Title: Gemini Twins: When You Run
Fandoms: Real Person Fiction, 我是歌手 | I Am a Singer (China TV) RPF
Characters: Dimash Kudaibergen (Qudaibergen), Hyde Kudaibergen (Qudaibergen) (OMC)
Tags: Dreams, Mermen, Non-Graphic Violence, Gemini Twins
Description: Dimash is human, and Hyde is an evil merman, identical twins separated at birth. Only Dimash's recurring dreams connect them: Hyde chases Dimash, and Dimash runs in terror. He always runs. But what would happen, if he stopped?
Gemini Twins: The common name for Dimash and Hyde Qudaibergen. The concept behind Hyde's character came about because of the song "Mademoiselle Hyde" by Dimash. Check out the official performances of "Mademoiselle Hyde" on Dimash's Official YouTube Channel.
THIS STORY COMES WITH COVER ART. I cross-posted this story. To see the image, please go to my AO3 (Archive of Our Own) account (under the same username, RainbowSheltie).
BETA: Annabelle
When Dimash was 10 years old, he went with his parents on a trip to the beach. He snuck away to a tall, rocky jetty that reached far into the ocean. There he had seen many people relaxing and sunbathing on a flat stone that rose out of the water like a platform. He knew he shouldn't be on that platform. He had been told many times how dangerous it was to be so far out to sea, but he just had to go check it out.
He didn't see why it was so dangerous. Then Dimash saw a human figure emerge from the ocean, distant enough that he couldn't make out its face. It began singing to him a beautiful, entrancing song, and slowly made its way towards him.
My days are cold, without a soul
I miss you, it's not easy, just the same
Мои дни без души
Я скучаю, всё очень сложно
It wasn't until the song stopped and the creature was at the halfway point that Dimash realized what it was: a soulless one emerging from the deep and heading straight for him. It snapped him out of a trance when he felt the pure malice emanating from it, and its desire to rend him apart, and possibly eat him. He was terrified.
Dimash may have been young, but never had he felt more scared in his life.
Dimash wasn't very fast and trying to swim against the ocean tide towards the safety of the beach was a massive struggle, but desperation and fear drove him onwards.
When Dimash's small feet touched the sand, he ran, leaving the shore far behind and into the loving arms of his parents.
Then he woke up in a cold sweat and ran to his parents, who let him sleep in their bed for the night. Once a month, he would have the same dream and the process would repeat itself. As he grew older, he would simply turn on his nightlight, bundle up in the covers, and stay awake until morning.
The soulless one chasing him was an evil merfolk. Merfolk were mermaids and mermen, who were either good and benevolent creatures, or ugly monsters, with wrinkled, disfigured faces, long finger-like claws, webbed hands, and razor-sharp fins on their arms, back and tail. They were perfectly built for rending their prey to shreds.
They were the embodiment of the icy waters of the deep sea; the mer contained a frozen heart, and a mind that lacked empathy and a guiding conscience.
When Dimash talked about his dreams, his parents would say:
"They're just dreams, Dimash. The soulless ones are scary creatures, after all."
"I've heard of people who have repeating dreams, but they're just dreams. They can't hurt you."
As reassuring as it was to know a soulless one wasn't really out to get him, it didn't change the fear he felt every time he saw the creature's face, and the way it occasionally breached the surface as it swam towards him. It didn't change how his fear caused him to run, and never look back.
Never stop running.
It wasn't until he was 20 that his parents finally told him the truth about his dreams and the evil mer.
"His name is Hyde, and he's your twin brother. You are human, but Hyde is a merfolk. You see, your great aunt was a merfolk. She was beautiful and kind," Dimash's mother admitted. "But merfolk belong in the sea. So, it became tradition to give them back. We gave him to one of the local material merfolk. But…"
His mother stooped, and took a few, deep breaths before continuing.
"When Hyde took his first breath of the ocean water, that's when he turned into a soulless one. Your dream—it's real. That day, a witness told us what happened, and then your reoccurring dreams of the incident started. I should have told you about him when you were 15, but I was afraid what it would do to you."
She closed her eyes and sighed, shaking her head before refocusing on Dimash.
"Hyde is no longer part of our family. He's a soulless one; he doesn't belong here, and never will. We shall speak no longer on the matter. Do you understand?"
Dimash hesitated.
"Do you understand?" She asked again.
This time, he nodded.
Never stop running.
Dimash is 25 and has been swimming his entire life. In addition to singing, he loves to swim in his off time. Even when his schedule is packed, he'll find a way to take a trip to the local pool or beach.
He has to keep swimming, because he needs to be faster than Hyde, the evil mer who haunts his dreams.
When Dimash dreams and realizes Hyde for the monster he is, that's when he turns and swims away to the beach and runs into his parent's arms. The dreams end quickly now, so he spends less time afraid. He doesn't wake up in a cold sweat anymore, but still likes to turn on the lights.
In the last few months, he's become more confident. This wasn't a haphazard attack, the evil mer didn't stumble on him by chance. It was his twin brother who was haunting his dreams, not a nobody. Dimash still feared being killed, but now he knew his attacker.
