"I am so, so sorry, really," the blond kept apologizing. The two had eventually gotten up, however embarrassing it was. Tango had started helping pick up the scattered books and papers that were flung over the place when they crashed.
"I said it was fine," Tango stated simply. He could barely keep up his nice demeanor with how much the boy was panicking. But Impulse told him to be more kind, so he might as well try. But this boy is really starting to get-
"Hey, what is this?" Tango asked him, holding up a beaten up book with the words, "A guide to chemical explosions 101", written on the top in black.
The boy instantly changed emotions. Going from shy need to excited need in record time. "Oh, that is a book I got from the Library. I wanted to try out some new experiments."
Tango quirked an eyebrow, now more intrigued. "What kind of experiments?"
"Oh, um," the boy began fumbling with his words, back to acting stress and panicky, "you wouldn't really like it. No one usually likes to talk about science with me.
Tango scoffed. The boy looked at him weirdly. Tango used his open hand to rest against the boy. He stared into the boy' shining amethysts eyes. "If there is one thing I like, it's science. And the only harm you'll be doing is not telling me."
The other blond beamed at Tango's words, but also taken aback, "It, um, th-the book is for, to tell you how to do explosions. I don't want to destroy anything if you think that! I ju-just-"
Tango shushed him before he could go on stammering and making excuses. "Listen, if there is one thing I love more than Science, it's explosions, so sign me up!" Tango was now vibrating with glee.
The boy smiled again, a bright joyful smile that seemed to fit the boy perfectly. "Really?"
Tango didn't hesitate, he nodded.
The boy seemed to catch that as his que. He grabbed Tango's wrist with his open hand and started speed walking in the direction Tango had just come from.
"Trust me, this will be great! I promise you- um,"
They both seemed to realize that neither knew each other's name.
"My name is Tango Tek," he started, being the extrovert of the two, "your's?"
The boy glanced back, still smiling, "Mines Zedaph Wither Rose."
--
Another explosion rattled the glass window, smearing grim and smoke on the walls. Luckily, the two blonds were watching on the other side of the experimentation room.
"That was so cool! Can we do it again?" Tango was bubbling with excitement and a maniac kind of anticipation. It was a bad idea to give him explosions and fire.
"Um..., " the other, Zedaph, also seemed to be enjoying the show, though Tango noticed how he would jump at the sudden loud sounds and look worriedly around the room afterwards. Almost as if he knew something tragic was going to happen. At the moment, he was looking at some papers on a clipboard, looking like he was deep in thought. "We already tried the experiments with oxygen, carbon dioxide, sodium, potassium, Caesium, Francium, Rubidium, and Lithium. That is all Alkali metals, I don't know if we have any left?"
Tango hummed in thought. He looked over at the small table, where notes, books, and other things littered it. He crossed over to the table and picked up the old leather book, the reason why he was exploding random things with a stranger in some basement.
"We could add Sulfur to Nitrogen, or maybe some Polonium?"
Zed nodded in approval. Tango was busy getting the chemicals on a poorly built shelf, when he heard footsteps on the stone brick stairs from the entrance. He jerked his head to the spruce door, dividing the experimentation room from the hallway.
The door opened, and in came a ginger haired girl. She was carrying a tray of food and some cups. "Hey Zed, I was won-" her high squeaky voice stopped when she spotted Tango. The two just started a weird, silent staring contest. Tango was beyond confused on who the girl was and why she was here. He looked hopefully toward Zed. Luckily, he got the message.
"So, um, this is Tango," Zed nervously pointed to Tango, looking everywhere but the girl. The girl just stared blankly at the both of them, still standing by the door.
The girl looked directly into Tango's red-amber eyes. She searched his face for something, which unnerved Tango very much, but eventually gave a small smile. "Hello Tango, my name is Gem, I'm Zed's older sister."
Tango looked between the two dumbfoundedly. How the fuck were they siblings!
Zed had short fluffy blond hair, but Gem had curly ginger hair. He had shining amethysts eyes, while she had dark blue eyes. Even their personalities were different! Zed was always jumpy and shy. Gem seemed to carry a bold confidence with her. He wouldn't be surprised if Gem was taller than Zed. The only thing they had in common was that they were both hybrids. Zed was obviously a goat hybrid, and Gem appeared to be some type of deer hybrid. The antlers, doe ears, and freckles kinda gave it away.
