True Leader

❤️- A happy memory that makes them smile

💙- A sad memory that makes them cry

💛- A memory that makes them feel angry

💚- A memory that makes them feel guilty

💜- A memory about one of their loved ones, happy or sad

💔- A memory that leaves them feeling lonely

❣- A memory that leaves them laughing

💕- A memory about their significant other

💞- A memory about their children

💓- A memory about their friends

💗- A memory about a good deed they did

💖- A memory that made them feel special

💝- A memory that made them feel loved

💘- A memory that gets their heart pounding

Hearing a familiar voice, Minerva turns towards the sound. To her surprise, it was her brother, Michalis. The feelings of shock and sorrow flow through her body, like waves crashing against the shore. Was it really him? Was it really the brother that she once loved?

“Michalis..? Could it really be..?” She asks hesitantly, simply too lost for words.

“You misunderstand me, Minerva. She has already wept upon my shoulder a thousand times over,” Michalis admits with a wistful smile, “and yet…” He shakes his head sadly. “I have already told you more than I have been willing to admit to her, despite me full well knowing she is now far more capable of understanding than I had initially thought.”

That he had learned the hard way, with their fateful encounter with the ghost of their father. Telling Minerva about that could wait for another time, another place, he promises himself silently. If there is one.

“The last time?” While it was apparent that Michalis had no idea what to do with himself, he wasn’t intending on just… Vanishing… Or was he? He had heard tales of other lands, continents far and wide in which he could leave and make a name for himself. With no past sins or twisted past to drag him down.

But how could he ever atone, if he just left it all behind?

“If you fear me leaving the continent in earnest, you do not have to worry. While it would seem quite beneficial to just up and leave, I.. I can’t do that to you.” Or Maria. “Not after you both have practically begged me to return home with you on separate occasions.” Michalis’s gaze drifts towards his feet.

“Even if I did leave, I’m pretty sure the sheer memory of Maria crying over my battered corpse alone would be enough to bring me back.” What Michalis leaves unsaid is just how much it haunts his every waking moment, but his expression at the moment would very likely give it away if Minerva was looking. “Other than return with you, what would you suggest that I do with my time instead? I am not nearly strong enough to return at the moment, but perhaps, in time…” More time with you, anyways…

“Suggest what you should do? I believe that is something even I cannot answer.” Minerva slightly mutters under her breath, “Maria might know the answer to that, I suppose...”

"Though, in another time, let us spend some time together... Like a family." Minerva folds her arms and lets out a bitter sigh, "All this arguing almost makes me forget you are my older brother." Minerva lowers her eyes. It feels like they've been arguing for almost centuries, not a single chance to breathe fresh air.

But... Perhaps, another day...  

"I've kept you long enough, I'm sure you have your own duties to attend to..." Minerva began to turn and walk off but before she left,  

"Even so, I'm proud of you. I am delighted to hear that you finally decided to make amends... Perhaps one day, we'll see each other again, but until then... Goodbye, Michalis..."  

It felt as if she was about to die. Tears littered Sakura’s face as the need to cover her eyes exceeded all other thoughts. Fresh tears ran down her cheeks as she almost sobbed against the the palms that did nothing to stop the pain. It was as if two blazing hot pokers were shoved right behind her eyes, digging to keep the burning fire alive. Sakura wasn’t strong. Or at least she told herself this. Yet this terror could bring down a grown man in his prime of life.

Yes, losing a sneeze was the equivalent of death itself.

As the pollen filled the air, the youngest of four knew the watery noses and itchy eyes were not far behind. Yet she did not pick up the over the counter medicine. She even wrote it on her arm in blie ink to remind herself. Maybe wearing that cute turtle neck was a mistake. A grave mistake. This was the third sneeze today that refused to leave. Sakura flopped down on the deak chair and grabbed a wad of tissues. May they soon rest in peace.

Tossing them into the trash bin, Sakura made herself get dressed. Which was not her best work considering she was planning on leaving the house in pajama pants and a Slayer shirt. How that got into her things is a mystery too. Who in their respective mind would listen to Slayer when Pantera was better? Ugh. Now wasn’t the time to think of music. Today’s mission was to get allergy medicine from the pharmacy so this unspeakable pain may stop in its tracks once and for all. Finishing up with a pair of flops, she was ready to venture out into public.

"Excuse me, miss? Are you-"  

Minerva abruptly stopped mid-sentence due to the small fact that the young girl almost resembled as Maria. Though the choice of outfits was certainly different between the two, there was still a bit of resemblance. But not to be completely rude, Minerva cleared her throat and continued her sentence.

Guilt crawls through Maria’s gut as her sister stares at her, the weight of the sorrow she must have caused lying heavy upon her shoulders. The feeling is a little funny when she thinks about how this must have been how Michalis felt (though she is sure his burden rested a thousand times greater).

