![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
yumemoryPlease proceed carefully!
[Location: Talbott Castle, hall]
As she was calming her brother, Gwen wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes with a lace handkerchief. She cleared her throat with a small, modest cough and said:
Gwen: Murr of the past, Murr of the present, I just don’t care. It doesn’t change the fact that he hurt my brother deeply.
Gwen: He was always a gentle and quiet man. But ever since that day, he locked himself up in the castle, his eyes clouded with determination…
“I’ll beat Murr Hart one day!”
He’d repeatedly insisted, devoting himself to the study of Murr’s obsession: the moon. And as a result, he managed to locate...
Figaro: ...The moonwolf crystal.
Mitile: That’s the stone mentioned in the invitation Mister Murr received. What is it actually like?
Murr: It’s an incredibly rare jewel. So rare that no one has ever seen the real thing! So far we have ten theories about its color alone!
Bradley: So that’s why fakes are so easy t’ get a hold of.
Murr: Exactly. After all, it’s no ordinary jewel. It's the eye of a magical wolf beast called the Garou.
Arthur: I’ve read about the Garou in books before.
Arthur: It’s said to be a legendary magical beast that obtained its powers after conversing with the Great Calamity.
Murr: Correct! Its eyes were magically altered and then exposed to moonlight for centuries, and eventually they were turned into what we now know as the moonwolf crystal.
Murr: Whoever acquires it should possess the same abilities as the Garou, if the stories are to be believed.
John: And it was my brother who obtained that very crystal.
John: We have no idea how he managed to procure it. In any case, he gave up a huge amount of his fortune to acquire that stone and its power.
Murr: So was it the real moonwolf crystal? Was he able to hear the moon's voice?
Gwen: No, he couldn’t hear it.
Possessing the moonwolf crystal wasn’t enough to grant him powers...
...And he was eventually driven to the edge.
Then, just as the Great Calamity was about to strike, he swallowed the crystal, as if he was spurred on by something into doing so.
John: My brother suffered horribly for days on end, and then when the moon appeared that one night...
John: ...He transformed into that abominable wolf.
Rutile, Mitile and Arthur: …………...
John: After his transformation, he went on a rampage. Gwen and I called out to him, but to no avail. All he did was growl, snarl, and lash out at us.
John: At that moment, I knew that it was no longer my brother. It was a monster... A real wolf.
Their brother, now in the form of a wolf, would split its time between the nearby forest and the estate, rampaging whenever it wanted to.
After hearing the whole story, I looked around the ruined castle once again.
Even just the thought that all this damage was caused by a monster terrified me—but now that I knew that this same monster was their family, I couldn't help but feel bad for having such thoughts.
Riquet: You two are a wizard and a witch, aren’t you? Have you not tried using magic to return him to his original form?
Gwen shook her head weakly.
Gwen: Yes, we’ve tried that. Several times, actually. But every attempt was fruitless, and each time we were left exhausted and thoroughly confused...
Her eyes turned towards the floor again, clearly dejected.
Even after his body became so different from theirs, and even though he could no longer communicate with them, he was still their precious family, family they refused to abandon.
Every time he came to the estate, they tried to persuade their brother to return to them, all while having to run and hide whenever he turned violent.
But they couldn’t keep going like that forever.
Figaro: So that’s why you made those requests to us, unknowing that the other did just the same.
John and Gwen: …………
Rutile: For it to have the ability to turn a wizard into a wolf...
Mitile: Is the moonwolf crystal really such a terrifying stone?
Arthur: As its name implies, it’s a stone that has a lot to do with the moon. Perhaps it was also influenced by the powers of the Great Calamity.
John: The cause doesn’t matter to me anymore! My brother is dead, and that’s that.
John looked down at the bound wolf with an expression that showed neither rage nor sorrow.
John: My brother was a kind man. He had always been far more excellent than I was in many ways, and he was much more patient...
John: He would have never wished for this—a life as a ferocious beast that only brings harm to others, feared by everyone.
John: If he can’t be returned to what he once was, then it’s only right that his family kill him. That’s the only thing I can do for him… My duty as the eldest son.
Gwen: You’re wrong!
Gwen: He’s still my older brother, even if he can’t return to normal. His appearance might have changed, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s still our family, right?
Gwen: Haven't the three of us always been together? Every time you and I fought, who do you think always stopped us whenever things got out of hand?
John: Gwen! Why do you always…!
Turning her back on John and his pained expression, Gwen folded her hands in prayer as she pleaded with the wizards.
Gwen: It’s always been just the three of us, helping each other out this entire time. We don't have anyone else to turn to for help. You're the only hope we have left.
Gwen: Please… Please save my brother Larry!
John: Don’t speak his name! Larry Talbott is already dead!
Akira: (...Larry? Isn’t that the name of…)
Gwen: Brother! You stupid, stubborn dumbhead! Why won't you listen to me!?
John: That’s my line! Why won’t you listen to your older brother for once?!
The siblings began fighting again. Gwen grabbed the nearest pillow and threw it at John, who tried and failed to dodge it.
Riquet: Prince Arthur, what should we do? They have divided opinions...
Arthur: Whether they persevere or give up, their brother would suffer either way. That might be why it’s so difficult to come up with an agreement…
Arthur: Because he’s someone they both deeply care for.
Arthur: I would choose to help their brother out. Though I do wish there was a much better way to go about it...
The wizards looked at each other. Amidst the confusion, Bradley spoke:
Bradley: I’m with the oldest brother on this one.
Akira: .....Bradley.
Bradley: Who’d even wanna be kept alive outta “pity” and “compassion” even after totally losin’ who they are? That ain’t no different than bein’ humiliated.
Bradley: If he can't pull the trigger on ‘is own, then the ones who can oughta put an end ta him.
Bradley: Just free the poor guy already.
His hand steady, Bradley then aimed his gun at the wolf.
(Bradley cocks his gun)
Mitile: Wait!
Mitile and Rutile stood in front of the wolf, shielding it with their bodies.
Mitile: He’s still alive, how could you think of ending his life!? If he dies, they won’t be able to see him ever again!
Rutile nodded in agreement and placed a hand on Mitile’s shoulder.
Rutile: This is not to say that I don’t understand John’s or your words, Mister Bradley. Surely, some people would see that as salvation.
Rutile: However...
Rutile looked at the wolf, and then at the siblings, before lowering his gaze in sorrow.
Rutile: I still don’t want to think that killing him is the best way to do this... Because once people die, we lose them forever.
Rutile: If he stays alive, he can still return to his former self. And then, maybe, by some miracle, he’ll get the chance to start over.
Rutile’s voice was filled with sadness as he thought back on his own memories.
Rutile: There are times where we inevitably lose the people we hold dear, despite how strongly we try to hold on to them.
Rutile: So if there is any other way to avoid losing that important someone, even if it’s just the tiniest of hope, then I….
Bradley: It’s because he’s important.
Bradley’s words were similar to what he said during the chess match he and Murr had recently. But this time, he said it with a calm look in his eyes, as if he was offering flowers to someone's soul.
Bradley: It’s because he’s important to ya that you gotta bury him with yer own hands.
Bradley: To save his pride from rottin’ away.
Rutile: ………….
