Frostbite shook me awake.

(He's calling us.) She whispered.

I groaned and rolled out of the nest.

Our "nest" was a pile of blankets and some pillows. We usually huddle for warmth.

(Come on.) I grabbed my sisters hand.

(Happy birthday.) She squeezed my hand.

(Happy birthday.) I said back.

We stumbled into the living room.

(About time. Shopping. Make sure to bring back Yeerk Pool cleaner, or you will regret it. Go.)

(Yes sir.) I pulled on Frostbite's hand. The door slid open as we neared it, then shut with a poof of air.

(Spark?)

(Yes?) Our hooves were softly clicking on the tile of the hallway.

(Can I lean on you?)

(Oh! Of course!)

She grabbed onto my arm and let her weight fall into me and not her injured forelegs.

We walked in silence for a while until a door opened and a Hork Bajir stepped out. He glanced at us, then looked down to his papers, walking alongside us. I saw him try to look at us subtly, but I could tell Frostbite knew he was doing that and she felt uncomfortable. (Brother, he's staring.)

I stopped and turned to him.

(Go on, take a good look at our fathers abuse. As if anyone cares.) I glared up at him.

"Calm down, okay? I was just going out. Why so hostile?"

(The fact that we have a wretched existence is why we are so hostile.) Frostbite said quietly.

"Emo." He muttered and walked away. I squeezed her arm.

(I don't believe that was "emo". That was simple truth.) She murmured and let her head rest on my chest.

(Come along, we need to go.)

She nodded.

We walked until we got to the lift. I stepped in after Frostbite. We pressed the lobby button. She held onto me as it wobbled.
A few humans and a female Hork Bajir went on with us. They didn't even try to hide their staring.
I glared at each of them, trying to tell them to go screw themselves with the sheer power of my red eyeballs. It didn't work.
The lift let us off with a ding.

Our hooves clattered loudly as we walked awkwardly to the "store" door. I felt eyes follow us all the way there.

I pushed open the door.
(Grab a basket, will you?) I asked.

About halfway through the third isle, Frostbite's knees buckled. She fell to the tile hard.

(Frostbite!)

(I am alright.)

(No, you are not!)

She struggled to stand, but collapsed to the ground in a heap.

(I... I can't stand.)

(Oh, Frostbite.)

(Heh heh heh. I'm more pathetic than I thought.)

(Don't say that!)

People were staring, and I saw a Taxxon take a couple of steps towards my injured sister. I flicked my slightly crooked tail blade to let them know to back up. They went even closer. Frostbite was struggling up.

(Do you want me to carry you?)

(Yes, please.)

I kneeled, allowing Frostbite to climb onto my lower back, straddling me. She wrapped her arms around my torso.

The Taxxon was very close now.

(Take another damn step and I will kill you, worm!) I screamed at it. Its jelly eyes stared at me.

(I mean it!) I seethed.

It screeched something at me.

(I don't speak stupid, sorry.)

A Hork Bajir stood up. "He said 'Brave words for someone who can't even defend his sister fro-"

Agony hit my neck.

My father hissed as his tail cut into my neck. (Why are you taking so long? I came here to see if you were goofing off, and here you are, threatening people you have no business doing so. Get off him.)

Frostbite slid off of me, wincing as her legs had to support her weight once again.

(And here you are, cutting me in front of everybody. Why do you even try to hide the bruises and cuts if you'll do it in front of everyone?)

That earned me a slap to the head. Father grabbed my eyestalk and yanked me towards him.

(I will finish this shopping trip. You obviously can not handle it.)

/ / / / / / / / / / /

(Let's fix up that wound, shall we?) He rubbed his hands together and grabbed the peroxide and bandages.

(Alright.) He threw me on the ground and pinned me down.

Uncapping the peroxide, he just poured it directly into the wound. A lot of it.

