Hello! So, we have't ditched this story, there's just conflicting situations at the moment |D So, summer updates will probably be slower? We'll see. Anyway, hope you enjoy ^^

HydrogenPOV

When I looked back now, I see that everything I did revolved around Neon. All my thoughts were centered on him, all those seemingly innocent, pure actions having an ulterior motive. Then, I did not realize this fact. Back before The Academy, my feelings were not identified. I honestly believed to be playing the role of the older, protective brother— albeit perhaps a bit too protective.
Even if my actions could be viewed differently – in a sick, revolting way that could certainly not have been true– I convinced myself otherwise. No matter what it was, I drew up intricate lies
The time I accidentally walked in on Neon try to pleasure himself, I convinced myself I watched to make sure he did not injure himself.

That was a lie.
When I, in turn, pleasured myself directly after, I said it was not his hands, but my girlfriend's.
That was a lie.
During gym classes, my excuse for scrutinizing Neon's body was to check for bruises.

That was a lie.
All of it, nearly every single thing that I did, was out of love for my brother. Yes, the ulterior may have been some of my motivation – because, indeed, I did care for his health and I always wanted him safe – but my heart ruled a giant portion.

The origin of my affections, however, is a mystery to me. It seems that I had always preferred Neon, but that is not the way the universe works. Behind everything, there is a driving force – a reason. Here, there seems to be no source. Perhaps it was the possessive element that had seduced me.

If I have not made this clear yet, let me clarify - Neon is mine. For the rest of eternity it shall remain this way as well, for it was I who brought Neon in this world, so to speak. Our parents had me, then vouched for no more children. Even at five, I was lonely. I knew the power I held, and often put it to good use. With my mind control, I forced my parents into intercourse. Neon was the result of this, and I was finally happy.
But, he was rejected. Because of Neon's unusual eye color and the fact that he was an accident, my parents gave him to me to care for, or they would have given him away. Of course, I would never let my prize get away like that. Up until the Academy took us, I was all he had. Our parents never acknowledged he was alive. This was fine with me. It drove him closer to me and deeper into my clutches.
But what if, by some miracle, I did manage to acquire Neon? Would my feelings dissipate because I had claimed what I had chased for so long? Is that all that excites me – the chase?
No, surely it must be more. All those years must have evolved into something more pure – more gentle. As much as I wanted Neon, I would never let myself love him if it was just for sex and nothing more. But in this aspect, I would not have to worry at all.

To me, Neon was beautiful.

I love his flamboyancy, the way he did not care about what anybody else thought; how he had an impenetrate able ego – every insult thrown his way was deflected and thrown down as if it were nothing. His smile, though, is one thing that could slay me instantly. To see Neon happy is what I live for. All my actions were to make Neon happy – nothing else mattered besides his safety.

Unfortunately, safety and happiness do not often agree.

"Nii-san~" a voice said with an edge to it…cautious, it seemed.
At first, I ignored the voice, but after four more repetitions of the same word, I finally decided to wake. I let out a yawn, and opened my eyes.
A flicker of something raced across Neon's face but it was gone as soon as it appeared. It seemed like…fear.
"Good morning~" Neon said, smiling! My heart danced at the sight of him being so happy. That, and the fact of how we were positioned.
My arms were wrapped around Neon's waist, pulling him to me. His front was to mine, and my legs intertwined with his. The top of his head was just under my chin, so he had to look up to see my eyes. The closeness made my head spin.
"Morning, relation of mine," I said, smirking at him.
As I suspected, Neon frowned. "That makes you seem like you're not happy to see me."

Laughing, I patted his head, which deepened Neon's frown.
"Don't you notice, Hydrogen? Don't you?" he asked, watching my face.

"Notice wha-" My speech faltered when, in fact, I did notice. Neon had acquired abyss-black cat ears and tail. They contrasted greatly to his porcelain skin. Struggling to control myself, I closed my eyes.

"Notice what, Neon?" I repeated, finishing the sentence this time.
Neon pouted, looking at me. In a flash, though, his expression changed.
"You look happy, brother." Neon searched my face, his arms tucked up to my chest.

