Terrak Nor (O/A)

[Hikari_Mamo]

Mirror smiled giving the little boy's cheek a caress. "I'll take you to him. He's had a bit of a tumble so he'll look strange but don't be worried, I've patched him up so he'll be good as new soon. Come on." She smiled. "Let's go." Her whole body changed when the boy spoke. Like she seemed lighter, happier. When he was almost dropped Mirror took a hold of him. "It's all right now. I can take him. I want to patch this up anyway." She pointed to a scratch he must have given himself while shielding his eyes from the light. She turned and guided them to Michael's room. "This place is meant to be a maze, don't lose sight of me or you'll get lost." She grinned a little too wickedly.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Ricky allowed himself to be handed off from Boreas to Mirror and just hugged her neck and rested his head on her shoulder, staring blankly into space.

Boreas sighed and followed Mirror closely. He was not interested in getting lost. "How is Michael faring?" he asked, genuinely concerned for his commander.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Mirror smiled holding Ricky close to her. It felt great to be needed again, and by such an adorable little boy at that too. "Michael is fine, you got him all excited about his little brother."
"Seems he misses you little man." Mirror said to Ricky rubbing his side. Rabbit was just a little older than Ricky when. . . No! she couldn't think about that. She closed her eyes continuing to walk. She opened Michael's door without knocking and stepped inside. "Michael, someone is here to see you."  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Michael stirred under the covers and it seemed that he was trying to sit up, though he really didn't have the energy to do so. "Ricky?" he asked, his voice bogged down with sleep as he finally was able to prop himself up on one shaking arm. He wished his energy reserves were restored so that he could at least use his 'sight' to be able to see his brother.

Ricky's head lifted off of Mirror's shoulder at the sound of Michael's voice. The first time he had ever responded to Michael's voice and the sound of his own name. He stared blankly into the room, his eyes resting on his brother's form, though just as blank as they had ever been.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Mirror was about to protest the movement but held her tongue instead she closed her eyes and let Michael be able to see them standing there with his own eyes. She held his brother in her arms protectively but she was walking over to Michael. "That's right sweetie, I told you he missed you." Mirrir grinned and sat down on the bed giving Ricky the option of letting her go to be with his brother. Though to be honest, she liked holding Ricky. She felt whole again with him in her arms.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Ricky did indeed move from Mirror to Michael, the Shadow Magi gasping as he felt . . . and saw, through Mirror's eyes . . . the young boy hug him. "Hey there kiddo." he murmured, hugging the boy back, pulling him down with him as he collapsed against the pillows. He pushed the other back slightly and ran his hands over Ricky's face with a small smile. Yeah, his fingers still remembered his brother's face. "You're still growing, huh squirt?" he asked, not expecting an answer, and Ricky didn't give one. However, the boy did reach out and touched Michael's scar, tracing it over where his eyes once were. Michael stiffened, but didn't do anything to stop it.

After a few seconds, Ricky did stop and then he lay down and cuddled up close to his brother, eyes closing as he fell asleep.

Michael was in a state of shock. Ricky had never gone to sleep on his own. Ricky had never reached out to anyone . . . not since the botched rescue mission . . . He held his brother close, ruffling the boy's hair lightly as he slept. He smiled before his own exhaustion hit and his head fell back onto the pillows as he groaned. He had definitely used too much energy in the last mission . . .  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Mirror smiled softly and tucked the boys in bed kissing Ricky's head and caressing Michael's head then left them both alone guiding Boreas out of the room to the Cafeteria. "We should let them bond. After Michael's ordeal he needs his brother. We should leave them be." She'd forgotten to turn off her connection to Michael so his dreams would be what she did while he slept. "Mirror's in love~" The same boy teased. Mirror blushed darkly then seemed to get angry.
"Who!" Another kid asked. "Who?!"
"That Shadow guy! It's so obvious."
"All right kid!" Mirror growled ready to knock him out. "One more word about this outta you and I'm gonna introduce you to my friend Coma!"
"Ah~! Scary! Save us! Ah~!" The two boys cried running away. Though yes, she had feelings for Michael, she doubted that they were solid. She never wanted to find out either.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

It wasn't long before Ricky started screaming.

Michael shot up, pure adrenaline rushing through his veins. The strange dream he had been having being pushed out of his mind entirely. "Ricky! Ricky it's okay! You're safe now!" he said, worried about his brother, trying to wake the other up somehow . . . calm him down.

Ricky thrashed about before the screams calmed down to whimpers as he curled up in the fetal position, allowing Michael to be able to hold him close.