Last night's dream was different. For the first time, Dimash was able to break from Hyde's enchanting song and swim before the evil mer got close. Upon reaching the beach, he ran faster than ever, wanting to see how proud his parents would be of this achievement.
Dimash stopped just short of his parents' loving embrace, because he realized he didn't need their protection. He wasn't afraid anymore. And it was his parents who taught Dimash to never turn his back on those who needed him, and family came first. Hyde was family.
What would happen, if he stopped running?
Dimash had two weeks of freedom, and chose to visit the beach that so often showed up in his dreams. He stood where his parents had, overlooking the stone platform next to the rocky jetty. He needed to face his fears.
While intending to go alone, two of Dimash's friends, Sidra and Pat, found out about his plans and refused to let him let him go unattended.
"It's too dangerous to go by yourself. What if something happens to you?"
"Consider us moral support. And remember, we know your destination, so we'll follow you whether you want us to or not."
It was midday, and the area was luckily void of people. There were a few in the distance, but today was a weekday and most were either at work, or school.
"As moral support, we would like to remind you that while we agree with your decision to face an evil mer who hopefully won't rend you to—" Sidra was interrupted by Pat, with a light slap on the shoulder.
Pat held up her phone.
"We have emergency services on speed dial," she finished.
Sidra glared at Pat, who, for her part, just grinned and looked away.
"But," Sidra continued, "If you want to back out, we'll understand and we're probably one of the few who would actually allow you to face a soulless one. Most people who confront one don't make it back alive, seeing as how those creatures have these really long, and sharp claws that—"
"Sidra!" Pat yelled.
"Okay, okay," Sidra replied. "No need to yell."
Pat groaned, and simply looked to the sky, as if asking for help.
Dimash laughed, the tension flowing from his body, and his friends couldn't help but chuckle along. Soon enough, Dimash calmed down and looked back towards the sea. A heavy weight settled around them.
He could have faced Hyde in his dreams, but what good would that do? Dreams wouldn't change the fact that Hyde was still out there, and had been for 25 years.
"I doubt he'll recognize me, but I have to try, otherwise the dreams won't stop," Dimash revealed.
"There's no guarantee they will," Pat replied.
Dimash half-smiled.
"I'll regret it, if I don't try." Dimash noted, as he looked across the ocean. "I know what they say about evil mer, but it's wrong to neatly divide entire races like this. Beauty and ugliness, good and evil; we don't live in a world of boxes. No one knows the real Hyde."
Silence reigned for a time, until Sidra broke it.
"Well, you met twice, didn't you? Once when you were born, and another time when you were 10." She gently placed her hand on Dimash's shoulder. "You gotta believe he remembers you. I mean, you remember him, right?"
Dimash nodded. He smiled at his friends.
"Thank you for coming and believing in me," he shared.
"That's what friends do, they help and believe in each other," Pat explained. "Now, get going, before you change your mind."
"Yeah, I'm not afraid anymore," Dimash assured her.
He looked at the stone platform on the ocean. He would meet Hyde, and he wouldn't run.
Now is not the time to run.
Evening was settling in, and Dimash never left the platform. Dimash didn't bring his cellphone, books, or music players, because he couldn't afford to be distracted. He needed to hear Hyde's song.
His friends stayed, with the exception of the dinner run. They had brought a small, inflatable raft so they wouldn't get wet (which Dimash would have liked to have known about before he swam to the rock). Despite everything, they decided to sit together on the platform eating dinner, and Dimash was thankful for that. He needed his friends' support to keep going, and even after they left, Dimash felt renewed.
Around 8 pm, Dimash heard Hyde's unmistakable song and a mer emerged from the ocean. Dimash felt a gripping fear inside, because this wasn't a dream. Those claws and spines were real, and Dimash probably had little chance to survive if Hyde outright attacked him, but he couldn't run.
The thing was, in the dream, Dimash was never physically attacked. He never stayed on the rock long enough to find out what Hyde would do.
Hyde swam slowly at first, keeping Dimash enthralled with the song until he closed the distance at the familiar half-way mark, and shot through the ocean at a lightning pace.
Dimash stood up.
"I know who you are," Dimash shouted.
He didn't need to see Hyde's face to know this mer was him. Dimash was met with a screeching sound as Hyde leapt from the water, fins and spines splayed out, arms outstretched with claws at the ready. Hyde's face was twisted, and grotesque with razor sharp teeth.
"I'm your brother, and I will not run!" Dimash continued. "I don't care what people think. They don't know you!"
Hyde slammed into Dimash, knocking him back and slammed his back and head against the rock. It completely knocked the wind out of him, and caused his vision to momentarily black out. But he couldn't let Hyde get the upper hand; he had to focus, to break through the pain.
Dimash felt a cold, clammy hand reach around his neck, while the other aimed its claws straight for Dimash's face. Dimash immediately grabbed it just before it reached him, and he fought it back. He began kicking Hyde, hitting the powerful tail and its spiny fins, which ripped through Dimash's pants and broke skin, creating small cuts on his legs.
"I'm here because I love my family, and you are family!" Dimash choked out.