"I am. I slept very well. What about you? Any nightmares?" I switched topics. Not me - do not speak about me. That would end in disaster.
Neon beamed, sending a jolt through my heart. "None! I think you're my dreamcatcher – you protect me!"
So naïve. So, so naïve. Yet, I loved it. That allowed me to fulfill my twisted desires – to an extent – and not get scorned.

"I am very glad." I gave Neon a bright smile - a dangerous smile, unbeknownst to him. Much more of this and Neon would not emerge from this room a virgin.
"Why do we fight?" Neon asked, nonchalantly.
He caught me off guard. "What?"

"Why are we so…cruel to each other?" Neon curled up to me, bringing his head to my chest.

My throat closed. Oh my god, my Neon was so beautiful…
I pushed the hair out of his eyes. Such a beautiful purple…nothing that I could imagine would even compare. To me, they were like the drug to my soul. I wanted them, those pretty little jewels.
"I do not want you hurt, Neon. My over-protectiveness may get a bit extreme, and I do apologize."
I ran a hand through Neon's thick, yet lush, hair. I was pushing the line, the line between what was acceptable and what was condemning. But I could not help myself. My limbs were acting out of order.
"I do it so you notice me," he said, quiet and reluctant. "I feel like you forget about me…and I can't stand that you aren't thinking of me."

Instantly, my heart began beating against my chest. Could Neon possibly be implying what I thought he was?
A knock sounded at the door.
"What?" I literally snarled. How dare they interrupt? Right now, I was making believe what I wanted to. Here, in this moment, Neon was mine and we were each other's property. I was free to ravish him as I pleased, and nobody would judge us. The one I loved was close enough for me to touch and it made love race through my veins.

How. Dare. They. Interrupt.
"They need you in court, Hydrogen." Lithium's voice floated into the room, sounding slightly wary.

"Help!" Neon yelled in Helium's voice. "Hydrogen's raping me!"

"Hello, Neon," Lithium replied calmly, not missing a beat.

"What?" Neon pouted. "How did you know?"

"Helium wouldn't complain even if it was rape," Lithium pointed out.

Neon snickered, as well as I. That was true, I would bet.
"When?" I asked, bringing us back to the original conversation.

"As soon as possible. It's a possible execution hearing."
"Execution hearing? For whom?" I asked, confused. "And what, pray tell, did they do?"

"I don't know. Show up and you'll find out."

"Fine," I agreed reluctantly. "I will be down as soon as humanly possible."
"Okay," Lithium said, and added a mental 'Behave'.

After, I did not move for a while. No part of me wanted to. Right now, I was not crossing any lines. This here was the both of us consenting, even if it was not to the total extent I wished it to be.
Frowning, I sat up, startling Neon. He looked at me, his gaze sweeping past my eyes and peering into my soul.
"Brother, you aren't leaving me, are you?" he asked, maudlin. He held my gaze, transfixing me and luring me into his trap.
Dear God, he was going to ruin me.

With the flick of a hand, I was changed and cleaned, the disgusting matter having been removed and clothes put on. Doing things so simple was below a god. If I had to move a finger – hypothetically speaking, of course – to cleanse myself, what would become of my world?
"I must, Neon," I said, reluctantly. "Duty calls."

"But! I liked being like this." Neon grabbed my arm as I tried to stand.
Upon hearing his words, I froze. Ah, that snapping noise? Yes, that was my self-control.

"'Tis not under my control, but," I climbed on top of Neon, eyes full of lust, "you have three things you need to be aware of before you go in public."

Neon bit his thumbnail suggestively. "Whatever do you mean?" His voice was thick and raspy.

It was my imagination, obviously.
"You have cat ears…" I reached up and touched the top of his ears, then ran a hand through his hair and down the side of his cheek.
Neon leaned into my touch, his eyes locked with mine, daring me to go further.
A shiver ran through my body. This was a dream, then. And if it was a dream, I could do whatever I wished.
Swooping down, I pressed my lips to his neck.

Neon let out a startled noise, followed quickly by a groan. He moved his head to the side, exposing more skin.