Michael rocked his brother back and forth, panting with worry. His brother hadn't had nightmares for four years now . . . What had caused it? "What happened to you Ricky?" he murmured, wishing he knew, thinking that if he knew, then maybe, somehow, he could have helped his brother come back to the real world . . . could have saved him sooner even . . . He sighed and held his brother close, his hands gripping the other's hair. "Why couldn't I protect you?" he murmured, blaming himself once again for his brother's predicament. "You were too young . . . I knew you were too young . . . Why did I let you come with me?" he berated himself, wishing he had done things differently that day . . . when his brother was taken.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Mirror rushed in quickly to the sound. Panicked beyond reason. "What happened?!" She called. Her eyes darted around looking for the threat. "Michael? Are you okay?" she asked eyes wide and panicked.

The whole facility stood on end. They'd all heard the screaming. At first they thought it was an attack but when they saw Mirror run off they left it. It was scary for them to think about maybe getting attacked again but if Mirror knew about it and was taking care of it they guessed they wouldn't be too worried.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Michael raised his head to 'look' in Mirror's direction. "He . . . he had a nightmare." he croaked out, his voice weak. "I . . . I couldn't protect him. I should have never let him come with me. I thought I could keep him safe . . . I was . . . overconfident in my abilites . . . It cost him so much." he said, sounding like he was close to tears . . . but he couldn't cry. His tear ducts had been destroyed when his eyes were.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Mirror rushed into the room closing the door quickly behind her so none would interrupt them. She held them both best she could. "It's okay, he's safe here now. We can help him get better. Ssh, don't cry it's okay." She knew, she knew better than any one here what he was going through. "Be happy he's alive. He can bounce back from this. It'll be okay." She didn't know how else to help. Maybe just being there for them both was enough? If she hadn't taken her eyes from Rabbit he'd still be alive. But she did and he was dead. But Ricky was alive. She just wished she could tell Michael how lucky he was for still having a brother.  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Michael let out a mirthless laugh. "Cry? I haven't been able to cry for years." he muttered before letting his head drop back down. "I don't know if he will bounce back. He has made improvements . . . but he will never be the boy he was before that day. His innocent, naive view of the world will never be restored, without a doubt, he has seen the worst of the world . . . and it sent him into this . . . Wounds like that . . . to the soul . . . if they heal, leave scars that never go away." he murmured, losing energy as he spoke. The adrenaline had worn off.

"Mike?" Ricky mumbled in his sleep.

Michael's head shot up and he turned to his brother. "Yes Ricky?" he asked, his voice a little bit above a whisper. Had he truly heard his brother speak?

"Mike . . . I'm scared." he mumbled.

"Don't be scared kiddo. I'm here, I'll take care of you." he whispered softly, determinedly.

"Where's . . . Mike?" Ricky mumbled again before he sighed and it was obvious that he had fallen deeper into sleep.

Michael sighed and dropped back onto the bed. "I should never have let him out of my sight." he murmured, one hand clenching, wishing he had kept a closer eye on his brother.  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Mirror sighed. "I was trying to make you feel better." She sat up. "At least you still have your brother, at least he didn't die in your arms." She left the room and slammed the door rushing from the hallway to her room the door was a mirror she walked straight through the mirror into her room finding it hard to breathe. The world swam. Why? Why did it hurt? Why did hearing him speak such make her angry? Because she had no little brother to watch out for anymore? Maybe. She kept panting hard. She wanted to breathe but she couldn't seem to do it.

"She's not passed it is she?" Leigha asked Hawk.
"No she's not and Michael being here doesn't help." He replied with a sigh. "It's hurting her still but she will just have to get over it or it'll hurt forever."  

[chibi_blue_mouse]

Boreas found Mirror, panting, seeming to have difficulty breathing. "Miss? Are you alright Miss?" he asked, going over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Is everything . . . okay?" he queried, knowing that it had been Ricky who screamed, one of the reasons he was in that hallway in the first place.

Michael sighed. It appeared that he had said the wrong thing. If he was honest with himself, however, he believed that it would have been better if Ricky had died before they could have taken him. At least then, he wouldn't have been exposed to the horrors he had to go through. At least if he was dead . . . he wouldn't be in pain anymore . . .
At the same time, however, he couldn't help but hold his brother close, draw comfort just from being able to hold his brother. He supposed . . . Mirror didn't have that anymore . . .  

[Hikari_Mamo]

Mirror glared at him. "I'm fine." She snapped rushing into a mirror. Everything was rushing in her mind. "Rabbit." She sobbed in her room. She took an inhale of a puffer breathing easier. She wished that he didn't say that. Yes, his brother was a hollow of himself. But at least Michael still had his brother. Her eyes glistened. She didn't want to show any weakness any more. Not toward Michael. This RA leader was fearless and now she was weak in front of him. This wasn't going well.