Archive of Our Own

Pain.
Every single fiber of his body hurt like hell - even breathing was difficult for him. Even opening his eyes was a challenge for him. Krux was completely drained.

After Wu defeated them and destroyed the Iron Doom, he and Acronix were thrown out of the time vortex and landed somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Right...where and when were they anyway? And more importantly...
Krux's eyes widened, ignoring the bright light and willing his muscles to obey. He needed to know, if his brother was okay!

The impact was violent and he lost consciousness shortly thereafter. Acronix probably lay somewhere among the debris of the Iron Doom, too.

Krux had managed to sit up and looked around. In fact, the time machine was completely demolished and some parts were scattered on the ground. They will never be able to fix that. That means they were stuck here - wherever they were.

"A...cronix...", Krux croaked and felt a huge pang in his chest. He coughed and cleared his throat a few times, spat some blood, and called out to his brother again, "Acronix!" He waited a few seconds, but there was no answer.

His heartbeat accelerated rapidly. Please...
He slowly tried to get to his feet, but immediately fell to his knees as if he were paralyzed.

Please let my brother be alive...
He crawled clumsily across the ground towards the Iron Doom. Maybe Acronix was still in there somewhere.

Completely exhausted, he clung to the machine and tried to push himself up. When he was reasonably secure on shaky legs, he looked inside the machine. He couldn't see much, but he didn't see his brother either.

Groaning, he fell back onto the floor and took a closer look around. At first he saw nothing but fragments, until a little further away, half under a piece of machinery, he saw Acronix lying motionless on the ground.

Panic shot through Krux's body and he jumped up without thinking and hobbled towards his brother as fast as his injuries would allow. "Acronix...!" he gasped, falling to his knees next to him and pulling the debris off him with all his might.

Acronix didn't move. Krux turned him onto his back and shook him gently. "Brother, do you hear me?" he asked desperately. But his eyes stayed closed. Krux pressed his ear to Acronix's chest and listened intently.

He could hear his heartbeat. It sounded strong and evenly. Krux breathed a sigh of relief. For a moment he had thought he had lost his brother forever.

He shook him again. "Please wake up!" he urged. Acronix's eyebrows furrowed and he let out a grumble. His eyes blinked open. It took a load off Krux's mind. "There you are."

The younger stared at him in irritation. "What happened...?" He murmured and coughed. "The fight against Wu didn't end well," Krux explained. "We had a rough landing with the time machine, and as for that..." he glanced at the Iron Doom, now more like a pile of junk, "...it's completely destroyed."

Acronix sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. "I see... what a bummer." He sat up and looked around. "Where are we anyway?"
"I have no idea," Krux replied, shaking his head. "We'll find out soon. Can you get up?"

Acronix nodded. "I think so. Apart from a few bruises I'm probably fine." He got to his feet. "What about you? Are you hurt?" Krux struggled to his feet. "Just a few scratches. Not that bad."

What a lie that was. He felt completely exhausted and could hardly stand up straight. In addition, he was sure that he had broken several bones. But he didn't want his brother to worry about him. They've had enough problems already.

However, Acronix was his twin, so it wasn't lost on him that Krux was in pain. "Are you sure?" the younger asked worried and put an arm around his shoulders. "You look pretty shattered."

Krux waved him off. "It's okay. I'm tougher than you think." Acronix frowned. But not the youngest anymore, he probably wanted to say. That was the downside.

Unlike Krux, Acronix had recovered from the fall fairly quickly. He was young and strong. Krux, on the other hand, was significantly older, so his bones were also more fragile, and that annoyed him immensely.

It wasn't that he was jealous of his forty years younger brother. He was incredibly angry at Wu and Garmadon, who were to blame for all of this.

"Come on, brother," Krux said. "We have to find out what place this is."

The twins stepped through the strange territory, alert for any sign of danger. But so far they haven't met a soul. Which wasn't unnatural, since they were in the mountains after all, as they quickly found out.

Apart from a few patches of grass and woodland, they didn't see anything that stood out. Since they were also unfamiliar with this area, they had no idea where the nearest village or town was.

Acronix sighed heavily as he looked at his broken BorgWatch. That would have been a lifesaver for them now. Even Krux, who otherwise despised technology, admitted this.

