A/N: This is one of the final two or three stories I have planned before leaving Fanfiction, and I thought I'd share it with you. I want to make this clear- this is not a Benny/Ethan romance story, this is a story of their friendship leading up to the events of the MBSAV movie, and then a few years after that. It explores everything that makes a friendship a friendship, the good and the bad. Sarah and Erica will appear every now and then, but not often, same goes for Rory. If you like it then drop a review, and if there's anything you want to see or an idea you have send me a pm or mention it in a review. In the meantime enjoy.

A Tale of Two Brothers

Chapter 1: The Paper Wish

Ethan sighed and leaned back in his chair as he looked over his room one final time. This was it, this was his final night in Whitechapel, tomorrow would be college. But perhaps more importantly this was going to be his final day with his friends and family so close. Sarah and Erica had left two years ago, yeah they visited, and yeah there was something between them, but this would be different. This was his time, his life, and his future. He went through the various books he was leaving behind when he had come across it, a journal filled with some of the strangest and perhaps entertaining stories revolving around him and his best friend. It held memories spanning across nearly thirteen years of his life, a chronicle of two brothers leading up to this very day.

For the longest time he had debated on leaving it behind, especially when it came to the later, and more recent entries but he couldn't… could he? He turned it over and ran his fingers along the wear and tear of the old leather bound book. He casted a sideways glance at his alarm clock and gripped the book firmly in his hands. He didn't have to go to bed just yet... Without thinking he turned to one of the entries and began to read. As he did he was taken back in time to when things seemed much simpler...

It came as no surprise that when the sun finally set on that that warm summer day that the evening air would be crisp and full of the afternoon heat. Still every now and then a gentle cooling breeze would run through the yard granting all three of its inhabitants a moment of reprise from the warmth.

Ten year old Ethan sat next to his best friend Benny and watched with eager anticipation as Evelyn placed several pieces of paper on the glass table. The only light in the backyard came from the large moon above with the millions of stars that seemed to glow in the infinite sky above.

Despite all these things around him, the only thing that mattered was the various items being placed on the table in front of him. He bounced excitedly as he watched her set down several candles, three glass lanterns and then finally a single paper crane. Evelyn took a seat herself and carefully slid each of them a paper while she cleared her throat.

"When I was younger I was told a story by my Grandmother, and even now in my older age it is one of the most amazing things I can remember. It was on my tenth birthday she asked me this question I'm about to ask you: 'Have you ever wished on a shooting star?'"

"Uh duh!" yelled Benny as he leaned forward onto the table. "Who hasn't?"

She turned to Ethan who quietly murmured: "I guess…."

"Aw come on E, admit everyone wishes on a shooting star. It's like the very reason they exist!"

Benny gave him a lopsided grin which looked even more ridiculous with the tooth that had fallen out last night. Ethan smiled and then with more confidence declared:

"I have!"

"That's the spirit," said Evelyn with a smile. "My Grandma laughed and gave me the saddest smile you can ever imagine and whispered: 'My dear Evelyn how are wishes ever to be free if they are never to be spoken? They cannot come true if they are locked away in your head, and yet they must bound or they will lose the very unique power that they have.' And it was true, you can't tell anyone what you wish for or it ceases to exist. So how can you free them, if they can't be freed? Do you know what her answer was?"

Both boys leaned forward in anticipation; she leaned forward too and in a hushed voice whispered:

"Origami."

"What's orimammy?" asked Benny slightly disappointed with the answer they were given. "Is it like some kind of magic or something?"

"Not orimammy, origami," said Ethan as he thought about the book he had read on it. "It's when you fold paper into things, like birds, animals, even dragons. I've seen my dad do it a couple times with his business cards."

"That's right," said Evelyn as she patted Ethan's head. "She told me to write my secret down and to fold it into the shape of a crane, and then when I was done do you know what she did?"

Ethan shook his head and was happy to see Benny was as lost as he was. Evelyn smiled and placed her crane into one of the lanterns. For a moment both boys simply stared at the crane hidden behind the glass dome, and then jumped back in shock as she set it aflame.

"She set it on fire."

"She burned it?" asked Ethan as he watched the beautiful bird collapse under the dancing red flames, he thought of the way bullies picked on kids and then looked up at her with sadness. "Doesn't that destroy the wish?"

"I thought so too, I was so scared to see my wish burning before my eyes. I was about to cry when my Grandmother put her hand on my shoulder, and gave it a squeeze. 'By folding your wish you are giving it a shape in which it can fly and by burning the paper you're setting it free to exist.' Right now the wish I made as a ten year old girl exists up there somewhere as a crane flying higher than the sky itself. At first I thought my wish would happen instantly, but it didn't. It was only after I had forgotten about it that it finally returned, but I can't tell you what I wished for, or it will cease to exist."

"Then I want to fold mine into a dragon!" yelled Benny as he began to fold his paper aimlessly. "Because nothing can take down a dragon!"

"Let's settle for a crane dear," said Evelyn as she laughed at her Grandson. "Because it looks as the only thing you can make right now is a snow ball."

"But when I throw it, it goes flying!" yelled Benny with a smile as flattened out his paper.

Ethan rolled his eyes, and then looked down on his paper; this was going to be one of the most important moments of his life. He needed to make sure his wish meant something, after all how often could he do this? He thought about it for what seemed like an eternity and then finally wrote down his something he desired more than video games themselves.

He looked over at Benny and smiled as he saw the same look of concentration on his face. After a few minutes the brunette scribbled something down and gave him a nod. They copied Evelyn's motions and soon both boys were rewarded with a paper crane. He looked at Benny's slightly smooshed crane and puffed his chest out with pride as he looked at his own.

Evelyn placed a lantern in front of each of them, and motioned for them to place their cranes in. Ethan picked up his wish, held it for a moment afraid to let it go, then summoning all of his strength placed it in the glass sphere. They were each handed a candle, Ethan's was a red, and Benny's was blue.

"On the count of three ok?" The boys nodded in unison and on three set their paper birds ablaze.

For Ethan it was hard to watch his bird vanish into the flames, and for a moment he was sure he was going to cry. Benny sensing his friend's distress patted him on the back.

"It's all right buddy."

Ethan smiled feeling rather foolish and nodded in agreement. They watched as the last of their wishes vanished into the smoke, and sat on the back porch simply enjoying the warm summer night. Crickets chirped, moths flew lazily through the air, the smell of wood burning drifted into their yard, and in the distance an owl hooted. Ethan felt him eye lids getting heavy when Evelyn spoken in soft and comforting voice.

"Come on boys, it's time for bed."

"But my wish didn't come true," whined Benny as he got up from his chair. "We were supposed to have donuts for dinner."

"You said your wish out loud," said Ethan as he rubbed his eyes trying to stay awake. "It won't come true now."

"Trust me," answered Evelyn as she gathered the lanterns and supplies in her hands. "That was a wish that wasn't ever going to come true."

Ethan felt slightly stupid as he thought about all the effort he had put into making his own wish, when his best friend and simply wished for donuts. He looked up at the stars one last time before going into the house, somewhere up there right now his paper crane was flying around free, with nine words on it that meant the world to him:

I want Benny to be my best friend forever.

So what do you think? Want more or should I turn this into a oneshot and call it a day?