Kanon Side Story: The Kronicles of Khris and Kallen
Part One: F is for Father
Author's Notes
To avoid confusion:
Aura/Vasiliki Galani: Saga and Kanon's Mom
Demitris Galani: Saga and Kanon's Father
Khristopher Galani: Saga before Sanctuary
Kallen Galani= Kanon before Sanctuary
Present Time
Delphi: The Archive Building
Saga walked down the dusty aisles of the Archive Building, "88-108-7,88-108-7," the Gemini repeated over and over to the point that he carried a tune. It was an interesting set of numbers too:
88 Saints
108 Evil Stars
7 Mariner Generals
The Gemini could tell that whatever was there, must be something that was only passed from Pope to Pope. Although he wondered why Shion didn't tell him sooner? Perhaps what he will find, isn't directly related to the search for the cure, but something he later realized was important?
He found the spot. Right in front of him, were shelves of books on various trivial things like the history of thimbles and the proper technique to stuffing pillows. Most would dismiss such a thing as useless and truly it was. But perhaps that was the point?
He took his hand and tried to pull one out, only to find it stuck. He tried a few more times, before pausing and then using his hands and pushed it forward only for the row to slide and glide down with ease, causing the side of the bookshelf to click and swing loosely like a door. His eyes were glazed. "Goddess…" he muttered. Right in front of him, were the journals of every Gold Saint and trainee of Sanctuary.
Anyone who ever came to the Twelve Houses to train was expected to write their backstory as well as their life in Sanctuary. For some of them, it was a task made easy with later ones becoming more like scrapbooks filled with small notes or letters. Others would rather have a tooth pulled than to write about their day. One infamous story that Shion shared was how one Gold was so reluctant about it that it was over two hundred pages with the following two words:
Still alive.
Something told him that perhaps Shion wanted him to read his journal?
However, there was one book that caught his eye, the blue worn cover as familiar as the ocean that he once lived beside. "Kanon…" It was a lot thicker than he expected since his younger brother, gifted as he was, never did any of the assigned writing at school or at Sanctuary since he found it redundant.
Yet there it was. He opened up the first page:
The Kronicles of Khris and Kallen
By Kanon formerly Kallen Galani
"A title page...for a diary…hmm, well, I guess this settles as to which of us has the bigger ego," Saga muttered, his curiosity peaked into what Kanon presented as a glorified autobiography. He needed to find the cure for the curse, but he was drawn to the pages.
He supposed a little bit couldn't do any harm. It was a journal and Kanon had clearly formatted it in a way so that others would read it. Besides, knowing himself, he won't be able to focus unless his curiosity was satiated even a bit.
He turned the page and was a cutout of his beloved mother, holding her metal violin with a large smile, her dark blue hair waving in the wind. When it came to looks, it seemed like everything they loved about her was passed onto them.
FUCK THE MASK!
Were the words that Kanon scrawled in what looked like blood, but Saga could still smell it and tell it was just a mixture of maple syrup and beet juice. After that, word-for-word was the same tale that their mother told them when they turned five years old.
"Why do you call him, Dimitris and not Father or Dad?"
He remembered Aiolos asking him. At that point, Aiolos had proven to be a wonderful friend. So he told him the story too. Word-for-word.
O|==============|O
Khris and Kallen: Not Born Yet
My blue hair is cascading over my shoulders like ocean waves. I have butterflies in my stomach as I wait for him to come back from training, my face sweating so much that my mask slips off. I watch it spin so quickly that the blue butterfly that I painted on the front seemingly fluttered from the motion.
But then his hand catches it before it can crack.
(You're standing on a beach full of sand. It wouldn't crack from a fall.)
Shut up, my story!
Anyways, his strong hand caught my mask, and there, Albafica stands there before me. Oh stares at me with such longing eyes, his blue silk hair blends in with the sky.
"Oh, Aura! Every time I watch you play your violin, my heart feels as if it moves with the music. It feels like the only thing that can draw me from the sweet scent of my flowers is the perfume of your hair." I watch his eyes sadden before he wilts upon his knees and sobs in his hands. "Oh Aura, how I wish to hold you in my arms, to kiss your sweet lips, for you to bare five children…"
(Aura, you rolled a four. Goddess, don't get so excited.)
I watched Albafica clear his throat before he had to restart the last part because someone is a bit technical about it. "Oh Aura, how I wish to hold you in my arms, to kiss your sweet lips, for you to bare FOUR children. But alas, our skin cannot touch, for my blood is far too poisonous."
I was drawn to tears! My beloved Pisces Albafica, one of the strongest of the Zodiac was confessing his love to me, an Amazon who was still trying to train for the Bronze Cloth of Eridanus. I felt like a nobody! But he treated me with as much love as he would for Athena! After all, I was the only one in Sanctuary to love him for who he was and not because he was the most handsome of all. "What about the sea? What if we go there? Would it not dilute the poison so that we feel like what it is to be one?"
Albafica gasped. "It is perfect! But what if I kill you?"
I looked down, my beautiful blue eyes were softly blinking. "My love, you took the risk that I may kill you from seeing my face, is it not right that I do the same?!"
(Oh please, do you seriously think you would be able to kill Albafica if you decided not to love him?)
And so, he watched with hungry eyes as I carefully pulled each piece of clothing off of me. I can see his hands were eager to touch me, but he must be patient.
(Did he take off his Gold Cloth?)
Oh yes, he did! His butt was absolutely magnífico!
We walked to the sea and at first, he was ever so careful with a gentle peck. When he realized he couldn't poison me, we kissed and kissed and kissed! We loved each other, the night became day and the night became night. After we made love and I was certain I was pregnant, Albafica proposed. I accepted and because he wanted to kiss me in front of everyone, we were married in the ocean waters.
THE END!
O|========|O
The trio of sixteen-year-old Amazons fell back and laughed. Nothing was more fun in the Amazon Village than the game of Zodiac Boyfriend! It was simple: The first one threw two dice and the number corresponded to the Zodiac sign. The only exception was the number two where they got a choice between Aries and Taurus since getting one was impossible. After that, they throw one die to see how many babies they make together. The fun part comes where the person had to make a juicy story to go along with it.