Dimash used his free hand and hit the side of Hyde's face, which knocked the mer back and caused his hand to slip free from Dimash's neck.
"I refuse to give up on you!" Dimash yelled.
The mer persisted in his attacks but Dimash was not going to leave without his brother.
"You're family, Hyde!" Dimash untangled his arms and wrapped them tightly around Hyde's shoulders, and placed his head against Hyde's.
"I love you," Dimash confided. "So stop fighting me."
Hyde shrieked and Dimash felt claws rip the back of his shirt, and he grimaced in pain. Dimash refused to let go. But suddendly, everything stopped and Hyde went limp in Dimash's arms.
Then a strange female voice beckoned Dimash.
"Sing."
"Who's there?" Dimash asked. It wasn't Sidra or Pat.
"Sing his song," it replied.
In this situation, she meant Hyde's song. Dimash wasn't a mer, so it wouldn't sound the same or have any effect, but she seemed insistent. However, music is a universal language, and Dimash knew that if his words couldn't get through to Hyde, then perhaps his feelings could be communicated through song.
But we are still close, please say something
Call me, without your love I'm in pain
I'm asking, please give in
All my feelings are voiceless prose
Sometimes come into my dream
Мы еще близки, не молчи
Позови, без любви мне больно
Я прошу, уступи
Мои чувства — немая проза
Иногда во сне приходи
A mermaid with long, black hair and brown skin appeared before him.
"I heard your song. Its beauty and emotion called to me," she told him. "Therefore, I shall grant you a wish. Your song told me all I needed to know."
She raised her arms into the air, and a bright, blue light swirled around until it formed a ball of light. With her right hand, she moved the ball through the air towards Hyde and allowed it to pass through the fins and slowly absorb into his back.
Hyde stirred in his arms.
"We grant him human form," she stated. "He may choose which form to take and we allow him to shed his evil form. The merfolk shall welcome him at any time."
She disappeared as quickly as she had come.
Hyde stirred again, and Dimash saw blue veins spread out from where the light entered into his back and course through his body. Thick, dark blue masses built up around the base of every fin, and spine, and completely coated his clawed webbed hands, face and tail.
Eventually the masses grew darker until they turned black and rhythmically pulsed with light blue veins, with even beats that sped up faster and faster, until the black gunk exploded and Hyde screamed. All of Hyde's fins, spines, and the webbed claws snapped off and fell lifelessly to the ground.
The black on Hyde's face and tail disintegrated into dust. Hyde's tail became a shiny, pearlescent black, and his skin shed its scaly, clammy texture, leaving only smooth, human skin. Dimash saw Hyde's face as a mirror image of his own; they were identical twins.
Slowly Hyde came to complete consciousness. Dimash released him, and the mer sat up.
"What—" Hyde looked at Dimash.
Dimash's body tensed as he waited for Hyde's reaction. Would Hyde recognize him or would they be strangers? Swirling emotions knotted his stomach.
Hyde reached out his hand towards Dimash, but halfway a surprised look crossed his face and he looked at his body—human and pure mer, instead of the creature he had been born as. The remnants of his evil form, all the fins and spines, slowly disintegrated, leaving only black ash. He kicked his tail a few times, accidently hitting the water and splashing Dimash in the face, not that Hyde noticed.
"I can…" Hyde trailed off and closed his eyes, concentrating.
Gradually Hyde's black tail split down the middle, turning into two "tail legs" and with a blue light, turned human. It seemed that the mermaid also had a sense of propriety, because Hyde was wearing black pants. Hyde stretched his legs out, getting a feel for them, before sitting back.
"I remember you from my dreams," Hyde imparted.
Dimash was taken aback.
"You… have them?" he asked.
Hyde looked away.
"You never stopped running. On the beach, you ran and, in the dreams, you ran as well. Faster and faster. I hated you," Hyde admitted. "I'm an adult now, I don't remember anything past childhood. That's how we are—the evil ones. There really is nothing left."
Dimash shook his head, and covered Hyde's hand with his own.
"You're here now," Dimash replied. "My—our family may have given up on you, but they'll come around. I won't give up until they do."
Hyde snorted.
"Sure," Hyde looked at Dimash. "I should hate you, but I was released from my hatred. All I want now, is to know my brother. As a child, it was my only desire."
Dimash smiled, and playfully bumped Hyde's shoulder with his own.
"You're stuck with me," Dimash informed Hyde. "I take care of my family, and it's been too long already."
"Well," Hyde looked up and pointed at the night sky. A shooting star passed by, leaving a brief tail among the stars. "Our life has just begun."
Hyde pulled his hand away and reached his arm around Dimash's shoulders, pulling him closer and Dimash sunk into the embrace. His brother was back and for now, that's all that mattered.
I will never run again.
In separation the pain is harsh, Please warm my love
The love of tired swans
В разлуке сильней, любовь мою согрей
Любовь уставших лебедей
Prompt: Start your story with someone emerging from the sea, and end it with them looking up at the stars.
Lyrics: "Love of Tired Swans'' by Dimash Qudaibergen. English lyrics translated by Lyricstranslate