Pendulant
Kasage Starrunner
Disclaimer: Resident Evil and all characters, settings, monsters, and corporations associated with the game series and the movie are © Capcom and its affiliates. The author has no association with any of these companies.
All other characters and creations are © Kasage Starrunner. The author would like to note that Petra Cross, (Jo Sullivan, possibly) and Adrian Rhodes are part of a joint game project with her and friends, and that Petra will also be used in a collaborative mange started by Mangaworkshop.net. Also, the character Alex Quenby is based on her character, Quenby Andries from the Infinite Spiral Manga saga. Other character associations will be mentioned as necessary.
Also, feel free to correct my Resident Evil knowledge. I want to be accurate. Suggestions on that account are encouraged.
Author's Notes are available after the chapter.
For more information go to the Asylum Arc:
http://geocities.com/lukleia/asylum.html
Warnings: Violence (as typical for Resident Evil)
Chapter One: Passage
On a sunny day Alfred could see his reflection dancing in the polished floor. Light streaked across the tiled marble from the high, narrow windows near the vaulted ceiling, dust refracting the cascading light. It was in these streaks that he was gazing, marveling at how much he looked like his sister, despite the pure fraternity of their twinship.
The boy tilted his head. He could hear her footsteps crossing the hall upstairs, the creaking footboards of the old manor giving away her motions. Alexia … She was going to the piano. There she would sit, arch her fingers, and play.
The melancholy music came and echoed all throughout the house. A strange shiver ran down his spine and the blonde boy frowned. It was an empathic gesture, the feeling of the melody sinking into his skin and bones like the dampness of the cold underground passageway back to the palace. He blamed the reaction on the excellent musicianship of his twin, not any extra-sensory perception on his own part.
Alfred looked back at his reflection on the floor and put a chubby finger to it. The marble mirror lied, of that much he was certain. He may look like her in appearance: same winter sky blue eyes, same halo colored hair, same pouting lips; however Alexia was the bright star that lit the way to the Ashford family's Bethlehem. He was merely a shepherd boy, lucky to be bathed in the light of his sibling's genius.
That was what his father told him.
The playing ceased as a last vibration trickled down the staircase. The boy turned and stood, waiting for the inevitable goddess that followed. She came and paused just beyond the doorway, hands gently grasping the balcony rail above his head. The blue eyes glanced down through the spindle rails as the light from the shutting door made a halo behind her head. The door shut with a soft thud, leaving the padded velvet as her backdrop.
"Alexia!" the blonde shouted, trying to prevent himself from running up the stairs to greet her, fearing the cold silence of that forbidden embrace. However, her eyes were as calm as the vague smile on her lips. She lifted her slight hands to her face and mouthed, "Alfred," in reply, then curled her index finger toward her as a signal that the child should join her on the balcony.
The boy clomped over to the staircase, his heavy, buckled shoes making his movements clumsy as he ascended to his waiting sister. Their eyes locked as Alfred grew closer and closer. At the top, he tore his gaze away from her and forced them to the crimson floor. His twin laughed and took him in her arms, touching his chin with light fingers. Alfred blushed at the gracious, familial gesture. Alexia was in an unusually warm mood, though her touch still caused the younger twin to shudder.
Alexia had poor circulation, so her fingertips were always icy.
"Whatever were you doing on that floor?" his sister questioned. She released him, folding her hands back at her skirt.
The blonde looked at the ground once more and chewed his lip, but he knew that the girl would wait for an answer. Her patience was unfathomable. "I-I like that patch of sun—the way it comes through the windows." He looked to where he had been sitting. "Well, it's gone now."
"Hmmm …"
Alexia draped herself over the balcony and scrutinized the crisscrossing pattern that the marble made from a vertical angle. Alfred could see her eyes darting back and forth along the black veins, sometimes distracted by a shadow that led to a firmly shut door. The boy blinked away. Staring was rude.
"I think it's pathetic," the girl said.
