How to mend a broken Carrot

Disclaimers in Chapter 1

Time passed slowly, turning into weeks, as Carrot slowly continued his physical healing. His progress marked by ups and downs, sometimes refusing to let Marron touch him during the day. Raging at him, cursing him before breaking down in tears and running into the garden letting it soothe his wounded soul.

Continually, Marron received consul from with the creatures within Carrot as they all tried to help heal the damaged and broken boy, mentally as well as emotionally. They warned Marron that the day would come when they would no longer be able to talk to him because Carrot\'s barriers would be firmly in place.

Marron felt a bittersweet joy, because he would miss their wise consul and knowledge but niisan would be whole again. He would miss their long walks in the gardens, listening to their sardonic witticisms while Carrot rested within, occasionally joining in on the conversation.

The days passed slowly, still with Carrot refusing to talk about what had happened to him, continuing to stonewall Marron\'s every attempt. Wanting only to go home, back to the real world growing ever more angrier at Marron\'s refusal to let him go.

Until one day he exploded.

\"Why won\'t you let me go,\" he yelled at the externally calm Marron.

\"Because you will not deal with the fact that you were raped, u you you do, you can\'t go back. You are still too fragile....,\" Marron broke off at the scream of rage from his niisan before he was attacked and thrown to the ground with Carrot straddling and hitting him..

\"I\'m not weak! I\'m strong! I\'m not helpless! I\'m not helpless!\" Carrot kept screaming as he battered at Marron, trying to hurt him, trying to hurt them. Seeing their faces before him, laughing at him, hurting him, he fought them all, screaming and cursing them, wanting only to kill them for the pain the cause him, wanting to see their blood flow.

He suddenly came back to himself, hearing the cries of pain and his name from Marron. Horrified, he unclenched his hands, shaking over how far he had almost gone. Gently he pulled Marron\'s arms from around his face, drawing back with a hiss of shock at Marron\'s bruised face.

Touching the sore flesh gently, flinching at Marron\'s wince of pain, he looked down in Marron\'s eyes, knowing they couldn\'t, he couldn\'t go on this way and a muffled sob escaped him.

\"I need help,\" he admitted finally, collapsing in tears against Marron\'s chest.

And Marron simply held him, knowing that this was the first step in the long road ahead.

Lying in bed that night, for the first time, Carrot turned his back and allowed Marron to hold him and began to talk. Each night, going a little further, feeling safe from the memories, while wrapped in Marron\'s arms. Feeling safer talking about it during the dark of night rather than in the day, because the darkness hid his shame and fear.

One night, after tag ofg of a particular horrific scene he felt Marron\'s body shudder and heard a choked sob, and twisting in Marron\'s arms, was shocked at the suffering on Marron\'s face.

He blinked, \"Why are you crying,\" he asked tracing the tears on Marron\'s face. Marron gave another choked sob and buried his face is his niisan\'s chest, feeling as if he had failed him. He was supposed to be the strong for his niisan yet here he was wanting his niisan\'s comfort.

\"Because it hurts me to know that you were hurt and I can\'t do anything about it,\" Marron mumbled into his niisan\'s chest, looking up shocked at the laughter that shook it.

\"Silly boy, you are helping me. Every time you hold me, it helps me feel safe and gives me strength,\" Carrot said gently, stroking Marron\'s back.

At that Marron looked up, disbelief coloring his face and at Carrot\'s reassuring nod, he smiled shakily and laid down to listen, knowing that if his niisan was strong enough to tell him, then he had to be strong enough to listen.

And the nights passed this way as Carrot and Marron lanced the poison corrupting his soul, each day it becoming progressively harder and harder to contact the inner creatures that dwelt in Carrot.

As the days passed, Carrot began dwelling on Tira and Chocolate. Wanting to know how they were getting along without him and Marron. He was happily surprised when Marron agreed with him, also wanting to know how their friends were doing.

Activating a spell Big Mama gave him, he contacted her though the living room mirror.

\"Carrot, Marron,\" Big Mama exclaimed, \"I was just thinking about you two, wondering how you are doing.\" Smiling as she saw the quick frown that came and went on Carrot\'s face, knowing by his clear eyes that he was fast on his way to being himself again.

\"Well,\" Carrot began with a small smirk on his face, \"Other than Marron\'s trying to kill me with his cooki.....\" he broke off as Marron calmly smacked him across the back of his head.

\"Ow!\" Carrot yelled, whirling around. \"Whatcha do that for,\" he cried, rubbing the back of his head, used to this treatment from the Misu sisters but not from Marron.

\"My cooking is NOT horrible,\" Marron stated calmly, \"It\'s only when YOU attempt to cook that we have a tendency to get sick.\"

\"Me?\" Carrot screeched, almost hopping up and down, \"Well, how come I got sick last week, huh, Mr. Smartypants, huh, huh,\" he crowed, \"Don\'t have an answer, do ya? Thought so!\" he sneered.

\"Perhaps niisan will remember that he cooked that day,\" Marron said coolly with a raised brow.

\"Huh? I did nooooootttt....,\" Carrot faltered, remembering that he HAD cooked that day. \"Uhm, nevermind that anyhow,\" he said quickly, turning around to face Big Mama who had a delighted smile at Carrot\'s antics.

