A Brother's Change

A Brother’s Change


“Seifer, stop picking on your brother! You know how he tends to be sensitive. You don't want me to go over there and stop you," A woman said frustratingly as she walked in front of her house. "You are going to kill me some day if you keep acting like this.” She looked at the two boys and said in a soft voice, “I get so stressed out because of you." The woman went to the young boy named Seifer. "You have to treat your brother like you would treat your friends. After all you guys are family, and without each other what would you be." She the two boys, and gave them a hug. Then she said with a light and loving voice, "This is the last time I'll tell you two, go play nicely with each other.”
These images and conversations of my parents keep running through my head. It has been 10 years now since my twin brother, Seifer, murdered my parents. If only my mom knew how right she was about my brother ending her life. At night, I sometimes still hear their screams.
The sword I carry with me was my father’s sword. It's called Betrayal. The story behind my weapon is like my own. They were created around the beginning of the Feudal Era. It all began when two swords were made called Guilt and Betrayal. These swords were made for the two sons of the shogun. In the eyes of the blacksmith who made them, they were fit for an emperor. When the shogun saw these two swords he was pleased.The shogun had risen his children to be power hungry and strong, He did that by teaching them all of the martial arts in their land. The shogun was one of the greatest fighters in the country. Naturally his sons were talented as well..
When he took the two swords from the man, the blacksmith warned him that the swords had powers beyond belief. That if any man were to fight with it the name of the sword will become reality. The blacksmith was a sorcerer with incredible powers and one of the best smiths there was in Japan. That is why the shogun used him. The blacksmith said that he had done something wrong while making them, and that the spell when unleashed would be out of his control. The spell had no name but had an aura of evil, which could only be held for five years with the spell that held back its power. The shogun ignored the sorcerer's warnings and left. Finally on the day of the two boys' birthday, a week after the shogun received the swords; he gave the boys their gifts. In doing this they became overwhelmed with joy, but it would not last.
Five years later the swords controlled their possessors and made them do their bidding. Guilt was a sword of power and glory that swept across the land taking many lives, including his own parents. Then the sword of Betrayal, which was the sword of sorrow and justice, came to stop Guilt. The two boys were just puppets that were being controlled by the swords. They fought a battle like no other; it lasted months until they both fell to thirst and hunger. These swords were taken to a temple, and were put under the supervision of one of my great-grandfathers.
Now back to my story. My father always went somewhere the first morning of every month, and no one knew where he went. My brother and I followed him to see where he always went one day. We followed deep into Dead-Man Forest. Finally we saw it. The temple from the legends we were always told. The temple was dark and gloomy. It looked like no one had been there for centuries. My brother and I were scared for the first few seconds, but we followed him inside. My brother and I were amazed to see that the entire inside was made of what looked to me like pure gold. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.
My father began to head to an altar of some sort. We got closer to the altar and then we saw something that would change our lives. We saw two swords as we got closer, but they weren’t just any swords they were Betrayal and Guilt. We couldn’t believe what we saw, but then we noticed that my father was turning our way so we hid ourselves in a dark corner. After we hid we kept a close eye on our father. He was cleaning the swords using oil so that the swords would not rust. Once my dad was done with cleaning the swords he left. After we saw that it was safe my brother and I went toward the swords. He grabbed the sword, Guilt, and he took it out of its sheath. The sword had the design of a dragon for a handle and on the blade it said "Glory." My brother slashed it a few times and then said that we should practice with them. So I did because I always listened to him. I picked up Betrayal and took the sword out. The sword had a dragon handle as well, but the word on the blade was different. The word was "Fear."
For five years we went to the temple with no one knowing. We practiced with each other almost everyday of those five years. We grew in power and speed. I noticed unfortunately that we were slowly beginning to drift apart from each other. My brother began to change. He was becoming a criminal. He was a thief and a murderer. He was becoming a demon in some ways. He started a gang with strong and cunning men. With their help the gang was growing into an army.
Finally, one day my brother did not put the sword back but took it. I told him that we were not allowed. In response to that he told me to give him Betrayal unless I was going to take it. The following day when my dad went to check on the swords he ran back in insanity. He was going crazy when he found out the swords were gone.
Out of concern for my father I told him everything that was going on. He said that he would get Seifer back if it was the last thing he did. Little did he know it would be the last thing he did. My father would not live to see what I would do for the world. He would not see what I would do for him. After my father left the house, he went to find Seifer. He asked everyone where he was, and finally he found him.
