked down at the basket on the ground. All that remained within sight were few sparce nuts and several heavy tatoes still in the basket
He bent down and picked up the basket, looking into it sadly as Ram grabbed his hand, leading him back home
"Do not worry Rem. I'm sure that you could produce a wonderful dinner with just that" She reassured him with a soft smile, causing another to adorn Rem's face
'Onee-Chan saved me again... She truly is amazing, isn't she? Everything I hear about her is correct, I've never seen her do wrong...' Rem thought almost with reverence as he watched the back of his sister's head while running back towards the village
He never failed to notice how Ram always matched his pace, allowing him to catch up. His smile couldn't help but grow
"Rem, you need to be more careful!"
"That's right, it's not good to worry Ram like that"
Once Rem and Ram returned home, Rem sat at the table and listened to his parents' scolding
They let him prepare what little he brought before deciding to scold him during dinner
Rem looked down at the table with tears in the corners of his eyes
"I'm..." He tried to stammer out an apology. To them, to Ram, to everyone but before he could another voice interrupted the atmosphere
"Mm! Rem's steamed tatoes are very good! You should try them"
Ram spoke up, quietly chewing on one of the tatoes Rem prepared. The only thing he was able to salvage from his gatherings were the tatoes too large to fly away from the wind so he did the only thing he could think of; steamed tatoes
"They have just the right amount of salt" Ram continued to praise them as their mother and father also grabbed one
"Oh you're right!"
"Wow, these are excellent, who knew Rem could make something so delicious?"
Rem's head immediately shot up at the sudden praise. His eyes widened as he saw the expressions of his parents and his sister. He saw that they were happy
Even if it was just steamed tatoes, and it wasn't what he originally wanted to make, he couldn't help but feel happy
'I... I succeeded? I made a dinner that they like! I did it!' Rem practically shouted in his mind, so happy that he could burst into tears right then and there
He reached forward, grabbing a tatoe of his own and sinking his teeth into it. His smile somehow grew even more as he also thought that it tasted very good
'I did it...'
The scolding didn't continue after that, and the kids were quickly sent to bed after all of the tatoes were eaten
Ram glanced over at the beaming Rem, happy that he seemed to be happy with the outcome
On the inside, Rem couldn't control the overwhelming joy that he felt. He really managed to make his family happy, even just with the tatoes that he gathered. He could only imagine how good the dinner would have been had he gotten all of the ingredients
'It's fine though... Just the steamed tatoes were enough to make a good dinner... I did it!' He continued to shout his thoughts as he began to slowly drift off to sleep, happy thoughts filling his mind until those thoughts were washed away by the sound of wind outside
“Ha…! Ha…! Ha…!”
Within the forests around the hidden Oni Village was a boy with bright blue hair, running as fast as he could
This boy stood in the center of a vicious storm, strong enough to rip trees out of the ground at the root
He ran, trying to make his way back to the village
“Come on…!”
But as he ran he didn’t see the village coming any closer. It was as if he wasn’t even moving in the first place
“Mom…! Dad…!”
The boy shouted, calling for his parents to come to his aid as the wind continued to howl in his ears, rain pouring atop his scalp
“Please!”
As he ran, he couldn’t see due to the mixture of tears and blown hair stuck in his face and so couldn’t see the large branch belonging to a freshly fallen tree on the ground
“Ah!”
Interrupting his thoughts and cries he fell to the ground, the dirt sticking to his skin and clothes like a parasite only making the panic he felt in that moment worse
He looked up and saw the raging storm; swirling winds and objects flying through the sky
Seeing this before him, he shouted for the last person who would come for him. He shouted for the only person who would come to his aid
“O… Onee-Chan!”