She had missed the boy very much and knew the Misu sister missed them both very much. However, she was a little shocked at how thin Carrot had become. Her eyes silently questioned Marron who shook his head slightly, indicating he would talk to her later, privately.

\"We actually calling to talk to Tira and Chocolate,\" Carrot began, not missing the silent exchange between Big Mama and Marron. He wasn\'t worried overly much, they probably were going to talk about him and just didn\'t want him around to save him from embarrassment.

\"Why don\'t you two contact me tomorrow and I make sure that they are here. It\'ll only take a short while to get them back into the city,\" Big Mama said with a serene smile, that broadened at the delight look that lit Carrot\'s eyes.

\"Thank you,\" Carrot shouted happily, both Marron and Big Mama smiles widening, laughing at him, but he didn\'t care. He was going to see someone outside their little surreal world, people that were friends. He had surprised himself at just how much he had actually missed the two dominanx sisters, what with Chocolate\'s constant glomping all over him stripping off her clothes at the drop of a hat and jumping him (and the hat didn\'t even have to drop sometimes, he always thought privately). He wandered out of the house to give the two some privacy to talk about him, he smirked, knowing he could wheedle what was said out of Marron.

Marron waited until Carrot was out of the door, before looking at Mama with a calm, smooth face, waiting for her to begin. He knew what she needed to hear.

\"Tell, Marron,\" she asked quietly, her eyes intent, \"How is he really?\"

Marron allowed a tiny smile to to curve his lips, \"He\'s doing fine, Mama. We are all very pleased at how well he\'s doing. He still has some things that still bother him, but he\'s going to be okay, Mama.\"

She smiled, well pleased and they said goodbye.

The next day, Tira and Chocolate were excited about seeing their friends and rushed about the house hurriedly getting dress. Mille had brought them the news a few hours ago after their battles and they wanted to look their best for Carrot. They had had a close call with the sorcerend and a strange figure had helped them and disappeared before they could thank him or her.

Their new teammates watched them curiously, wondering what all the fuss was about. They had heard a partial version of what had happen and they were curious about the missing teammates and asked to come. Since Tira and Chocolate didn\'t mind, they quickly agreed, anxious to get to the Stellar Church to see the boys.

Deep in the forest, a figure lurked, slowly wrapping bandages around a arm one handed, hissing at the pain in broken ribs.

Arriving swiftly, nearly bouncing in impatience, they waited for the mirror to clear, slowly revealing the faces of their friends.

\"Carrot!\" Tira shouted happily, finally seeing Carrot\'s smiling face.

\"Darling!\" Chocolate screamed, her face wreathed in a broad smile.

Their new teammates jaws dropped seeing the two beautiful men in the mirror. Melba gasped at the beautiful short man. He was soooo gorgeous, she sighed to herself, and the other one with his long hair. She nearly whimpered, her eyes never moving from the mirror.

Her brothers smirked at sight of the beautiful men, wondering how could two such obviously weak looking men be Sorcerer Hunters. They swallowed convulsively when they heard the name Carrot, which meant that the other was......they slowly met Marron\'s cold eyes and trembled slightly, OH SHIT they were so gonna die. He was THAT Carrot, the one with the homicidal, overly protective brother and they knew Marron had read the cont in in their eyes for both him and his brother.

All the Sorcerer Hunters had heard the tales of Marron\'s insane rages when he protected his older brother and they were very, very sure that they didn\'t want Marron to think they had any ill feelings towards his brother. Why, it was obvious just how strong both men were. It must have been a trick of the light in the mirror making them look weak, yeah that was it.

They met Carrot\'s eyes shamefacedly, and were shocked to see the lively amusement dancing in the wide eyes.

Carrot was well aware of just what the men initially thought of them, he had seen the horrified awareness in their eyes when they had realized just who Marron was. He wanted to laugh at the look of horror on their faces, but manfully managed not to. His lips twitching he turned his attention to the Misu sisters and patiently answered their questions. No he wasn\'t coming home yet, Yes he was getting plenty to eat, Yes he did miss them, NO he wasn\'t going to marry Chocolate!

She pouted, \"Well, it was worth a shot!\" She and Tira exchanged delighted glances happy to see their friend looking so much better than the last time they had seen him.

They met Marron\'s eyes, giving him a grateful look, that he acknowledged with a tiny smile.

After a little morlkinlking, they finally said their goodbyes, urging Carrot to hurry up and come home.

They both sighed, wishing they had their two friends back, but knowing it was for the best that Carrot remained away until his healing was complete.

Chocolate frowned thoughtfully, turning to Tira, \"Was it my imagination or did Carrot really look that thin?\"

\"No, he did look awfully thin, now that I think about it. It\'s funny how much he looked like Marron, you know,\" Tira said thoughtfully.

They were interrupted by Melba jumping in, \"So that\'s the great Marron and Carrot, the ones you two been mooning about. So, when can I meet them and are they still single,\" she asked eagerly.

\"NEVER!\" Shouted Tira and Chocolate furiously.

\"Sheesh!\" Melba muttered from the floor, \"Ask a simple question and people jump all over you.\"