Acronix paused when he realized his brother was no longer walking beside him. He turned and saw him a few meters back, limping after him in a crooked stance.

I knew it. He's feeling worse than he admits...
Acronix rushed back to him. "You okay?" he asked softly. "Want me to support you?" Krux slowly shook his head. "I'm fine."

Acronix sighed. "That's not true! You're about to collapse. At least sit down for-" He gasped when he saw the large bloodstain on Krux's ribs. "Krux, you're bleeding!"

"It's not that bad," the older man replied, panting, and pressed his hand against it. "Give me just two minutes and then we can continue."
"No, we have to treat your wound before you bleed out!" Acronix urged. "Let's find some shelter so you can rest."

Krux grunted. "I don't need to rest! I told you I was fine."
"That's not true and you know it!" Acronix hissed. "Don't always be so stubborn and finally let me help you!"

His brother blinked in surprise. He rarely lost his temper with Krux. He sighed heavily. "All right. If it's absolutely necessary..."
"Yes, it is," Acronix insisted, more calmly. He took him by the hand. "Can you walk?" Krux nodded silently.

They continued down the path and after a while, Acronix saw a large rock sticking out of the ground. It wasn't the best, but it was shady and would protect against rain. He also doubted Krux could keep walking much longer.

"That doesn't look bad!" Acronix said and headed towards it together with his twin. Krux immediately dropped to the ground and leaned against the wall. He was panting from the effort and pain.

"Now let me look at your injury." Acronix knelt down next to him and pulled the bleeding clothing up a bit. He was startled when he saw the deep wound that marked his ribs. "This doesn't look good..."

Krux sighed and narrowed his eyes. "We've got to do something to stop the bleeding!" Acronix said in panic.
But with what? He wasn't carrying a first aid kit of course and he didn't have anything of that sort. He paused. Except...

"My cape!" He quickly removed his cape and wrapped it around Krux's injury. His brother gritted his teeth and groaned. "Sorry..." Acronix mumbled worriedly. When he had tied it up with the temporary bandage, the green fabric turned red in a few seconds.

Krux looked at it. "That should help for a while. Thanks brother." Acronix managed a small smile and then sat down next to him. As he sat there, he realized how hungry he was. No wonder. He couldn't even remember the last time he had a decent meal.

"I'm hungry..." he whined, sounding like a child. "Me too," Krux agreed. "However, I doubt we'll find anything edible here." Acronix nodded towards the forest. "Maybe I can find some berries..."

Krux pressed a hand to his forehead and grimaced in pain. "What's wrong?" the younger asked worried. "Nothing...just a headache."

Acronix regarded him for a moment before standing. "I'll see if I can find anything." He hesitated. "Is it okay if I leave you alone?" His brother looked up at him. "Go on. I'll be fine."

Acronix shifted his feet indecisively. Hurt and weakened as Krux was, he was reluctant to leave him behind. After all, they had no idea what dangers were lurking here and Krux wouldn't be able to defend himself in this state. But if they had no food, they would starve. So Acronix had to take the risk.

"I'll be back as soon as possible!" he promised. "Be careful," Krux said. "And don't do anything stupid." Acronix grinned. "I never do anything stupid!"

He walked carefully through the forest and looked around in all directions. So far, apart from the chirping of birds, there was no sound, which was no less spooky. Acronix wished he had his sword with him, but he must have lost it after the fall. He could only hope that he didn't encounter any wild animals.

Acronix stopped abruptly when he heard a soft splash. That definitely sounded like a river. Water! Thank god!
He ran in the direction the sound was coming from and soon he spotted a narrow river meandering through the undergrowth.

He scrambled down the embankment, stumbled, but managed to catch himself in time. He knelt down, cupped his hands and drank greedily. It was pleasantly cool and soothing for his dry throat.

When Acronix had quenched his thirst, he figured on how to bring Krux some water as well. He didn't have anything with him to transport it with. Acronix rose. Maybe it would be better to look for food first.

He did, and after a while he had collected a handful of berries and nuts. Hastily, and pleased with the discovery, he ran his way back to their shelter. "Krux, I found berries and nuts! Also-"

Acronix stopped abruptly and dropped everything in shock. Krux lay on the floor, breathing heavily. "Brother!" Acronix yelled in horror and was immediately at his side. "What happened? Were you attacked?!"