"What?"
"This." She waved to the house.
He blinked again and crinkled his nose. "Why?"
"Some foolish people built this manor and all it will ever do it crumble and fall—just like the palace is now, and all because of one man like Alexander's neglect. It's so pointless."
"It gives us a home." She ignored him. "The people liked it."
"People are pointless."
Alfred gritted his teeth. "I'm a people."
"Person, Alfred, and you're different. You're …"
"I'm what?"
"You're Alfred, that's what."
She never called him brother. He wished she would call him that. The boy ran his hands through his hair and looked out the window, withholding the sigh that would only bring jeers from his sister.
"I want to go outside," he mumbled.
The young lady snorted, keeping her eyes on the window. "You'll burn up in that sun. You don't want to go out there." She turned her gaze to the door. It shook slightly. "Alexander's coming, let's go."
"Father's coming?"
"Alex-ander, now come to my room. I don't wish to speak with him."
Her dress rustled as she flitted to the door leading to the upper hall. Alfred stood there shoulders slumped still staring at the window. He bit his lip, chewed it for a moment, and then turned to his twin. "What did he do this time?" Alexia rolled her eyes, and without further comment disappeared into the hall. The blond boy stared after her a moment, hesitating. He wanted to see his father in, but if he lingered too long Alexia would not speak with him for days.
Alexia wins … He dropped his gaze to the floor, listening to the scuffing sounds his shoes made on the carpet as he shuffled after his sister. He could hear her footsteps patter lightly across the floor. She didn't even wait a few seconds. Alfred squinted and puffed out his cheeks in frustration. "I'm coming, Alexia."
Her only response was slam of a door. Too long … I waited to long. He stood outside the closed door for a moment. The blue eyes blinked several times as though this would magically open the door, but nothing happened.
Indignant, the boy retreated to his own room across the hall. He sniffled, but fought it off. After all, it was Alexia who was being utterly ridiculous, shutting the door on him. He only lollygagged a few seconds.
He crossed his arms and plopped on his bed. "Stupid Alexia and her stupid games," he muttered. He looked at the emblem of the woman on the wall, then to his shoes. The blond kicked them back and forth to pass some time. Despite how ridiculous she was her anger … He didn't want her mad at him. Something told Alfred that was a dangerous emotion for his sibling.
The stone woman caught his eyes again. "Alright, I'm coming," he said again. Feet hit the floor with a clunk as the ten year old stood from the bed, and walked across the room to the emblem. He smiled. "Hello, passage," he said to the woman, pressing into it with a small pudgy hand. The door gave way and he passed into the other room, Alexia's room.
The ladder over the bed was already down. He shivered and looked up. "You started without me!" When he got no response, the boy jumped up on the ladder and clambered up to the top. Alexia sat on a carousel horse, waiting with a far-too-calm look on her face.
"What took you so long?"
"I thought you didn't want to see me anymore."
"No, I just got tired of waiting. You're so indecisive."
"Sorry."
Alexia crossed her legs. "Never mind. Are you coming upstairs with me?"
"Yes. I have the key anyway, and you know it." He fumbled in his pocket for a moment, drawing up the small silver pin that served as the key to the ladder. The boy stared at it for a moment. "It kind of looks sad without its wings."
His sister leaned in over his shoulder. "What?"
"The dragonfly."
"It isn't even alive. Let me have it." She grabbed for the key and Alfred yanked away, stepping across the platform.
"It's mine, Alexia. You get the music plate, and the key is mine. I get to turn it. You know I do."
The blonde girl dropped to the floor. Her shoes made a loud clatter and Alfred shirked away, expecting to be struck. She, however, made no move toward her brother, just gave an icy, disapproving glare.
"Fine," she hissed. "Do it quickly, before Alexander walks in and finds us here. I don't want him up in the study."
Chubby cheeks puffed out again as the boy pondered for a few seconds. He went to insert the key, but paused to look at his sibling. "Alexia, why do you hate father so much?"