I sucked at his skin, knowing full well that they would leave a mark. He was my property, and people should be aware of this fact. I could do as I wished.
Again, Neon groaned, and I completely lost it. I brought my lips to Neon's and kissed him passionately. Immediately, Neon responded with passion equal to mine. Lust ran through my veins, driving me forward, kissing him deeper. Neon let out a throaty groan, sending a rush of blood below my waistband.

"And," I pulled away, breathless, "you have a cat tail."

I let a hand trail down from Neon's face to his legs. Purposely brushing against Neon's currently semi-hard member, I reached between his legs to the black tail. Grasping it, I slid my hand along, moving up and down suggestively, watching Neon's face and his pants tighten.

I grinned at him, knowing that I was winning this battle.

"Please, Hydrogen… Please…" Neon begged, grabbing my shirt.

Once again, I froze, my breath caught in my throat. This dream felt so much more realistic than the others and unlike all of them as well. Neon was begging. He wanted me. I paused, looking at my desired lover. He was watching me, panting and waiting for me to make my next move.

If I died now, by some odd chance, I would die happy.

Neon pulled himself up to me and whispered in my ear.

"I want you inside of me," he whispered.

I swallowed, closing my eyes. Desire flowed through my veins, causing my thoughts to blur. Nothing made sense anymore. All of me so, so wanted to comply with Neon's demands.
But I couldn't. Not now, anyways.
I wasn't even sure if he was being legitimate, besides the fact. He could just be testing me, although admittedly, this would have been a little bit too far to push if he were simply just testing me. At this moment, I couldn't even say it was a dream. My second thoughts about what to do had me wondering.

"I… No, Neon." I sat up, creating distance between us. "Not…now. You may, however, want to take care of your very excited appendage."
Neon blushed but recovered.

"How about you take care of it for me?" Neon purred, moving to be able to grind himself against me. "It wants you."
I was floored by his affection, and utterly confused.
"I am sorry, Neon. I have things to do. I am also not even sure if this is a dream or not and if it is not, then this was highly inappropriate of me to do."

Neon kissed me, his arms wrapped around my neck. "I'll be ready when you are."

Shocked, I removed his arms from my neck and quickly left the room.

I had some questions for Lithium.

Lithium POV~

After leaving that scene in the two brother's bedrooms, I went and waited outside of the courtroom until they had finished…well, whatever it was they were doing. For some reason, the atmosphere was completely different than it usually was between them. The way they were holding each other seemed much more like lovers than a simple familial embrace.

A few minutes later, the eldest brother himself appeared in the hallway, walking quickly and purposefully.

"Lithium, I have something I wish to inquire upon you," the brunette stated as he came close.

Glancing at him, I thought for a moment and then nodded. "Of course. But may we discuss this later? They are all waiting for us."

Hydrogen looked like he wanted to persist with whatever was bothering him— he was Number One, why should his wishes be placed aside?— but finally agreed.

"Alright. We will speak after this is dealt with."

With that, Hydrogen and I opened the grand doors of the academy's courtroom.

Honestly, a courtroom? What type of school was this?

I winced. One where if you made a mistake, you could be executed.

The previous night returned to me. Fluorine… So he was up to something. Damn it, I should have been more persistent. I had simply figured he was rushing around to set up a practical joke that he and Nitrogen were so keen on doing. I should have realized the worried look in his eyes were more serious than just being caught for a prank. If one of the Ten died…

We were like a family, almost. Hydrogen was the strong force that ruled over us, the head of the family. Respected, be it of fear or admiration, no one dared go against him— except perhaps, Neon and myself. Helium was…the bitchy girlfriend that got on everyone's nerves but could do nothing about. I was second in charge because of this, even though I was technically Number Three. It seems more people held respect for me, probably because I tried my best to treat everyone else equally. I had no desire to dictate over the weaker students here; instead I was merely content with standing among and watching over them. It seems I had missed something, though.

The rest of the Ten were similar to the children of a family. They bickered and plotted and fought, but they were all quite close. Except for Boron. He was more like a distant uncle that appeared occasionally.

Still, what could they have possibly done to warrant the death penalty?