Krux shook his head. "I'm not...feeling...well..." he groaned and pressed his hand against his ribs. "I think...I lost too much blood..." Acronix panicked. "What should I do?!" he whined, ruffling his hair in desperation. "You urgently need a doctor!"

Krux laughed weakly. "Do you see one around here somewhere?" Acronix gritted his teeth and thought hard. "Maybe...if I walk far enough - maybe I'll find someone who can help us!"

"We are -" Krux coughed and spat blood, whereby his brother go terribly frightened at the sight, "...we are in the middle of nowhere. It's very unlikely that you'll find anyone, let alone someone who helps us..."

Acronix sighed sadly and hung his head. Krux was right. There was no chance of meeting anyone in this area. They were lost. "What should we do now?" Acronix repeated, hoping that his big brother, whom he could always rely on, would have an idea.

"We have to move on," Krux huffed. "Sitting here and waiting doesn't help us either."
"But that's not possible!", Acronix contradicted. "You can hardly keep yourself on your feet!"

Krux raised an eyebrow. "Do you have a better plan?" The younger opened his mouth, but immediately closed it again and shook his head dejectedly. "No...but I don't like your plan either."

Krux's gaze softened. "Don't worry about me." He sat up carefully. "I'd been through worse. Back in the war against the serpentine, I was able to keep fighting despite numerous bloody injuries. This is nothing compared to that."

Acronix refrained from mentioning that this event it had happened forty years ago and that Krux was in better physical shape than he was now. But he didn't want to offend him, so he kept it to himself. Especially since he didn't have any other quick solution. "All right, brother. If it's okay with you, then I won't stop you."

After the two had eaten the small ration of berries and nuts and their hunger was satisfied a little, they moved on.

Krux gave little sign of pain, but Acronix could feel it. It was almost as if he shared the pain with him. Since they were twins, their feelings were strongly connected. What Krux felt did Acronix feel as well, and vice versa.

"Do you want to take a break?" he asked. But as expected, Krux shook his head. "No, it's fine," he growled. Acronix stifled a sigh. Of course he said so. Krux has always been like that. He hated showing weakness. Especially in the presence of Acronix.

He wanted to appear strong and unshakable in front of him because he was his big brother and wanted to protect him. Of course, Acronix was happy when he could count on him in difficult situations.

He couldn't even imagine how he would continue his life without Krux. After all, he was the only person he had. His only family. But still he felt guilty when his brother had to take care of him because he was too incompetent to do something from time to time. He wished he could help Krux more often, but even now he wasn't much of a help.

Acronix couldn't say exactly how much time had passed, but eventually the sun began to set. "We should look for a place to sleep", he said and looked at his brother. Krux just nodded dazedly. Acronix was relieved that he agreed. It was cleary to see that he was getting worse again.

They had come a long way. They had left the mountains behind and now they were in a densely leafy forest. However, they still could not locate another person and were clueless about their surroundings.

This frustrated Acronix. Those cursed ninjas were to blame for all of this! If they got in his way again, then-
"Brother." Acronix's anger evaporated when he heard Krux's voice next to him.

The older one pointed to a small clearing where a stream ran at the edge. "We will settle there." His brother nodded in agreement and followed him.
Krux sat down by the stream and drank from it. Acronix followed suit. The long walk has made him terribly thirsty.

He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand when he was done. Krux groaned to his feet, wincing at the movement. Alarmingly, Acronix jumped over to him and supported him. "Does it hurt a lot?" he asked worried. "Quite..." the older one admitted.

Acronix looked around the clearing, but couldn't find anything comfortable for his brother to sit on. Krux looked up at the sky, which was getting darker and darker. "Acronix, can you get some wood so we can make a fire?"

Acronix looked nervously into the dark forest and swallowed. "Erm... sure I can do that...!" Krux frowned. He didn't seem to miss the fact that his younger brother wasn't comfortable with it.

"I would have come with you, but..." He looked down at his injury. "I'll be fine!" Acronix quickly assured him. "Rest meanwhile." Krux nodded hesitantly. "Okay... be careful though."

Acronix crawled around on the forest floor, gathering any branches that would hopefully be the right kind of firewood. He hurried as fast as he could, for an uncomfortable feeling crept over him. As if someone were watching him.

