*Whap!* Rowd smashed a disgusting spider that was crawling across his desk with his gloved fist. He lifted up his clenched hand and peered at the bottom of it with an immense amount of curiosity boiling in his eyes. There was a flattened black blob of sorts oozing from his glove, dripping onto his desk.

"Gross!" Rowd exclaimed as he jumped up from his chair and removed his glove, tossing it aside. He walked over to a dresser and opened the top drawer, revealing his socks and underwear, and an extra pair of blue gloves.

"That's why I keep these babies around," Rowd exclaimed to himself as he thrust his hand into the mit.

"What'd you have to go and do that for, you imbecile!" an all to familiar voice said from behind him. Rowd rolled his eyes as he turned around to face his brother.

"It was just a spider," Rowd informed his brother with very little emotion in his voice.

The transparent man looked up at Rowd, "Just a spider, Rowd? Just a spider?! Well to this poor creature, it wasn't just a spider!"

Rowd merely shrugged his shoulders and leapt onto his bed letting out a large sigh in the process, "Frank, really, I don't feel like dealing with your crap."

Frank hovered over to the bed and peered down at his older brother, "You seem to have a nasty habit of killing things, don't you Rowd?"

Rowd, suddenly feeling a tremendous amount of guilt, sat straight up in his bed, "Listen, Frank. If I could go back to that day and try to change what happened, I would! Isn't it bad enough that you're constantly haunting and annoying me now?"

Frank had an astonished look on his face, "My, my, my Rowd. It looks like you're more ignorant than I thought. You think my petty annoyances is enough to make up for what you did to me?"

"Li...But!...Well, I...argh!..." was all Rowd could seem to get out. Why does he always do this? Rowd thought in the empty void known as his mind. Doesn't he know I feel guilty enough all ready...?

A ten-year old Rowd and a five-year old Frank were playing an innocent game of 'catch' on the roof of their house. Giggling gleefully, they tossed the red rubber ball back and forth to each other, smiling throughout the entire event.

"Hey, Rowd. Try not to throw the ball so hard!" Frank yelled in his high-pitched voice towards his older brother as he threw the ball back.

Rowd smirked, raising the ball into the air, "Why? Are you chicken?"

Frank puffed up his chest, "N..no. Of course not!"

"Well then," Rowd replied. "This time I'm going to throw it my hardest!"

Frank at first had a look of terror in his eyes, but then lowered his gaze and put on his tough-kid face, "Throw it harder than your hardest!"

"All right! Here goes..." Rowd pulled his arm back as far as he could, and like a catapult, launched the ball forward at blinding speed. The ball went racing straight for Frank, and his face went from tough-kid, to horror-stricken child. The sphere smashed into Frank's face, causing him to scream in pain. He stumbled backwards, and fell right off of the roof. The screaming stopped. And the red rubber ball bounced along the yard, never to be played with again...

"Frank...I'm so sorry..." Rowd said to his un-dead brother, nearly in tears.

Frank tried to maintain his stern attitude, but ended up breaking down and feeling sorry for the bum after all, "Aw, Rowd. I can't help but feel bad when you get all teary-eyed. You're just so....pathetic."

Rowd looked up at his brother with huge, watery anime eyes, "R...really?"

"Bah! Must you always spoil my fun?!" Frank said as he vanished into thing air.

"Captain Rowd? Are you in there?" a voice said from outside of Rowd's tent.

Rowd quickly whiped the tears from his eyes, and stiffened up, "Yeah. What is it?"

A young Unicorn Brigade soldier stepped throgh the doorway of his tent, "Captain Rowd, sir. Lord Ruka has requested your presence."

Fear struck Rowd's heart like a knife, "Very well, private. Go on about your business." The young soldier saluted and went over to a bench where he and his friends were enjoying some lemonade.

Rowd paced back and forth nervously within his tent, "What could he possibly want now? It must be something important, he wouldn't ask to see me in person otherwise. Maybe...maybe I'll finally get to lead my own company!"

Rowd quickly walked over to his desk and knocked on it three times, "Better not take any chances," he muttered to himself.