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"They Find Light"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

The Story of Halo, Zenith, and Nadir

Part One: The Mission

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   It was raining.  This wasn’t a warm and comforting rain.  This shower from the heavens was cold and stung at any skin that was left exposed to greet it.  It was dark, and steam rose from the city streets, the hot pavement acting like a pan on a burner, evaporating most of the rain that hit it and sending a cloud into the air.

   It was thick and humid, and at the same time, frigid and cold.

   Nobody wanted to be out on a night like tonight.

   Still, cars zoomed along the road, for there were some who had to go from place to place.  Barely a soul walked along the sidewalks, and yet, three figures could be seen by people riding in the cars.

   They were either poor, or crazy, for they walked in their everyday outfits, without rain slickers or an umbrella to protect them.

   Nobody paid them a bit of attention.

   This was the kind of treatment they were used to though, these souls.  They had returned to the city of their birth, a place they hated, and would have never returned to, had the desire to discover just why they were abandoned not burned so brightly in their souls.

   Starshine Town was a despicable place.  They loathed her existence, just as the city loathed theirs in return.

   “Feh, this dirty hell hole hasn’t changed,” one of the creatures said.  He ran his hand through the Mohawk on his head, combing through the strands.  “Makes me wish some pathetic soul could be found so we could steal from him,” he continued, “These fucking people should all be killed.”

   Laughter escaped his two companions, who walked side by side.  The taller one had his arm around the other, she only a bit shorter than he.  The hand of this arm draped over the girl’s shoulder, and she held it with her own hand, covered with a green glove, and with a golden ring on her ring finger.  “Aww but Nadir, let’s not have all of the fun in one night,” she giggled sadistically, “Let the urchins enjoy a warm night.  We’ll unleash terror on them once they’ve had a chance to prepare.”

   “I don’t see why we should even give them that chance Halo,” the guy with his arm around her said, smirking, “We weren’t given a chance, why should they have one?”

   The one called Nadir let out a laugh, “I’m with you Zenith, who cares about these stupid people?  They’re all lucky I don’t have a fondness for guns, and that a whip isn’t easy to use in the cold and rain.”

   Zenith laughed along with Nadir, who was his younger twin.  He quieted down, clutching at something hanging from his neck with his free hand.  He twisted it between his fingers, closing his eyes for a moment and smiling as he did so.  Pulling his hand away, light from a shop window glistened off of the object, a golden ring, to match the one Halo wore on her finger.

   She was his bride, and he was her husband.

   Looking to her he said, “Still, I think Halo’s right.  Let’s find a place to bed down and we’ll get started tomorrow.  How much cash do we have left Nadir?”

   Rolling his eyes and giving his twin a look, Nadir replied, “When do you ever not agree with Halo?  Just because she’s your wife doesn’t mean you don’t have any free will…does it?”

   Zenith punched Nadir on his shoulder, but laughed.  “Whatever Nadir, just answer my question,” he said.

   Letting out a playful groan, Nadir reached into a duffle bag that was slung over his shoulder.  After going through it, Nadir pulled out a bundle of cash and quickly leafed through it. “Okay, this is our last full stack, but if I’m seeing right I think we have maybe half of one left laying loose in the bag.  That should be enough to cover the hotel bill, unless you two want to sleep in an alley like old times.”

   “Ick, no, not in this rain,” Halo said, shivering as she pulled on Zenith’s hand, pulling his arm tighter against her neck and shoulders, “It’s rain like this that gave him pneumonia, and I’m not gonna let it happen again.  Not to Zenith, or to you, or to me.  We’re getting a hotel room.”

   The twins laughed, glancing at each other.  They didn’t remember Zenith’s brush with death very fondly, but they did love the memories of breaking out of the local hospital and running away to their new lives.  After living in Amble Park for six years, they only returned to this wretched town for one reason.

   “So, where are we going to start looking?” Nadir asked.

   Zenith and Halo looked at each other, both wondering the same thing.  “Who knows Nadir?  You and I only have a general idea of where we were born.  Halo, do you remember where you lived with your grandfather?” Zenith asked.