And just like that, the moment that name left his lips, the storm stopped in its tracks
Rem looked up and saw the clouds begin to part, revealing the bright blue sky blending with the hot oranges and pinks of sunset
It was the most amazing thing Rem has ever seen
But in front of him stood something even more amazing than the sight above his eyes. If he had to compare the two things in his mind, the number one wouldn’t even be a challenge for him to decide, as it was always decided from the very start
“Onee… Chan…”
He whispered as he saw his sister looking down at him, her pink eyes practically shining through the darkness and directly illuminating his soul
She walked towards him, a warm smile rarely seen on the young oni’s expression, and offered her hand to him
He stared at her outstretched hand in astonishment. She was offering him aid. She was offering him salvation
Without a moment of hesitation, Rem took Ram’s hand
Suddenly Rem’s eyes shot open revealing the dark room around him
His clothes soft and warm in sharp contrast to the cold and dirty clothes he was just wearing
And in front of him, was Ram’s face in a soft, kind, smile. She was holding his hand in her own
“You were having a nightmare, weren’t you?” She spoke in a gentle voice. Quiet, barely above a whisper, and yet every syllable audible to the boy they were directed towards
Rem stared at her, fresh tears in the corners of his eyes and his lips quivering “O… One-Chan…” He whispered, almost with reverence
“Don’t worry Rem…” She whispered affectionately as she placed her forehead directly against Rem’s forehead “I’m here… You don’t have to worry…”
Rem almost couldn’t control the tears in his eyes as he nodded, hugging his sister as tight as he possibly could
His voice quivered as he spoke “R-Right… Onee-Chan is here… Onee-Chan is always here…” he hugged his sister, not daring to let go no matter what
Ram simply let him hug her, holding onto his hand tightly with a soft smile. Slowly Rem began to drift back to sleep while embracing his sister
’I love you… Onee-Chan…’
Slowly… Sunlight began to peer through the clouds and into the eyelids of the sleeping Oni child
Rem opened his eyes to look around, seeing a zabuton placed below him. He smiled softly, he knew that only one person would do such a thing for him after all
But thinking about that only made him realize that the person he was thinking of, was nowhere to be found
“O-Onee-Chan?”
Quickly, Rem shot up and began to look around, suddenly feeling overwhelmed
’How long was I asleep? The sun’s out! Where’s…!’
He began to run out of his house and look for Ram, until he heard a voice to his side
“Ah, Rem-Chan!”
He glanced over and saw an older woman looking at him with a kind smile on her face “You’re full of energy today”
Rem quickly blushed faintly, not fully comfortable talking to the adults of his village that aren’t his mother or father
“Ah, y-yes! I slept very well last night!” He tried his best to speak confidently while also hiding the intense nightmare he had, choosing to instead simply think about the sleep he underwent after falling asleep while hugging Ram
The woman didn’t seem to notice anything amiss and continued to speak “Seeing children so lively on such a bright and sunny day always brings a smile to my face, especially after that storm last night”
She spoke while looking over the rest of the village, not even looking at Rem until she questioned the boy “Is Ram-Sama not with you? That’s strange…”
Rem’s head suddenly perked up “Ah, I… I’m not…”
The woman simply mused to herself as she continued “She’s going to be the chief some day… So if Ram-Sama isn’t taken care of…”
Rem looked up at her, quickly understanding the implications of her words and nodding “R-Right. I’ll… I’ll go… I’ll go find Onee-Chan…”
Rem quickly turned around and began running towards the center of the village
’I need to find Onee-Chan! I don’t want to be alone! I don’t want Onee-Chan to be alone!’
His thoughts rapidly ran through his head as he stopped, looking around the village square
’No crowd… So Onee-Chan can’t be here…’
Wherever Ram went, a swarm of adults was sure to follow, so with how barren the area around Rem was he was sure that his sister was nowhere near here
He had to find Ram, he didn’t want to be away from her any more, especially after the fear he felt last night
He continued to look around, tears beginning to appear in the corners of his eyes until he heard a voice
“Rem?”
Instantly, Rem turned around and ran towards the speaker
“Onee-Chan!”
