After another episode of Fin's month-long disappearances, Cyclone herded the prince into his room to watch over him. And as much as they loved their other brothers, the twins felt safer with Fin and Cyclone. So in the end, three royals occupied Cyclone's room and only one seemed to be awake with him.
(The keyword in that sentence was 'seemed', Gust still slept in his weird dozing state after all.)
"Fin, are you sure you're okay?" asked Cyclone again, repeating that question like a broken record every time Fin disappeared.
"For the hundredth time, yes," said Fin with a small chuckle. Silence between the two allowed Fin to gather his courage. "Something important did happen this time around."
"What?" asked Cyclone, scanning Fin for injuries with a small frown.
"Nothing bad, nothing bad," Fin reassured, taking a deep 'breath' before continuing. "I confessed to a girl and got rejected, hard."
"How isn't that bad?" asked Cyclone with a confused yet somewhat amused expression.
"Let me finish, you eager fool," said Fin, playfully nudging Cyclone who jokingly glared at the prince. "I've known her for a while, I disappear to visit her.
"When I did confess, she gave me the most deadpanned expression I've seen on anyone's face, which is a feat considering how much she gives me them herself, and said, and I quote: 'Fin, you poor poor fool. You don't love me.'
"I, of course, responded with a joke that reiterated that I did love her. I'll continue to quote her for this. 'You poor lovesick fool. You don't love me, you love the idea of me. The idea that you don't have to fess up to someone you have fallen hard enough for to attempt to fake it with someone who acts like a sister. So how about you shut up, figure out your feelings, and come back to see me an exact month from when you've confessed to the one you actually love.'"
"Wow, she sounds fierce," said Cyclone, chuckling a little at the hard shutdown.
"Yep and I'm sure she would shout at me harshly enough to spit fire if I didn't do as she said. Which is what I'm doing," said Fin, lightly placing his talons on top of Cyclone's to indicate what he was about to say.
Cyclone picked up on it quickly, quite eagerly, really. "Oh, Fin..." Cyclone said, looking into Fin's eyes with a small smile on his face.
"I love you, I have for a long while. I've been too scared to say something when I'm sure it's been plain as day many times. I'm not much compared to your pure brilliance and confidence which continue to fluster me every day, but I wanted to at least say it and give this a chance," said Fin, pouring his heart out to Cyclone as he weaved their claws together.
Not giving a verbal answer right away, Cyclone stunned the prince with a kiss. It didn't last as long as it felt, the two separating with flustered grins. "I love you too, you ridiculous fool," said Cyclone, pressing a chaste kiss to Fin's cheek to strengthen the statement.
"Why did you have to combine them?" Fin whined although his grin didn't lessen in any way, shape, or form.
"Because you're my ridiculous fool," Cyclone flirted, startling when a flustered Fin buried his head into his guard's chest with incoherent Aquatic and vocal grumbling. Cyclone laughed at the odd action, getting Fin to grin a little wider even though it hurt his cheeks.
(In the background, Gust had to smother his grin. Even if he didn't understand all of the Aquatic since the language extended beyond the flashes of light he could see with his eyes closed, he got enough to understand what happened. Least to say, he was excited for them and their tip-toeing to finally end.)
And if Storm was told to have her immediately fangirl (with additional squealing) and shout about how the two could've and should've gotten together sooner if they weren't 'blinder than ghost fish', Gust kept quiet about the details of the wholesome confession to himself to save everyone from Storm exploding.
{(:)}
Exploring and asking questions were constants with the twins, unluckily going unnoticed was nowhere close to one. The heat with Storm's possible ascension to the throne died down a little, allowing the twins to sleep in their room. Whether one would call it reckless, stupid, brave, or just say that it was all similar enough, Storm also hung out in the library of the Summer Palace, most of the time alone.
Maybe the lack of friendly company had killed her.
Walking the halls to go to Cyclone's room, Gust was paused by a whisper in the back of his head. "I'm sorry, Gust. I love you forevermore, my other half."
Mind kicking into overdrive, Gust completely abandoned his plan and rushed to their shared room. The force on the door caused it to swing back and shut itself as he frantically looked around the room. He didn't have to look far, the soft glowing of a slate and a bag grabbing his attention.
When he touched the slate, both objects stopped glowing. He didn't mind that much, too focused on what the slate said. On what Storm had written.
Gust, dear brother of mine...
If you're reading this, then I, Storm, your beloved twin, am dead. I'm sorry that you have to find out in such a manner, between my slightly creepy message in your head, this slate, and our bracelets. If I died in the way that I think I will then I can gladly say that my life was given to a good cause.
Not that anything could ever be a good enough reason to leave you.
This cause, which gives me minor comfort in my possible sacrifice, must continue to be worked at by someone smart enough, brave enough, and compassionate enough to understand it. That's where you come in, dear twin. No matter what you may think, even if you have self-esteem issues worse than Fin, you are perfect for this.
