I uploaded two chapters this time. So go back to read chapter 11 if you haven't. Again, thanks to those who have reviewed.

Part 2: Second Year and Third Year

Chapter 12: Brothers

Zeroro had a great vacation. He went to another planet with his family and bought some Pekopon food in the Galaxy Train Station. He had fun. His heart was light and his footsteps easy and swift. He was half walking and half skipping on the hallway, humming to himself, heading toward room 100, his dorm room. It's still the same room, except without Yororo.

Zeroro made a turn at the end of the hallway and the door of his room came into sight. It was opened a little, with Nemumu and Zoruru peering into the crevice. Zeroro halted right behind them and almost started to speak, but Zoruru cut him off, "Sh-"

Zeroro tilted his head. Then he squeezed himself under Zoruru, peering into the room. He saw Yeroro.

"I won't quit just because you want me to!" Yeroro yelled.

"Please, Yeroro. You don't understand. I don't want you to suffer like I did. You can be any other thing you want, but just not this," a Keronian with a lower voice said.

Zeroro, Zoruru, and Nemumu could not see who the speaker was from where they were standing, but Nemumu whispered to the other two, "That's Yeroro's older brother."

"I don't care. You are just afraid that I will become better than you!" shouted Yeroro.

"It's not like that. Mother and father will be worried. Do this for them, not for me. Be around for them," Yeroro's older brother pleaded.

"I don't care. Just go away. I don't want to see you again!" Yeroro screeched. Then his brother looked at him once more and shook his head. He pushed the door open and stopped, mildly surprised by the three who were watching the whole argument.

Nemumu just nodded to him in acknowledgement, and he sighed then walked away. Yeroro, too, stormed out of the room.

Nemumu, Zoruru, and Zeroro entered their room after the brothers had left. Zeroro thought about his younger brother, wondering what he was doing at the moment.

Zoruru spoke first, "I think Yeroro's brother overreacted."

"He has every reason to be worried, with the escalating tension with the Niganians," Nemumu said, defending Yeroro's brother.

"What does that mean?" Zeroro asked worriedly.

"Well, we might be going to another war soon. Probably a few battles here and there," Nemumu replied lazily.

"But are we, the students, going?" Zoruru asked urgently.

"When Keron needs more soldiers, then yes, you will be going. You will have to fight when you reach a certain age, about the time you become a fourth year student. You may or may not be a tadpole by then, but you still have to fight if more soldiers are needed. My year was unfortunate enough to have a war broke out right when we were fourth-year students," Nemumu trailed off.

There was a persisting silence between them. Then Zeroro asked, "But isn't Yeroro's brother kind of betraying Keron if he tried to persuade his brother to not join?"

"Infantries with young tadpoles, fine. Assassins, heck no! Younger ones get coerced into telling secrets more easily than older ones if captured. They are just more vulnerable. Also more soft-hearted and less cautious, which makes them easier to kill," Nemumu replied, there was an edge in his voice.

"Sergeant?" Zeroro asked timidly.

"Yeah?" Nemumu turned his head toward Zeroro.

"Why are we constantly at war? I mean, look, Keron invests a lot in the military."

Nemumu sighed and said, "The planet Keron is not located at a secluded corner of the universe. We are surrounded by many civilizations that are advanced like us. Allies and enemies alike. Plus we invade other planets a lot."

"What does it have to do with invasions?"

"Sometimes we fight not to defend Keron but to defend the planets that we've conquered," Nemumu paused, then he continued, "Though some planets are vital for Keron's safety. They act as barriers. We put weapons on them and blow the enemies before they have the chance to come near Keron. Other planets are for resources or just for the sake of invasion."

"Serge? Why can't Yeroro's brother quit if he does not like his job?" Zeroro asked.

"He can't. He doesn't hate his job. Just doesn't want his bro to go through hardships," Nemumu replied.

"Why can't he? It's not the army again, is it?"

"It's not all because of Keron Army, there is something else. He needs the job. Once you've been an assassin for a while, you become different. You can't get used to a normal life. They have a hard time to transition back to the peaceful world. And they've seen too much ..." Nemumu trailed off, mumbled something to himself, then he fell asleep.

Zoruru said to Zeroro, "Did he just fall asleep?"

"I guess so," replied Zeroro, and together, they left their room, leaving Nemumu alone.

This chapter and the previous one are mainly dialogues, for building up plot background. Lack of sentence variations make this story kind of boring. Sorry about that.

This story is not gory or sexual. It's not the usual fanfic that particularly emphasizes on gore. I am not sure how I should say it... Well, it's not the usual kind of scariness based on violence. However, some ideas and implications might be disturbing and dark. So be prepared, and please don't get too sad, too scared, or too disturbed (it might not even be that disturbing to you, depends on your tolerance). Enough author's notes. You will understand as the story progresses.