"He's an ass."
"Alexia!"
"An ass is a donkey and you know it. Just never tell the butler."
"That wasn't nice."
"Turn the key, Alfred."
"But why do y--"
"Turn the key. Now."
Alexia's hand reached out to grab the smaller twin by the shoulder. He shuddered and turned the key, causing the platform to rotate. As the floor shifted beneath them, the girl relaxed again, and the heavy still between the two faded. Heavy boots trod the floor downstairs and she smiled.
"He won't reach us now."
Alfred pouted, squinting eyes
looking down through the floor. "We
always leave him like that."
"It's not like he actually cares. He just shows us off to the press." She began climbing up the ladder. Alfred followed close behind, staring through the bars down at the floor so as to avoid the urge to chant "I see London I see France, I see my sister's underpants."
"Show's you off to the press you mean."
"Hmm?"
"You're the genius. Father despises me. I'm smart, but I'm not a Veronica."
Alexia laughed. "You think I'm a Veronica?"
"Everyone thinks that—especially Father. It's why he loves you best."
The girl reached the top and climbed out, leaning over to help Alfred to his feet. "What Alexander thinks doesn't matter. I love you best and will always love you best."
"Me?"
"Of course. You aren't near so idiotic as Alexander makes you out to be, and a lot better person than most of humankind."
"You really think that?"
"Of course. You're my knight in shining armor, and I'm your …"
"Damsel in distress?" Alfred quirked his eyebrows. No, that wasn't right at all. Alexia wasn't a damsel, let alone in distress.
"I am you Queen."
"Yes, that's better." He smiled. "So I am your Champion? Does that mean I'm brave?"
"Yes, and strong yet gentle and obedient. You are clever and intelligent, but need guidance. Alexander doesn't know all this. I do."
"Of course you do. You know everything." The boy smiled complacently. He showed no sign of being belittled, and in fact felt complimented. He hugged himself a bit with his flimsy arms, happy to be in the presence of genius.
Alexia just shrugged. "No I don't … Not yet." The girl looked along the bookshelf and at the desks. All of those had been read at least twice, if not more. She had only needed to glance through them to understand them. There was more knowledge out there, but she would have to go elsewhere to get it. The blonde began to plan.
"Do you ever get stifled Alfred?"
"Yes. I want to go outside."
"No, I mean … oh, you don't understand. You don't like books."
"Yes I do. I like history and literature and—"
"Useless! Don't you know how useless that is?"
"Well …"
"Of course you don't."
"Not enough science?"
"No." She looked at the ant farm set up on Alfred's desk. The blonde girl walked to it and picked it up, admiring the busy workers as they went about their tasks. They were so incredibly precise, those workers; busy until they died serving their Queen. What a lucky creature she was with all of that power.
"We could go to the Palace," the boy ventured. They weren't allowed outside of the manner, but suddenly his twin seemed so … bored. "Alexia, we could sneak past the palace and to the labs. It's right by the base. Father showed me!"
The girl lifted her head and smiled. "I'd never thought of that."
The boy puffed his chest out and grinned. He looked silly standing there with a man stance on a boy's body. His ears stuck out ridiculously with those cheeks that dimpled. Alexia laughed.
"It's seems Alexander is good for something—Umbrella Incorporated."
Alfred jumped, landing in a battle pose he'd seen on the television screen of one of the guards. "That's great. We'll sneak in past the security and …"
"And be practical. I'll just ask Alexander."
The boy slumped over again, defeated. He never got to have any fun. She was always so serious. It was a pity, he would have loved to try and sneak past the guards. "Do you think Alexander will let you?"
"He'd never refuse me. He thinks I'm Veronica." The girl smiled slightly and Alfred smiled back, genuinely excited that he pleased his sister so effectively. He fingered the ant farm, then looked over at her again.
"I think they're hungry."
TBC in Chapter 2.