I cried out and thrashed about, but he succeeded in holding me down. It felt as if someone poured acid in there. I felt foam and blood spill onto the rest of my neck. Maybe it really was acid, and my father was sicker than I thought.

/ / / / / / / / / /

(Oh, Spark. I'm sorry.) Frostbite cried once more.

I embraced her and squeezed her tightly. (No, it's alright.)

The bandages were so tightly wrapped that I had begun to suffocate, but Frostbite fixed it with my help. I was skilled in the healing department.

(Frostbite? Have you ever thought about escape?)

She paused from rearranging Fathers papers. (Yes. I have.)

I placed a tab and a paper clip on a stack. (I have thought about it a lot lately.)

(What a birthday.)

(How old are we now, sister?)

She paused in her work, delicate pink fingers halting. Frostbite thought for a bit, then looked up.

(You don't remember?)

(I... No. Days just blur together.)

Tears began to well up in her eyes.

(We're 15, now, in... Human years? I only remember that because it was such a small number compared to our real age.) She chuckled sadly. (I don't know the Yeerkish date and I've forgotten the Andalite date.)

(It's okay.) I shuffled my papers, searching for the proper ones to go in the tab. (I just asked you because you're younger. I'm getting old.)

(We're twins!)

(Mm-hmm, but I am five minutes older.)

(Ah, you cheater. You pushed me aside and went first.)

(Crafty me.) I giggled. That earned a gentle swat on the arm.

Frostbite tried to hold back laughter, but an amused snort escaped her.

(Are you slacking?) Our father muttered darkly from the doorway. I shuffled through my papers quickly.

I felt his eyes on us. Judging who to hit. Who would cry, who would fight back. Who would heal faster. Who would listen better after it.

He trotted in and seized Frostbite's ear, dragging her out into the living room.

(NO!) I screamed and scrambled after them. Not my sister! She was hurt enough as it was!

My father saw me coming. He whipped his tail and bashed me in the nose with the flat of the blade.

(To your room.)

I held my now-bloody nose. (No! Let her be, hasn't she endured enough of your torture?!)

(Enough!) He threw Frostbite down and kicked her. She squealed, then tried to clamp down on it. Her arms were now over her head protectively, though it wouldn't do much.

(Leave her alone!) I screamed at him, taking a step towards my sister.

(You're troublesome, you. Maybe I should kill you.)

(What I don't understand is why we're alive in the first place! If you hate us so freaking much why did you ever allow our horrible existence?! Kill me, then, and get me out of here!)

He glared at me, while I returned the favor.

(Your sister doesn't cry about you when I beat you.)

(Because she's terrified of you!)

His dark eyes were focused on me completely.

(And you are not?)

I looked him directly in the eye.

(I lost my sense of self-need a long time ago. I would prefer death to take me than watch you hurt my sister.)

(Peculiar child.)

(Is it our mother? Is that why you won't ever really kill us?)

My father stiffened. (You little brat! Your mother was a good for nothing! She got herself pregnant. It's not my fault.)

Aha! He was guilty! He was guilty, according to the laws of treason!

(But why? Why beat us within an inch of our lives, but never really kill us?)

(Shut up.) He kicked my sister in the face. She cried out, but this one was different from the usual pain induced screams. They were words.

(Why couldn't you be a daddy instead of a captor?!) Frostbite cried, her hands covering her face. Blood leaked between her fingers. (Why did you have to be abusive, and not parental? What did we ever, ever do to deserve this? Why... Why do I have to call you evil instead of Daddy?) She opened her hands and blood gushed to the floor, coming from a large cut on her face. Her tears mingled with blood.

(Why do you hate us so much?) She whispered.

Our father glared down at her and kicked her ribs. (Shut. Up.)
My sister privately spoke to me. (Spark... I think I'm done.)

(No, Frostbite!)

(No. Yes. What is the difference anymore? We are beat anyway. It is a fact of life. I refuse to live anymore.)

(Frostbite! Just hold on, he's likely almost done! Let me see if I can distract him!)