   “A very vague idea, Zenith,” Halo said, her ears drooping after being pelted with cold rain for so long.  “He had set up a little area for himself in a back alley at its dead end.  A dumpster was one wall, then the walls around him provided the last two.  He draped blankets he stole from clotheslines above him for a roof, and stole lighters and used garbage to light a fire every night.  It’s not a good lead by any means.  He’s dead, and the identity of my mother and father probably died with him.”

   “What a hopeless search,” Nadir chimed in, “Remind me again why we even came back here?”

   Letting out a sigh, Zenith said, “Because Nadir…we were getting restless in Amble Park, even though we loved it there.  We have unfinished business with this godforsaken town, and even if the search is next to hopeless, we’ve still got to try.”

   “We need closure,” Halo whimpered.

   Spitting at the ground, Nadir folded his arms and grunted, “Closure, feh.  We’ll never get closure, and we’ll never be accepted by anyone.  Nobody loves us.  Our parents abandoned us because they didn’t give a damn, so why should we care about them?  Fuck my mother, and I hope my bastard father goes to hell, him and his secret species that make you and me so different and weird.”

   “I don’t think you guys look weird,” Halo said.

   “So what?  I think Zenith could look like a hobgoblin and you wouldn’t care, just as long as he can continue to satisfy you.  In that respect what I look like is of no consequence,” Nadir replied with a groan.

   Zenith held back a laugh, glaring at his twin.  “Shut up Nadir.  We already know you’re the ugly twin.”

   “Fuck you Zenith,” Nadir said, flipping Zenith off.

   Zenith shook his head, continuing to grin, “You’re just grumpy Nadir.  We’re almost to the hotel.  Then you can get something to eat and some warm and dry clothes.”

   “Hey, what about me?” Halo whimpered.

   Giving her a tender nuzzle with his head, Zenith then kissed Halo gently and whispered, “Of course you silly girl.  I was just making sure Nadir realized that he was still included.”

   “You both drive me crazy,” Nadir groaned, throwing his hands into the air.

   The group of three, each of them now twenty-one years old, soon reached the hotel they planned to stay in while they were in town.  They were so accustomed to checking into them that it had become second nature.  They always stole enough money to afford to live in them, so that they no longer had to live in the streets.

   Nadir sat on the ground with his arms folded, leaning against the check-in desk.  Halo stood beside Zenith while he signed the register and paid the bill.  “We’re on vacation,” he said, hiding his hatred for every citizen of the town with a half-hearted smile as he talked to the clerk, “My twin brother forgot to get traveler’s checks, so we’re stuck with all of this cash.  I hope that’s not a problem.”

   “Damn him for blaming me every time,” Nadir muttered to himself.

   “That’s perfectly alright,” the woman said with a smile, “You poor things must be ready for a warm shower.  Here are your room keys.  You’ll be on the third floor in room 309.  There are vending machines and an ice machine on that floor, and you have a microwave and mini fridge in your room.  Please call the desk if you need anything.”

   Zenith continued to fake a smile as he took the card keys and his receipt. “Thank you very much,” he said, “It’s appreciated.”

   “It’s appreciated,” Nadir muttered, mocking his twin.

   Halo kicked him lightly.  He growled in response and rose from his seat.

   “That’s a beautiful bracelet on your tail Miss,” the woman behind the desk said suddenly.

   Both Zenith and Nadir paused, having taken a few steps towards the elevator, and looked back at Halo and the receptionist.  Halo flicked her tail around to her hands, holding it right where the bracelet with the Embala Ruby was resting.  After four years she had received multiple compliments, and not a single soul had discovered it was indeed the priceless, stolen gem.  This tickled the three with glee, for everyone was really as dumb and stupid as they had hoped.

   Halo forced a smug smile to her face, trying to appear both genuine and gracious as she replied, “Why thank you, Zenith gave it to me as a proposal gift.  I think it’s much better than any silly engagement ring.”  Her eyes met Zenith’s.  The smiles on their faces became filled with love, lust, and desire.

   The receptionist smiled sheepishly when she saw this, while Nadir continued to scowl.  “You’re welcome.  I think I remember when they debuted in a jewelry show here in town, but this is the first time I’ve seen one close up.  …I’m sorry for keeping you.  Please have a good night!”

