Ami and Yuri were national Japanese Gymnasts. Twin Gymnasts were as rare as anything, especially these two. Although both doppelgangers to each other, Ami did better on the turns and falls, while Yuri's balance and feather-light swings, both were as equally talented as anything. But they gave up on Gymnastics a long time ago. Well at least the competitions.
These two's story begins at the marketplace...
Twilight
Screams, yells and the pure adrenaline of a chase washed over the marketplace like a tsunami. Things fell to the dirt path as the twins raced through past people whose were wide enough to pull off like they saw a ghost. Bare feet slapped against the dirt as they ran towards Kokubo Palace that rested on top of the steep grassy hill that was circled by Sakura trees. Why the girls was entirely out of anybody's mind except theirs, the plump enraged man chasing after them and little Usagi following behind them, his paws aching at the miles they ran.
"GIVE IT BACK!" bellowed the plump man, using enough energy to wave a reddened fist in the air. Both girls turned, running backwards on their heels first, while holding their thumbs to their cheeks and wiggling the rest of their fingers in the air and blowing raspberries.
"It doesn't even belong to you, you stupid old dumb man! I'm not even sure if you are a man!" roared Yuri as she grabbed the Jade locket from her sister and pushed more speed into her legs. Yuri was the eldest twin, the one that was supposed to be wiser, smarter, faster and better than the other. Except... She wasn't. Yuri was indeed the faster twin, the more stubborn twin, the one that gets jealous and angry easily and the one that would've probably killed the plump guy by now depending on how angry she got, and how much further he caught up with them.
They reached the gates of Kokubo Palace, suddenly halting to a stop as they breathed heavily from the running, Usagi barely managed to get through the gates, his white fur shooting out at places that Ami would've guessed were various places of North, South, East and West. Both twins laughed at the sight of their white shocked kitty then started marching up the hill's steps to reach their Palace. They were born from royal blood, but not very many people knew that, thus they would never bow in their presence. The twins liked it that way though, liked being treated normally as long as they didn't have to go to school. God, they would kill themselves if they ever had to go to school.
The huge doors were pushed open as they slid quietly into the expanding hallway, the jade green walls echoing, the wooden floors placed in neat rows next to each other. This is what the twins called home, and there were five more stories where that came from. Alas the floor boards were wet from where the cleaner probably swiped his dirty mop and Ami landed on bum with a loud thump and 'ow!'
"Shush! Mum could hear us and that would mean we would get the betrayal lecture again!" Yuri warned, turning to catch sight of a tall, bony, not-very-curvy woman standing in front of front of them, her sliver thin rectangle glasses stood firmly on her pointed nose, her thin arms crossed over her shockingly full chest, and her dark brown hair tied back in a tight bun with only a string of hair hanging limply over her eye.
"Well expect her to say it now, Sweet-pea, because I am in not a very contented mood. I told you to stay in the house at all times, and yet as I envisaged, you deceived my reliance. I am ashamed of you." She still stood there, her natural chocolate eyes hidden behind those silver glasses that were now blinding both Ami and Yuri.
"You should be ashamed of yourself as well. If you 'envisaged'us leaving the house without your consent then why didn't you lock our doors? Bar our windows, metal the place up like an American jail and keep us on lockdown?" retorted Ami, earning a muffled giggle/laugh from Yuri whose was now avoiding eye contact with her mother. Their mother stamped her foot on the wood in frustration and anger and leaning her tall figure in on Ami. Threatening as it may seem, but the twins were completely used to it.
"Don't smart talk me, Yuri." Dangerously whispered their mother whom if wasn't wearing the glasses, the twins would've caught a death-stare under those glasses. Those freaking annoying glasses!
"I'm Ami, mama." She muttered softly shrugging deeper into her navy blue turtleneck. Her mother mouthed sorry and then sighed, returning to her heighted self. She left them with some last words that go: 'Go to bed.' and slipped her away from the twin girls who were left frozen in their step, watching their mother walk away.
"I wonder what punishment she'll come up with now?" began Yuri, avoiding eye contact with her twin, who cocked an eyebrow at where their mother turned the corner.
