He didn't know how long he was running.

All he knew was that he needs to get away from home.

It was suffocating. The dark, gloomy atmosphere at their house makes him want to choke on the very air that he's breathing.

He manifested from happiness, after all.

He ran and ran until his legs gave out. 

He just knelt there on all fours. After a few minutes of trying to catch his breath, he became aware of the laughter that seemed to be coming from around him.

He made his way on the nearest tree and sat down, his back leaning against the trunk. His eyes wandered on the children playing on the park. Should it be any other day, he would've ran and joined them.

But it wasn't any other day.

Earlier that morning, Quake had told them something that turned their world upside down.

Their parents were dead.

Cyclone felt something wet slide down his cheek and he realized that he was crying. He went to wipe the tear away, but more followed the first one. He went to hug his knees and sobbed his heart out.

As if sensing his mood, the sky slowly darkened and droplets of rain poured down from the sky. Still, he didn't move from his place even as he became soaked to the bone.

Cyclone shivered as a strong gust of wind went past. At the back of his mind, he was thinking that he should go home as his brothers were probably worried sick about him. But he was too consumed in his grief to act rationally.

He felt his sobs subside, but he still didn't move from his position. He just stared at the ground in front of him, his cerulean blue eyes blank and unseeing. His eight-year-old mind cannot comprehend the fact that his parents, the one who took care of him, the one who always tells him to be careful, were dead.

Cyclone shivered again as the air become colder and he pulled his jacket close to him. He was now thinking of going back home, to the warmth of their home, just cuddling into Quake's arms.

Home. Is it still home even without their parents around?

With a jolt, he realized that, yes, it's still home. Because he still has his brothers that love him so much.

Cyclone stood up and winced as he put pressure on the foot that he probably sprained upon running. He took it in stride, knowing that it'll be healed once he went home.

He limped aimlessly to the direction where he came from. After a few minutes of walking, he realized that he was getting nowhere.

He was lost.

Cyclone shivered once again. His knees gave out from under him and he collapsed to the pavement. His eyes were getting blurry and his head is already spinning.

He was dimly aware of a pair of lights going near his place and someone shouting his name before he finally lost consciousness.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jolyn hugged the frail form of his best friend that was currently wrapped in her fluffy jacket as her mother drove them towards the direction of the brothers' home.

She had gotten the news of the death of Cyclone's parents, and they were on their way to her best friend's house when she noticed someone collapse on the road.

Jolyn's mother immediately went out of their car and took the small figure to her car, where Jolyn recognized the face as Cyclone's.

That sent them into panic mode and they doubled their time on going to the brothers' house.

Jolyn ran her finger's through Cyclone's forehead and recoiled when she felt that it was hot to touch. She felt tears gather in her eyes and she wrapped the jacket tighter around him.

Soon enough, they had reached the brothers' house where they found the six boys in a state of chaos. Quake was hyperventilating, extremely worried about their missing brother. Thunderstorm was helping the earth elemental breathe, though his pale face suggested that he too, was worried sick.

Blaze and Thorn were crying and Ice was trying to console the two, while Solar was pacing back and forth, unable to stay in one place.

It was Solar who heard the knock on their front door and he went to open it.

"Cyclone!"

With a speed that would've made Solar and Thunderstorm jealous, Quake was at the door and was holding the unconscious form of Cyclone in his arms.

While the earth elemental was fussing over their youngest brother, Thunderstorm turned to face Jolyn and her mother.

"Thank you," he said gratefully. "If you hadn't found him, he'll probably get kidnapped or worse."

"It's nothing," Jolyn's mother said, smiling. She gave him a plastic of warm brownies that she had baked for this specific purpose.

"Here," she said, giving Thunderstorm the plastic. "My greatest condolences on your parents' death," she continued on sincerely.

Thunderstorm gave her a small, sad smile and nodded, accepting the brownies. "Why don't you both go inside? It's still raining hard and Quake had already prepared dinner."

Jolyn's mother sneaked a glance at her daughter who was looking worriedly at her best friend and smiled. "I think we'll stay for dinner."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"Quake?" a small voice said from beside the earth elemental as he tended to his brother's fever.

He turned around and his eyes settled on a small figure of a girl standing at the frame of Cyclone's door. Her black hair was slightly obscuring her face and she was shifting on her feet.

"Yes, Jolyn?" he asked, settling a damp cloth over Cyclone's forehead.

"Will... will he be okay?"

Quake hid a smile at the obvious concern of the petite girl. "He will be okay soon. He just needs to rest and he'll be up and running in no time."

Jolyn's lips quivered as she stole a glance at the peacefully sleeping wind elemental and Quake sighed.

"How about this? Since I already got your mother's number, I will call you when he recovers, okay? Then you can play with him at the park."

Jolyn's face lit up in a smile and she hugged the earth elemental tightly. "Thank you, Quake!"

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few days later, the promised call had arrived and Jolyn practically begged her mother to let her out to see him. Jolyn's mother only chuckled and she relented, taking her out to the park where she told Quake to meet them.

"CYCLONE!"

"H-hey!" Cyclone laughed heartily as he got assaulted by a blur of pink and blue. Jolyn sobbed into his shoulder and he just stroked her hair.

"D-don't do t-that again. I t-thought you were d-dead," Jolyn said in between sobs.

Cyclone's face sobered and he hugged her just as tightly.

"I'm sorry, Jolyn. I won't do it again, I promise."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Explanation:

Quake, Thunderstorm and Ice were the oldest at 16 years of age.

Solar is next at 14 years old.

Blaze, Cyclone and Thorn are 8.

Yep. Poor Solar.

HOOO. This was long af. I enjoyed myself too much, I guess.