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"Give him time."
Volo's words echoed in Emmet's head, eating up all of his thoughts as if it was a Musharna. Ever since their little "talk" at the coffee shop Emmet had tried to be a bit more respectful to his brother, but by God was it hard. He didn't know what used to be his other half at all anymore, time and trauma taking what was left of his old personality and replacing it with an entirely new one. It almost made Emmet want to cry just looking at what was once his brother, watching a stranger take the place of someone he loved so much. Why did it have to be him that suffered? The cruel god would have picked anyone but the twins, anyone in any region. Why did it have to be his brother replaced with someone else instead of some other unknowing soul? At least then the people would be less miserable. All of the memorials and search parties and volunteer work around Ingo's disappearance tugged at Emmet as much as it did the general public, and the constant "I'm sorry for your loss" and "I hope you find him soon" statements weren't any better to his mental state than sitting in his room and crying his eyes out.
That was why Emmet was dreading this day. With much convincing of himself and Elesa the subway boss had decided he needed to have a talk with whatever amount of his brother was left over, hoping to attempt to reconnect to the man he once knew. He knew he had to do it eventually. The brothers had barely talked at all despite the strange reunion once Ingo returned, a mix of body heat and tears and odd smells of nostalgia mixing together in the hug. It was odd how much joy buzzed in his brain then. Had he used it all up in that moment, or was the serotonin simply wearing off?
The memory of the embrace was as bittersweet as the new morning sun as Emmet approached his brother, trying to replace the deep lines of worry with a smile he just couldn't get quite right.
Ingo was sitting at the table, Joltik keeping him company with little squeaks as he finished up a measly excuse for a breakfast. Emmets brother was doing his usual activity of looking out the window onto the little world of Nimbasa City, watching people pass by with a soft smile on his face. Emmet almost felt cruel as he got ready to ruin his mood, approaching the man who had become so strange to him.
"Ah, Hello Emmet. How has the morning been treating you?" If there was one thing constant about Ingo it was his voice, almost even louder than what it was the year or so when he last heard it.
That was one thing strange about Ingo's disappearance. Although only a year had passed since Ingo had first gone missing in Emmet's time, the apparent changes and Volo's claims register him as having spent 10 years in the odd dimension he was banished to. Emmet wasn't even sure they could count as twins anymore, Ingo clearly reaching his 40s and Emmet still remaining at the same age of 29. Missing for a year and coming back an entirely different person, even by age… Emmet wondered if all those days he spent crying over someone who would never come back was really worth it.
"Hello, Ingo." Emmet smiled, sitting down next to his brother. "We need to have a talk."
Although Ingo looked confused he didn't say anything, only nodding and placing Joltik back in his fading hair.
"Ingo, you are… different. I feel as if I don't know you anymore, and for lack of a better word it is bothersome. I would like to get to know you again. I… would like to be brothers again."
Ingo looked at Emmet, eyes looking close to devastated. "I'm not sure what you mean. I don't know what I can do. I'm… still your brother, right? We don't love each other any less. At the very least i still love you the same, i would be surprised if you didnt feel the same about me…"
Emmet wanted to say that he did. He wanted to tell Ingo and all the little buds of tears in his eyes that he was going to be okay, to hug him and tell him that he would always be his brother. That he would always be his best friend. Yet something was preventing him from saying it. Emmet wanted to tell the truth, and that… Well, it wasn’t the truth. He couldn’t tell someone who was now a stranger to him that he loved him, even if they were related. He didn’t even know the man sitting in front of him, how was Emmet supposed to even care for him? The thoughts burrowed in his throat as he thought, feeling sharp tears prickle at his own gray eyes. This feeling was the absolute worst, overwhelming and tiresome like being stuck in a maze or your own feelings. He wanted to scream and cry and punch Ingo and hug him at the same time, yet all the weak little man could do was hide in his own skin and feel the salty tears begin to fall.
“Emmet.” Ingo choked out, voice shivering almost as much as his hands. "Please. Tell the truth. Whatever you want to say, you can say it to me. I'm your friend, aren’t I?”
A dark pit of devastation grew in Emmet. He knew what he was going to have to say, yet he didn’t know how to say it. There was something about Ingo’s full belief that he still loved him, that nothing had changed and they would all be back to normal soon. Emmet wanted to love him. He really did. But he couldn't. There wasn't a person left to love in the skin of his brother anymore. The thoughts hummed like flies in his head, a cruel radio static of doubt and fear. They only silenced themselves when Ingo came forward and hugged him, trapping his brother in another tearful embrace.
"It's okay. Whatever happens, I'll still love you."
Emmet couldn't do this anymore. He gently pushed his brother off of him, quickly drying the tears on his face with his sweater sleeve. With a deep breath he put his usual smile back on, not trying to soften it up to seem kinder. He wasn't sure if his emotions had taken the better of him or if he had simply lost all hope in the man that used to be his best friend, but Emmet couldn't take any more of this. As Volo had said, there was no way to get Ingo back as he was. There wasn't any point in trying to change him, so why not give up? Emmet wasn't even sure that he needed to say what he was going to do. Ingos face said that everything he wanted to speak on had already been shown, deep sad eyes turning his usually stoic frown into something more terrifyingly sad.
"You aren't my brother anymore. He is gone. Goodbye."
Emmet didn't stop as he walked away, trying his best to ignore the stranger behind him's silent tears.