   “No trouble at all,” Halo replied.  She turned and caught up with Zenith and Nadir.

   Nadir continued to mock them.  “No trouble at all,” he muttered, “Please, I don’t understand why we can’t ever get a hotel room with two separate rooms in it!  It’s always one large room with two beds in it!  Every damn time y’all get the hots for each other, I have to go out and sit by the pool for three freakin’ hours, or go to a bar and be surrounded by idiots, or sit in the bathroom and read the freakin’ fire escape plan on the back of the door!  This is so stupid!”

   They had gotten on the elevator by this point, at which time his muttering rose to shouting and moaning.  He lowered his arms, folding them on the top of his head, and continued to whine.

   Zenith and Halo stood together wrapped in each others arms.  They looked to each other, only for Zenith to shake his head and say, “Calm down Nadir, take a chill pill.  You know Halo’s a beautiful woman, I can’t help it if I have desire for her…”

   “Every single damn night we check into a hotel!  Sheesh!” Nadir groaned, “At least let me take a shower before you have your roll in the hay!”

   The elevator doors opened up on the third floor.  Nadir stormed off of it after snatching one of the card keys from Zenith.  Zenith and Halo glanced at each other, only momentarily stunned by his outburst, for by now they were more than used to it.

   They got off the elevator and caught up with Nadir, only to find that in his rage he was unable to slide the card key through the slot correctly, further frustrating him.  Zenith placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder and said, “Relax Nadir!  Seriously, if Halo and I bother you so much…I don’t know what to say.”

   The growl and glare disappeared from Nadir’s face as he looked to his twin.  “I’m sorry Zenith…I don’t know why I’m so angry.  I don’t mean to take it out on you.”

   Zenith smiled and half-hugged his twin, before moving past him and opening the door with his room key.  As they walked inside, Zenith said, “It’s okay Nadir, no worries.”

   “Don’t say that Zenith, I’m really upset,” Nadir replied, closing the door behind them.  He let the duffle bag hanging on his shoulder fall to the floor as he collapsed into a chair near the door.  “I guess…just being back in this wretched place really has me at my wit’s end.  I hate this stupid place so much, I’d much rather be anywhere else than here,” he added, burying his face in his hands.

   Zenith, who had already pulled off his wet shirt, looked back at his brother, feeling Nadir’s pain.  Halo, who had gotten her change of clothes and hairbrush out of the duffle bag walked past them, heading for the bathroom so she could shower.  She paused long enough to give Nadir a hug and said, “It’s okay Nadir…none of us like being here.  Still, I think we have to find some way to let go of this hatred we have for our parents, and this is the only place to do it.  Even if we can’t find them and tell them to their faces how much we hate them, we’ve got to do something.  We’ll never be able to move on if we don’t.”

   She kissed Nadir gently above his brow before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her.  Nadir listened as the shower water turned on, feeling his anger leave him as he looked back to his twin.  A weak smile came to Nadir’s lips as he asked, “You still don’t mind that?”

   “Mind what?” Zenith asked, putting on a warm change of clothes.

   “That she kisses me like that.”

   “Please,” Zenith replied, pulling his shirt over his head, “You two have always flirted like that, and I know Halo loves me truly.  What she does with you is nothing more than a sister caring for her brother.  It’s not like you’re a complete stranger.”  Nadir lowered his head and eyes, rubbing his temples as he felt a headache coming on.  He looked up when he felt Zenith’s presence, seeing his brother standing there offering him a dry set of clothes.  “Seriously Nadir, everything’s okay.  We’re all tired and frustrated.  Change into some dry clothes and we can relax.”

   After Nadir took the clothes from him, Zenith walked back over to the mirror to comb out his wet and tangled hair.  Rising to his feet, Nadir began to change as he asked, “So…you and Halo aren’t going to boot me out?”

   A quick laugh escaped Zenith.  He put his comb away and walked over to his twin.  Placing his hands on Nadir’s shoulders he replied, “Not tonight Nadir.  I think we had plans to, but like I said before, we’re all tired, cold, stressed out, and need a break.  Halo and I will just have to wait until tomorrow.  We’re family, we’ve got to respect each other.”