Do you remember, during our first visit to the Summer Palace, when Fin gave us those scrolls about the animi legends? The ones about the artifacts, the twin animi, etc.? They interested me enough that I continued to look into it, albeit with different amounts of motivation throughout our few years of life.
And if you can find it somewhere in your heart to summon hate towards Fin, please don't. He is our brother, our closest friend second to only Cyclone (don't tell him I said that), and someone who has cared for us since day one. It isn't his fault that his passion for maps accidentally sparked my own for artifacts and legends.
Back onto the topic at hand, the artifacts. I took those maps that the other legend enthusiasts created along with what hints I could find from them and others to create a map of my own. In my excitement, I enchanted two items even though we promised to not enchant any. Apologies are overdue for that.
What I did enchant are the bag and a map inside that bag. The bag is bottomless and will summon any object within itself to you if you either say what it is or think very clearly about it. The map can zoom in on command (Literally say 'Zoom in' and 'Zoom out' while hovering and/or touching the map over where you wish to zoom in), can have notes added onto it via an attached paper (Hover/Outline where you wish to add the notes and say 'Additional details' before adding), can show you different types of locations (Palaces, villages, and reefs to name a few), and can show the best route from one place to another (Say 'Best route' after tapping two points on the map, specification like 'for stealth' and 'for food' can be added).
With that long explanation over, let me talk about what I found. The legends aren't just legends, they are very real. Another object in the bag, a necklace with a locket, was in the place the twin animi legend said it would be before I took it. Same with a chest plate that I managed to snatch from the first legend's directions (that legend was the one about some random animus and their artifacts if you don't remember).
I found that both legends were to stop another animi's enchantments to do much harm. The twin animi fought against monsters and scattered them across the sea and the 'Claw of Power' (a rip-off of the Talons of Power, like the ceremony). The first legend was about an exiled prince casting enchantments to harm the entire kingdom but his father stopped the three disasters from happening.
As well and good stories like those are, it doesn't end there. Without the necklace and chest plate, the enchantments cast in the way of harm will weaken. That's, once again, where you come in.
The task is more simple in words than action and I can't exactly help you, unluckily. So basically all you have to do is return the two items to the places where the disasters/monsters were stopped in a certain order to stop the world from dying. Easy, right?
I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I know you have that frown on your face from whenever I get ridiculous. I do wish I could help you but others also know that these tales are true and wish for harm to come to everyone. That's most likely how I died.
My sudden involvement, combined with the facts of I found the two focuses(?) (That's what I'm calling them, you can too if you want) and my claim to the throne, they became panicky and aggressive. Clearly, they didn't plan on anyone else believing the legends, much less trying to prevent what could happen. If I'm being honest, they probably wanted them to happen so they could hold ransom over the tribes of Pyrrhia. Too bad I'm just too awesome to be stopped.
Okay, technically I was stopped because they likely killed me, but now my will/plan is being carried through you. So... I'm still rolling!
To target my spite, there are two associations involved in this, one for each legend. Only one will probably get to me, which means you have some time before the second one gets on your tail too. You only have a little bit of time to get started on your journey before they try to raid our room or something.
I'm sorry to throw this on you but I don't have a choice. If I had it my way, we would've gone off on this adventure together, the royal twin animi hybrids off to save the world. Even if no one knew that it was us, it still would be great. The number of inside jokes would be astronomical!
Although not physically, I'm with you. I know you don't like conflict unless it's to protect me, even then you only tolerate it, but this needs to get done. I have complete faith in you and I wish you the best of luck.
(And if you mope around and cry all day instead of being productive, I will find a way to come back and give you a slap to the face. For your health, of course. I need to be your sister, even in the afterlife.)
May the moons sway the tides in your favor, Storm.
Tears blurred the words of the slate, more intensely at certain intervals, but Gust soldiered on. Her personality was so prominent that it made him cry a little more, sobs tearing through his chest. With shaking talons, Gust slipped the slate into the bag before grabbing the map.
It was parchment, enchanted to be water-proof. When he opened it, it was already focused in on an area with a small boxed off space of notes in the corner. Slightly pathetically, Gust had to bite his lip from more tears as he read her handwriting.
Twin Animi Legend: Elemental Monsters
-Certain order to visit the temples in. First Aether Temple, then Earth Temple, Water Temple, Air Temple, Fire Temple, then it returns to the Aether Temple.
-Trials???
-Two artifacts per, unsure if they can be taken without disturbing the monsters.
-Those who complete the journey are considered Elemental Champions, possible trials and obtaining of artifacts may be the reason.
-Each temple pertains to their element, possible trials do the same.
Nodding along, Gust only took a moment more before putting the map back into the bag, slipping it over his shoulder, and picking up a spare slate. He also grabbed a spare bracelet (all royals were given too much jewelry, honestly), a simple band of silver.
Hesitating, Gust thought out his enchantment. "I enchant this bracelet so that when I die, it starts to glow. It will also summon my body, with all possessions, to it once it is placed on the ground and Cyclone or Fin say 'Bring Gust home.'"