An Amazon with short black hair and a full red mask, lifted her mask up a little bit to breathe better. "I was wondering how you were going to have four children with Albafica. He's soooo handsome, but I never know what story I'm going to tell when I get him in our game. That ocean idea is good though. Mind if I use it if I get him next time?" asked Reign.
Aura waved a hand, "of course! Actually, when I was playing the game, I got the idea from Nyx!" She turned her head and passed the set of dice to her best friend. "Okay Saturn, your turn!"
The girl clutched the dice next to her silver mask, praying that she rolled a four for Manigold before she began the chant.
Laying on the beach and next to the sea,
He pops off my mask and who sees me?
She tosses the dice and pouts. "Seven, damn it! Dohko again?"
"Maybe it is a sign he is meant to be your soul mate?" mused Reign. "Rumors say he's still alive."
"If that's true, he's probably like super old. Unless he still has tight abs and a great ass...no thank you…"
The trio of Amazons laughed and told their stories before there was a rumbling of thunder. A collective groan followed. As trainees, they only had about an hour of free time a day, and it was a shame they had to end it soon. They came up to each other and lightly kissed each other's cheeks with their porcelain covered lips. A shame they all lived in totally opposite parts of the village.
Amazon Aura reached down for her metal violin and took a light jog. She sidestepped each of the trees before her high heel stepped upon the stone path before slipping. "Ah!" she gasped as her foot shot forward. She attempted to use her other foot to steady it only for it to slide as well and cause her arms to flail forward along with the rest of her body.
SLAM
CRACK!
She wished it was perhaps a broken foot or leg. Instead, the storm that rolled right in, the rain falling like tears upon her cheeks. Her blue eyes shift back and forth only to spot one of the halves of her broken butterfly mask in front of a pair of suede shoes that were far too large to be her friends.
They were from a man.
She stares at his face, that appeared slightly worn, his hair unnaturally grey as if from stress than age.
Her breath quickened as the question came.
To love?
Or To Kill?
He knelt upon his knees, his eyes never leaving her. "Hello there, my name is Dimitris Galani. Are you alright?" he asks politely with a sweet smile.
"WHO ARE YOU!" cried out Equuleus Otrera as she spotted the man. "You are too close to our village and I demand you leave-" she screamed before she slid and began to fall. Her experienced hand immediately clasped at her face and she fell with a metal clang, keeping her porcelain face steady. That was when she spotted the young trainee. "Aura?"
Aura sat up and grasped the broken halves, trying desperately to pop it back into place. "Oh no!" Not only was there a man, but now there was a witness. But not just anyone, but the current queen of the Amazons.
The Equuleus sighed, realizing she had no choice but to oversee it. "Trainee Aura, what is your choice? If you choose to Love, hand over your mask, surrender your name, and go with him. There, you will love him forever and bare proof of your love for each other. If you choose to kill, you must kill him," she raises a hand filled with cosmos, "or I will kill you both."
The rain grew so heavy that it felt like whole buckets were dumped upon her head. It was a choice she always knew would come about eventually, but not like this. While his dark eyes were quite entrancing, his face seemed slightly worn, not by the sun or training but by age. Her guess was that he was at least forty years old. But even though she took the life of an Amazon, she abhors blood and death, "I choose-" Even though she knew the answer, still the words were stuck in her throat. But why? "-love." Her gaze watched the man suddenly produce a quick smile before it faded back into neutrality.
Equuleus Otrera's eyes saddened. She could not see this ending well, but there was nothing she could do. Aura passed the mask over. "You are no longer Aura, Amazon trainee of the Eridanus Cloth. You are Vasiliki once more. Your bond with the sisterhood has ended and now will be joined with this man forever. Forever to love and to bare proof of such love. Should you break this sacred law, may the wrath of Hera fall upon you." She watched the Amazon begin to remove the dark blue metal violin and bow, but feeling a bit of pity she raised a hand. "Keep it. It is not the official Cloth and you seem to draw comfort in it."
Aura, now Vasiliki once more, was about to leave, when a question kept weighing her feet in place. "You keep talking about bearing proof. What proof must I…" Vasilki asked before the Saint gestured with a hand over her own stomach. She gasped and swallowed hard. All this time she thought it would be some sort of wedding ring. She turned back to the man. Perhaps not an elderly man, but his hair was prematurely grey and he could be mistaken as her father! But the young Amazon could feel the cosmos radiating from the Saint, a stark warning that she made a choice and must live with it. "I...hope it will be as good as they say it would be…"
"Foolish child…" Otrera muttered under her breath. She was about thirty years old, practically an elder in a realm where trainees were lucky to live past ten years old. She was familiar with those like Aura, who trained half the day and dream of being in the arms of perhaps another Saint or even a God. But three out of four times, it was some desperate foot soldier or someone who sought a wife, but had no chance of acquiring one. "I pray to Athena that your choice will lead to happiness, but my gut says otherwise."
Vasiliki came over to Dimitris and the first thing he did was grab her hand. Rather it is warm and tender how first love would be, it was wet and a tight grip, his nails digging a bit in her skin. He pulled awkwardly as if she was a clueless mutt on a leash. She begged him to take an alternative path from the main square of Rodario but refused. It was always crowded around this time, but even though her mask was gone, everyone recognized her flowing tresses of blue hair. Her tears mixed with the rain around as many onlookers pointed and recognized her.
But then, just when she thought they would be taking the trail to the gates, he pulled her into another direction toward the inn, her imagination taking hold. "Please, not right now," she begged. Her head darted back and forth at all the people she had got to know over the years.
They knew what had happened as they clicked their tongues and shook their heads, a few already declaring her a whore.
"Shut up!" Dimitris hissed back. "You are my wife now and unless you want to face the wrath of Hera, you will act like one."
"Alright," she muttered, finding her head viciously shaking no, as she did so.