Ram was surprised by Rem’s sudden energy as he embraced her tight, but something was far more important to her
“Rem… Why are you upset? Did someone do something?” Her voice suddenly took on a cold tone as she bluntly asked who she was going to need to assault
“Ah, n-no, nothing like that Onee-Chan!” He quickly insisted, pulling away just enough to look into his sister’s eyes before quickly becoming sheepish and glancing to the side
“I just… Got upset when Onee-Chan wasn’t there beside me…” He pouted faintly as he admitted his true reason for his panic, feeling a tinge of embarrassment for getting so emotional over it
But seeing this, Ram couldn’t help but smile as she embraced Rem back “Ah, I’m sorry Rem…” Ram gently apologized while rubbing the back of Rem’s head “I just thought you looked so happy sleeping, that I didn’t want to wake you. I’d feel bad for waking you”
Ram tried to reassure her brother. He quickly brought his hands up to try and shift the blame “N-No! It’s not Onee-Chan’s fault! It’s mine for falling asleep!” He waved his hands, trying desperately to make sure Ram didn’t blame herself one bit for what happened
“But… Please… Don’t leave Onee-Chan…” But his head began to fall as he quietly spoke to her
But Ram simply responded with a nod “Alright, Rem… I won’t leave you…” As she spoke to him, she gently pet the back of his head, it worked perfectly to calm down the Oni boy “I’ll call your name next time Rem. But I was probably going to be back soon anyway had you slept a little longer…”
Rem’s breathing slowed as he listened to his sister, letting himself relax in her embrace “And besides… I’m sure my duties would have been boring to Rem”
Rem had to narrow his eyes as he remembered ’Right… Onee-Chan has a lot of duties to do, that’s why she had to leave me… I guess I forgot…’ He looked up at her, smiling softly now that he was with her again even if he was still a little shaken from the panic he felt before
“Were they difficult?” He cocked his head as he asked, which caused a proud huff from the girl
“Of course not. Just boring…” She admitted as her expression became more bored than proud “Just more of the same… And more of those adults not realizing that the past is the past…”
Rem looked up at her. No matter how much he tried, he still sometimes simply couldn’t understand his sister. She was wiser than most of the people in the village, and he was usually able to understand her thoughts far better than anyone else which always made him incredibly happy
But sometimes Rem just wasn’t able to understand anything that his sister said, usually when speaking about the adults in the village. It made him upset whenever he couldn’t read her
’I just wish I could understand Onee-Chan better… With how much she goes through I should be able to…’
He softly thought to himself, silently shaming himself for his inability to understand her as much as he wanted to
’But… Onee-Chan still loves me… She’s so amazing…’ Rem allowed himself to simply breathe in and out as he hugged his sister ’Out of everyone in the village… Onee-Chan doesn’t love any of them like she loves me… It makes me so happy…’
He continued to think happily about his sister, only barely noticing as her head suddenly turned to glare at the other side of the village. Rem looked up at her curiously “Onee-Chan?”
Ram spoke quickly as she looked in the other direction, towards the entrance to the village “Someone is approaching the village… You should stay here Rem, I’ll be back”
As Ram tried to pull away from Rem, he immediately felt fear overtake his body, being reminded of how he felt on the cold wet ground. Unable to control his shout “No!”
He quickly ran up to her side, controlling himself as she stopped and looked at him curiously
“I want to help! I’m not leaving Onee-Chan and I’m not letting Onee-Chan leave me!” He stated with a strained expression on his face, clutching Ram’s hand as tight as he could
After a single moment of deliberation Ram simply sighed “Stay by me” as she began to run towards the entrance of the village, running quickly but always making sure to match Rem’s pace. Something that made a small smile immediately return to his face
After only a minute of running Rem and Ram approached the large gate barring entrance to the village
In front of them stood a large man with brown skin and white eyebrows. To say he was large would be a severe understatement
Looking up at him, Rem thought that he was several times larger than even the biggest Oni in the village
“Hm, it’s the little Oni children… The last time I came here there weren’t any to speak of…” He spoke in a low, gravely voice showing his age
“Bringing up such ancient history and acting so familiar with strangers is the poorest trick I’ve seen” Ram spoke in a blunt tone “Rem, stay behind me while I tear this man apart”
Rem quickly hid behind Ram, being intensely intimidated by the man before him and trusting his sister’s words that she’ll defend him
“You’re quite the aggressive girl!” the man spoke with wide eyes “I’d say you’re letting your Oni blood show a little too much…”
Ram and the old man continued to speak. Rem wasn’t listening to most of it and instead choosing to inspect the strange man before them
He was unlike anyone Rem had ever seen before. His stature alone dwarfed even the chief of the village and his skin a strange color compared to the rest of the village
He looked scary, but he didn’t look like he meant any harm. Even when he got upset at Ram’s words he remained stationary and never showed enough aggression to warrant fear
As Rem began to move out from behind Rem to get a closer look at him, he suddenly turned his attention to Rem
“You’re a charmless little girl, aren’t you? You should take example from your brother sometime…”
Rem very quickly moved back to hide behind Ram, not expecting to become the center of conversation so suddenly. The reaction clearly brought displeasure to Ram and even some to the old man’s face as he seemed to be rather hurt by it
“You deserve over one thousand deaths for scaring my cute little brother” Ram quickly spoke, her voice taking on an icy tone only causing an exacerbated sigh from the old man
“Spare me the thousand times” He shook his head as he moved to the main discussion at hand “I’m here to visit an old friend. You kids know someone named Setanta? He should be chief here. I haven’t heard about him going and dying after all…”
Ram glared at him as she digested his words “The chief…?”
