dear brother

Dear brother- oh, do I mean a comma here, a period, a colon or a semicolon, even? It's been so long since school. So long since school days. So long since...anything ordinary.

It's a silly thing to think about, to have my mind send itself all to reminiscing when we're standing here together - I'm hugging you, for the first time in, oh, it must be weeks!

I feel so distracted. There's so much to take in, so much to think about. I feel like I'm processing at a lower speed than usual - and isn't that weird, to think about it that way!

But maybe this is the beginning of something new. Everything slips by so fast these days. I'd hate to lose track of how we were, before.

I remember telling Shulk how I wished things could just always stay the same. Yes, it feels like such a long time ago.

It's such an odd feeling, your arm resting underneath that headset I wear now. Those things don't fit together at all. I don't like the feel of the one too much, if I'm being honest. I was told - or Lady Meyneth was told, rather, and oh, gosh, I forgot you don't even know about her! but you must, no, you must, because I didn't recognize you, so it was her that you saw...

But anyway - isn't that silly, you always were so much better at keeping focus than I! I, or she, or someone, was told that my head, everything from my shoulders up, is just about the last remaining part of me - of Homs me, I mean. But even that isn't the same. It's like I'm a completely different person. And you...

Your arm doesn't work as well as it used to, when you could spin me around in circles and toss me up into the air for, oh, hours, hardly giving a thought to the strength and the force you needed to use. Of course everyone knows you don't have the use of it now, but we took so much for granted back then.

We were so dizzily happy, even when we shouldn't have been, with Mum and Dad long gone. You took such good care of me.

If you hadn't done such a good job, I don't think I'd be so maudlin about it now. We're the same, you know. Always trying to be so tough, and never letting anyone see us doubt ourselves.

I hope you'll still confide in me. I hope you'll still let me confide in you. More than anything, I want that to stay the same.

Our bodies, though...they're more different than they've ever been. Now it's not just my hair, and my skin, and my eyes. It's all of me. If I leaned on you, physically, you might fall over, and then where would we be?

My hands still curve around your back, curl into your hair, caress the dark brown waves just the same as they always have been able to. And that's not right, is it? Because I'm dead. I died, rather. But I'm alive now.

I'm still alive. Oh, you should have seen the looks on Reyn and Shulk's faces. Well, Reyn mostly, the big goofball. He was embarrassed, I think! Can't stand the thought of a girl being able to lift more barbells than him, and that's just like a man to be.

Oh, you don't- you won't mind that, will you? Dunban? That I'm stronger than you, now?

I suppose we'll have to talk about that. I don't know whether or not you still need taking care of the way you used to, if you've come all this way, but I'll certainly be there for you. And if it's...if it's me who needs taking care of, I suppose you'd do the same.

But anyway. The boys - oh, but they're men now, aren't they?

I wasn't actually awake to see Shulk when he first saw me. Honestly...I don't mind having missed that all that much. But seeing you recognize me, the real me...

At least you and I are seeing each other as we truly are, now, without being unconscious, or not recognizing each other, or hiding, or pretending we're alright.

I can feel the way your chin digs into my shoulder, you know. I can feel the way you jerked back from the metal frame, too, but more than just that, I can still feel.

Even with this new metal body, hugging you is probably the best feeling I can think of in the world. I've never felt so safe. I imagine I never will.

So even if we're not always happy, I'm always listening. I always will be. I got your signal, loud and clear.

It hurts. I know it hurts. And, probably, for you and all your pride, it hurts more because it means you failed. At least, that's how you'll see it.

But I never will. I'll always see you as my big, strong, best big brother in the whole world - Bionis or Mechonis. I don't really see how you could fail at that now, after all. You've got such a stellar track record!

You're still the same, Dunban. And I might look so much different, but I'm still the same inside. ...I think.

We are still the same, together. I am still your dear, dear sister, and you are my...

...dear brother. No matter how I say it, or when, or really, among whom, I will always love you so.