Red x Blue - The Subject of Illusion (Four Swords Modern AU)

Prologue

The gentle hum of the car as its wheels skated across the road was the only thing that could distract Red from the lights of the approaching town in the distance. The window was fogged with his breath as his head rested against it, his cerulean eyes half closed and a single glistening tear slipping down his light-colored cheek. This didn't go unnoticed by his brother, Green, who sat beside him in the back.

"Hey," the older blonde said as he placed a hand on his little brother's shoulder, "maybe it won't be so bad this time. You never know what could happen."

Red was silent for a few moments before replying. "We've moved to three states in a matter of five months. And that's just this year. How is this place going to have a different school than the others?"

Green couldn't answer. He and his parents only wanted the best for Red, and the two of them had been in a total of eight schools because of the younger blonde's reputation. They had only been in the last one for an astounding three days before they had to move states again.

"I've tried to be different. I really have. It's just not working. No one likes me for it and they never will," Red continued. "Not to mention that I'm all over Facebook as the laughing stock of the internet. At least one person here is bound to know and then spread the word."

"But honey," his mother began from the passenger seat in front of her son, "this time we're much farther away. It's highly doubtful that anyone would have connections here."

"I'd like to believe that."

His mom sighed and focused on the road ahead once more.

***

The family of four piled out of the car once it had pulled into their new driveway. Red grabbed his backpack from the floor of where he sat and looked up at his house. It looked nice, he had to admit, with two stories, glorious white and beige walls, clean windows, and a well-kept front garden. He then glanced behind him to check out the neighborhood. The other houses looked fairly similar to his, and all seemed to be well-maintained aside from the odd one or two that had filthy windows and gardens overgrown with weeds. The street that he now resided on was dimly lit by the lamp posts along the pavement, creating an eerie feel about whatever might lay hidden in the shadows.

Red hated the dark.

He shivered as the night air nipped at his exposed arms, his t-shirt not doing much to protect him from the cold. It was much chillier here than where he last lived. His parents ushered him and Green inside, and just as Red expected, the place was completely empty. Directly in front of him was a carpeted staircase that led upstairs, to his left was the room that he guessed the living room would become, and in the doorless doorway to his right was the kitchen.

"Okay, you boys go upstairs and decide which room you want to sleep in while your dad and I have a look at the rest of the house. The removal truck should be here with all our things soon," Red's mom said, watching her husband dump a load of large suitcases on the wooden floor.

"Come on, little bro," Green said, smiling as he pulled on Red's wrist to go upstairs.

The second floor consisted of a long hallway with four doors on each side. At the end was a single square window to allow light in, although the switch on the wall was necessary to see at night, so Red flipped it. Green ran all the way to the back, wanting to check out the last rooms first while Red stayed behind and inspected the first door to his left. It was just a simple storage room – empty, of course. He closed the white-painted door and went for the first door on the right side. He wasn't surprised to find another empty space, devoid of any furniture. It was the same with all of them, save for two which were bathrooms. Both of them were styled with a single toilet and sink, and along one wall was a bath and shower in one.

Cool, at least I get to lie down while having a shower, Red thought, giggling to himself.

"Hey, Red, do you want to sleep in the same room as me or the room next door?" Green called out from the end of the hallway. Red walked out of the bathroom and saw his brother half leaning out of the last room on the right.

"I'll be fine with my own room, thanks," Red replied, smiling.

"You sure? There's enough space in here for two beds."

"I'm sure."

"Alright then. I've picked this one. The room right next door is just as big, and it's just a short trip if you ever need anything."

"Thanks, Green."

Green disappeared into his new room, probably to unpack his bag, so Red decided to do the same. He closed the door behind him and knelt down on the carpet, removing his backpack from his shoulders. He unzipped the biggest pocket, but paused and looked up before taking anything out. His room had just one window on the wall on front of him, which overlooked the trees and the roof of one of his neighbors. His eyes scanned the rest of the walls and his wardrobe. This in question was set into the wall to the left of the bedroom door and had a single sliding mirror door. Red decided that he wanted his bed below the window and facing his mirror, so that way he could see his whole room at once without worry.

He glanced back down at his backpack and took out the first thing, which was carefully packed deliberately on the top so it wouldn't get squished. He hugged it tenderly with a cheerful smile on his face – there was no way his teddy bear was going anywhere without him. Its fur was incredibly soft and fluffy, and its glass eyes had a soft blue color to them. Around its neck was a sweet little red ribbon with a bow on the back, and along the front in white text it said, "My name is Muffin". Red gently placed Muffin on the ground beside him and continued to unpack his belongings, which consisted mostly of things one wouldn't expect a fifteen year-old boy to have.

He finally got down to the last item: his crescent moon nightlight. He made his way over to the plug socket on the wall and slotted the electrical object in, making it light up with a soft yellow color. He grinned with satisfaction and skipped down the hallway, heading down the stairs to check if the furniture had arrived yet.