She thought for a moment before looking up into his eyes as she spoke “The chief dying would be annoying, as I would be the one to become the chief instead. So if your intentions will cause his death you should turn back now”
Rom simply shook his head at her declaration “The jokes kids tell these days… But it seems you’re not fully lying…” He stood there as Ram continued to think
Eventually, she came to her decision “Fine. I’ll walk you to the chief’s home. Even if you say I do not need to, I will anyway”
Ram turned around and began to walk into the village as the old man grumbled something Rem couldn’t hear as Ram addressed him “Rem. Watch the old giant. If he does anything weird, I’ll kill him”
“If you don’t cut that out I’ll get angry!” Rem heard a strained shout come from behind him
“Tell Onee-Chan… I can do that!”
“Even the boy? The manners these kids have is astounding… To welcome a guest like this…” He spoke in a tired tone, causing a chuckle from Rem and a smirk from Ram
The two led the old man through the village until they stopped at a seemingly normal home within the village. One that belonged simply to the chief and his wife
Ram simply opened the door and walked in as she shouted “Chief. There is a man claiming to be an acquaintance of yours. Do you really know such a rotten man?”
Inside the home, was an old figure known as Setanta, or more commonly as just the chief. He looked at Ram before looking up at the old man “There you go again…”
He seemed to sigh as he looked at the old man trying to get inside of the home “Yes. This is an old friend of mine”
Setanta and the old man approached each other and began to speak. Ram was about to turn to leave before he spoke again “Ram, you stay here. Rem, go home ahead of her”
At hearing this, Rem stopped moving and tightened his grip on Ram’s hand as Setanta and the old man continued speaking casually. He didn’t want to let go of her, he didn’t want to be alone again, he didn’t want Ram to leave him
As he simply stood there holding onto his sister’s hand she tightened her grip on his and spoke up “With all due respect… I believe that me and Rem will only be a nuisance to your reunion between old friends… And besides, I said I would water the fields after this.”
Setanta looked at Ram for a moment before retorting “And your true feelings?”
Ram didn’t miss a beat. “Rem would feel lonely alone and I don’t want to be in a room alone with old geezers.”
Even Setanta seemed to be stunned by her response as the old man simply laughed loudly “You’ve lost Setanta! You can’t beat a stubborn child on their views. I don’t think she’d like our discussions over tea either, you should just let her leave”
Setanta silently glared at the twins as Ram spoke “See? Even the guest agrees. Me and Rem will be taking our leave now” With a tug at Rem’s hand Ram began to walk out of the home
“Huh? Ah! R-Right, Onee-Chan!” Rem quickly followed his sister, happy that he wouldn’t be separated from her
As he was leaving, he glanced back to see the expression of the chief but immediately regretted
On the chief’s face was a strong glare directed wholly at Rem. It made his back shiver and he quickly ran with his sister to leave the residence as quickly as possible
After they left the house Ram closed the door behind them and looked at Rem who still seemed to be in a minor state of panic “Rem… You’re alright, there’s nobody looking anymore”
This seemed to calm Rem down some. Even when no words were shared between them, Ram always seemed to know what Rem was thinking. It was something that always made Rem happy every time he thought about it
He remembered the glare the chief gave him, and it made him remember the way every adult looked at him. The way a singular thought would always run through their minds and through his own
’Would it have been better if I wasn’t born?’
Rem quickly shook his head. He hated those thoughts. Ram loved him, she always made it clear how much she loved him. She would be upset if he weren’t here. He always reminded himself of that
“I… I wonder why that guest showed up…” Rem decided to timidly speak, trying to get his mind off of the depressing thoughts
“Who knows. But it’s clear that he’s a worthy acquaintance of the chief, and thus both him and everything he needs to do is most likely utterly worthless” Ram spoke in a blunt tone as she began to walk away from the building with Rem at her side
Rem looked at her as she began to walk “Isn’t Onee-Chan really busy?” He asked curiously. She always had so much she had to do with her duties. The adults of the village always expected so much of her
“If you mean the adults relying on me, then yes” Ram suddenly stopped and sighed, letting go of Rem’s hand to cross her arms “It’s going to be annoying”
“How can I help Onee-Chan?” Rem suddenly blurted out before anything else could be said
This seemed to catch Ram’s attention as her arms dropped and she looked at him “Rem…”
But Rem continued “If there’s any way I can help Onee-Chan I want to do it! If there’s something Onee-Chan doesn’t want to do I don’t mind doing it” He tightened his fists as he spoke with a face of determination
’Onee-Chan is amazing, and she can do things far better than I can in every way. But if there’s any way I can lower her burden then I want to do it! I’m sure I could do it, can’t I?’
