RP: YSS Kaiyō Pre-mission 20: Sibling Bonding

[Gunhand4171]

Observation Deck

In the middle of the night, while the majority of the crew was fast asleep, one them could not find rest. Stareing up at the stars flying by, William tried to clear his mind of all the thoughts that were spinning around in his head. It wasn't the first time he had trouble sleeping. And on more than one occasion needed Saya to knock him out for even the briefest moments of rest.

Tonight was looking to be a similar night. He continued to stare up at the star filled sky.

Ever since she’d caught William playing games and not getting a proper sleep, she found herself worried about her big brother. She didn’t know much about ID-SOLs, but she was certain that even they needed sleep. What was even worse for her to learn that he was using stims to stay up! So she decided that she will make sure that he wasn’t doing anything stupid. She whispered “Boss” not wanting to wake up Wulf “Where’s that clueless knucklehead?” She soon learned that William was in the observation deck, so she got off the nest and left the room she slept in, and made her way towards William’s location I swear if Williams taking something to keep him awake, he’s gonna get it

Soon she found him looking out into space, but so far she didn’t see any stims nearby. “Hey, big brother.”

William glanced over at Kiyo, and his lip turned up. However it didn't meet his eyes. "Little sister you should be in bed. I'm okay, no stims." He promised, not taking his eyes off the field of stars.

He had felt bad that Kiyo and Saya were having to deal with the aftermath of his staying up. He tried to hide it so he wouldn't bother them. However ever since Kiyo had found out that her adoptive brother hadn't been sleeping she seemed to hone in like a hawk. If he was awake the much smaller neko always seemed to know.

"I'm alright, Kiyo." He said finally turning his head over to her. Bags were under his eyes and William looked tired. He looked drained.

Her bare feet made contact with the floor as she moved forward and stood beside him. Her feet left the ground soon as she activated her levitation ability so her head was face to face on a level with her big brother’s. “Your right, dear brother, I should be, but big brother here should be in bed too,” she said as a frown appeared on her lips. Her crimson eyes took in the bags that were under his eyes. He looked tired and drained.

“You don’t look all right,” she said the frown, and her voice made it known she wasn’t pleased and it was likely he wasn’t going to get away with it. “I’m glad you’re not taking stims, but you should be going to sleep, so why aren’t you? Talk to me, William, please? I don’t think Rei or even Aiko-hime would like this.” she said as she sat on the railing that some can lean on.

The ID-SOL sighed heavily. The weight of his mental burden finally threatening to spill forth unbidden. He closed his eyes tightly and leaned his head against the smaller neko.

"I don't like to sleep anymore Kiyo..." he said softly. " It seems like every time I close my eyes I have nightmares. No matter how great a time I had or how tired I am, I have nightmares." He said, straining to keep the emotions back and in check.

"First I tried to use sleep aids to knock myself out, but the dreams came anyway. Then I tried to use stims to stay awake so I wouldn't have to sleep, but we know how well that worked out." He explained, his eyes still clamped shut.

Kiyo’s eyes widened, not because he was leaning his head against her, but because of what he had said next. He didn’t like sleep because of nightmares, she knew what that was like. Though she goes emotionless mode when in combat, she sometimes gets glimpses of what she was doing, and sometimes she gets nightmares.

She gently placed her hands on his head as she gently rested her head. “Tell me about them?’ she asked thinking that maybe it might do him some good. She thought talking about things might help and lift some kind of burden off of him.

She listened to what he did to try sleep, and frowned that it didn’t seem to work for him, and she knew what had happened. “tell me about this dreams, and I’ll tell you about mine if you’d like.” she said thinking this might take a while, and the best things always do.

William nodded stiffly. "I keep dreaming of my death..." he replied. "Everytime I fall asleep all I can dream about is the ship being boarded. I dream about charging the enemy lines and being shot full of holes. I wake up and think my body is still riddled with holes..." he said, stifling a sob.

He swallowed hard and buried his face in his little sister's side. Tears threatening to flow down his face as he clung to the little neko. "I come out of my dream and wonder if I'm still dead or not. Because I never knew if I was going to come back from that."

