A/N: Before we begin, this idea came to me one night while treading zeheca (otherwise known as Zexal Head Canons) on Tumblr. Upon reading a head canon about how all the Zexal characters had past lives, I got an idea, told this idea to my friend, spytheninja464 (on Tumblr), and we decided to write a collab together. So, the following chapters will be written by the both of us and edited by me.

Also, to ease future confusion, Ahuiliztli is Yuma, Yaotl is Black Mist, and Xiuhpilli is Astral…..And there will most likely be Keyshipping. Whether it's platonic or not is still up for debate.

Spytheninja464 and I don't own Zexal. Enjoy.

The Thorny Tale of Three

Chapter 1 – Odd Duo

The young dark-skinned child named Ahuiliztli wasn't looking forward to the other Aztec twins coming over. It was customary to at least get along with everyone in their village, although it wasn't an easy task with these two. One of them seemed pretty normal-looking with his dark skin and hair. Normal, aside from a strange red marking on his face and that he gave off a really dark aura. However, if he so much as looked at him, the meaner one of the twins would glare at him and walk away. The other was much the very opposite. He had strangely light skin and hair with odd blue-like markings covering his body and face. Another non-normal trait was his odd dual-colored eyes. He, unlike his twin, always seemed polite but gave a blank expression. Although, his eyes always seemed inquisitive, no matter what. It was hard to believe they were twins. The only thing that seemed to be similar between the two was the style in which they had their hair and the fact that both were not much conversationalists.

They were also rarely seen at all. It was rumored that both were demon, soul-stealing twins sent by the Gods to punish those who fall out of line, but due to the general fear most villagers felt, nothing was ever done to the two. Plus, they really did not want to anger the gods whom were the basis of the village's survival….

Although he didn't exactly believe all these stories the villagers, mostly elders wishing to get a scare off of the children, told, but nonetheless, it wasn't a surprise the child wanted to avoid the strange duo. The Aztec child thought he could probably avoid another awkward and boring encounter with them if he just "disappeared" until they departed from his family's household. So, once they had left, he returned, making up yet another excuse of why he couldn't be there at that moment as well as making sure he sounded disappointed. Truth is, the red-banged child didn't like the two small boys. They always seemed to have a superior demeanor, as if they were better than the rest of them; as if they knew everything and everyone else was beneath them or something.

Exiting the hut-type structure, he began heading to the village to play with his friends for the afternoon when he was stopped by the sound of rustling from the nearby bushes. The rustling was merely caused by the wind, but this caused the boy to stand there for a moment. After some consideration, he decided to go to the river instead. It had been a while since he had gone by there and now seemed like a good time as any. With his mind made, the tan child made his way through the bushes and toward the slow flowing river.

The black-haired boy ran up the stream to his favorite spot under a shady Cocoa tree.

However, as he approached, he noticed someone was already there! From this angle and distance, he couldn't tell who it was that sat under the shifting shadows and light from the swaying branches. He approached but stayed a cautious distance from the person.

"What's the big idea?" the child asked in an annoyed tone.

The figure seated in the dark shade turned to him with strangely familiar dual-colored eyes as it only questioned back an "I beg your pardon?" in a calm voice.

"That's my spot you're sitting in," the tan boy replied, making sure to pout as fiercely as possible as he made his presence more noticeable by exiting his hiding spot.

Sadly, he only received an arched eyebrow in response as the other male replied nonchalantly, "I am sorry, but I do not think you have any proof to your claim."

The little tanned boy clenched his fists at the reply. Seriously, didn't that guy understand how rude he was being?

"That's my spot!" he cried, succumbing to his childish attitude.

However, the figure in the spot the young Aztec child desired didn't move an inch. Not at all, and the little boy, incredibly furious by now, began to open his mouth when the figure spoke up.

"It's rather rude you would avoid us, yet here you are making demands. It's as if you make contact with my brother and I when you have absolutely no choice," noted the figure as they stood up, and the little boy flinched upon recognizing the red marking and black messy hair that made the malevolent one of the twins.

No response came from the young boy as he watched with eyes of a doe that was to face death.

Such a situation he had wished to avoid, and now it seemed as if the Gods themselves were attempting to unleash torture upon the boy of seven years old. All this because he had not wished to be near the duo of odd males, even at the expense of his parents.

Neither of them spoke, and with the exception of the occasional brushing noises the branches of the trees made, it was completely silence.

Mismatched eyes of black and gold met the ruby colored ones, and while the boy wished to shrink, and perhaps rush back to the arms of his loving mother, he remained, fixated on proving he wouldn't let this possible demon know he was afraid.

"Yaotl, where have you wandered off to?" a voice in the distance called to which the twin of a darker aura stiffened.

He broke his gaze with the Aztec child and peered around his surroundings, seemly attempting to recognize the direction in which the voice came from.

However, moments later, he turned his attention back to the frightened child and spoke in a warning tone, "I would advise you return home. I believe you are expected to assist with the fields today? I am rather sure your father would not appreciate tardiness."

With that, he sauntered off and passed the cocoa tree, not once giving the boy another glance.

Moments after he had officially left, the Aztec boy heaved a relieved sigh yet froze when the other twin, the one with a golden and white eye, stumbled into the scene, looking around with a worried curiosity.

He didn't seem to notice the red-banged boy, but when he did, he instantly approached him and inquired in the same polite tone he always used, "Pardon, but have you seen my brother? He wandered off somewhere, and I have yet to see him. I am becoming rather worried."