Rem glanced down in thought before returning his gaze to Ram, but Ram simply approached and placed her forehead against his “It’s alright, Rem…” She spoke softly as she rubbed her hand against the back of his head gently
“Just having Rem care that much about me makes me one hundred times stronger… I’m already amazing, so as long as I have Rem I’m unstoppable”
Rem listened to her words, digesting them while looking into his sister’s eyes
’Onee-Chan’s amazing… But I… Make her even stronger?’
He thought about her words, truly realizing just how important he was for his sister
“Onee-Chan’s… Amazing…” Rem whispered, marveling at the sight of his sister
“Of course I’m amazing…” Ram whispered back, chuckling softly as she looked into her brother’s eyes “I am Rem’s Onee-Chan after all”
Those words seemed to ignite something within Rem
’Onee-Chan’s amazing… Because of me…? But… That can’t be true. Onee-Chan is so strong, stronger than me… But… If I give her that strength…’
Rem continued to think deeply as Ram pulled away and grabbed his hand with a proud smile on her face. Rem couldn’t help but return the smile. Her words made him happier than he had ever been in his entire life
“Now, let’s go. I want to play with Rem all day” Ram began to pull Rem away, to which Rem nodded eagerly
“R-Right!” He began to follow her but remembered something “B-But Onee-Chan, what about the field?”
“Ah, that…” Rem immediately regretted it after seeing Ram’s face fall but he stayed strong, repeating Ram’s words to him as he watched her turn towards the field
Without a word, Ram raised her arm not towards the field, but towards the river behind it on the other side of the village
With a single flick of her wrist, wind stronger than a typhoon began to pull and push around the twins before shooting off in the direction of the river
Rem watched as the wind hit the water explosively and a large pillar of water emerged from the river. With another flick of her wrist, Ram controlled the pillar of water and brought it above the field before clenching her fist causing the water to explode right above the unwatered crops
Rem saw as water sprinkled above the fields as if it were raining, watering the entire field within seconds
He was speechless as something seemed to… Click in his head
’Ah… Right… What’s that the adults always call Onee-Chan? The… Reincarnated Oni God… Onee-Chan… She’s so strong… So amazing… She… She really is a god, isn’t she? I’ve never seen someone as strong as her… And I’m… Her brother. I give her strength, because I’m Onee-Chan’s brother…’
“There. Now my duties are done. Let’s go, rem” Ram looked back at Rem with a smile on her face. Rem quickly looked back at her and nodded with a grin wider than any he had ever had
“Right! Let’s go!” He quickly took his sister’s hand and ran with her through the village. For the first time in a long time, Rem didn’t feel an ounce of doubt in his body. Even the glare of the village chief did nothing to deter him…
’I’m Onee-Chan’s brother, after all!’ He thought to himself as he ran
It was later in the day as the sun began to set on the two Oni children walking back to the village from the forests
Both of them were covered from head to toe in mud and dirt, but both had wide smiles on their faces
In their hands were two baskets filled to the brim with freshly pulled tatoes “You look happy Onee-Chan”
Rem spoke to his sister, who, much like him also had a wide grin on her face “Of course I am. With how much we got, I’ll be sure to eat as much of Rem’s steamed tatoes as I want”
Rem’s smile grew. He knew that with Ram’s power she could have the village make any meal that she desired, yet all she ever wanted was Rem’s steamed tatoes no matter what
’It makes me so happy! Onee-Chan wants my steamed tatoes more than anything! They are mine, after all!’