“Dad what do you want I’m busy.” My brother said as he was beating up a guard to a government official’s house. “Dad get out of here before I do something I would regret. I won’t hold back if I do fight you do you understand dad.”
“Son all I want is Guilt. You don’t understand what will happen to you. If I must I will fight you to take the sword from you, and as you said I won’t hold back either.” My father said as he cried in misery.
My brother drew his sword and said, “Fine if you want to fight me then you will die.” He charged toward my dad. My dad drew his sword and began to fight. My mom and I finally found them. There they were fighting as hard as they possibly could or so it looked that way. My father was getting tired but my brother was full of energy. He wasn’t even using half of his power against my dad.
Then my brother said with a smirk on his face, “Dad I am truly sorry but you are now finished. Walk away and I will let you live but if you stay I will kill you.” Then my father blurted in a loud angry voice, “What has happened to you. Are you so blind with evil that you can’t see that you are killing the people that once loved and cared for you? Look at your mom she is worried sick about you. If you do not give me the sword then I will finally take what I have helped create and that is you.”
My brother filled with anger after this comment began to charge toward my father. Our mom jumped in front of my brother to stop him but her attempt failed. He didn’t have time to stop his blade from dropping and so he killed her. It was as if he were possessed by hatred.
He stopped and began to mumble and cry saying in a low soft voice, “Why? Why risk your life to save him? Why couldn’t you have stayed out of it?” he said it as held my mother’s body. My father just stood there. He couldn’t move. His face was covered in tears. He fell to his knees and said, “What have you done? See what evil has done to you. You killed your mother. All she did was love you, and this is how you repaid her? Give me the sword and we will go back home and bury her.” My father began to cry like he was dying and maybe he was inside, but then my brother began to talk in a low but cruel voice. “There is no going back to the way I was. I will give you both 20 seconds before I kill you. Run!" He hesitated for a second like something was taking over him and then yelled, "Run Now!”
"Come on dad… hurry we have no time! Grab mom and let’s go.” I said in a panicked voice. When he grabbed my mom and picked her up we began to run. After running a little ways from where we just were, an arrow hit my father in the back. He kept running after the hit but you can see that it hurt him. I turned and kept running, but when I looked back my dad had 5 more arrows in him. He fell to his knees and said to me, “Take care of your brother.” He took a deep breath and said, “He will need you in the end. The sword you possess will save him.”
Till this day I am unsure of what my father meant when he said that. I have begun to believe the only way to save my brother is to take his life myself. I have started to understand our swords and the destiny that we have. My sword will betray my brother and this is what I fear to do. The meaning of my sword has come before me as well as the path I have started to follow. The best way to find out the end of my journey is to follow this path. I, Kyo of Betrayal, will trust my feelings and continue on.
“Kyo what are we going to do? Menos hasn’t returned for five days. He should have been back by now.” A woman was staring at a tall dark figure, and talking with a trembling voice. Her hair and her eyes are dark brown. She is an average height for girls around five foot four inches.
The tall figure turned around. His eyes a dark blue and his hair as jet black as possible. He is 6 foot and is wearing a large dark cloak. He has a sword on his waist and a bow in his right hand. In a deep but sincere voice he said, “Mina I believe Menos may have been caught we must can’t stay here anymore. I understand that you are don’t want to think the worst of the situation, but we can’t take any chances. We leave tonight and meet with the resistance.”
My brother, Seifer, now controls all the main forces. He is shogun of these lands. It’s hard to believe that he was once just the leader of a gang. His gang took control of the government and now wreaks havoc in this once prosperous country. A few others and myself have created a resistance to fight against him. We have been fighting them for three years already. Our numbers were depleting until recently. My cause is now the cause of many others. Many families and villages have lost a lot due to this new evil. There is a main resistance army that formed to the north of our present location. I control a special operations team that is currently centralized in the forest near the Shogun’s main base.
My squad consists of Mina, Menos, Kenshin, and Shinta. Originally there had been 10 members, but we had run into a group of 50 soldiers on our mission. Mina and Menos are twins who have a unique ability to sense things that will happen. They are also our spies; they switch shifts from time to time. Kenshin is our range attacker and is quite skilled at tactics. Shinta is a sword master just as myself. Menos was sent out eight days ago for information on the position of the main army. He was supposed to switch out with Mina three days after he was sent.
