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"Twi, please keep awake," Wind whispered, then repeated himself more loudly when the goatherd didn't react.
"Wha-?" Twilight raised his head slightly to look around in confusion. The motion sent a twinge of sharpened pain through his skull, and he grimaced.
Wind sniffled harshly and wiped his nose on his sleeve.
"You – you should stay awake. Just until the others get here."
Twilight's eyes were slightly crossed, and he struggled to focus them on the younger boy.
"M awake."
"That's – that's good."
Wind brushed Twilight's bangs out of his eyes and bit back another bout of tears. He felt so helpless.
Twilight had wanted to go on a patrol that night, and Wind had offered to go with him. Four and Twi had sent each other a look at the offer, one which Wind didn't know how to interpret, but Twilight had accepted his company nonetheless.
And now they were here. The moblins were gone, but Twilight had taken a nasty hit to the head before Wind managed to kill the last ones off.
At a loss for what to do, Wind carded through his older brother's hair again. He didn't have a potion or fairy, and judging from Twilight's mismatched pupils and confused expression, he was dealing with a concussion. Not exactly something he could fix without magic.
Still, his fingers itched for something to do, a way to make it better. Twilight's hair was thick and slightly greasy with darker roots. Wind gently ruffled it. It felt like something Twilight might have done if the situation had been reversed.
"Keep awake," Wind reminded him, as Twilight's eyes drifted shut again.
"Sorry," came the reply, thicker with accent than usually. "M tired."
"I know," Wind sniffled. "But stay awake until the others get here, okay?"
Twilight gave a non-committal hum.
Goddesses, Wind hoped the others would be here soon. Seeing his older brother like this ... Wind sniffled again and tried not to think about it.
Twilight moved and made a low whine in his throat when it sent a jolt of pain through his head. Wind wished there was something, anything, he could do to help. But he couldn't heal the concussion, and that meant the only thing left to do was distract the goatherd from the pain.
Hang on. He could do that.
"Did I ever tell you about the one time I accidentally started a bar brawl?" Wind asked.
Twilight opened his eyes and looked groggily up at Wind as he began his tale.
It was odd, Wind mused as he spoke. He was so used to thinking of Twilight as an older brother that he'd had almost forgotten he was an older brother, too. Twi always took care of him. Now it was his turn to do the same.
Wind smiled and let his voice carry them away to a simpler time.