Rem quietly giggled to himself. Throughout the day, he had begun to speak more like Ram in his mind, including her endless confidence. Knowing that he was acting closer to his sister always made him happier than anything
“Rem’s seasoning is perfect. He’s the only person I trust to make a steamed tatoe” Ram confirmed with a prideful smirk, always happy to make her brother feel better
Rem let out another chuckle “Then I’ll make sure to steam as many as I can for Onee-Chan”
Rem’s smile grew when he saw Ram grin at his statement
They continued to walk and eventually approached the village. In the entrance stood the old man still talking to Setanta, who noticed them as they approached “I see you went to the tatoe fields in the mountains…”
Ram looked at him as she spoke bluntly “Yes, as it is my only hobby. Are you done with your evil scheme now?”
“Won’t you loosen up around the kid? It’s hard to watch. She isn’t gonna agree anyway, look at her” The old man spoke as he looked down at Ram, an expression Rem couldn’t fully read on his face
Setanta glanced over at the old man in response to his words “She’s still young… She’ll learn when she starts to get some pri-” But he was interrupted
“It ain’t right to just treat her like a kid when it’s convenient for ya…” He looked at Setanta before looking back at Ram “And besides. The way I see it, her nature has nothing to do with age. Either way, my decision is final. I’m tired…”
And with those words, the old giant began to walk away. Rem watched him as he and Setanta exchanged a few more words. As he passed by the twin Oni Rem could hear him mutter something to them
“You both always stay close…”
Those were the last words he gave them before leaving the village
The twins and the chief watched him leave in silence for a moment, interrupted by a sigh coming from Setanta
“He wasn’t always like that… He used to be a warrior concerned with being a brother… Now… Just a weakling remains…” He spoke unusually casually as he continued to watch the old giant move into the distance
“Time changes people… For better and for worse. There’s nothing that can be done” Ram responded as she watched him as well, causing a thoughtful grimace to appear on Setanta’s face
Rem watched him as well as Ram continued to speak with the chief, her edge still audible in her words
’Used to be concerned with being a brother… So… He was like me? Will I change with time? Eventually, will I change and not care about being Onee-Chan’s brother?’
He watched the old man leave his vision as he thought about his interactions with the man
’He didn’t look like a weakling to me… It just looked like he had something new that he cared about… Is that the kind of change I’ll go through? I’ll find something I care about more than Onee-Chan?’
As he continued to think, he looked over at Ram as she was speaking to the chief about him joining them for dinner. Of course the chief declined, but that wasn’t important to Rem. He was just looking at Ram
Quickly, he shook his head ’No. Of course not. I love Onee-Chan more than anything. And Onee-Chan loves me more than anything. That will never, ever change… I promise it’
Ram was still speaking to the chief but Rem quietly pulled her inside the village
Both Ram and Setanta looked at him surprised. “Come on Onee-Chan, I want to make steamed tatoes as soon as possible!”
Neither Ram nor the chief said anything. Ram only nodded and Setanta silently looked off into the distance in response
Ram spoke as she caught up to Rem’s speed with ease “Of course, Rem. I can’t wait”
Rem smiled as he ran into the village with his sister. For the first time, he didn’t feel any fear when Setanta looked at him, because Ram was there
’Just like I give Onee-Chan strength… Onee-Chan gives me strength!’
He thought proudly to himself as he continued to run
It was the middle of the day in the hidden Oni Village as a young boy with bright blue hair stood triumphantly
He was standing over a young man covered in scars and cuts
The young man reached up but his hand was stomped by another figure, a young girl with bright pink hair “Be quiet. You were cruel to my brother.”
She quickly made him fall into silence as the young boy looked at him with a proud smirk
“You deserve a fate far worse… But my cute little brother is far too kind to ask for anything but his Onee-Chan getting revenge on his behalf. Apologize” She demanded as she stomped on his hand again
The young man looked up at the boy, forcing the words out of his mouth “I’m… Sorry… Rem-Chan…”
To this, Rem nodded proudly as he walked closer, suddenly pointing his hand forward and sticking his finger into the young man’s face before shouting with all of the pride he could muster
“That’s right! My name is Rem! And I’m the brother to Ram, the Oni God! And don’t you forget it!”
Rem brought back his hand and turned away to leave. Ram got off of the man and joined him, walking alongside him
Rem took Ram’s hand and smiled at her, happy beyond comprehension that he had a sister as amazing as her
’Onee-Chan is so amazing… And I guess if Onee-Chan is amazing… Then I’m amazing too!’
Rem chuckled quietly as he continued to walk alongside his sister, a sense of pride alive in his heart that he had never felt in years