   There was light in Nadir’s eyes for a moment, but that light faded as he tossed his wet clothes to the floor.  He looked away from Zenith and muttered, “You’re right.  If we don’t respect each other, who else will?”

   Zenith embraced his twin, and Nadir slowly but surely returned the hug.  The brothers, before they met Halo, were all they had, and were much closer than any twins, identical or not, for this reason.  It was always a sensitive wound in their hearts, talk of their mother for abandoning them, and thoughts of their faceless father, whose identity gave them their hybrid appearance, and mocked them in his absence.  No matter how much their lives changed, no matter how old they got, they would never lose this bond that had kept them alive, even when no one else cared enough to help them.

   Pulling back from the hug, Zenith grinned and said, “That’s the spirit.”

   This caused Nadir to laugh a little.  He shook his head and replied, “Thanks Zenith.”

   “For making you feel better?” Zenith asked.

   “…You said that on purpose, just so I would say, no, for not kicking me out tonight,” Nadir replied, smirking.

   Zenith laughed.  He and Nadir sat down on the beds, and after a few moments Zenith said, “There’s got to be somebody in this town that knows what happened to our mother.  We’ll just ask around at the local bars.  If our mother is who we think she was, then we’ll have no trouble.”

   Nadir lay down on his stomach, covering his head with a pillow.  “Please Zenith, spare me.”

   “I thought you didn’t care about her?” Zenith asked.

   “I don’t” Nadir cried in response, “That doesn’t mean I’m more inclined to hear about it!  Gee whiz.”

   At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Halo, wearing her pajamas, walked into the room, running a comb through he hair as she walked.  “Ah, that feels so much better,” she said with a sigh, “I feel like the beauty I am again.”

   “When were you not that beauty?” Zenith asked with a grin.

   “Humph, I guess in your eyes I could look like living hell and you’d still think I’m beautiful hmm?” Halo asked, hands on hips.

   “Baby you know it,” Zenith replied, grinning seductively, his eyes burning with an eager flame.

   Letting out a sigh, Nadir sat up and said, “Hey now, come on, I thought we weren’t going to do this tonight.”

   Jumping on the bed beside Nadir, Halo pounced on him and said, “Who invited you anyway Nadir?” with a laugh.  She then sprung quickly from Nadir’s bed to Zenith’s half tackling him as she flew into his arms.

   “Nobody, thank goodness,” Nadir muttered as he recovered.

   After a good long kiss and a snuggle, Zenith looked to his brother and said, “Really Nadir, I don’t understand you.  You obviously love beautiful women, but then you turn around and act like you detest such a thing.”

   “He’s hiding more than you think Zenith, all because he isn’t getting any,” Halo added with a smirk as she rubbed Zenith’s chest.

   “Shut up!” Nadir shouted, “You two were just lucky that we’ve always been friends.  It’s always been our own little group.  I’m not gonna start trawling bars full of women just to find someone to satisfy my urges.  I’d rather ignore them, but you two make it damn near impossible.”

   Zenith cringed.  “Ignore them?  Yikes Nadir, no wonder you’re such a grouch.”

   Halo broke out into wild laughter, kicking her feet against the bed, soon joined by Zenith who couldn’t restrain a chuckle.  Nadir furrowed his eyebrows at them, then with a growl he muttered, “I’m out of here…I think I’ll grab a cigarette and go sit by the pool.”

   As Nadir was leaving, Halo tried to stop laughing as she cried, “Oh come on Nadir, stop being such a baby!”

   After getting a cigarette out of his duffle bag, Nadir held out his hand and said, “Forget it, I need some time away from you idiots.  I’m warning you though, I’m coming back in two hours so I can watch the evening news.  See you later.”

   Once the door closed behind him, Halo looked to Zenith and asked, “Why do I get the feeling that he forgot a room key?”