O|============|O
Eight Months Later
Khris and Kallen: Age 6 months in utero
Vasiliki struggled hard to pull the new pink dress over her large bulging belly. It seemed like anything she did now winded her. Her eyes turned downwards, "you are going to be so big." She spoke as she turned toward her baby. "I know, it sounds strange for me to talk to you. But at least you don't say anything hurtful. I know when you come out, you'll be full of love, won't you?" She randomly began to cry. "I kind of need it right now. Maybe someone will be kind at the party." She turned to her drawer and reached inside a secret compartment and pulled out a handful of walnuts that she had been gathering by the tree. She squeezed it between her thumb and pointer finger, breaking it with ease before she quickly snatched the delicious nut inside, savoring it with every chew.
"What the hell are you doing!" Vasiliki gasped as Dimitris came over and smacked it out. "Stop it! Look at you!"
Her mouth froze in place. "I-I-I'm pregnant!"
"You think I don't know that? I figured that out when you stopped smelling like rags of blood for a quarter of the month."He snatched the nuts out of her hand. Even when they had access to a grocery store she won't let go of her outdated Amazon habits."How disgusting! We are going to a party where there is plenty of food and you are storing nuts like a damn squirrel. You heard the doctor's recommendations for food! You are clearly overeating! I've seen my coworkers and I know what a pregnant woman should look like at six months. You look like a fucking pig."
She had learned to still her emotions when she was around him. Did he honestly expect her to keep her once trim and muscular figure without training four hours a day? How can she look like she did before if she's spending all her time at home practicing her violin and spending all night at parties?
Oh, and she's six months pregnant.
At least they were going to another gathering, probably Dimitris asking for more investment money. She looked down and touched her stomach. "Parties aren't so bad. Your father will be off with his group and I will just play my music." To be honest, while she hated being some sort of trophy shown to others, at least they would have nothing but kind words. I hope they ask me if they could sponsor a concert. That was wonderful." In order to practice, she could travel over to the Music Hall in Delphi. The less time at Dimitris' beach home, the better.
O|========|O
The way we talk to our child becomes their inner voice.
-Peggy O'Mara
O|========|O
Two months later
Khris and Kallen: 1 hour old
"Twins, were you shocked?" asked the doula as she watched the new mother clutch the two.
Vasiliki quietly smiled as her two boys clutched each breast, happily feeding upon her. "I always thought I was too fat and too ugly," she muttered as tears fell from her eyes.
The doula's grey eyes saddened. "Ugly? You know it is not true. I can't think of anyone who wouldn't want your hair." It was true. She reached over to pull out the hair tie in order to redo it. It seemed so thick and shiny with the right amount of curls. She's heard from many others who described her as the most beautiful in all of Delphi. "Besides, you shouldn't say such things, especially in front of children, either. They may be young, but they are always listening! Do you want them to think about themselves like that too?"
Vasiliki gasped and looked down. "No...I don't want that. But even if I don't say anything, it doesn't mean my...husband won't."
"Surely, he can't be that bad-"
"HE IS!" the former Amazon snapped, clenching her two sons closer than ever toward her breasts.
The doula had only seen the husband a few times. Sometimes he was quite the gentleman, but other times he would speak to you as if you ruined his life. Frankly, she thinks perhaps he should see a psychologist, but she would get in a lot of trouble if she said such a recommendation."Then we should start saying compliments to counter them." The doula turned downwards. "You two, are the most beautiful babies I've ever seen! I can already tell you have your mother's hair and without a doubt will grow into a fine pair of gentlemen. I have never seen twins come out hugging each other as tightly as the two of you have. The doctor had quite a bit of trouble telling who was the older. To think, both of you came out a month early just so that you can be born under Gemini. What a perfect constellation for the most perfect pair of twins." She looked back up to see a startled look upon the mother's face. "Mrs. Galani?"
Vasiliki darted her head left and right. When she took a break from performing, it was like the days seemed to breeze on by, filled with days of playing for fun and nights where she pretended to go to bed early just to avoid Dimitris' face. "It is not June?"
"No Mrs. Galani. It is May! May 31st. Don't feel bad. You are exhausted! You've been in labor for over twelve hours. Besides, many mothers become fixated upon the due date, and sometimes those gosh darn babies have other plans. Why I remember the last set of twins and…"
The doula kept speaking, but she wasn't listening. Instead, Vasiliki turned her head downwards to her boys. It was no secret that Gemini was one of the hardest to find. They had to be identical, they had to have a strong alignment with their constellation, they have to have a strong cosmos.
The doula stopped talking when she realized the former Amazon stopped listening. Seeing she was troubled once more, she proceeded to a nice safer subject. "Have you chosen a name for Christopher's little brother?"
Vasiliki turned downwards. "No, I haven't thought of anything for my sweet little surprise. I will need to discuss it with my husband."
"No need, for I have decided, his name shall be Kallen!" erupted Demitris as he shoved the door open, causing the babies to cry from the loud bang. He passed her the birth certificates, but his gleeful face soured. "What is wrong?"
Her head shook with wide disapproval as with a gentle jostle, she calmed the twins down. "Could you not talk about it with me before signing the papers?"
"There are more important people I had to discuss it with. The President of one of my largest investor's name is Callen. Therefore, I told him that my other son shall be named Kallen and he was absolutely delighted."
"If you wished it to be Kallen, then all you had to do was suggest it."
"They wanted the papers signed as quickly as possible. The nurses have other babies that need to pop out! The mothers would curse me if I told them to hold them in because I had to discuss a small issue with my wife on some paperwork!"
She looked upon the papers. "Wait, I thought we agreed upon Christopher?"
"Mmm, about that. I thought Christopher was far too common. He may be born small, but he will soon be great! Therefore, he needs a unique name, a special name, so he shall be known as Khristopher with a 'K'."
Once the boys released their suckle, Demitris lifted the two of them, one in each arm. "Ah, my sons! Just wait! Your Daddy has already reserved a wonderful tutor. By the time you reach school, you two shall teach the teacher!"
Vasiliki groaned. By Athena, there were over three billion men out there, why did he have to be the one to see her face?
O|==============|O
PRESENT
Saga paused, for he remembered the first time his mother told him and Kanon that, she was crying so hard. It wasn't later, until Demitris bragged about it at a party, about the technique called: Pretty Hunting.