"So, I was going to ask if you wanted some snacks, but I see you're a little bit busy." She said slowly, still trying to get used to the idea of her brother inviting a stranger into their home.
"Sorry Gem, it's just, I um..." he tried to find the words to piece the situation together, but was stopped by Gem.
"It's fine Zed, just warn me next time. Okay?" She cheerfully supplied. He nodded shamefully.
She set the tray of food down on the table, Zed helped her by sorting some books and papers out of the way. She wished them good luck, and instructed them not to damage anything, and left.
While nibbling on some bread with honey spread on it, Tango started up a conversation. "Your sister is really cool, just letting you do experiments and trusting you enough to let a total stranger stay."
Zed nodded along, a spark of admiration in his eyes. "Yeah, she's the best. Very sweet when you get to know her."
Tango thought about his brothers, they definitely wouldn't allow him to do anything Zed was doing. He sighed sadly, he wished he could be normal like Zedaph.
"What's wrong?" He asked Tango worriedly.
"Nothing. Just thinking how my brothers would be furious if I did anything you were doing, " he pushed his problems away in the back of his mind.
Zedaph's expression turned into something between sympathy and understanding. It made Tango think, how could Zed know If he only had a sister? He actually was about to ask him if he had any other siblings when he walked over to the other side of the room. He picked up a few bottles. "Ready for round two?"
All other thoughts left his mind as he thought about all the fun he could have.
He liked Zed, he was fun and smart. Maybe, he could make an actual friend.
--
Impulse walked along town square with his hands in his pocket. He looked around the place. There were some stalls selling weaers like quarts, wood, crystals, and meat. The roads were a shining cobblestone lined with quarts, with amethysts littered about. When the sun shined its glorious golden beams down on the bustling city, the whole place seemed to light up in a purple ethereal dust glow. It was a gorgeous sight, but Impulse wasn't here to see any sights. He was looking for something, or more importantly, someone.
And Tango was nowhere to be found.
He already had Etho hawking his every movement and criticizing his every choice. He did not feel like being told off today.
He was going to find Tango, if it killed him or not.
He walked around a bit more, sometimes asking people if they had seen a tall, skinny blonde with red glasses and a black leather jacket around. They all answered the same, no. He liked to call himself a calm, laid back guy, but times like these he started to stress out.
It was getting darker, the sun now barely lighting up, and workers returning home. Even with the late nights of winter far behind them, Crystal Cliffs were very close to Aeor's mountains, the dangerous cliffs known for endless snow and winters. Night was fast approaching, with it the chilly winds.
He kept going, until he had to stop and rest. He sat on one of the nearby benches, resting his head in his hands. He sighed in defeat. He just wanted his little brother to be okay.
"Excuse me, " Impulse's head shot up at the squeaky voice. The person in front of him jumped a little at the sudden motion. He was met with a ginger haired girl, wearing a leaf-green turtleneck under beige overalls. She had gentle blue eyes, and beautiful tan skin. She had freckles dotting her rosy cheeks, and cute pointed ears, with her hair tucked behind them.
She looked worriedly at him, it was then that he noticed that he was staring at her. "Um sorry about that," he stammered out, "what, um, do you need help with?" He chuckled nervously. Wait, he never chuckled like that.
"Oh, well, I heard you were looking for someone, and I think I know where they are."
Wait, she knows where Tango is? All thoughts aside, this pretty nice young woman could help him! And he wouldn't be harassed by Etho.
"Yeah! Wait, was he be blond, tall, wearing obnoxious red-tinted glasses?"
"Yes, that sounds exactly like him!" she squealed in joy. The happiness must have spread to him too, for he could feel a smile creep on his face.
He asked her if she could bring him to Tango. Luckily, she agreed.
So, that's how he found himself chatting away with a cute, sprity hybrid girl while getting Tango.
--
Geminitay, the deer hybrid ginger, had led him to a two story house made out of smooth quartz, stripped spruce wood, and purple tinted windows. The roof was made of purple terracotta and concrete. The house looked like all the other buildings, but there was something off about this one, and he couldn't place a finger on it.
"Zed! I have someone over, and can you bring Tango up?"
A small 'sure' came from what appeared to be the way to the kitchen. At the moment, Impulse was sitting on one of the plush sofas of the gigantic parlor. The room was bigger than two bedrooms. There were two sofas, a small table between the two, and a fireplace tucked into one of the sides of the wall on his right. Two armchairs faced the empty pit. Laverish clothes hung on their back. The wall that was behind him had a huge window, with magenta curtains pulled together at the sides. The way he was facing had a large open wall with white etched, wood supports and carvings.