   A gleam came to Zenith’s eyes, as both he and Halo looked to the bedside table that sat between the two beds, only to see two card keys sitting together.  Zenith shook his head, laughing softly as he replied, “Oh poor Nadir.  I swear…I love my brother, but man…he can be so…impulsive and rough.  I do admire him though.  He’s the only person I’ve ever heard of who can smoke one cigarette every few days, and not get addicted.  He’s gone for months without them.  It’s like he can come and go from them as he pleases.  He says it’s because he chews nicotine gum at the same time, but I don’t know.  Maybe it’s willpower.”

   “Or maybe it’s his way of…letting go,” Halo suggested, her voice quiet, with a hint of begging hidden in the breaths.

   That fiery gleam came back to Zenith’s eyes, lighting up his purple irises as he looked back to her, watching as she walked her fingers up his arm.  Swallowing, he whispered, “I don’t think a cigarette is a suitable replacement for…that, but, if it’s how he deals with it, then we’ll all have a good night tonight.”

   “Then let the good night begin,” Halo whispered seductively.

   Through smoke or seduction, the three of them made the most of their first night in town.  Even poor Nadir, who was locked out of the room, managed to get back in to rest, but only after having to go to the front desk when his twin and sister-in-law wouldn’t answer the door.  Though Nadir gave them grief about it, he loved them; for whatever reason the time alone that night, the cigarette and the nicotine gum left him fresh and in a good mood the next morning.  Zenith and Halo obviously had nothing to be sore about either.

   And so they began their search for information on their parents, even going as far as to pick pocket from the people they were asking questions to.  As tough and badass as they felt and acted, they were nervous walking through bars filled with thugs.  Halo especially was unnerved, for even though she showed off a tough exterior, inside, she was still a woman, verging on having the spirit of an innocent little girl, even after all she had been through.  The same could be said for Nadir and Zenith, who for all their battle scars, tough times, and struggles, still felt fear, that instinctive longing for their mother’s arms, even as they dammed her and condemned her to apathy.

   They shied away from humans, most of them having the appearance of bikers, a large part of them bald and covered with tattoos, and piercings that seemed to be everywhere except for their ears.  They laughed and shouted loudly, cursing and swearing, an atmosphere Halo, Zenith and Nadir were used to, and even immersed themselves in, but were somehow frightened of at the same time.  Halo hung on to Zenith’s arm, while the brothers, though trying to act tough, held each other’s hands when the crowds got thick and rowdy, so they wouldn’t get separated.

   Still, they had a job to do, and instead sought out members of their own kind.  Bartenders who were hedgehogs, the occasional Greywolf that worked as a bouncer, even young foxes and lynxes who worked as waitresses, strippers, and show girls, for information.  They got the farthest with some strippers, two young foxes who, though they had only worked there for a few years, had heard stories from former colleagues of a blue hedgehog that was often seen.

   The owner of that particular bar gave them the biggest lead they had ever come across.  “Your eyes, they are familiar,” he said, “Not the color, but the shape, even as they curl in that echidna fashion.  I cannot remember much about this girl.  She was not in my employ, but I did see her around.  She never had a steady boyfriend, nor was she married, so I can’t tell you anything about the possible identity of your father.”

   Halo had a similar bit of luck.  A bartender remembered stories about her grandfather, a brown furred cat who lived behind a dumpster.  “This cat lady talked often about her geezer of a father,” he said as he cleaned glasses, “I’m afraid to tell you this lass, but your mother did not like your grandfather very much, if these are indeed the same people.  She called her father a lunatic and did everything she could to avoid him.  She, I recall, had purple fur, with the occasional stripe of red.  The male I saw her with was another cat.  He had green fur with white striping on his hair.  I only saw him once though, and I fear he was either arrested, or gunned down, possibly part of a the local drug trade.  Your mother, she was a loose cannon, very impulsive.  Didn’t care about anyone but herself, and I doubt she cared much for your father.”

   After a long day of bravely walking through the red light parts of town, the three, now with weary spirits and heavy hearts, went back to their hotel.  They were silent the entire way.  Upon entering the room, Nadir collapsed onto his bed, hugging a pillow tightly.  Zenith took some aspirin for a headache.  Halo retreated to the bathroom.