Can't find a good looking wife?
Find an Amazon that won't kill, and find a way to knock off their mask whether it be bumping into her, tripping her, or in his mother's case, oil up the ground so that she would slip and fall.
Boom, she will love you and stay with you. She can't divorce you since it goes against their honor.
It made him sick whenever he saw young Amazons talk about how they dreamed about showing their faces to someone handsome and kind, especially a Gold Saint.
Well what if the man who sees your face is too old?
A creep?
A person who's only intention is because they want a good legal fuck?
None of them, not even his mother, ever think about what would happen if the wrong one ever sees it… until it is too late.
It would be so easy to one's finger and say that she should've ended his life.
The thing was, while it was easy and fun to beat someone up, it is hard to kill.
Death is final.
Anyone who says they had no trouble the first time is either cursed, a liar, or a psychopath.
Even Aiolos, who liked to hunt on a daily basis, whose Cloth specialized in killing from a distance in one strike, has never taken the life of a human because he is uncomfortable with it. The law basically punishes the Amazons who choose to act noble.
Some speak as the law as to kill or to love.
For his mother, Demitris forced her to take his life or to rape her for life.
Even in death, she must be placed next to him as husband and wife.
That was the reason why he nor Kanon, if they can help it, will never call Demetris their father.
Saga flipped through the pages and smiled a bit, reading over when the two were very young. Those were happy times. Mother's career in music hadn't taken off yet, so she spent all day playing with them while Demitris was stuck working during the day time.
That was one nice thing about Demitris' house and that like many from Rodario, they would often inherit their properties and his family happened to be beside the beach.
He and Kanon would play endlessly by the beach. He loved building castles while Kanon built creatures, often crafting chimeras. They would find treasures that the tourists would leave behind. Goddess, they found everything from sunglasses to toys. They would even clean it up and resell back to tourists, making quite a bit too with their lofty goal of going to Disney World someday. As they went about, they could hear their mother's violin from a distance. She would open the window and play for them. Always shouting and telling them the songs and they would learn them.
Everyone wondered how he could literally soak in a bath all day. The truth was as a kid, he had the ocean outside his door. A little muddy? Jump in the ocean. A little sad, jump in the ocean. Bored? Jump in the ocean.
The water was always perfect. Mother's music was perfect. He had Kanon to play with.
If ever had a chance to go back in time, that would be it.
He turned the page to the next chapter about when they started soccer. There in bold heavy marker, was a quote from Coach George.
Kallen, you and your brother are amazing! Out of all my years, I have never seen a pair so well coordinated. I don't often say this, but I think you two have the talent to make it out there and conquer the world!
"Nope!" Saga popped his lips. He liked Coach George as a person, but he hated soccer with endless practice from the time he could walk until the day he left. He took his hand and skipped the entire chapter.
The next page was the two of them, dressed in their dark blue school uniforms, their hair was cut so short that it didn't even touch their ears. Most would see it as a military cut, but the truth was that where they lived, it was the opposite. The odd thing was, it was one of the few things that mother and Demitris agreed upon. For mother, extremely short hair meant one was not intending on joining Sanctuary's army. For Demitris, it was the intention of branching out in the world and leaving Rodario.
But such a feat did not come cheap.
The jackets alone in the picture were over a hundred Euros apiece. When combined with the rest of the uniform and books, it was easily over a thousand euros for each of them to just to start off the year.
Of course, that didn't stop Kanon from seeing how far he could get away with things.
O|==============|O
Kido International School
Khris and Kallen: Age 5
*based on real children
The room was filled with colorful bits of artwork along the walls. In the center of the room where all the desks were pushed out of the way was a smiling brunette teacher holding up a colorful illustrated book with a beautiful cake on the front.
"This is the hen,
that laid the egg,
that went into the cake,
that Mack ate." The teacher turned her head. "Adrian, can you describe where the egg is at?"
A little boy with wavy brown hair and freckles pointed up. "The egg is…" he started to trail.
She smiled and decided to produce a hint. "Is it over the hen or is it under the hen?"
Adrian fiddled with his tiny fingers as his brown eyes shifted back and forth. "Uh…" he muttered.
"Psst!"
Adrian darted his head over toward the back of the room where the Galani brothers were still at their desks.
Kallen Galani, the younger of the Geminis, began to gesture the answer by taking one hand and sliding it under the other.
"Ugh Under?" Four-year-old Adrian mumbled as his eyes kept trying to hide the fact that he was looking at Kallen from the teacher but doing a terrible job at it.
The teacher produced a wide smile. "Good job, Adrian. The egg is under the hen." She shifted her eyes just as Kallen immediately turned away. "Class, I need to speak with a couple of students. I want you to pair up with a partner and I want you to think of predictions on where the story will go next. Think of what the hen will need to eat? Think of what goes into a cake and how a cake is made. Ten minutes everyone!" She chimed as she grabbed the timer, set it up, and placed it in a spot for the tiny eager eyes to gaze upon.
The teacher then navigated around the small bodies, each of them proudly wearing the dark blue dress jackets with the crest of Kido International upon their left breasts. After that, she headed toward the back where a pair of desks were placed.
These were the Galani brothers, identical twins that were far too advanced for their age, but were too young and small to be placed where they tested at. It was decided that aside from certain specials like Physical Education and Music, they would have their own independent curriculum.
Of course, they weren't separated from the rest of the class not just because of their intelligence.
She steps in front of the first desk, the top is clean and spotless with only the large packet in the corner with a copy of The Little Prince carefully resting on top. It was clearly completed, with Khris' tiny hard pressed handwriting that looked like it was printed. She is not surprised. Give the older brother a week, and he will complete it before lunchtime. "How are you doing, Khris?" She speaks ever gently and sweetly, especially since he had his arms folded with his head on top to hide his face.
"I am fine. I got all my work done, Mrs. Ariti," a sad voice whimpered.
Her face saddened. "What's wrong Khris? You always come here happy. In fact, you were so happy less than half an hour ago. You showed me your lunch that your mother packed, you got all your work done for the next week, and today is your day to be at the front of the line!"