Now there if any was a reason for a nightmare, William hadn’t had his ST updated, which meant that they couldn’t resurrect him, without the memories. She gently petted him, like a sibling comforting their sibling would she did have an idea but she wasn’t sure if it would work. Then there would be the fact he wouldn’t remember why he was in the new ID-SOL body.

“I got mine from that too,” she said as she comforted and hugged him. She’d gotten a nightmare because her anger and rage at seeing Wulf get hurt scared her. “I had one idea, get someone here skilled with your mindware, to try and remove your memory of dyeing and the nightmares because of it. You’d just be like anyone resurrected through ST. Would you like that?’ she asked him. Feeling concerned about him. Though she might be mistaken about mindware, and her thinking it was like any other computer. “did you talk to a counselor” she asked after this, thinking maybe she should have gone with that first.

His body shook as the flood gate of emotions that he had been holding back for so long had finally broken. He took several shuddering breaths as he tried to compose himself. He tried to ground himself by focusing on Kiyo. "I... I have never told anyone about this. At first I was just happy to be alive. Then my focus was trying to get used to this new body and finish basic... But now. I can't make the dreams go away."

He looked up at her, tears freely falling now. "I didn't want to be weak." William whispered. "I didn't want to be seen as weak..."

As Kiyo comforted and hugged him, she began feeling herself getting wet but she didn’t get bothered by this since she wasn’t wearing anything that would be bothersome when covered in water. She hugged him, letting him cry since he needed it. She knew it wasn’t good to bottle it up inside.

She frowned when he mentioned he didn’t want to be weak, nor seen like that. “You’re not weak, I don’t think that when I look at you, when I do, I see William, my amazing and awesome big brother” she said before moving her lips to his ear as if she was going to tell him a secret that she didn’t want over heard. “You’re my favorite big brother too” She gently used her hand to whip his tears.

“When I am in combat, my mind switches to this mode when I am not feeling anything, it was a way to protect Me.” she told him. “I know I can fight, and have fought against you, but that was training, in a real battle, like when we got boarded, Wulf had gotten seriously injured, and I got so angry and I attacked like an animal. In my dreams I sometimes see a Kuvexian’s head flying by going “Aiiyaaa!” I wake up of course, and see Wulf beside me, which tells me it’s a dream but it bothers me. The ships counselor can help and it will all be private, Boss has that area on blackout so no one can see you enter”

William finally composed himself and took several shuddering breaths. He blinked the last of the tears away and wiped the watery streaks from his face.

He sat back and looked back up at Kiyo. "I'm sorry. For making you worry about me, and for... this." He said as he was finally able to pull himself back together. After another minute he added. "And I will talk with Saya about my . I can't go on like this." His lips turned up again into a smile, but this time it looked sincere. "Besides I can't keep making my little sister worth about me." He said, wrapping his hands around her and hugging her warmly.

Kiyo took note that he seemed to be starting to compose himself, but patiently she waited for everything to subside, and when he spoke she smiled. “No need to be sorry, worrying about you is a sister’s job, and I want to be a good little sister. “

She told him and smiled when he said he will talk to Saya and that he can’t live like this, which she agreed with. “I agree, and if you’d like I’ll be there standing at your side for moral support.” She told him and patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll always worry, but I’d rather not worry that you're not getting enough sleep while I am sleeping, so we need to do something about that. I dont think i can sleep when you arent." She said.

He nodded and hugged her close. "I would definently want you there." William replied, resting his head on her shoulder softly. "Thank you Kiyo... my little sister." He added.

His breathing came easier and she could not only feel, but also see all his muscles relax . William's eyes began to slowly drift closed. The feeling of getting all that off his chest was such a relief for the ID-SOL. Kiyo would also notice she hadn't seen his muscles relaxed since he returned to the ship. His muscles looked like steel cables with skin drawn taught over top of them. Now the muscles slowly but steadily unwound.

Her big brother looked more relaxed and relieved than he had since he came back to life.