Acronix turned sharply, but there was nothing and nobody behind him.
You're just imagining it... Everything's fine... Just don't think about it. Just keep calm and -

Suddenly he was startled by a rustling. He cried out in terror and, without hesitation, jumped up and raced back the way like the devil was after him. Not daring to turn around, he just kept running until he reached the clearing where Krux was sitting in the grass, waiting for him.

Acronix stumbled and fell face first to the ground. "Shit!" he cursed, dropping the branches. "Acronix?!" Krux exclaimed in surprise. "Are you ok?"
"Ouch...!", the younger one grumbled and lifted his head.

His brother stood in front of him and held out his hand. "Did you hurt yourself?" Acronix gratefully grabbed his hand and let him help him up to his feet. "No, I'm fine." Krux peered warily into the forest behind Acronix. "Did something followed you?"

"No...", he answered and collected the sticks again. "I just got...startled..." He felt ashamed of his anxiety. He was sure Krux will now criticize him for being a coward.

But to his surprise, the older one said nothing - not even a sigh or a roll of his eyes - but helped him to collect the branches. "Is that enough?" Acronix therefore asked. "Certainly."

Acronix watched the fire crackle and flicker in front of him. Coincidentally, Krux had a lighter with him, which came in very handy at the moment. The warmth and the soft crackling made him sleepy. He yawned and lay down on the grass next to Krux.

Grumbling, he shifted and tried to find a comfortable position. "Man, that sucks!"
"What?" Krux asked, looking at him. "The floor is too hard and uncomfortable! I can't sleep like this. There are also ants and bugs crawling everywhere." He shuddered. "That's disgusting!"

"Anything else?" Krux asked sarcastically. "You don't mind that?" Acronix replied skeptically. "It could be worse." The younger snorted. "You don't believe that yourself..."

A piercing howl echoed through the night, terrifying Acronix. "What the hell was that?!" he yelled, sitting bolt upright. "Just a wolf," Krux replied lightheartedly.

"Just a wolf?!", the younger one repeated shrilly. "What if he comes here?"
"They usually don't do that. They won't be interested in us," explained his older twin and with a mischievous grin he added: "Unless you keep on screaming. Then you'll definitely lure him."

Acronix winced and let his gaze wander between the trees before lying down again. "Stop scaring me..." Krux snorted in amusement. "Believe me, there are far worse things out here."

Acronix looked at him curiously, and when he didn't continue, he asked, "Like what?" Krux turned to him. "I've read in some books that there's a so-called 'beast' lurking around in the woods that's apparently eating people."

Acronix's eyes widened in horror. "A man-eating beast...?" he repeated subdued. "Do they know what it looks like?"
"Unfortunately not. Everyone who went looking for it never came back," he continued. "Only the remains of the bones of the corpses were found."

A chill shivered down Acronix's spine. The very thought terrified him. "According to experts, it only hunts at night, and when everyone is sound asleep, it strikes."

Acronix gasped in shock and suddenly he felt even more uncomfortable in this forest than before. "That...that's terrible!"
Krux grinned and started laughing.

His brother stared at him in perplexity. "What's funny about that?!"
"Nix, that was a joke!" He laughed. Acronix blinked in confusion. "What...?"
"I just made that up! There is no beast."

"Are you kidding me?!" Krux grinned gleefully. "You should have seen your face! Phenomenal." Acronix blushed and felt like the biggest jerk in the universe. "You're mean!" He playfully punched him in the shoulder. "You know I hate scary stories!"

"Aw, poor little brother! I feel so sorry for you."
"Idiot!" Acronix replied, but couldn't suppress his own laughter. "It's your own fault for being so gullible," Krux teased.

The younger one stuck out his tongue like a small child. "I'll get back at you, old man." His twin elbowed him. "Don't be cheeky, you brat."

Acronix grinned, rolled onto his back again and looked up at the sky, which was dotted with countless stars. Apart from their current situation, he could even enjoy this moment a bit.

It gave him a nostalgic feeling. When the twins were little, they would sometimes sneak out at night and gaze at the stars while chatting for hours about all sorts of things.

Acronix's heart sank. He missed that time when they had no problems and didn't have to worry about anything. No wars, no fights... it was just the two of them. Sometimes he wondered how their lives would have been if they had been born without their elemental powers.