(... Fine.)

I scrambled over to him, standing over Frostbite. (Stop!)

He cracked a hit with his tail blade against my cheek. I went reeling backwards.

(I told you to go to your room.)

(I told you to leave her alone!)

Then, suddenly, I was half blind. My main eyes stung and the bridge of my nose exploded in agony.

I heard my sister scream and my father bray in anger.

I stopped and touched my main eyes. A gooey substance coated them. I rubbed it away and peered at it.

Blood.

It was blood that had gushed from my nose when my father sliced it open with his tail just then.

I sat in disbelief, black-blue blood running down my face.

(You... Why? This will need stitches.)

I took a step toward my father. He stepped back in fear.

(How are you not...)

(Screaming? Writhing in pain?)

My father paled.

(I hate you. I loathe you so much. I dream up ways to kill you. Therefore, I refuse to allow you the satisfaction of my agony. I've learnt to block pain. Go on, hit me again.)

He took a shaky step towards me. I made eye contact as he struck my chest with his tail blade. I didn't even flinch.

I enjoyed the fear in his eyes.

(Well. It seems you may be more important than I thought! Come here, I'll fix it.)

He was being nice now. Presumably because he thought he could use me. I was a painless machine to him now.

I sat still while he applied peroxide and bandages. It was in an awkward position, the bandages going around my head just below my eyes. He did the same for my chest.

(I'll take you to the Emperor after while.)

I glared at him as he walked away. When he closed his door, I collapsed into my twin sisters bruised arms, shaking and weeping.

(Why did you lie to him like that?) She murmured as she pressed her face into my neck.

(I thought I could fool him and took the chance. Hah.)

(Yes, but what happens when your self control breaks?) She pulled off, looking me directly in the eye.

I stared into her pale eyes, caught off guard. (It won't.)

(If it does?)

(It won't.)

(Spark. Even you can't resist pain forever. One day you will break, and it will be over.)

(Frostbite, I know you are attempting to help, but stop.)

She blinked and sighed. (I speak truth, brother.)

I looked away from her piercing stare. (Stop it.)

She continued with her stare.

(Frostbite.)

(Spark.)

(Stop staring at me.)

(Stop being stupid.)

I closed my eyes. (Sister. Please.)

(I simply cannot believe how shallow you are being. You are not a god.) She became quiet. (I don't even think there are gods. They are supposed to help people, right?)

I nodded. (But there are. They helped us.)

She looked up, surprised. (Really? In what way?)

(They gave me you. You are the reason we aren't dead yet.)

(I doubt it.)

My legs were getting cold on the bloody tile. (Let's go to the nest.)

/ / / / / / / / / / / / /

(Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us, happy birthday dear Spark and Frostbite, happy birthday to us.) We sang softly while imagining a cake.

(Do you want to blow them out?)

(Let's do it together.)

We huffed out of our noses at the imaginary cake.

(Did you make a wish?)

(Yes, did you?)

(Of course.)

(Tell me.)

(It won't come true then, Frostbite.)

(We're twins. Twin power.)

I chuckled softly. (Alright.) I wrapped my tail around hers. (I wish we could escape. To our mother, maybe. Maybe to the Andalite Homeworld. Possibly another called Earth that our father frequents.)

(You wouldn't want that.)

I whirled to face her, shocked. (Why?)

(Because the Yeerks have their eyes on it. Not Earth, but the Homeworld sounds nice.) She stood up. (But wishing won't get us anywhere.) Frostbite looked at me with -how ironic- a spark in her eye.
(My wish was that we act on our wishes. We do something.) Her eyes darkened.

(I know the lock code to the medical cabinet.)

I was shocked beyond belief. My shy sister, talking about... Murder.
Was it murder if the victim was evil? Or was it assassination?

(You..)

I stood and squeezed my sister.

(You are so amazing!)

I felt her hug me back. She looked up to me, and smiled the biggest smile I had ever seen.