Khris raised his head and shrugged, his eyes a bit wet. "I don't know? I'm just sad." He shrank a bit in his seat. "Please don't tell my parents."
The teacher lowered her head. She had taught for twenty years and knew that despite how sweet Khris was, this was not normal for a child. "I can't promise you anything, Khris, except, whatever happens, it will always be for your benefit." Unfortunately, for him, no matter how many calls and requests, his parents seemed to drag their feet when it came to asking for him to get checked out. She was familiar with such families. They think there are shame and stigma to have them get mental help and as long as they get fantastic marks and they play sports on a team, they will be fine. It broke her heart to see such a kind boy's mental health being neglected and she was worried that nothing will be done until he hurts himself. "Why don't you grab a book from the shelf?" She watched him nod, wipe his face, and walk over.
Mrs. Ariti takes a single step over, the background shifts as if she had entered a new country. While Khris would finish his work as quickly as he received it, Kallen would read the books and never touch the packets. Instead, Kallen had arranged everything from The Hobbit to Heidi all around his desk, crafting a little origami sign at the top that read "Kallen's Wall" out of a piece of paper meant for him to write his essay on. "Kallen, this is getting very out of hand! Are you ever going to turn in an assignment?"
The five-year-old younger Gemini peered over his three-inch high blockade. He reached forward and used a broken half of a ruler and a pencil to serve as a pivoting joint with a copy of "Marvelous Mammals" serving as a door to open. After all, it was impolite to speak behind a barricade. "Mrs. Ariti, you are a fine teacher and I do like you. However, according to our rules that everyone in the class has signed with the blue crayon," he spoke gesturing to the lamented sheet in the front of the classroom. "If an assignment is not turned in, they will receive a zero. Those are the consequences and I accept them."
Oh, Kallen. He knew what he was doing. If he was mad, he would get sent to the office. But if he was polite, all she could do was be polite back. "But Kallen sweetie, if you don't do your work, you will not pass. Do you want to be separated from your brother?"
Kallen shook his head no. He loved his brother. In fact, he made sure that when he was building his wall that he left the space beside him so that Khris didn't have to look over it and he had plenty of elbow space. "Don't worry, I looked at our work schedule and I calculated that if I finish five of my packets, I should have a passing grade. If I am going to work, I might as well pick five packets that I would enjoy. Since The Little Prince didn't quite do it for me this week, I will pass on doing the work for now on it. Don't worry, I will be as busy as a bee once we have Charlie and the Chocolate Factory next week."
She smiled politely, but underneath she felt like banging her head. She looked at the paper of their work for the year and he was correct. Kallen was easily the smarter twin, but rather than apply it to his academics, he was always pressing buttons to see how far he could go. She points to the paper. "The writing is important, Kallen. Writing is a great way of retaining what you learn."
The younger Gemini looked down. "My brother and I retain information quite quickly and easily. It is true that writing reinforces learning material, but for me and my brother, the material is still too easy. Do you still write your ABCs in order to retain them, Mrs. Ariti?"
Mrs. Ariti struggled to avoid grimacing. The twins' last teacher warned her that there will be days where she may find the urge to punch the younger brother. Instead, she took another breath, walked over and sat in Khris' tiny seat, and leaned down to his level. "Kallen, you and your brother are two of the smartest children I've ever taught. Don't you want to go to college?"
The boy nodded. "Thank you. I want to go to college, but let's face it, this is Kindergarten. No university is going to look at my records all the way back at this time period and turn me away because my grades were poor during my first few years of school."
At that moment, the teacher took a quiet breath before she folded her hands, her smile widening ever so slightly in frustration.
Somehow, she had a feeling if Kallen ever came face to face with the Gods, he would not only talk them out of smiting him, but convince them to give him one of their positions.
There was no point in fighting it. Besides, it may lead to a parent-teacher conference and the last thing she needed was Mr. Galani yelling for over an hour how she was not doing her job and that his sons were perfect and smart. "Kallen, complete at least one page or you will receive another lunch detention."
Kallen rolled his eyes before he decided to humor her by pulling out an old Heidi crossword puzzle so that she had something to show to Mom and Dimitris for parent-teacher conferences next week.
O|==============|O
PRESENT
That was the curse of being gifted. They could reason like adults, but they were still children.
They were too advanced for their friends.
How many of them thought Franz Liszt is underrated while Hans Zimmer is a hack? Can't exactly talk about that on the playground.
Many people think the gifted were like rock stars at school.
Many think gifted students love school.
Maybe their parents will brag as such, but oftentimes, they were outsiders, forced to be separated from the rest of the class because everything was just so damn easy.
Kanon was bored. So was he.
The difference was that he never got in trouble and he got all high marks because he did everything that was handed to him.
Saga looked down at the bottom of the page.
I'm sorry I was a bad student, Mrs. Ariti. You were the best teacher I had and I wish I could go back to class and redo it all.
The paper had several spots where tears must have fallen. That was his brother. People think he doesn't care about other people's feelings, but it wasn't true. The problem was, Kanon becomes so fixated with seeing how far he can get away with everything, that only after the person experiences deep hurt, does he realize he went too far.
He could tell that his brother had these feelings when they arrived at Sanctuary. Perhaps Kanon was convinced they were never going to join the Army and go to college?
Of course, mother always knew they were destined.
O|=============|O
Khris and Kallen: Age Five
She stood there barefooted in the sand. Her instrument in her hands would play songs by day, but at night, it was a devastating weapon.
Khris pulled Kallen's hand and helped him back on his feet after the wave had clutched his body and threatened to pull him into the ocean. They stared at a pair of sticks that were stuck in the sand. If they grab them, training will end for the night. If they fail, they will be stuck doing a hundred laps on the beach in order to train to become fast enough to succeed.
The two turned to each other and charged forward as the musician's bow vigorously threw wave after wave of concentrated air blades of cosmos. Khris dodged one only for another to strike him square into the belly, sending him flying five feet into the air. Khris burned his cosmos as hard as he could, the white light waving uncontrollably as he was desperate to use it as a means of protecting his body from the impact. Still, his body slammed into the wet sand, which might as well be concrete with how hard he struck the surface. Khris turned his head as Kallen stood up. He was a bit woozy from his landing before he reached over and jerked his younger brother out of the way as another beam of cosmos nearly slammed into him. "Mom!"
