Shards
The life of an Impundulu was not always a pleasant one.
The diet was limited, to say the least.
Sometimes Kaoru and Hikaru really wished they could've been born human.
For despite their weakness, and the hate they recieve for creating machines to give themselves strength, humans were not monsters.
No, not really.
For the real monsters?
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'We are the real monsters.'
Yuzuha Hitachiin had risen from nothing.
A good for nothing witch who, worse yet, could not even do her duty as a woman by bearing children.
Useless to the betterment of the species...
Her pretty looks?
Just a parlor trick meant to make you trust her.
So she had proven them all wrong, and she had started a company.
Her designs were beautiful ("Copies no doubt, she likely magicked them into forgettin she'd took them."), each stitch in one of her garments was experetly placed ("Careful, they may carry curses!"), and the public positively loved her ("Who the hell does she think she is? Attempting to take the place of elves and vampires!").
As such, her clothing was often bought.
Apparently, it didn't matter if a filthy witch claimed to have made them.
Of course, after she grew in popularity, many claimed that she couldn't really be a witch.
Obviously not.
She met a man, a wonderful human man, who ended up taking her name.
They wanted children.
It was not something they needed (no, never needed), but they did feel they simply had more love to give. If you had this much, why not give it? Alas, their efforts proved fruitless, and they remained a duo.
Still, it could've been worse, they could be completely alone in this world.
Soon enough, the gardener found an egg.
An impundulu egg.
"It must be disposed of." He insisted
"Nonsense, they shouldn't be killed before they have a chance to live. They didn't choose to be made, did they? Why kill them for it?" She was, after all, a witch. That was what they needed, and it was what she could provide.
They had wanted a child.
The egg did not give them a child as hoped.
Instead, it provided them with two.
Twins.
They drank mostly milk in their early years, and Yuzuha would give them cut up pieces of raw cattle as well, in hopes of satisfying the taste for blood she knew them to have. Still, the boys were somewhat small, and very girlish looking.
"One day, when you're older, you'll know how to go in between bird and human. Then you'll be able to soar through the skys, just the two of you! It'll be wonderful, but you have to promise to visit your dear old Mom once in a while, otherwise I'll be to lonely." She would say
"What about Daddy?" Kaoru would always respond
"Oh, that man? He's positively dreadful company. Don't worry, you'll understand when you're older."
"Kaoru and I won't ever need any company besides each other, and we're the best!" Hikaru would insist
"No, I suppose you don't."
Yet, after she was gone, it was like they were always alone.
They were no longer two people, but two separate halves. Together they were whole, and yet still only one. Each boy a wing, consisting of its own feathers, but never two birds.
(Alone.)
Silence was much worse company than any father could ever be.
The children were weak, but Yuzuha refused to allow them to feed off others as their bodies so wished to do.
Instead, she did the only other thing she could do.
As a witch (as a mother), she set them free.
Forcing them instead to feed on her, providing them with the nutrients the would need enough that they would grow and retain their health. After that, the cattle blood would do it's purpose without having to try and compensate for the lack of proper food.
It was like living on only vegetables and water.
The boys were twelve years old when they were unwittingly freed.
No one told them the truth.
No one was going to.
(They found it anyways).
They had been fourteen, and a new supplement had finally come out.
It gave creatures who's anatomy required the drinking of blood all of the vitamins and most of the nourishment they would get, provided they take one pill for roughly every 60 pounds you weigh per day (age was also a factor of course).
When their father had discovered this, he cried.
He cried, and he cried, and tears streamed down his cheek with such abundance once the news had reached him that his cheeks were raw and red. It was one of the maids gossiping that had helped clued them in ("Poor man, if those had been made but two years earlier than Mrs. Hitachiin might still be here."). They put the pieces together themselves.
Hikaru vomited to the point where he was too weak to move.
Kaoru stared at his hands (hands with which he had casually picked up a knife and fork and pretended he could be anything remotely decent).
They were very within their world anyways, but that had been an absolute turning point for them.
("She did it because of us." They would scream)
("She did it because she loved you.")
They were the only ones that the other deserved. Their other half, they were innocent. They themselves?
Well, they were monsters.
Tamaki is attempting to teach Haruhi to waltz when it happens.
She turns, and faces them
"Kaoru, this really isn't helping. Could I try with you?"
They shrug, and one half momentarily separated from the other. It doesn't matter which, as long as it was one
"Hikaru, I asked Kaoru. He's less likely to try something, and I really need to get this done."
Except it does. Suddenly, they're not just interchangeable.
The twins are reminded then.
Reminded that one is Hikaru, and one is Kaoru, and just because no one else knows which is which did not make the distinction unimportant. The one that wasn't Hikaru was Kaoru, and the one that was not Kaoru was Hikaru.
This one was not Kaoru.
Yet he was more than just 'not Kaoru', he was Hikaru.
"Hikaru? Is something wrong? I didn't mean to insult you or anything, If it's that important I'll dance with you, as long as you don't get too handsy."
He blinked.
She was talking to him.
Not just them.
Not just one of them.
Him.
The one that is Hikaru is Hikaru, and the one that is Kaoru is Kaoru.
(His hold on her is firm, tight even, and she only complains about him needing to reevaluate the position of his hands once.)
The one that is not Hikaru watches silently.
A/N: So yeah, most of the stuff I said about Impundulu is based off of what I've read. Human blood is best, but the blood of cattle can work. They can also drink milk as a sort of last resort, so I put that in t make their baby phase more relatable. Fun fact, one of the ways to kill an impundulu is to give it poisoned milk.
Also, due to a comment, I realized that I have never specified my gender for anyone who wishes to refer to me. Quite frankly, it doesn't matter. I personally don't mind what pronouns you use to refer to me, as I am honoured you bother speaking of me at all. This, of course, will not apply to all those you meet.
SO, just to recap, anything works. He, she, him, her, they, them, Ms., Mr, Mx (I learned that from the comment, so thank you!). Just don't call me 'it' (something you would think I don't have to clarify but I've seen some forked people). While I do have prefered pronouns while talking in person I feel it necessary as this is about my writing and not myself. This was just to save anyone the time of asking (though I would've appreciated the effort).
This will likely be reiterated on my profile at some point.
-Lucas_Gilbert
P.S.- This chapter really hit hard for me for some reason. It was one of the best and worst that I've written so far (as in how easy it was and how it felt to write it).
P.P.S- This document was so hard to edit it isn't even funny