"I hope it's not picking up the duck poo again, because that was just brutal the last time." Ami turned her head to catch sight of her sister, who stood with her head bent down, pulling her waist-length silver-streaked black hair into a high ponytail.
"Or the bamboo cutting chore, damn that was hell for an entire week!" exclaimed Yuri slapping a hand to her black bangs, covering her forehead and eyes.
"Well whatever it is. We'll find out tomorrow. In the meanwhile I'm going to have dinner, take a shower, and go to bed. Care to join?" Ami's plans usually went like that, and they ended up being Yuri's as well. So there was really no point in opposing.
"Yeah whatever, let's go." Both twins set off for the kitchen.
Morning
"Alright girls, get up I got to talk to you in the kitchen, now!" their mother could've been heard throughout the entire village if the walls weren't blocking her sound. She ripped open the curtains, pulled the sheets off the twins' bodies and slammed the door on the way out. They sat up, Ami's arms curled around her legs and Yuri just laid her legs out on the bed.
"Do you think she'll have another mood-swing?" whispered Ami into her sister's ear. Yuri shook her head and started to get prepared for what their mother had next.
Yuri and Ami walked into the kitchen, taking in the familiar scenery, the white walls, painted with artworks in gold, the stove in one place the refrigerator in the other. This was the land of 'Eat Your Feelings' and somehow the girls never had put on a kilo, just remained the same weight they are. Their mother sat at the bench, her fingers looped over each other, elbows resting on the wood, glasses missing and her hair tied up in a ponytail, making it look like it was trying to rip from her roots.
"Girls... Please sit down." Girls began with a sigh then an urgent but polite please sit down. Ami and Yuri gave a sideways glance towards each other then sat down on chairs next to each other, staring at their mother with anxiety, curiosity and important of all, suspicion.
Their mother let out a breath that looked like it was hanging in her throat for awhile before beginning her original sentence. "I was thinking about what your chastisement would be last night, and I have come to a conclusion... Yesterday was the final straw; stealing that locket from Mr. Yamanutzi was not exceedingly pleasant." She was cut off from the protests coming from her identical daughters who stared at her with eyes full of fury.
"It didn't belong to him!" Ami bellowed. "The lying bastard didn't even make it!" roared Yuri. "It belongs in a museum!" chorused the twins. They were standing from their seats now, knuckles going white and faces flushed red.
"Sit down and listen to me!" Their mother violently commanded, the girls went awkwardly silent and sat back down in their chairs. Their mother breathed heavily but continued.
"Alright, your penalty has been declared. Girls... You are going to school."
The whole room then went awkward; the girls' eyes could've popped out of their head if they went any wider, their once red-with-fury faces turned ghostly white, they went completely limp and the only moving part of their bodies was their lip quivering. Like they were trying to tell their mother something but they were too appalled to let a single word come out. Finally, Ami cut off the awkward silence, but barely.
"What, I'm not going to say the word, is it that you have declared our punishment, we'll be going to?" it was just a whisper, but a harsh one. Their mother pulled a brochure from under the table (most likely been sitting in her lap) and slid it over to the other side of the table. The twins caught it with their fingertips and immediately started judging at the first sight of the school.
"It's a colosseum?" They chorused staring at their mother. She shook her head a smile playing at her lips, she had to admit, and her daughters did have a way at making her laugh.
"It's just constructed that way. Really I have been there; it's an absolutely gorgeous school really. I've already talked with the principal and he said that there is an extra room for the two of you so I don't want any complaining. Deal?" their mother stretched her tall skinny figure over the table and held a hand out to both girls. The twins gave each other a disgusted/we're-being-tortured look before covering their eyes with their hands and shaking their mother's hand slowly.
"Girls, you will be attending. And you will behave and treat people with respect. Next week we will be showed around the school by the headmaster, and we'll get your uniforms. You'll start school the week after that. Now, get dressed. I'm going to get your hair cut." Their mother informed them while turning on her heel, capturing their last protest.
"NO!"