Kallen pulled his hands up to block as the waves of the cosmos grew faster now.
"Come on, Mom!"
"Time out!"
"We need a break!"
"We were running all day for soccer practice!"
The twins bickered, their thoughts and feelings so in sync, their voices exactly alike, that it was nearly impossible to tell who said what.
"Enough of the excuses! If you want training to end tonight, grab the sticks in front of me!" She took her bowstring and swung it, casting a long wave of cosmos that stretched from one section of the beach to the other.
The older Gemini took a knee as he jerked his hands over his ears as a heavy ringing enveloped them. He turned to his brother and stared at his face. On the outside, it looked like they were doing nothing.
But they were twins. They couldn't explain it, but they knew what the other was thinking. In a way, it was a sixth sense that seemed to transcend mental messages and one that had always existed since birth. Always in sync with their steps, finishing the other's thoughts and sentences. For any other pair, they would have to physically explain to the other on what to do.
But for them, it just came so naturally that the mere eye contact at that moment was more than enough.
Khris charged one way and Kallen the other, their paths arching a manner as if forming a perfect circle so that their mother could only strike at one or the other with her cosmos.
It was a good strategy if she was going to go easy on them and relied only on energy blasts. However, she loved them dearly.
She takes her metal violin and slams Khris on the back while her other foot kicks Kallen in the face.
But just because they were struck, didn't mean the link between the brothers was lost. Khris fell to the ground but was within distance. He snatched both sticks and immediately tossed the other.
Kallen, despite being flung backward from the force and unable to see, reached out his hand and blindly caught it perfectly before using his cosmos to soften the rough landing before he and his brother fell unconscious at the same time.
An hour later, Khris and Kallen opened their eyes to find themselves back in their bedroom, their mother sitting in between the two, as she always did, clutching each of them in one arm as she had since they were babies, her green cosmos slowly healing their bruises on their faces and bodies.
She watched them both stir in the same matter. It never ceased to amaze her at how the two would mirror the other's action in the most mundane of ways, first rubbing their faces at the same time before blinking and twisting their heads with perfect synchronicity like a pair of sunflowers. "You both did well, tonight. You are summoning your cosmos much faster and were able to use it for protection."
Kallen rubbed his face, still bruised from the blow, but he could tell that her cosmos will ensure it would be gone before school tomorrow. "Mom, do we have to do this? They can't force us to fight. That goes against Athena's principals."
She sighed. "Yes, Sainthood is supposed to be a choice." Although being from a Sanctuary orphanage, the only way out of that place was to become an Amazon. "But you two are special
I knew this the moment I gazed into your eyes.
I am so sorry that this will be your fate.
I think the only thing that surprised me, was the fact that didn't kidnap either of you when you both took your first breaths. That is why it is important that I train you now. I am no master and I didn't earn a Cloth."
"How come?"
"You're so strong, Mom."
The two chimed interchangeably.
"I'm not that strong. Perhaps I was worthy at one point, but I am so out of practice that my body is as fatigued as the two of you are." She sighed. "I suppose I could have had a Cloth. The test required for my Cloth was one where if I failed, I would die. So I chose to put it off. I was scared. But then, something happened… and it was too late…
...Sanctuary will be so kind to you at first…
...take you in…
...feed you…
...sisterhood…
...friends…
...but the moment you fail a cloth or do something stupid...no matter how many years you spend...hours you train...things you give up... they will be quick to reject you...cast you outside and maybe take your life…
...Sanctuary is not forgiving and you must be on your guard and the top of your game...that is why we must train. It is not the best, but I pray it will help you."
Khris listened carefully, not knowing those words would weigh heavily in his mind forever. "I don't want to go."
Kallen looked up as well. "Neither do I!"
"It is supposed to be dangerous."
"It's backward with nothing but Prototypos."
"No electricity."
"No TV."
"No running water."
"I want to be a musician like you Mom!"
"Me too!"
Her eyes welled. "I wish for that too, but we must be prepared...for if they take you, you must help each other to ensure you earn that Cloth.
If you fail in Sanctuary to do so...you are less than nothing."
O|=============|O
PRESENT
Looking back, his mother wasn't strong. Not at all. Most musical Saints are only able to subdue or cause mental effects like sleep or dizziness. Of course, such talent is actually quite useful, especially when it came to missions where there was a great need of avoiding being caught.
It also demonstrates how great Lyra Orphee was since he had the skill to actually use his talents to kill as easily as any other Saint.
But mother was right in her foresight and her lessons on the beach proved invaluable.
But of course, she could not predict that contrary to what many people thought, the Gemini Cloth was not shared.
That wasn't her fault. There are so many secrets in Sanctuary in regards to the Cloths that were still being discovered centuries later.
His mother, so pure and loving.
He will never forget that day, down to even the minute of details.
It all started in the living room. He was working on his math and because he pressed extremely hard when he wrote, the tip of his pencil broke.
O|=============|O
Khris and Kallen: Age 6
Khris lifted his pencil up and pinched the rest of the broken lead out. Judging by how deep it was, he was probably going to have to shave nearly half of it off just to make it usable again. He walked to his desk and opened it up and frowned. "Mom, Kallen, where is my pencil sharpener?" the older Gemini called out.
Kallen was busy eating from a platter of chocolate chip cookies. "Sorry, brother, I think I left it somewhere on my side of the room. I'll try to find it as soon as I'm done eating!"
Khris rolled his eyes. He wished Kallen would just take five seconds to put it back in its proper spot. Not only that, but Kallen's side was stacked with lego blocks. It will take forever to find. He looked down. He hated leaving his math homework half-finished. "Don't worry about it," he groaned. His eyes shifted toward the plate. "Demetris is going to kill you if he catches you eating in the living room."
Kallen shrugged. "Don't care, "he spoke as he shoved one in his mouth and offered one.
