"Stop following me, moron!"
Shinu smiled, the rhythm of his pace never swaying as he continued tailing his younger twin brother. "Not a chance, idiot. Remember what Dad said?"
Mushin was so transparant; Shinu could practically see his eyes roll just by the motions of his head. "I'm ten years old, Shinu-"
"So am I... plus twenty more minutes than you."
The young Mangetsu stopped on the spot and sighed, refusing to turn around and give his brother the satisfaction of his frustration. They stood there for minutes, the cool of the winter air blowing moderately through the pine trees and carrying with it the smell of the trees and the earth. Shinu shifted; the both of them had already walked a mile from home and sundown was steadily approaching. The elder twin frowned. His brother never stayed angry for this long before.
"Mushin-"
"Go away, Shinu!" The werewolf boy swung around clumsily, his punch thrown short of contacting with his brother as his momentum had him hurtling towards the ground... and on his way tumbling down a cliff.
"Mushin!!" Shinu jumped, running as fast and as cautiously as he could down the steep, rocky slope. His heart thundered inside his tiny body as fear jeered at him that his brother would die and it was all Shinu could do to push that thought away from his immediate situation. His brother's cries of pain only heightened Shinu's anxiety and he knew that it'd be much easier to tred this slope as a wolf, despite the fact he was still struggling to control it. The boys descended lower into the more rocky base and past the occasional tree situated as high up the slope as it could go, with the larger forest approaching rapidly into sight. The werewolf's options were out save for one and Shinu grunted, seeing he had no other choice. He began the painful transformation, willing his concentration onto the careful process of changing into a wolf. The pain would only last seconds, Shinu knew, but found the annoying tug throughout his body drawn out as the forefront of his mind obsessed over Mushin's welfare. Dammit... turn... Turn!
"Shinu!!" The strangled, petrified cry of his younger brother rang through the elder Mangetsu's mind and suddenly it was effortless. The determination coursed through Shinu's veins, his senses heightened as he increased in speed and lunged forward on all fours. Within seconds, the wolf caught hold of Mushin in deadly, powerful jaws by the scruff of the boy's clothes as they both gazed upon an awaiting rockface mere yards away.
Each sighed in relief and Shinu nudged his shaking younger twin lightly, motioning for Mushin to use his jacket as an anchor to the wolf. Tying the jacket to his waist, Shinu grabbed a piece of the fabric in his mouth as the brothers voyaged side by side back up the slope. Mushin clung to the hide of his brother's fur, wrapping his arms around the width of the wolf's neck. The dangerous climb was long and agonizing as Shinu suffered from several near heart attacks whenever Mushin would abruptly lose his footing, to which the wolf pulled with his great strength to help regain the brother's balance. The last light of twilight dwindled until the boys were met with only stars and the light of the moon when they reached the path once more.
The boys collapsed to the ground, exhausted and the only sounds that filled the night were their panting and the soft whisper of winter wind. After several minutes, Shinu's ears perked as Mushin let out an airy laugh.
"That was cool." Shinu rolled his eyes, catching in his peripherals how shredded his brother's jacket was since during the climb. He crawled over to Mushin, encompassing him in warm, mahogany fur, which Mushin gladly snuggled into.
"Thanks, Shinu... You'll always be there for me, huh?" Shinu glanced down at his brother, who in turn gazed at him expectantly. It was odd; while the royal family was the only group of werewolves able to mentally communicate, there seemed to be a mutual understanding between the twin brothers that did not need words to convey. Shinu bowed his head in a nod, eliciting a huge grin from Mushin.
No matter what, thought the elder brother, settling in with Mushin for the long night to come. You and me against the world, little brother... Just you and me.