With that out of the way, Gust wrote a note, doing his best to ignore his trembling talons.
Cyclone,
It's with a heavy heart that I say that I must leave. Storm gave me instructions and with her death swaying the scale, I must follow them. I'm leaping into danger for once.
I can't say much just in case someone extensively questions you or finds this before you but I can say that a lot is at stake. As such, my journey will be high risk (and if I succeed high reward). I can't guarantee anything and I'm sorry for the worry, stress, and fear I know you'll go through for it.
The bracelet that is with this will glow if I do die. My body can be summoned if you place it on the ground and say 'Bring Gust home'. This enchantment also allows Fin to do the same.
Much more will be discussed when I return. And I will return. The bracelet is more of so you can transport my body after either Fin or you kill me for worrying you so much.
(And if I somehow don't, put your talon into the bag that will be with me and think/say 'Storm's final letter to Gust'. That will explain a lot if I manage to die.)
Wish me luck on my journey and I wish you luck with the heart attacks Fin is going to suffer. I love both you and Fin, so make sure to show him this note. I can't give one to him because I don't trust our brothers to not be nosy.
Until next time, Gust.
Anxiety and paranoia set off a ticking clock in Gust's head, sending him rushing into Cyclone's room. Hiding the bracelet under the slate, he left the room with only a mournful glance back. Despite his heavy heart, Gust left the Deep Palace as fast as possible.
Darting past guards, Gust threw himself into the open sea. Large scoops of his wings rocketed him further and further from the palace and further and further away from his little family. Any tears that were shed didn't make him falter, instead bolstering his attempts and his speed.
In his desperate escape, he didn't consult the map. Long after he left, he dove under a small rock outcropping and opened the map. For a long moment, he just stared at it.
The Aether Temple was to the southeast of the SkyWing palace in the middle of the ocean, equally distanced from the mainland and the nearest island. The Earth Temple laid at the end of the Diamond Spray River. Placed in between the Summer and Deep Palace, the Water Temple took its place. Another temple took its place a distance from the tip of the continent, Air this time. Finally, the Fire Temple was in the middle of the ocean and to the north of the SkyWing kingdom.
Lifting his talon, Gust finally faltered in his mad rush. The slight glint of black gems that were once blue brought everything down on him in one go. As if someone had ripped off the blindfold that he had placed on himself.
Sobs began to rack his body, trembling talons covering his eyes. He wanted the blindfold back, he didn't want to see this cruel reality. He didn't want to process that Storm was gone.
That she could never laugh again. That she could never tease anyone again. That she could never fight again. Never would he ever feel her wing around him again. Never again would they share the little nudges, looks, and temperature shifts that created a language all of their own. Never again would they be two halves of the same whole.
A cruel and broken chuckle scraped against his throat with jagged claws as he thought about what she would say right now. She should yell at him for being so sentimental without an ounce of heat. She would shove him over and tease him about being a sap.
Not that she could ever touch him again and vice versa.
Tears continued to fall, freezing him with their phantom touch. Frozen in time and thought, Gust let the loss crash over him in waves. Maybe if it was strong enough, it could break him apart so he didn't have to deal with it.
Too bad he was already broken beyond repair, no one else could even dream of replacing Storm. Of replacing the other half she was for him.
She rushed in head first, he calculated the risks. He observed everything, she tunnel-visioned. She raged on and on, he let it all out in one explosion.
Ragged inhales began to calm him, balled up talons pressing into his eyelids. Soft differences in temperature from his frostbreath did the same. His explosion slowly ended with no more hurrah, leaving an emotionless slate for a simple action to taint.
Finally, Gust raised his talon again to tap the dot labeled 'Aether Temple'. "Best route for me," he tried, pleasantly surprised when the map reacted. A small blue arrow appeared, a black line drawn from it to the Aether temple.
With only a moment of hesitation, Gust picked up a talonful of sand to enchant. "I enchant this sand to become a white single strand pearl bracelet with one black pearl that will always grow and/or shrink to fit the wearer. It will be connected to this map and the black pearl will always lightly tug in the direction that the route is. It will stop when the phrase 'Destination found' is used," he said, watching as the sand molded to its new form and slipping it on his other wrist.
Suddenly mindful of the fact that he enchanted two things for the first time in years, he checked the bracelet that made him cry a moment ago. His sapphire was as dark as always but Storm's had changed. It was only a little lighter but still enough to notice. Almost talon-palming, Gust remembered that his twin's magic had transferred to the bracelet. Her no longer used soul was acting as a buffer for his.
Busying himself with packing up the map rather than crying more, Gust prepared himself for the journey ahead. Time was of the essence and who knew how long it would take until the two organizations learned of Storm's plan. How long it would take until Gust had to fight dragons left, right, and center to enact Storm's will.
And if Gust was gripped by terror of the possibility of failing his sister and in turn the rest of the world, he only let it affect his trembling talons as he launched himself forward.