North And South

"What are you gonna do Wash? Shoot-"

"Yes."

South Dakota's head was pounding as memories she didn't recognize began planting themselves within her mind. With a groan her eyes flutter open to see familiar blue eyes staring back at her. The eyes were from a young boy with blond hair. "You know..." The boy starts with a smile. "When I said I had your back I wasn't expecting for you to shoot mine."

South gasps realizing who she's talking to. "North?"

"In the flesh." He says with a grin. He then thinks for a moment and tilts his head. "Again." South took a moment to hold her head from pain. She could feel North's hand on her shoulder supportively.

"Sorry for getting you killed." She says almost in a whisper.

North chuckles. "It's not like it maters much now." He says. "Though next time we're in a bad spot please don't try to sacrifice me."

"Sure thing." South says with a smile shaking her head.

"Sis, just..." North starts earning South's attention. "Just remember that this is a second chance. There's no more Project Freelancer, no more Director, and no more of that unnecessary Leaderboard." South looks down with shame barely visible on her face. "It's time to start a new life. Start over."

South looks back up to North. "Alright." She says and North smiles again. She then finally takes a look at her surroundings. They were in a tent tan in color and heavily faded. The ground however was sand where her and North's sleeping bags. There was also a third there too. South frowns not quite recalling why there was a third.

"The third one is Sun's." North explains.

"Sun?"

"Yup." North grins. "Now we have a little brother."

South thinks for a moment as one of her new memories surfaces. "Sun, Wukong right? Like that Monkey King guy?"

North rose an eyebrow. "Are you talking about 'Journey To The West'?"

"Yeah that's the one." South confirms.

"I mean, sure?" North shrugs. Before North could finish what he was going to say the younger blond haired Monkey Faunus barges into the tent.

"North!" Sun shouts in distress.

"Hey buddy. What's going on?" North asks rushing to his new brothers side.

"Everyone is packing up!" He says angrily. "Their all giving up on this place!"

North frowns apparently knowing what this was about. "Sun you know the Grimm have been attacking much more frequently. It's dangerous to stay."

"But this is our home!" Sun claims. "This is our home!" South was far to confused by her new memories to understand what they were starting to argue about but the yelling was worsening her headache.

"Can you two stop yelling?" South asks catching the boys attention. "I have a massive fucking headache."

"Language, South." North says. South narrows her eyes at North who tilts his head in Sun's direction.

With a sigh South lays back down rolling her eyes. "Fine." She relents.

"North?" Sun asks earning the dead mans attention. "Do we really have to leave?"

"I'm afraid so buddy." North says turning to look out the tents flap. It was then that South noticed something, or her mind had finally registered it. She saw that North had a tail. A full Monkeys tail just like Sun's which she was also just now registering.

"But why?" Sun asks oblivious to south glancing back-and-forth looking at their tails in complete confusion.

North sighs and puts a hand on Sun's shoulder. "That's just how things are. Not everyone is a strong fighter like our cousin Starr. I know it's hard, but it's for a good reason."

"But we should just pick a place and stay there!" Sun argues. "I'm tired of running."

"I know." North says. "And I think that one day we'll find a place to call home. All of us. You, Me and our Sister South over there." South stopped to look over to her twin.

Sun crosses his arms in frustration. " I wish more people would try to learn to fight instead of being cowards. Then maybe our m... more of us would still be alive." Sun says with a a trembling voice. South had not missed what Sun was going to say. She knew that meant a Mom and maybe even Dad were out of the picture. She also saw the sadness in North's kind eyes. Sun saw it two and turns away from him. "I'll go pack my things." Sun croaks. He then exits the tent leaving The Twins to themselves.

North turns to face South who was awkwardly sitting there. "Sorry." He says. "It's been a hard few months." He explains.

"How long have you been... 'living this new life'?" South asks.

"About two years?" He guesses. "I could tell you were remembering because you started getting headaches, then you started to glow like a light bulb."

South frowns. "Is that what happened to you?"

"That's what Sun told me." North states with a shrug. "It's also why I said something relevant to the last time we saw each other when you were waking up."

"Makes sense... I guess." South accepts. "So, two things." North gives her a questioning look. "Firstly, the tails."

"Oh." North chuckles at that. "We're part of a human subspecies called Faunus. Essentially we're just humans with one trait from an animal. Sun, just like us has a monkey tail for example."

"Us?" South questions. Seeing the raised eyebrow from North she quickly gets to her feet and looks behind her to see a blond monkey tail. "What the fuck?"

"Language South." North reprimands. "Your 10 years old again so I don't want to hear that kind of language. Especially in front of Sun."

South glares at him. "Whatever Mom." She sasses.

North rolls his eyes. "Alright, well get use to the new tail then help me pack the tent. We gotta get ready to leave. I can tell you more about what I know once we're on the move with the others."

"By others you mean the settlement right?" South questions recalling the information from her new memories.

"That's right."