But then Minerva hugs her, and Maria’s eyes grow wetter. She sheds no tears, but her eyes shine, and she hugs her kind big sister back. It ends too quickly for her liking, but Maria is not so selfish as to hold on, and she relinquishes her grasp on her sister a little too easily. Her arms fold over the parcel still in her grasp for a moment, until, after a beat, she holds it out to her sister instead.

“…I brought you something,” she replies, answering Minerva’s question with no answer at all. “I found it in the market and I thought of you.”

She falls silent for a moment, almost afraid to say something more– but then her eyes light up, and the little princess looks up again, beaming.

“You know who I found right after that? Michalis! It was like… for a moment…” She pauses and wrings her hands in the silence, her gaze flickering back down to the ground. “…Like we were all together again. Even though I couldn’t bring him home…”

Her head snaps up soon after she says that, a bigger, weaker smile spread across her face. “I also wrote you some letters, so you’d know what was happening.”

While kneeling, Minerva grabs the parcel that her younger sister held out towards her. Minerva scrutinized the parcel, a bit lightweight and examining her sister's current equipment. Makes sense as she cannot carry anything especially heavy. Seeing the shine in Maria's eyes... Minerva grips the parcel tightly.

"Thank you, Maria. I hope it did not cost you a bit of your coin."

Though, Maria's somber mood quickly turned for the better. She radiated as if she produced her own guiding light. Like a bright star shining amidst the darkness – but it was cut short with the mention of their eldest brother, Michalis. 

"Michalis...?" Minerva mumbled to herself. Maria's sudden change of spirit unsettled Minerva, but with the topic of their brother, unfortunately, it is rather understandable. The smile that Maria held was not a convincing one, but it is a smile nonetheless.  

"Letters? Certainly, there is not much that I had missed during your journey." Minerva paused for a moment. Time hasn't passed by so quickly has it...? But... If it has... I would like to keep her company a bit more.  

"If I may be a bit greedy, let's read them together. Shall we, Maria? If you’d like, we may speak about Michalis." A small offer, but an offer that Minerva hopes that she agrees to.

"One more thing."

Hearing a familiar voice, Minerva turns towards the sound. To her surprise, it was her brother, Michalis. The feelings of shock and sorrow flow through her body, like waves crashing against the shore. Was it really him? Was it really the brother that she once loved?

“Michalis..? Could it really be..?” She asks hesitantly, simply too lost for words.

“Make no mistake, Minerva - I did not leave because I am too scared to face my regrets over my actions.” Truth be told, he hadn’t admitted this to anyone - not that he had ever given himself the chance, though. Michalis clears his throat in a rare moment of weakness.

“I left because I was scared that I would be given the temptation to do something horrible again. It is not because I am scared of facing all of my past actions that I run from you and Maria, oh no. But it is because I am scared of myself that I wish to have no more contact with either of you. Both of you deserved more than me becoming a murderer and a power hungry tyrant.”

The minute the final word leaves his lips, Michalis slouches a little, as if any angry energy previously held within had just… vanished. “You have every right to call me all the foul things in the world for refusing, but even if you are ready to begin anew, I do not think I am.” Even as Michalis gazes towards her outstretched hand, Michalis shakes his head.

“You live with Lena, among many other Macedonians - what are they going to think if I just waltz back into their lives, after having ruined so much? I sincerely doubt that Lena would so soon forget, even though I let her go free without malice, the fact that I had once pursued her romantically. And I’m damn sure Julian would rather slit my throat than ever have to see me again.”

“I love you, Minerva - I always have, and despite our past differences, that can never change. You did what you thought was right, and no matter how much I try to rationalize it in my head, I have nobody to blame but myself for what happened.”

Minerva listened intently to her brother's words. She thought she knew what was troubling her brother, but clearly. She did not. He had good intentions, but even so...  

Minerva allows her outstretched arm to fall. Slow breathing... The pace of everything felt as if it was going in slow motion. She glares at her brother, Michalis, but this time rather. With soft eyes.  

"I see no reason to name you anything foul, Brother. I did not know you've been going through all this trouble, all this... Fear..." Minerva pauses for a slight moment. To find the right words, but with her brother, it is rather difficult.

"You may refuse my offer, but let it be known. In order to get over your fear, you must conquer it. You simply cannot avoid this." She sighed. "Perhaps Lena and Julian will not be the most willing, but Maria... She'd cry the instant she saw you and force you to come home." Minerva laughs with utmost bitterness.

"I love you as well, Brother, but I will always worry for you. You may call it pointless, though I cannot help it." Minerva slowly approaches her brother and stares into his eyes. Seeing each other eye to eye, and quickly before he had the chance to move a single muscle – she clasps him into a hug.