Khris accepted it and took a big bite. His eyes shifted toward the kitchen. "Wow, mom is making ALOT of cookies. Wonder if she's celebrating?" Khris thought before he slowly dragged himself up the stairs. First, he turned to their bedroom, and then he looked higher toward Demitris' office.
As much as he didn't want to, it would be easier just to Demitris' and just use his pencil sharpener. He reached the dark oak door, making sure he knocked."Dad?" he called out, the very word filling him with disgust. It was quiet, but he still carefully twisted the knob hoping that no one was there.
He cracked the door pausing briefly when a strange sound followed. He opened it and there before him, was Dimitris hanging from a noose, wearing his yellow suit, his red eyes bulging, and his grey hair disheveled.
Dimitris was dead.
At that moment, Khris became a true Gemini, his face an amalgamation of joy and sadness.
Unsure exactly how to feel.
He heard a flurry of footsteps before he turned to see his mother's wide eyes. "Khris, what are you doing…" she turned her head and screamed in horror.
It was loud enough to knock some sense back into him. "Mom?" he muttered.
"Khris, leave!" she spoke waving her hand as if to shoo him away.
But Khris felt frozen.
Dimitris was dead.
Dimitris was dead.
Dimitris was dead.
She shook her head. "Khris," she began to dig in his pockets, trying to see if he left some sort of note or anything. "Khris, lea-"
BANG
The boy's face was painted with a fresh warm coat of red as he stared at her crumpling body, her blue hair covering her face. His eyes turned toward Demitris' pocket, where a small smoking hole was at.
His mind tried to connect when Demitris bought it...perhaps when mother snapped at him for slapping her in front of her friends. But his brain was mush before he too crumpled to the floor. "Mom…" He couldn't move. Why can't he move? Her blood, his tears, mixing and rolling into his own agape mouth.
The door swung open.
Kallen's head turned to his brother's pale gaze and then to the fallen former Amazon as her hair lay strewn all over, soaking in a puddle of blood. His shaking hands approached her and twisted her head to see the tiny hole on her forehead. He swallowed hard to maintain his composure for he's seen in movies that it was possible to survive a bullet to the head. But when he touched her cold stiff neck, his tears poured out. "...mom… no no...this wasn't supposed to happen..."
Kallen turned to his older brother, the pupils in his eyes were so large that it swallowed all the blue out of them. Khris was always hurrying out of the living room when he played his horror movies as if he was watching bullets. "You shouldn't have come here," he murmured as he ran over and squeezed him tightly as mother would and stroked his head. "Khris...Khris...come on…" It felt as if he was holding a living doll. "Please Khris, say something!" He pressed his forehead against him. "You're all I have left!" he whimpered before he felt his older brother begin to stir.
Khris tried to lift his head and turn. "Mom," he muttered.
Kallen pulled his older brother's head from the view. "Don't look. Shhh," Kallen used his shirt to clean his brother's face and slowly drag him out of there. Once past the thick heavy brown door, The two sat together, clutching the other, as they had since birth or at night when they hear Demitris taking out another bad day of work on their mother.
The two turned to each other, their thoughts in sync along with their voices.
"What do we do?'
"I don't know."
"Mom's dead."
"We should call someone."
"Who do we call?"
"How will we be able to call if both of their Tele-Cams are locked?"
"We should walk to the guardpost by the port. It is not too far."
"Should we stop by the clinic and ask for an ambulance?"
"Does a person need an ambulance if they are already dead?"
"The funeral home has a hearse."
"A hearse? They'll take her straight to the cemetery."
"No, they will hold a funeral."
"Does it cost money?"
"Yes, it does. We have to stop at the bank."
"Mother should be pretty before she is buried."
"Yes, Mother should take the ambulance and they will make her pretty."
"Demitris should take the hearse to toss him in the ground quickly."
"This is complicated! We should just go to the guardpost and ask for their opinion."
"I don't want to leave mother alone with him."
"I don't want to either, but we are truly alone now."
Khris' body continued to tremble, the gunshot still echoing in his head. "I'm a crybaby," he muttered, repeating the words of Demitris.
"No, you're not. It scared me too." Kallen was used to his brother's sadness. People think he is faking it for attention since at times, he would be laying on the ground motionless to the point that someone could kick him repeatedly and he wouldn't budge an inch. He knew since Demitris did it all the time. But Kallen knew it was real and will always treat it as such. They were brothers after all. They were all each other had. Kallen had a good idea of what mother would say. "Take all the time you need. We'll wait for the bus and travel to the guardpost and tell them."
"We're still together."
"We will always be together."
O|=====================|O
PRESENT
He was twenty years now and despite it being fifteen years ago, he could remember that moment with far more clarity than yesterday. How could something so horrible happen to his beloved mother? She was an angel full of love and kindness, unlike his cold and calculating father.
Saga closed his eyes.
Before the curse, it was a memory that haunted his dreams. Even when he thinks of it, he could still feel the initial spray of her warm blood strike his cheeks.
He felt his heartbreak as memories of her training the two of them came about. She trained them because she cared and she was right.
They did head to Sanctuary immediately afterward.
Saga turned the page, curious at how his brother interpreted the event. He expected Kanon to describe how he was nibbling on a platter of cookies while watching a teenager die in some stupid way on the tv. "What the!?" He brought the book closer to his eyes as if to ensure what he was reading was true. "...No...No...By the GODDESS!" he cursed.
O|=====================|O
Children are natural mimics who act like their parents despite every effort to teach them good manners.
Mark Twain
O|=====================|O
Khris and Kallen: Age 6
Three hours prior to Khris finding Demitris in the office
Vasiliki's eyes were closed as her bow traveled back and forth on the violin strings when the door swung open. The lovely melody from before ground to a halt when Demitris stormed inside what was supposed to be her private studio. She frowned at his disruption but then her eyes paled at the scroll in his hand.
Demitris dark eyes tossed it at her feet. "How dare you! Why didn't you tell me you granted permission for Sanctuary to take our children!"
She frowned. How many times must he make decisions without her including the one about naming Kallen when he made his surprise entrance to the world?
She laid her instrument upon the table and turned her head, her face was devoid of any emotion. "Why are you concerned? I only stated that at the time of our deaths may they head off there."