Unlike the twin that reeked of displeasure, a friendly smile was on his lips as the questioned boy pointed towards the faintly disarrayed path that was slightly hidden by the cocoa tree, "Past there."

"Thank you. You have my utmost appreciation," replied the light-haired male in a content and soft spoken voice. However, he paused upon realizing the identity to the face that had just helped him with his quest. "…Are you not the boy whose parents wish for us to become friends?"

It seemed he hadn't expected the sudden question as he froze in his place, but after a few moments of looking downwards, in shame he might add, as well as droopy eyed, he admitted, "Yes. I'm sorry about today…I was off fetching water for my father…."

"I see. Well, I should be off now. Thank you, and I hope we can properly see one another again," were the words that bid goodbye as the polite twin disappeared into the trail.

After both "demon children" were out of sight, the young boy decided to rush home without another backward glance.

The gold and white eyes scanned the mixtures of shadow as the light began to fade. He walked slowly, looking for his brother. As he searched, he began to replay the encounter with the tan boy by the stream. He had spoken of fetching water, but the light skinned boy hadn't seen any way the tan child could have possibly been able to get water as the vase the Tsukam family used for water gathering had been sitting in plain view when he had been visiting. He even remembered examining it from afar for entertainment since the red-banged boy had not appeared.

Slight crunching of grass pulled him from his thoughts. He turned 360 degrees to take in his surroundings when he heard a voice behind him, "Really Xiuhpilli, I can't get away from any of you for at least a couple minutes, can I?"

The lighter twin whipped his head around and replied, "Yaotl. We have to go. Namacuix requested us back some time ago."

The darker one of the siblings snorted, "Tell that old man he can-"

"Present the comment to him yourself once we get return," the blue-haired boy interrupted.

Yaotl muttered something under his breath but began walking anyway. Xiuhpilli, otherwise known as the polite brother, took another moment to be distracted by the boy he had spoken with earlier, only to be interrupted again by Yaotl.

"You're the one who wants to get back so badly, yet you are the one falling behind," he heard him say from the distance as his twin gazed back with an annoyed expression. Ignoring the taunting comment, the light-haired one of the brothers promptly followed his darker twin.

They exited the area after some time and began to wander around, heading toward the village. Yaotl, after some time, struck a conversation about the evasive boy he ran into.

"You do remember the Tsukam parents, right? I happened to encounter the little brat of theirs," he began.

Xiuhpilli turned to his twin and tilted his head slightly, "I think you mean child…..Do you mean the female?"

The darker of the two scoffed, "Not the girl. The other brat. The one that we never see."

The blue-haired boy's steps slowed momentarily as he remembered his encounter with the same individual. He returned to his normal pace as he spoke, "I believe his name was Ahuiliztli. That is what his parents had said when we first met them."

"Well," Yaotl continued, "whatever. I still think he avoids us, because he's a snobby brat. Or he's afraid of us."

This caused the lighter of the two to stop and ask, "Afraid? Why would he be afraid?"

Black and gold eyes met white and gold, seeming amused by his brother's ignorance. The dark twin chuckled, "Of course. You don't get out much, do you?"

Before Xiuhpilli could answer, the malevolent sibling shrugged, "People have been spreading these stories of demon twins, or something like that."

After Yaotl explained and summarized some of the tall tales, gold and white eyes blinked. He was not sure what to do with this new information or what to think about it. Did anyone really believe such nonsense? In all honesty, he wasn't normal looking like most, yet it still didn't justify the fact that others thought of them as demons. Sent by the Gods, no less, to punish them.

Punish them for what? He didn't think anyone had done anything that would require him to do so. Well, that was if those supposed prophecies were even true, which they weren't.

But….did that boy, Ahuiliztli, know of these rumors?

If so, did he believe them? Was he afraid of them?

Of him?

He didn't seem that way when they spoke, but he could be wrong.

….Actually, why did his thoughts keep trailing back to that boy?

Xiuhpilli was getting lost in his own thoughts again and was quickly snapped back by a dark hand waving in front of him. When he looked up, an annoyed expression was set on the black-haired child's face.

"Did you hear anything of what I just said? You've been quite preoccupied in that seemingly empty head of yours today. More than usual I might add."

Normally, the light-haired twin would have begun a fight with his sibling, yet considering he wasn't in the mood to argue with him at this point, he just pouted in response. Rolling his eyes, Yaotl began opening his mouth when he stopped walking.

The lighter of the twins was to question the malevolent twin when he spotted the reason for the black-haired male's actions.

In front of the boys was the village in partial ruins. Smoke seemed to escape from the various burning huts while the occasional corpse was found on the ground. Distraught screaming of men, women, and children rang throughout the area, and Xiuhpilli was sure he could spot several children around his age sobbing amongst the destruction.

"Y-Yaotl," Xiuhpilli began, after finding his voice. He could feel his body shake in a fear he hadn't felt since his parents had died. A fear that he thought he wouldn't experience again until he was an adult. "W-what's happening?"

Unlike the usual sarcastic tone the black-haired twin often abused, Yaotl seemed to be quivering. In the bravest voice he was able to muster, he whispered to his twin:

"Invasion."

A/N: End chapter 1! What do you guys think?

Expect the next chapter…someday. (This chapter took about a month to write). Read, review, or don't!