As we stepped into the large, wooden room, I could feel everyone's eyes turn to us for the moment.

"Welcome, Hydrogen, Lithium," the Headmaster called in order of our ranks. Never would my name be uttered before Number One's. "Please take a seat at the head table with the rest."

As he said this, he motioned to the table he was currently sitting at. The only thing discerning that he was the true judge was his regal looking chair; the six others on his sides were simple wooden ones. On his left sat three other older men, looking harshly stern. Staff members, of some sort. Then, to his right were three more chairs, one already occupied by Helium, who stared forward with hard eyes. It was no time for emotion, here.

I followed beside Hydrogen as he took his seat directly next to the Headmaster, and I took the one on the far right.

Though the three of us were students, we were allowed a seat at the head table because of our ranking. This being, we were expected to act maturely and behave as adults—which we technically were. Generally, this was not a problem. Today however, with the possible execution of another student, I could sense that some of the other judges did not trust our judgment. Perhaps they were right to think that. Then again, unless it was Neon, Hydrogen would not be bothered by this execution. Nor Helium, for that matter.

"Today, the hearing of student Thirty-Three of the Academy, Arsenic, is called to order. I am charged with the responsibility of maintaining order during these proceedings and to rule on the admissibility of evidence. I would like the other panel members to introduce themselves, starting on my right."

One at a time, we introduced ourselves to the rest of the court.

Headmaster continued. "Before we proceed, are there any panel members who have previous knowledge of this incident or the parties involved, which may contribute to an unfair hearing?"

Everyone answered no.

"Now, would the accused introduce herself?"

The tall, black haired girl stood up from her bench and stood in front of the table. "I am the accused, Number Thirty-Three, Arsenic."

"Before we begin, I would like to remind all parties involved that the contents of this hearing are confidential. It is a violation of the Code of Secrecy and Elemental Academy Law to disclose the contents of this hearing to anyone," the Headmaster finished. "Would Number One please read the notice of violations?"

Hydrogen stood up, standing tall like the ruler he was. "Number Thirty-Three, what is your plea to the violations of attempting to flee from the Academy, responsible or not responsible?"

Arsenic was silent for a few moments, taking us in with dark eyes. She was probably contemplating whether lying or not was a good idea. It wasn't in her favor though, because if the Headmaster wished so, I could simply see the truth by force.

She seemed to have realized this and responded with, "I plea responsible."

Hydrogen nodded and continued with the well-known speech the Headmaster had made sure he'd known a long time ago. "Number Thirty-Three, you have entered a plea of responsible to the violations of attempting to flee from the Academy. This part of the hearing is to determine the sanctions imposed against you. Number Thirty-Three, you will be given the opportunity to present your case and the hearing panel will be given the opportunity to ask you questions regarding your statement of the case."

With this Hydrogen took his seat again, and the Headmaster spoke. "Would the accused state the information you have in regard to this incident?"

I had to give it to her; the girl had a great poker face. It would be hard to tell whether she was lying or not.

"It was a spontaneous idea I had last night. There was no further planning involved," the brown-eyed girl started. "I merely wanted to see what the outside world was like."

"Were you planning on returning?" one of the men on the panel asked, pushing up his glasses.

"I don't know. As I stated earlier, it was not a planned out motion, merely a spontaneous idea," she replied flawlessly.

"You realize that it is against our laws to leave the island without the Headmaster's permission?"

"Yes."

"And yet you still attempted to flee?"

"Obviously." Don't push them, Arsenic. This is no place for snide.

"I see. That's all I have to ask." The glasses-man sat relaxed in his chair.

"Was there anyone else involved with this act?" Helium spoke up, looking down upon the other female.

Arsenic met her hard stare before her eyes slid over to Hydrogen. "None at all."

She was challenging him, daring him specifically to call her lie.

Neon? I questioned Hydrogen without looking in his direction. It wouldn't do well for the others to notice we were speaking.

Impossible. He was with me, was his sharp reply.

"So you just spontaneously decided to leave by yourself?" the redhead challenged.

"I'm solitary by nature. I'm not even allowed to speak to my cousin," she almost spat out that last word, "here."