Kiyo smiled when he said he would love for her to be there, and he thanked her but she was pleased to see what happened next as her crimson eyes took in his body relaxing. This pleased her to no end as she thought he was much more comfortable now, and she couldn’t help but imagine the effect that talking will do. “Your welcome, Big brother,” she said before she tried to think about what to do now since she still needed him to get to sleep.

A few seconds later, William's breathing slowed and became rhythmic. As Kiyo looked back down at him she'd find that her brother's eyes were already closed and his head had become slightly heavier. A small smile on his face as he slept on his sister's shoulder.

Kiyo was about to say something but when she looked at him and saw that he was sleeping, she smiled feeling very pleased with this. She closed her own eyes and tried to find some way to sleep since she didn’t want to wake him up since this was probably the first time he had a good proper sleep. She knows that Wulf would understand if she had to explain it to him, the extent will have to be with William’s permission. But she truly hoped that because they spoke, and that the tension was gone from his body things would be peaceful.

 

[Gunhand4171]

A few hours later:

As the pair slept William began to fidget in his sleep. He started to bump Kiyo unintentionally as the nightmare came back. He had hoped that this time it would stay away, but he wasn't that lucky. Still he had a few hours of sleep before the dream began. As he began to fidget, his face looked pained as he lived the dream over again.

Kiyo was having a nice sleep when she jolted awake from the unintentional bump. She blinked blurry-eyed before memory came up of the conversation of where she was. She thought that their talk had helped she hoped it had, but it appeared that it didn’t.

An idea crazy it might be popped into her head, and gently she set him down, on his side and laid beside him, making sure her SPINE was close to his mindware. Her SPINE seemed to know what she wanted and it began to work.

In his nightmare, a bright light suddenly appeared, brighter than anything in the world forming hands feet, head, and a tail. Kiyo had appeared but she hadn’t been where he was before. The sword appeared in her hand, but it wasn’t the Aether blaster saber, this was Silverlight, her Aether Katana, and boy was it glowing with an intensity that seemed to show how angered its mistress was.

She stepped in front of him, facing their enemy a frown was on her face as she addressed their opponents. “Konichiwa, I’m sorry but the person you want to torture and kill, is my big brother, and your orders aren’t acceptable to me, or any of my fellow crewmembers. “ She said

William's dream was playing out as it normally had. He was in his former body and piloting his former Air 2 armor. The enemy just kept coming, and he had made the decesion to charge the enemy head on to save his friends. He was afraid. Scared of what was to come. Not knowing what the next life would be like.

But before he could make his charge, it was as if time slowed, nearly stopping as his brain processed what was occurring.

In William's own mind he realized that this wasn't right. Kiyo wasn't there for this part. She was else where on the ship.

Light seemed to strip everything away. In a brilliant flash, the demons that plagued his dreams vanished. Everything was stripped away.

William covered his eyes, until the light became less harsh. He noticed that he was not in his old cyberneticly enhanced body anymore. He was in his new ID-SOL body. He wasn't on the Kaiyo or in his armor. There was no battle to be waged or sacrifice to be made. There was only him and his sister who floated a few feet away.

He looked around at first still trying to process what was occuring. "Kiyo? What is this?" He asked softly, his mind still dazed.

Kiyo smiled when it appeared that it worked She floated towards him. “We’re in your mind right now, I had a thought, my SPINE could take control of vehicles, but what about Mindware, can I use it to enter someone’s mind, and dream? Well, it appears that the answer is yes. You were having another Nightmare” she told him not mentioning anything about how he had bumped her, and woke her up.

“When you have a Nightmare, I will appear to aid you, and help you deal with the bad guys there like I had done.” She said with a sweet smile as she gently takes his hand in her smaller one. “I think we need a change in scenery, Imagine a place that’s pleasing to you, could be anything, even on a beach in Yamatai, on Ocean day if you’d like,” she said.

William looked like he finally understood what was happening. He sighed in relief as Kiyo came closer. "I've never been able to control my dream like this before." He

As she took his hand it help to center him. He looked back at Kiyo again as she suggested a change of locale. He closed eyes thinking of where they should go.