   Lying down on his bed, Zenith let out a sigh.  “We were right Nadir…our mother…she probably sold herself to people.  And for once, she got unlucky and had us.”

   “I thought we agreed not to talk about her…the wench,” Nadir muttered, covering his face with the pillow as he clutched it.  “She didn’t give a damn,” he continued, “The only reason she had us was because she couldn’t afford an abortion.  I say hell with her.”  His voice got quieter and quieter with each word, until Zenith could hear a sniffing sound coming from under the pillow, even as it was slightly muffled.

   Sitting up a bit, Zenith looked to him and asked, “Nadir?  Hey, buddy, are you okay?  Is…is everything alright?”

   “Shut up Zenith!” Nadir cried, shooting up suddenly, the pillow falling away from his face.  There were no tears on his face, but you could see them glassing over his eyes, and it appeared as if he was struggling with all the power he had to keep them from falling.  The anger faded from his face, giving way to sadness.  He let out a sigh, and slumped back down on the bed.  “I hate this Zenith.  Our mother didn’t care about us, and Halo’s parents didn’t care about her.  What’s scary is we’re going down the same path they did,” Nadir said.

   Zenith reclined, resting his head on the stack of pillows behind him.  “It’s not the exact same path Nadir…you and I aren’t running drugs…Halo isn’t…selling herself to the first pile of scum to wave a fifty dollar bill in her face.  We’re better than our parents ever were.  They’re nothing but sorry ass excuses for living beings.  We’ll always be better than them.  If we were to run into them today we’d put them to shame and beat them until hell won’t have them again.”

   Letting out a sigh, Nadir replied, “I just don’t understand it.  Robbery is wrong, I admit it, but what else can we do to survive?  What they were doing is just…inexcusable.  I don’t ever want to be such filthy trash.  We don’t know what our father did, but the fact that he conceived children in this way doesn’t make me think he was any better.”

   It was silent for a moment.  Zenith gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought.  He loved being with Halo in that special way.  Somehow it made them closer, as close as any two people could be.  The only way they could be closer would be if they were twins, identical twins, coming from the same egg, growing in the same womb, being born on the same day.  Short of that, this was as close as he could come to Halo.  Part of him was now part of her, part of her was now part of him.  Zenith felt ill.  How could a woman mistreat such a special thing, giving herself to scum and trash just to get by?

   It was wrong, it was disgusting, and it gave Zenith the creeps.  He came from the womb of a woman that was indiscriminate as far as what she allowed in it.  It was true.  He and Nadir were just a terrible mistake.  They weren’t wanted.  No one gave a damn about them.

   Halo’s mother was just as bad it seemed, for though she apparently offered herself to only one man, she did not want her baby daughter, so much that she was willing to leave her with her father, a man that the bartender made clear that Halo’s mother hated, just so she could be rid of her.

   Zenith, like Nadir, felt tears entering his eyes.  Though this was what they had come here to find out, it was a bitter pill to take.  They weren’t just victims of parents who had had their lives cut short; no, they were alone, because they were abandoned.  No one wanted them then, and no one wanted them now.

   It was enough to cause the hearts of the twins to be filled with even more anger and hatred.  Why should they care about anyone if no one cared about them?  Why should they even care about themselves?  They were worried about turning into their parents, why did they care?  Nobody would miss them…nobody would…

   “I’m sorry,” she said, walking out of the bathroom.

   Both Zenith and Nadir looked up to see  Halo walking slowly towards them.  She took such little steps it was as if she was walking down the wedding aisle again.  She had one arm wrapped around her waist, pressing against her tummy, with her other arm resting against it as the cup of her hand cradled her jaw, her fingers covering her mouth.  Her voice was soft, quiet, and vulnerable, filled with fatigue.  Her ears, free of her many earrings, now drooped as low as they could.  Her shoulders sagged, her tail dragged against the floor.  Her eyes gazed at the ground, and it appeared she could barely hold her head up.

   Horror filled Zenith’s eyes, as he had never seen her that sick.  Running over to her, he put his arm around her and walked her over to the bed, crying, “Oh Halo, what’s wrong?  What are you sorry for?  Are you alright?”