He narrowed his eyes. "They were to go to my mother if something happened! Are you telling me that you would sentence them to isolation and Holy War?"
She closed her eyes. "No, I don't want them to go. But the truth is, I know Sanctuary. If we die, they will find a way to make them their own for they were the epitome of the perfect pair of Gemini trainees. Their cosmos is strong, they are identical, and were born on the day when the Gemini constellation is in perfect alignment. I only do this so that Sanctuary will not trouble your mother." As much as she hated her husband, she was surprised at how kind and sweet his mother was. His mother even told her that she believes that Khris was going through the same strange emotional behaviors that Demtris experienced as a child, but she didn't have the money to get him treated. "You should thank me. Sanctuary has many hands and they would cause absolute hell toward her to take them away."
"I will not!" He took his hand and slapped her cheek. Feeling a bit disappointed that she took it in without so much as a glance. "You fat pig!" he added, knowing it always stung her pride since her body didn't completely recover from birthing twins. "Don't YOU DARE MAKE A DECISION LIKE THAT WITHOUT TELLING ME!" Still, she doesn't react, giving a blank reaction as if letting him know she didn't care what he said.
He should have stopped there, but like Kallen, there was always a curiosity to see how far he could go, how deep he could stick his head into the lion's mouth.
He snatched her violin and carried it out of the room. He stomped over toward the nearest open window and tossed it out into the ocean.
As she heard the loud kerplunk, her heart tore in two. Music was the only thing she had left, which made her feel like something.
A toothless, clawless lion still had the strength of a sledgehammer in its blows.
A chained elephant was still over two tons.
A maskless overweight Amazon still could turn rock into dust.
She approached him from behind, her feet as silent as the night. She waited until he turned around...
….before she grabbed him by the head, and promptly snapped his neck.
She held him by his ears as his lifeless eyes stared back at her before she pulled away and allowed him to fall like a puppet.
"You killed him?"
Her body tensed and shame began to blanket her. Was one of her beloved sons behind her? Their voices were so alike, only by turning around and seeing his face, could she tell that it was Kallen behind her. She took a deep breath knowing that she had committed a crime and it was only proper she accepted it. "Yes, Kallen, I did."
But then, Kallen's surprised face turned into a smile. "WAY TO GO, MOM!"
Her eyes widened. "You're not upset?"
Kallen raised a brow. "I'm surprised you didn't do it sooner. But we need to do something. I don't want you to get in trouble with the police and if we don't hurry up, rigor mortis will set in within a couple of hours and it will make it difficult to come up with a reasonable excuse."
The former Amazon was surprised at how at ease Kallen was. But she supposed it was because he watches far too many horror movies than she was comfortable with. However, he was right. She picked him up and began to carry him toward his office. "Go distract your brother. I'll take him to the office."
Kallen agreed with two-finger salute, "Sure thing, Mom!"
She turns down to his pale body and thinks back to Equuleus Otrera's words from when she first left the Amazon Sisterhood.
You are no longer Aura, Amazon trainee of the Eridanus Cloth. You are Vasiliki once more. Your bond with the sisterhood has ended and now will be joined with this man forever. Forever to love and to bare proof of such love. Should you break this sacred law, may the wrath of Hera fall upon you.
But for the first time, she smiled proudly. She was certain that her words were false.
Besides, after all, that has happened, she doesn't care. What can Hera do?
"The three of us will have dinner. I will see that your father is missing. I will walk to his office and I will find out that he decided to to...end it all."
O|===============|O
PRESENT
Saga laid sprawled in the middle of the heavily dusty floor, shifting his dyed blond hair to ash grey, only because his strands were practically mopping up the thick dust in it.
He coughed a bit from the dust as he turned to his brother's journal. "Oh Mother...not you…!" he shook his head. "Kanon! What the hell? You knew she killed him and you went along with it without telling me?! Can't I have anyone in my family that doesn't murder...or scheme...defy gods…"
SMACK
SMACK
SMACK
He took the book and beat his head repeatedly on it.
Before he allowed his hands to fall.
He hated Demitris.
Thinking back, he hates him even more. He tricked his mother and legally raped her repeatedly. He and Kanon were nothing more than objects to carry his name. They had to be smarter than his coworkers' children. They were going to be smarter than his coworkers' children. They had to be more cultured than They were going to be accountants who made more money than his coworkers' children.
When Saga finally got tested and they said he was bipolar. Rather than work it out to understand it, to live with it. It was a dreadful flaw that was best ignored. To him, being bipolar was the equivalent to being a monster.
But now that he looked back, Demitris had the same thing.
Yes, he was certain that Demitris was bipolar as well, except for one difference.
Being bipolar didn't make him a monster, that was Demitris' own personality.
Demitris was just a mean and selfish man.
But still, he didn't deserve to be murdered. Nobody does.
If he could just go back in time, he would gladly tell Mom they could all just run away. Didn't matter if they had to be homeless just to make it work out. Maybe she would still be alive?
Then again, he had never been put in his mother's position and he knew that for every strike Demetris performed on him and Kanon, mother got it ten times as worse.
It was such a hard concept to wrap his head around.
The only certain thing was that they were both dead, he nor Kanon couldn't do anything about it.
Saga sat up and turned to the journal. He needed a break from this. His time should be spent searching for answers about the curse while he was here, and perhaps when his brain is turned into jelly from using three different languages to translate a book, he'll be ready for the other half when they entered Sanctuary and the path to the Cloth of the Twins divides them.
O|=====================|O
Author's Notes: Trying to fit Kanon and Saga's backstory was always difficult. There was a chapter that featured it, but the problem was that most of it was set up.
Another problem is that due to its length, I didn't want the story to grind into a halt to tell what happened to them at school. Any flashback used in the main story has a purpose.
When I started writing the last part, it made me realize I could use the Archive as a more natural and direct way of depicting it.
Saga still has half of Kanon's journal left to go, but for now, we need to return back to the main story. If you are wondering about the quicker update time, it was mainly because the last chapter had too many Aiolos and I didn't want to have their sections cause confusion.
Hope you enjoy, show some support with a review.