Then the scene started to change. They were in the Palace on Yamati. In his old room before he, Rei, and Aiko came aboard the Kaiyo.

It was exactly how he remembered it. It was spartan in decorations, but the room still looked elegant.

Then the scene changed again to the gardens outside. Cherry blossoms falling while the fish swam lazily around the pond. Opened his eyes and he smiled. "This was my favorite place while I was at the palace. I would spend all my time here when I wasn't training with mom... I mean Sensei Rei." He said softly, correcting himself.

Kiyo smiled “the first time for everything,” she told him and watched as the scene around them changed. It was a room, but it didn’t look like starship quarters but a room in a house a rather elegant house. She realized it was a Palace she’d seen pictures of it before.

The scene changed and they were outside, everything looked beautiful. her Aether Katana was in its sheath, at her side like a Samurai. “This place looks beautiful” She commented and she learned of the location’s importance to her big brother.

“I can see why this place is very peaceful, a good place to read books, or just be,” she said to him and smiled as her tail swayed happily behind her.

William nodded, sitting down in the soft grass like he used to. "It was very peaceful. I could sit here for hours and hours without ever moving." He said, smiling softly as his hand still held Kiyo's.

"When ever I felt scared or out of place I would always come here. That room we first saw was the first time I truly had my own room. It was actually my own." He explained. ,

As Kiyo sat beside him, she felt the soft grass beneath her. It was a new experience for her. She continued to smile as she listened to him speak, and she began to wonder if maybe he could make his Mindware to go to this place when he got a nightmare.

“Oh, cool I’ve never had a room like that before, it looked amazing, and it was in the palace which was amazing too. “ She told him smiling. “I can also see why you’d come here, when you felt scared or out of place. This place is great for that; I kind of have places like that myself”

William nodded to Kiyo. "Yeah. I have always been drawn to gardens and flowers." He was silent for a moment before adding. "I'm not sure the last time I just sat down in a garden and relaxed. Probably since I left here..." he mused.

Kiyo listened as he spoke of how he had always been drawn to gardens and flowers. She smiled having found she liked that about her big brother, though frowned when he said that he wasn’t sure the last time he had just sat in a garden and relaxed.

Since he had left Yamatai was probably a long time ago. “I don’t think there’s a garden on the ship. But! we can kinda make one in the VR chamber, not sure if it will be the same though!” She said.

He nodded. "Maybe it could recreate this spot. I'd like that." William said, leaning back and letting himself lay in the grass and listen to the sound of the water.

Kiyo's brother was calm again. Inside his dream, he was finally at peace. "Kiyo? I know I said it before, but thank you. Thank you so much." He said, his blue eyes looking up into her crimson ones.

Kiyo smiled, before looking around committing this scene to memory so that when she has the Vr chamber recreate it, it will be perfect for him.

Kiyo turned her head to look at him, look at his blue eyes with her own red ones, and smiled as he once again thanked her. ‘You’re welcome, I’m always happy to help my big brother, that’s what I sisters liked about me, my willingness to help them. “She said as she laid beside him content with how peaceful it all was.

He turned to Kiyo and pulled her into a hug. "You are very helpful. You are such an amazing sister." He replied. William felt so much better than he had in weeks.

"I just hope that I can be as good a sibling as you are." He added.

Kiyo smiled and snuggled into his bigger arms as he hugged her. She continued to smile as he complimented her and blushed when she was called an amazing sister.

She looked up at him with her smile” I know you can, you were kind enough to spend time training me in the way of the sword, you're also one of the best teachers I have when it comes to that so I think you are a great sibling.” she told him.

As they hugged, the dream began to fade away. Everything started to turn white again. William smiled and closed his eyes. "I think it's time for me to rest..." he said sleepily as he started to fade out as well. "See you in the morning..." William added before he completely vanished.

As William vanished so did she as what her SPINE had done, carefully unplugged her from his Mindware. When she opened her eyes and looked over, she smiled as she saw how peaceful he looked, but she didn’t have the heart to wake him, instead, she returned to her quarters to get a night of proper sleep. She hoped what she had done will help him, but only time will tell.