"So you were planning on not returning? Since you are so bitter," one of the panel members said.

Arsenic tensed for the slightest moment. "I already said that I didn't know."

It was silent for a minute, and the Headmaster glanced around at the other panel members to see if they were finished.

"Do you know the punishment for such a crime?" I asked calmly.

Her dark eyes turned to me. "No. Is that not what we are discussing now?"

"Indeed." I looked at my hands for a moment before raising my head to look at her solemnly. I explained, "The reason fleeing this island is such a major crime isn't because we want to keep you prisoner here; it's because you could reveal us. Intentionally or not, our secret could be released to the rest of the world. People do not understand us. They would fight to capture us, dissect us even. With your reckless actions, you risked this. This is why this meeting took precedence over any other business."

Maybe she finally started to understand the dire situation she was in. Her mask was starting to slip ever so slightly as I finished my small speech.

Headmaster nodded to me. "Thank you, Number Three. Now, if no one has any other questions, we may begin to decide upon the accused's jurisdiction."

No one spoke up.

"Alright. The panel will now head into the back room to discuss the sanctioning."

The six of us got up and headed to the aforementioned room. There, we took our seats around a circular table. By the looks on most of the member's faces, I had a bad feeling this wasn't ending favorably for Arsenic.

"Let's just get this over with," an older member started. "She committed a huge crime. I say execution."

There was a pause as everyone took in his words.

Then another spoke up. "We need to set an example. I agree, execution."

Surprisingly, Helium spoke, eyebrows scrunched up. "But, is that not too harsh? It's not as if she actually spoke to anyone of us, or even managed to leave the island. Should not the penalty be less final?"

The last other member who had black greasy hair combed back, sneered at her. "And this is why they shouldn't let women on the panel. Too emotional…"

Helium's eyes blazed as brightly as her flame colored hair.

In an attempt to calm her down, I placed my hand on her arm before she did something that would condemn her to death. "She's being realistic," I intervened. "Everything she said is true, and I also believe that an execution is too harsh of a punishment for this."

"I vote for execution."

Mine and Helium's heads snapped towards Hydrogen.

"I too think that an example needs to be set. We cannot have rebellious children running around the Academy, ignoring our laws," he said, eyes of stone.

What if this had been your brother? I demanded, eyes narrowed figuratively.

My decision would be the same, be it him or even yourself, Lithium.

I shut up, trying to control my anger. No way in hell would he have let his brother be executed. To think he'd try and lie to me…

Or perhaps he was trying to lie to himself? I thought back to his earlier expression when he had met me in front of the courtroom. He looked…confused? Troubled? Yes, there was definitely something else concerning him greatly.

"So?" The greasy haired man started. "I am also for execution. Us four have voted, what of you two?"

"Execution," I relented darkly, revealing to everyone that I was not pleased with this.

Helium looked at me and realized she would have no hope in convincing the others. Turning her head to face the wall, she whispered, "Execution."

"Great, so we've finally reached an agreement. Was that so hard, dear?"

That greasy guy was going to be nothing but a burned carcass if he didn't stop taunting the only female here. My point was only proven when Helium strode over to stand in front of the man.

"There is a reason I am Number Two here, old man," she snarled and heat literally radiated off of her. "Say another word and I swear to God, there will be one less panel member returning to the court room."

Needless to say, he quickly shut his mouth and the pissed off female walked purposefully out of the room, hair swishing behind her in time to her steps.

The other members started to follow behind and as I passed the still stunned black haired man, I gave him a large, fake smile. The look on his face… I'd never forget it, and it was one of the times I actually appreciated my memory.

However, that small moment of humor soon dissipated as we took our seats beside the Headmaster again. He smacked the gavel to call everyone's attention to the head table. "The hearing is now back in session."

Hydrogen stood up to give the jurisdiction. "Number Thirty-Three, after careful consideration the panel has determined the following sanction: execution."

There was a pause after this, and Arsenic's eyes went wide. A quiet "What?" escaped her lips before Number One continued.

"The sanction will proceed without a delay."

With another whack of his mallet, the Headmaster declared, "This hearing is adjourned."