   Nadir sat up, his own heart filled with concern.  As Zenith helped Halo lie down she replied, “I’m sorry for taking so long.  I just don’t feel well.  Each bar we walked through was filled with smoke and the air smelled so disgusting.  I can handle smelling one cigarette now and then, but I just…by the time we were walking home I was ready to puke.”

   “And I’m assuming you just did,” Nadir asked, his voice soft.

   “Yep,” Halo replied, “Don’t worry, I feel much better now.”

   With a sigh of relief, Zenith sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close as they cuddled.  “Good, I don’t want anything bad to ever happen to you,” he whispered.

   Nadir, who could feel his anger from earlier melting back into sadness, realized he had an answer to why they wanted to be better than their parents.

   He got up, and walked around to the other side of Zenith’s bed.  He sat down beside his twin, resting his head on Zenith’s shoulder and whispered, “The reason why, we want to know about them, is so we’ll never make the same mistakes they did.  The reason why, we want that, is because, we love each other, and we love ourselves, and for the sake of that love, even if nobody else gives a damn about us, we’re going to do the best we can.  It may be us against the world, but as long as we’re still alive, we’ve got to try our best to live as well as we can, and living the lives we’ve lived growing up, just isn’t the way to do it.  It’s drained us, and we know now we’re no better than our parents were.  We’ve got to get revenge, yes, and we’ll do it by defying them, by showing them, they were wrong.”

   Zenith glanced at his younger twin.  Putting his other arm around Nadir, he held both him and Halo as close to him as possible.  The rain from the night before had returned, and as the thunder crashed and the rain began to pour, the three felt sleep overtake them.  They knew Nadir was right.  In their hearts they finally understood the answer to their problems, the very reason for their mission.  As long as they were still together, this was their fight.

   His eyes heavy, Zenith finally succumb to slumber.  His final thoughts, however, troubled him.

   “Where do we start?”

Description
"They Find Light"
By: Jade Lightning, a.k.a. Inuyashas-hanyougirl

The Story of Halo, Zenith, and Nadir

Part One: The Mission

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   It was raining.  This wasn’t a warm and comforting rain.  This shower from the heavens was cold and stung at any skin that was left exposed to greet it.  It was dark, and steam rose from the city streets, the hot pavement acting like a pan on a burner, evaporating most of the rain that hit it and sending a cloud into the air.

   It was thick and humid, and at the same time, frigid and cold.

   Nobody wanted to be out on a night like tonight.

   Still, cars zoomed along the road, for there were some who had to go from place to place.  Barely a soul walked along the sidewalks, and yet, three figures could be seen by people riding in the cars.

   They were either poor, or crazy, for they walked in their everyday outfits, without rain slickers or an umbrella to protect them.

   Nobody paid them a bit of attention.

   This was the kind of treatment they were used to though, these souls.  They had returned to the city of their birth, a place they hated, and would have never returned to, had the desire to discover just why they were abandoned not burned so brightly in their souls.

   Starshine Town was a despicable place.  They loathed her existence, just as the city loathed theirs in return.

   “Feh, this dirty hell hole hasn’t changed,” one of the creatures said.  He ran his hand through the Mohawk on his head, combing through the strands.  “Makes me wish some pathetic soul could be found so we could steal from him,” he continued, “These fucking people should all be killed.”

   Laughter escaped his two companions, who walked side by side.  The taller one had his arm around the other, she only a bit shorter than he.  The hand of this arm draped over the girl’s shoulder, and she held it with her own hand, covered with a green glove, and with a golden ring on her ring finger.  “Aww but Nadir, let’s not have all of the fun in one night,” she giggled sadistically, “Let the urchins enjoy a warm night.  We’ll unleash terror on them once they’ve had a chance to prepare.”

   “I don’t see why we should even give them that chance Halo,” the guy with his arm around her said, smirking, “We weren’t given a chance, why should they have one?”

   The one called Nadir let out a laugh, “I’m with you Zenith, who cares about these stupid people?  They’re all lucky I don’t have a fondness for guns, and that a whip isn’t easy to use in the cold and rain.”