If the whole house looked as good as the Parlor, then Impulse wished he could never leave. But this wasn't his house, all he came here for was to get Tango and leave. Impulse couldn't help the twinge of jealousy of how rich Gem was. He always wished he had luxuries like these, or jewelry. Especially gold, he loved gold.
Two teens rounded the corner and came into the Parlor. One was blond, but a duller color than his brother's fire hair. He had a lab coat over a brown tunic. What caught him off guard were his beautiful purple amethyst eyes. He also had curling horns around goat ears.
The other teen, was Tango. He had a lab coat over his usual clothes. He still had his red glasses on, and his hair still looked nice. Impulse would have been wondering how Tango wasn't hot in the amount of clothes he was wearing, but Impulse knew his secret.
The goat hybrid went over to Gem, who was standing by the back of the couch. Tango stopped his walk when he made eye contact with Impulse. He seemed to be debating something, before heading over to Impulse. They exchanged a quick wordless conversation, before the other blond spoke up.
"So this is your brother?" He asked shyly, Impulse almost didn't hear him with how quiet he was.
Tango looked back at the goat hybrid. "One of them at least." He shrugged. The other two nodded, no one saying anything. Gem eventually broke the silence.
"Well," she clapped her hands together, "It has been lovely to meet you guys, but it is getting a bit late, so how about you get home and maybe come another time?" She asked the two brothers, though Impulse got the hint. They had to get back anyway, or Etho would start questioning them.
Impulse stood up from his spot on the comfy sofa. Tango and Impulse said their goodbyes and left the nice house.
They walked along the stone road for a while, only letting the moon light their path, and the swinging branches of Birch trees in the wind filled the silence.
The soft sound of Tango's voice carried itself in the breeze. "Can we see them again?"
Impulse peered at Tango's expression. He looked unbothered, but the way he said it revealed his true worries. He knew his brother better than himself.
He ought to say no. They were already on thin ice with the public, they really couldn't mess up again.
But he gazed into Tango's dark red amber eyes, those soft bright eyes of his baby brother. He only wanted to make Tango happy, to protect and care for him. He wanted Tango to experience a normal childhood, though it may already be too late. But while walking side by side, feeling the cold breeze on his arms and trying to subtly inch his way to his brother's internal warmth, he realized how little his brother got to be around people, to make friends and such.
Impulse shouldn't be the reason Tango felt alone or left out. He was the oldest brother, he was the one to lead, and even if that meant taking some risks.
"Tango, " he said slowly, thinking about how to word this. Tango's body went stiff, he probably was preparing himself for a talk. But it never came. "I want to get to know them, and hang out too. But you know Etho would never allow it." Tango looked downcasted, he averted his eyes to up ahead.
His sad demeanor changed instantly in a matter of seconds.
"Your right, Etho would never allow us, " the sharp twist of his lips upwards made Impulse uneasy. "But he wouldn't allow us if he finds out."
Impulse nodded his head slowly. Hput his index finger on his chin to think. Etho didn't really need to know. He was always anti-social anyway.
He hummed in thought. The idea seemed very appealing, too appealing. He was going to regret this, wasn't he?
He sighed in utter defeat, apparently Tnaho knew him more than himself. "Fine." He drew out. Tango pumped a fist in the air in victory.
"But," he stopped and rounded at Tango. He pointed a finger at his chest, "You have to promise that you won't start any trouble."
Tango blinked. He processed the words carefully. Finally, he smiled, a genuine one, and reached his hand out. Impulse looked between the hand and Tango. He gripped his hand firmly, giving him a subtle shake.
"I promise," Tango said happily.
They walked on, to their house and brother.
--
Silver and red eyes followed their movements from a tall dark oak tree. He was in a squatting position, ready to move.
He didn't need to.
He watched the two walk on, oblivious to the silent ninja observing them.
He let them go. They could have their fun, but nothing lasts for forever.
They were different, no one would ever love them.
He slipped out of the tree, quietly making his way back home.
The wind picked up its speed. It rattled against the amethyst crystals, creating a soft tingling tune.
In a small house far away from a village, three brothers laughed and enjoyed each other's company.
At a small house by the town square, two siblings talked about plants and stuff.
In a small inn, far from either dwelling place, a young, orange haired soldier sat, planning the demise of a family.