As Acronix thought about it, he became more and more drowsy and eventually fell asleep.

It was still dark when Acronix woke up and wondered what had actually woken him up. Until he heard a whimper next to him. He looked worriedly at his brother, who was wriggling in his sleep in pain.

"Krux...?" Still a bit sleepy, Acronix sat up and gently nudged the older one. Krux blinked open his eyes, which shone feverishly. Acronix put a hand to his forehead and gasped in horror as he felt the surging heat.

"You have a high fever!" he said in a low tone. Krux grumbled. "The wound must have become infected... No wonder I feel so bad." Acronix gritted his teeth in bitterness. "What can I do against it?!"

"Nothing...", Krux mumbled and closed his eyes again. But he wanted to do something. So Acronix got up, went over to the stream and ripped off a piece of his clothing. He dunked it in the cold water, then hastily ran back to Krux, who was now trembling all over, and placed the wet cloth on his glowing forehead.

Krux sighed in relief. "Thank you, brother." Acronix's heart sank with pity as he watched his twin chills and fighting against the pain.

He admitted to himself that he couldn't do more, so he lay back down. Acronix scooted closer to his brother and wrapped his arms around his body. Maybe that would calm him down a bit. In fact, his trembling subsided somewhat.

Glad that he could at least help him a little, he fell asleep again.
However, he slept anything but peacefully. He always jumped up when he heard a rustling or the howling of wolves.

Then there was also his sick brother to worry about. As soon as Acronix felt his breathing becoming irregular, he became frightened. He had the feeling that Krux was getting worse by the minute.

At some point Acronix must have dozed off, because the next time he woke up it was already bright. Grumbling, he blinked the sleep out of his eyes and sat up. Only now did he feel the pain from the fall with the time machine. His body was probably covered in bruises.

Concerned, he looked at his brother, who was still asleep. His face was chalk white. Acronix placed a hand on his sweaty forehead and was shocked to find his temperature had risen.

"Shit!" he whispered. He hastily took the damp rag, sprinted to the creek and dunked it again. Then he went back to Krux and put it back on his forehead. He sat cross-legged next to him and waited for him to wake up.

Acronix's stomach was growling terribly and he was already dizzy from not eating enough. But he knew he couldn't go looking for food now. Leaving his brother alone in this state was far too dangerous.

After a while, Krux started to stir and slowly opened his eyes. "Good morning," Acronix said softly. "How are you doing?" The older one rubbed his face with his hand and sighed. "Bad..."
"Is there anything I can do for you?"

Krux sat up shakily, Acronix helping him. "I'm thirsty..." he croaked. He got up carefully. "Wait!" Acronix called alarmingly, supporting him. "You should take it easy."

"It's okay...", Krux growled. "After all, I'm not paralyzed." Acronix ignored his stubbornness and helped him anyway.

"What should we do now?" Krux asked after he drank. "As much as I hate to admit it, I doubt I can move on in this state." Acronix looked at his twin in surprise, not knowing what to do for the first time.

"We'll just wait until you're better," suggested the younger one. Krux sighed. He splashed water on his face. "That won't be a long-term solution. Who knows when I'll be back on my feet again."

Acronix looked down sadly. "I think we will have no choice." Krux growled. "Those filthy brats are to blame for all of this! We're in this mess thanks to them."

Acronix shared his anger. "Don't forget Wu. If it wasn't for him, our time travel would have been successful!" His brother cussed to himself. "If I get my hands on him..." He trailed off and shook his head. "Tch, what ever. Getting upset about it doesn't help either."

He ran his hand through his hair and narrowed his eyes. "God, I feel like shit..."
"Maybe it would be better if you lay back down," Acronix suggested. Krux snorted derisively. "I can't do anything else anyway."

Acronix helped him back to where they rested earlier. His twin slowly lowered himself into the grass and whimpered ruefully. He clutched his ribs where his wound was.

"Ouch...!" he hissed. "It hurts like hell!"
"Show me," Acronix asked. He removed the blood-soaked cape that had served as a bandage until now and looked at the infected wound. It was red and swollen.

Acronix shuddered. "Can't we do anything about it?"
"No. If I'm lucky, the wound will heal by itself," Krux explained. "But that is very unlikely because the infection is already too advanced." He looked at it again. "At least it looks like it..."

