Plura Ater Nox

Chapter 15

Morosely sitting on the edge of his brother's bed, Jeremiah sighed. He really was starting to hate girls in general. They were either very forward or very cold and nasty. There wasn't a happy medium that satisfied him. He didn't like not knowing anything about them. They were such mysterious creatures that worked in such odd ways.

He shuddered, remembering the feel of that girl's lips on his. She tasted bittersweet. She seemed to know him. She claimed that by kissing him it would help him remember. He seriously doubted it. That and that his brother would have ever associated with such a girl. His twin seemed to more like Chelsea than any other girl and that at, just as a friend.

With his deep blue eyes fixated on his brother's sleeping form, he smiled wanly, forcing himself to forget about the promiscuous actions of that foreign girl. She was amoral, no scruples holding her back from performing such actions. His brother looked so peaceful in sleep, he could tell the medication was working.

Lifting a hand, he brushed it over the warm, flush cheek of his twin. 'We have nothing really, just each other. How ironic, we're given a second chance and yet, we're near reliving the same life over. I guess the cliché of history repeats itself holds true.'

His brow furrowed in thought as he studied his brother. 'Would he truly know her? There has to be a reason behind why she would have done such amoral actions that are in violation of all things modest. Then again, she is a foreigner without religion, so to expect her to hold such high standards of morals would be asking far too much.' He thought bitterly.

Stirring, Séamus rolled over, moaning plaintively at the sweet touch of the hand on his face. He brought his own hand up to clutch that hand. In his hazy state, he murmured, "Jeremiah?!"

"Yes, Séamus?!" The elder of the pair asked, thankful to the Lord for the bare fact that his twin wasn't moaning in pain or overly and ungodly feverish. "How're you feeling? Does your head hurt, what of the rest of you?!"

"Hn…better." Séamus shrugged, struggling to sit up. After accomplishing such, he leaned against his twin sighing. Peering up, he offered a wane smile. "How long have you been sitting there anyways?!"

"A few good hours. Contemplating why I hate women so much." Jeremiah whispered, wrapping his arms around his twin's body. He nestled his face into his twin's sweet scented hair, inhaling deeply.

"Really and why?!" Séamus queried, snuggling into the war arms that embraced him. He rested his hands on his twin's, feeling content.

"The Lord lost the instruction manual on them many aeons ago. Now it's coming back to bite us on the arse. It bloody hurts. Not to mention women are nothing but one puzzle with no solution." Jeremiah groused. He grinned thinly. "At least I know the solution to the puzzle known as my twin…"

"Get your mind back on Assiah! Pull it from Sheol!" Séamus chuckled at his twin's remarks and comments. He was feeling slightly better, but not the best he could be. His twin's comforting presence and voice more than compensated for such a shortcoming.

"I'm quite sorry about that. But that frightful encounter with that scrupulous shrew earlier has left my mind elsewhere." Jeremiah kissed his twin's neck lightly.

"What dame do you speak of?" Séamus purred.

"Some Japanese wench without morals or anything. Shamelessly she walks up to me and acts most promiscuously! She even kissed me claiming it would restore my memories because I didn't know her."

Séamus snickered. "Poor Jeremiah is popular with the girls. What's wrong with it anyway? There is a war and many of them are getting desperate as there are few left, the crop's getting bare for them."

"Dork, it isn't that. I don't mind the ones here, they have morals and decency. This one didn't." Jeremiah groused bitterly.

"Well, most foreign devils do, brother dear. It's most normal, especially for those deprived of catechumen. It's most shameful for they haven't respect, morals or values." Séamus echoed most of his twin's bitter sentiments.

He stretched back. "I do feel moderately under the weather, but fresh air will clear my head. Mind helping me up, I would like to go out to breathe fresh air instead of this stuffy air in here."

"Yes." Jeremiah replied, standing up. He then held out a hand for his twin to take. "You go freshen up at the basin. Do you need any help?!"

"No, but thanks for the offer." Séamus nodded, accepting his twin's help. Once up, he held a hand on the nightstand next to his table before he felt strong on his feet. Once assured that he wouldn't succumb to his own weakness, he pressed forward, headed for where the wash-up basin was.

Jeremiah watched his twin in concern. "Are you really okay?! Are you sure you don't need help, you seem shaky…" Instead of waiting, he moved, grasping his twin's shoulders. "It's okay to not be completely recovered."

"Eh…thanks, brother." Séamus smiled warmly at his twin.

A moment later, feeling slightly more human, he moved away from his twin in order to dress. The cold water had knocked him back to his senses in a marginal way. He felt well enough to at least go out and walk around.

Dressed decently, Séamus nodded at his brother. "Come, let's get some fresh air. The air is stuffy in here."

Grabbing his and his twin's coat, Jeremiah led them out the door. Shutting it firmly behind him, he grinned at his twin. "it must be nice to inhale fresh air."

He didn't reply, just inhaled deeply, letting the air penetrate deeply into his lungs. It was deeply refreshing.

"So, what's say we find ourselves something to keep our hands from idleness." Jeremiah suggested, linking an arm around his brother's shoulders.

"And how would we do that?!" Séamus queried, eyeing his twin sceptically. Sometimes ideas were a worst solution than that of the problem itself.

"Well, it's a big city, there ought to be something. Perhaps we could make ourselves useful and work building ammunition or something." Jeremiah shrugged demurely. He would be out of his mind if he even dared to suggest that they join up. He had left in the first place, not wishing to fight in the war. It brought back the reoccurring bitter memories of the past that left a scar on his soul. He longed to forget, but a trigger cell in his mind refused to let him, the chemical connection wanted him to feel the pain of his errors.