We packed what little supplies we had, and set out to the North. It would take us about 10 days to reach the forces. We would have no sleep and only two breaks a day. We had to be as fast as possible in order to avoid getting into fights or falling further behind them. The meeting of the resistance force and the Shogun’s main force would decide the fate of the rest of the country. It was hard on Mina the most. I had sympathy for her, but we could not put the rest of our lives at risk.
Due to our very minimal stops we reached the forces in nine days. The resistance is ten thousand men at the least. Surprisingly there was a group of around one thousand women as well. Three thousand seemed to be archers armed with swords. Four thousand are horsemen and out of them one thousand are archers. The rest are foot soldiers that carry spears and swords. There are over 600 retainers, people who carry and guard the food.
We first went and reported our situation to the general of the army, and then we went and rested. The Shogun’s main force is two days walk away from where we are. The battle was close and people could feel it. Men and women were writing letters for messengers to take to their families and friends. This war wasn’t only for a new government; it was for something more than just that. This war was a fight for which is supreme in the world. Would evil or good win? That is the real question that was at hand. The true battle that would end it all was a fight between my brother and me.
When we finally reached the other army the generals met. They went to a tent and had a meal together to show their respects and honor. This is what men of war did to compliment their enemy. They gave two days to prepare and to get civilians out of range. The field was flat with the greenest most alive grass imaginable. Parts of it were already ruined because of the bases that were created by both sides. The generals went back to their sides when the first sight of light was found. It was then that I saw him. My brother was there in the tent in the generals meeting. He was here and was prepared to fight. Now it was settled that this fight would decide the fate for the rest of the world.
Both sides lined up in front of each other. The sun glared off of our armor. The sun had just finished rising and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. It was silent for a few moments. Out of nowhere a man screamed at the top of his lungs. It was his battle cry. After that everyone started yelling. It was time that both sides began attacking. Archers were the first to begin. After that they all ran in. Everyone was hacking away. The only thing I was doing was looking for my brother. It wasn’t very hard to do so either. There was a large circle around him. They feared fighting him. He was so fast they couldn’t have done anything. This was what him and me had trained for. It wasn’t to be a criminal or to be a farmer’s son. It was to be in battle and to fight for what we believed in. When I saw him I ran to the center of the circle where he was and swung my sword. He quickly blocked it with ease. He was the same as before.
When we used to train when we were kids, he was always relaxed. I was always jealous that he could be so relaxed, but I managed to form my own style. His was more fluent than mine had been. Mine was stronger than his was. I had learned his technique, but at the mere sight of him I got tense. I started to relax throughout our fight. The men around us began to stop and watch. This was a fight that had caught everyone’s eyes. The speed and stamina was not that of a normal person. I am proud to say that we are evenly matched.
It turned dark and we had still been fighting. The sides were nearly depleted of soldiers. We were the only ones fighting at this point. During our fight I figured out a tactic that would allow me to preserve energy. I also figured out a way to beat him. It was more of a psychological thing. The last time we had seen each other after the incident with my parents. I had brought up what he had done to our parents. He grabbed his head as if someone smacked him over it with a large object. I went to get him at that time, but his men jumped in front and saved him.
There was no one to save him this time. With a low but chilling voice I asked him, “What changed you and caused you to kill our parents?” He stopped fighting and dropped to his knees. His eyes began to water and he was shaking. This was the brother I know from long ago. He stuck his hands to his eyes and sheathed his sword. Without hesitation I struck at his side. I cut of his sword from his waist. I held his sword in my hand.
With a look of hate in his eyes and tears falling down his face his ran at me to take his sword back. I unsheathed my sword and turned it backwards. My father once told me that I would save my brother with this sword. My brother’s soul had turned to darkness because of his sword. It was time I fulfilled my father’s wish. With the back of the sword I hit my brother in the neck. Other than a headache and a little bit of pain he would live. Now possessing the two swords I vanished.
I went back to our village and placed the swords back. My brother had disappeared. When the morning came the following day of the battle there was no sign of him. I had fought an evil that was my brother, and saved a country from total darkness. I am a hero that would some day become a legend. I am also the new guardian of the swords. The swords had their meanings. My sword was Betrayal and written on it is the word fear. My fear was that I would have to kill my brother. He had betrayed my family and me. My brother’s sword was Guilt and written on it was the word glory. He had a glory that few criminal can have and the guilt of killing his family.