Acronix swallowed. He felt like a big lump was getting stuck in his throat. "And what does that mean?" Krux hesitated. "Well...if it's not treated right away...it could be life threatening for me."

Acronix's heart stopped in shock. "W-what?! Life threatening?! But then we have to do something immediately!" He jumped up abruptly. "There's nothing we can do, Acronix!" Krux retorted sharply. "Can't you finally understand that?! There isn't a single person around who could help us."

He was panting from the effort. "And I'm not able to keep walking. So we can only hope that someone happens to come by here who will help us. Although that's almost impossible since we're in the middle of the wilderness, so to speak."

Acronix stared at his brother, deeply shocked. He sat back down and sighed dejectedly. Couldn't he really do anything? Nothing at all? Did he have to watch Krux get worse by the second? And he would just stand idly by while he was in pain?

He looked desperately at his older twin, who was struggling for breath. He was so terribly pale, so weak. It broke Acronix's heart to see him like this. So helpless and vulnerable. And he couldn't help him at all because he was way too stupid for anything.

Useless and stupid.

Acronix whimpered, buried his face in his hands and began to cry bitterly. He hated his sensitivity. "Acronix? Why are you crying?" He heard Krux ask worriedly. "I can't take it... I have to watch how you suffer... and... I can't even help you!" He sobbed. "I'm so useless!"

"Oh Nixie, that's not true," Krux said lovingly. He rose slowly and hugged his younger brother tightly. Acronix pressed himself close against him and only cried more. "Shhh, shh... Everything will be fine, I promise you," his twin whispered, gently rubbing his back.

How ridiculous that he had to be comforted by his sick and badly injured brother. He had no right to whine like a little kid. "And what if not?" Acronix whimpered. "What if we can't find our way home? Or...if you get even sicker and...and..." He was shaking, unable to say it.

Krux broke the hug and gave him an encouraging look. "We've always got through everything together so far. We'll manage this too. And you don't have to worry about me. It'll be fine."

Acronix said nothing, he looked down depressed and wiped the tears from his face. Maybe Krux was right. Maybe everything would be fine after all. Maybe...

He looked at him, his brother smiled encouragingly. "Everything okay again?" Acronix sniffed and nodded slowly. "I think so." The older one patted him gently on the shoulder. "I know it's all difficult right now... but we can't give up because of that. I'm sure everything will look different tomorrow."

Acronix wished he was as confident as his brother. But it was already difficult for him to think positively, and that's saying something! He was usually the one who was easygoing and always in a good mood.

But the fear for Krux and the fact that he had no idea how to help him was getting on his nerves. On top of that, they had absolutely no plan as to where they were and how to get back to Ninjago.

He wished his brother could reverse the time and undo it all. But they had neither their powers nor the time blades. So how the hell was he supposed to think everything was going to be okay?

Krux closed his eyes and pressed a hand to his forehead. "You okay?" Acronix asked quietly. "I'm just...a little dizzy," his twin replied with a sigh. "I think it would be better if I lay down again."

He slowly sank himself into the grass and looked weaker than before. Was it really that tiring for him? Acronix bit his lips nervously. His condition worsens...

He got to his feet. "I'll see if I can find anything to eat." Krux just grunted in agreement. Acronix hated leaving him alone again, but what else could he do? Maybe he would feel a little better if he ate something, even if it wasn't much.

However, it seemed as if he would find nothing today. Acronix searched and searched, but couldn't find anything. No berries or anything like that. Nothing. Everywhere he saw only trees and bushes.

Finally he decided to turn back because he was afraid of getting lost and not finding his way back. Besides, he didn't want to leave Krux behind for too long.
He reached the clearing and shuffled over to his brother, who hadn't moved an inch.

He was panting heavily, as if every breath was causing him pain. Acronix sat down next to him and Krux's eyes blinked open. "Acronix...?"
"Yes, it's me," the younger assured him softly. "Are you still in pain?"

His twin was silent for several seconds and he was about to repeat his question, but then the older one said quietly, "I think...I don't have much time left..." Acronix gasped in horror. His pulse quickened. "Wha... what are you saying...?"

Krux' gaze fell into the distance, he didn't answer. He got sick. "Krux!" he screamed in panic. His brother flinched and looked at him in confusion. "Why are you screaming?" Acronix was shaking. "I don't want this...P-please...please don't do this to me!"