"No way, mate, sounds like nothing short of a chance to help the Brits and Lord help us if we shall. I don't quite feel I ought to, they have done nothing but make us feel insignificant and worthless with their supposedly 'superior' weapons and intelligence. They are nothing but a gaggle of self-serving wankers." Séamus nodded firmly. "Now let's just see if there is something to do, not involving the war in any shape."

"Oh, and what might you suggest?"

"Perhaps going to a pub and see the locals and grab a drink!"

"I do not want to get soused out of my mind."

"Never did I say that."

"But you know it's implied by your idea."

"Maybe so…"

They had been walking as they spoke. By foot the pair had obtained a good distance from the house, leaving them with a chance to wander about in search of something to keep them occupied.

They hadn't the vaguest notion that something would give them something to keep them occupied for the moment being.

At that instance, from down the gravel-strewn street of the open bustling market place, strolled over a dignified man. He wore traditional military wear of the ceremonial sort. On his hip he wore a scabbard, the handle of an elegantly crafted blade bouncing against his side.

His feet gracefully kicked the gravel as he walked. His feet were covered with shiny, immaculate boots, tied perfectly. The shine was resilient, indicating that perchance he had stopped to see a shoe shine boy on his journey into the city.

His head was adorned with a simple cap that had been provided with the attire. From beneath peaked pristinely cut chocolate brown hair. The hair framed his long, slender face, giving his features a soft touch.

His grey eyes came to rest on the twins at the other end. They were the two he had come in search of. He needed to speak with them and required their service to help with the mission his blonde counterpart had concocted.

He hastened his pace, stopping curtly in front of the twins. He didn't know which one it was that Chelsea had stated was a skilled fighter with the IRA. He would have to find out through conversation with the pair, which boy it was he was seeking out.

He gave a bow of the head. "Forgive me for intercepting you, but I'm looking for Séamus Kennedy."

"That's me. Who the bloody hell are you and what's it you want, wanker?!" Séamus regarded the man sceptically. The man was a Briton and not to be trusted.

"I'm Captain Russell Stonewall of His Majesty's Armed Guard. I had been given your name, by Miss Chelsea Llwellyn she mentioned you as being an excellent fighter. I am hoping that I can use your services in a reconnaissance." Captain Stonewall explained, his voice warm.

"You expect me to help you bloody Brits?! Are you madder than a hatter?! Surely you jest, I don't help those who trample over my kin." Séamus replied curtly, folding his arms.

Jeremiah had been watching the start of the exchange in silence. He had noted something unique about the captain. At first, couldn't place it, but after listening, he shortly realised that this was one of the Suzaku Shichisei.

"Hotohori-sama…" He whispered under his breath, staring at the man.

Captain Stonewall blinked, staring between the twins. He had been about to reply to Séamus' probe, when his ears registered a soft whisper from the other twin. It caught his attention because it was a name from his past.

After a moment, he noted that it was likely that Séamus was Suboshi and the other one, the unnamed twin was Amiboshi. He wasn't surprised, the younger one had been quite hostile in the past. "You're Amiboshi, right?!"

"Yes, Hotohori-sama."

"Please, it's Russell, or if you're part of His Majesty's Armed Guard, it's Captain Stonewall."

"Yes sir."

Captain Stonewall smiled warmly at the young lad. "Your name."

"Jeremiah Dallas, sir." Jeremiah replied, smartly saluting the captain without realising what he was doing until he had. He meekly lowered his hand. "Sorry, sir, force of habit."

"Jeremiah… You sound American." Captain Stonewall noted. "You also act like you were once in the army. You might be useful as well. I'm sure JC won't mind me bringing another young lad to help with the mission."

"But I never did agree!" Séamus smirked nastily.

"Suboshi, you can either keep past hostilities or come into the present and work with the true allies of the war who seek peace and not imperialistic dominance." Captain Stonewall replied calmly.

"Yea, I could help, but I vowed to keep my arse in one piece and I'm bloody damn well going to!"

"You wouldn't be on the front, it would be a backdoor infiltration to free up Dunkirk."

Séamus blinked and shrugged.

Jeremiah shook his head. "I'm sorry sir, both of us wish not to join in the war. That's why I left Captain Andreas' company. I didn't want to die by the hand of a faceless enemy."

"If you joined up for this one reconnaissance, you would be with my company. I don't send my men out foolishly. I already felt the loss with a defeat at Dunkirk. I'm taking a mission back there in order to take back the land I lost in the name of those who died trying to free it." Captain Stonewall replied, not mentioning that the other involved in this was the captain that Jeremiah didn't wish to be allied with.

He inhaled thoughtfully. "It would be very excellent if you two could possibly join our forces. It would break up apart of the Nationalist stronghold along the coastal region of France. It gives us another chance to push past lines and break their forces, bringing the strength of fate back into our favour." He had one probe he could use that would get Jeremiah to tag along. "You can't get peace without a bit of fighting."

"You're saying that in order to gain peace we have to fight?!" Jeremiah whispered, hesitant to comply.

"It's a given." Captain Stonewall nodded firmly. He was going to get the cadets - hook, line, and sinker. "Can I count on you both?"

"Yes sir!" Jeremiah spoke for him and his brother.

Séamus was less than thrilled. Contrary, he refused to let his twin go when he had just found him again. If his twin was going to risk everything to die on the battlefield, then so would he.

~~

Author's Notes: Sorry it took me a long time to get this chapter out. I hit a bit of a block, but at least it's out. I hope to have chapter 16 done by the end of April. Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewed so far. I hope that you all continue to. Thanks for your support thus far.