"What are you talking about?" The younger whimpered, tears pooling in his eyes again. He should have known. He should have known that he couldn't save his brother. It was clear that there was no more hope for him. He was already confused now.

Acronix sobbed. "Hey...you shouldn't cry..." Krux murmured and reached out a hand for him. Acronix held it. It was cold. "You said everything will be fine," he whispered. "You promised me!"

His brother looked at him sadly. "I'm sorry... I lied..."
"You can't leave me!" he cried. "Please...I am begging you! Please, stay alive!" He collapsed. This just couldn't be real. That couldn't happen.

"You're everything I have!" Acronix howled. "My only family!" His voice lagged. "I need you! I need you so...so much!" He wrapped his arms around his twin's frail body and buried his face in his neck.

"I-I can carry you," he suggested desperately. "We'll definitely find someone!"
"Acronix..."
"Just hold on a moment! We'll get through this together! We-"
"Acronix!"

Acronix started, raised his head and looked into his brother's eyes. Tears ran down his ashen face. "It's too late. There's nothing more you can do." The younger one stared at him in utterly bewilderment. "Something...I have to do something!"

Krux squeezed his hand tighter. "Just stay with me...please." Acronix felt like he couldn't breathe anymore. The sight of his dying brother was almost unbearable. It hurt so bad.

But deep down inside, he knew there was nothing more he could do. He just had to accept it. Any help came too late for Krux. "O-Of course..." he stuttered. "Of course I'll stay with you, brother."

A faint smile crept onto the older man's lips. "I was really lucky to have a brother like you. I wouldn't have... wished for any other..."
Acronix sobbed bitterly. Those words warmed his heart, but at the same time made him so terribly sad.

Krux's shaking hand rested on Acronix's cheek. "I love you, brother... More than anything." The younger one hugged him tightly, wishing he could delay this moment. He didn't want to say goodbye to him just yet. It all happened way too fast.

"I love you too..." he whimpered in a trembling voice. Krux's eyes dulled and grew mat. The slight rise and fall of his chest was the only sign of life.

Acronix gently petted his hair. He wanted his final minutes to be as comfortable as possible. Her mother used to do that to Krux whenever he couldn't sleep and it worked every time. Even now it seemed to be working. He relaxed in his little brother's arms.

"I'm tired..." he mumbled. His eyes closed, his breathing slowed. "So...tired..." Until he finally lay very still.

Acronix checked his pulse with trembling hands.
Nothing.
It was over
Krux was dead.

He had lost his brother forever. He was now completely alone.

For a full minute he just sat there and didn't move an inch. Dazed, he stared down at his twin, unable to believe he had really died.

That had to be a dream. A nightmare. A bad, terrible nightmare. He would wake up any minute and Krux would be with him. His brother would be with him - alive.

But he didn't wake up. Because it wasn't a dream. It was reality. The horrible reality.

As Acronix awoke from his shock, grief hit him like a punch in the stomach. He held his brother's lifeless body close and began to scream. He screamed so loud his throat started to burn.

He screamed out all the pain, sadness and anger as loud as he could. He had never felt so much pain. It was unbearable. As if someone had violently crushed his heart.

His first thought was to kill himself. Here and now. He wanted to smash his head against a rock. No matter how painful it would be, the main thing was that he would be with his beloved brother again.

But Acronix knew this wasn't the right decision. Krux wouldn't have wanted that. He wouldn't have wanted Acronix to take his own life because of him.

Sobbing, he buried his face in Krux's chest and cried until there were no tears left. Huddled over his dead twin like a heap of misery, never wanting to let him go.

After some time, Acronix was able to gradually calm down. Krux was now ice cold and stock still. His face was chalk white like he'd never seen it before. Apart from that, it almost looked like he was just sleeping. A deep, deep sleep.

Acronix gritted his teeth in irritation. An unbridled rage pulsed through his veins. This anger was aimed only at the ninja. "They'll pay for this," he growled quietly. "They will pay for what they did to you."

His whole body shook with anger. He wanted nothing but revenge. "I'll kill them..." he vowed. "I'll tear every single one apart!" He lifted his head and stared wildly into the distance.

"I'll find you, ninja...and then you'll feel my rage!"