   Zenith laughed along with Nadir, who was his younger twin.  He quieted down, clutching at something hanging from his neck with his free hand.  He twisted it between his fingers, closing his eyes for a moment and smiling as he did so.  Pulling his hand away, light from a shop window glistened off of the object, a golden ring, to match the one Halo wore on her finger.

   She was his bride, and he was her husband.

   Looking to her he said, “Still, I think Halo’s right.  Let’s find a place to bed down and we’ll get started tomorrow.  How much cash do we have left Nadir?”

   Rolling his eyes and giving his twin a look, Nadir replied, “When do you ever not agree with Halo?  Just because she’s your wife doesn’t mean you don’t have any free will…does it?”

   Zenith punched Nadir on his shoulder, but laughed.  “Whatever Nadir, just answer my question,” he said.

   Letting out a playful groan, Nadir reached into a duffle bag that was slung over his shoulder.  After going through it, Nadir pulled out a bundle of cash and quickly leafed through it. “Okay, this is our last full stack, but if I’m seeing right I think we have maybe half of one left laying loose in the bag.  That should be enough to cover the hotel bill, unless you two want to sleep in an alley like old times.”

   “Ick, no, not in this rain,” Halo said, shivering as she pulled on Zenith’s hand, pulling his arm tighter against her neck and shoulders, “It’s rain like this that gave him pneumonia, and I’m not gonna let it happen again.  Not to Zenith, or to you, or to me.  We’re getting a hotel room.”

   The twins laughed, glancing at each other.  They didn’t remember Zenith’s brush with death very fondly, but they did love the memories of breaking out of the local hospital and running away to their new lives.  After living in Amble Park for six years, they only returned to this wretched town for one reason.

   “So, where are we going to start looking?” Nadir asked.

   Zenith and Halo looked at each other, both wondering the same thing.  “Who knows Nadir?  You and I only have a general idea of where we were born.  Halo, do you remember where you lived with your grandfather?” Zenith asked.

   “A very vague idea, Zenith,” Halo said, her ears drooping after being pelted with cold rain for so long.  “He had set up a little area for himself in a back alley at its dead end.  A dumpster was one wall, then the walls around him provided the last two.  He draped blankets he stole from clotheslines above him for a roof, and stole lighters and used garbage to light a fire every night.  It’s not a good lead by any means.  He’s dead, and the identity of my mother and father probably died with him.”

   “What a hopeless search,” Nadir chimed in, “Remind me again why we even came back here?”

   Letting out a sigh, Zenith said, “Because Nadir…we were getting restless in Amble Park, even though we loved it there.  We have unfinished business with this godforsaken town, and even if the search is next to hopeless, we’ve still got to try.”

   “We need closure,” Halo whimpered.

   Spitting at the ground, Nadir folded his arms and grunted, “Closure, feh.  We’ll never get closure, and we’ll never be accepted by anyone.  Nobody loves us.  Our parents abandoned us because they didn’t give a damn, so why should we care about them?  Fuck my mother, and I hope my bastard father goes to hell, him and his secret species that make you and me so different and weird.”

   “I don’t think you guys look weird,” Halo said.

   “So what?  I think Zenith could look like a hobgoblin and you wouldn’t care, just as long as he can continue to satisfy you.  In that respect what I look like is of no consequence,” Nadir replied with a groan.

   Zenith held back a laugh, glaring at his twin.  “Shut up Nadir.  We already know you’re the ugly twin.”

   “Fuck you Zenith,” Nadir said, flipping Zenith off.

   Zenith shook his head, continuing to grin, “You’re just grumpy Nadir.  We’re almost to the hotel.  Then you can get something to eat and some warm and dry clothes.”

   “Hey, what about me?” Halo whimpered.

   Giving her a tender nuzzle with his head, Zenith then kissed Halo gently and whispered, “Of course you silly girl.  I was just making sure Nadir realized that he was still included.”

   “You both drive me crazy,” Nadir groaned, throwing his hands into the air.

   The group of three, each of them now twenty-one years old, soon reached the hotel they planned to stay in while they were in town.  They were so accustomed to checking into them that it had become second nature.  They always stole enough money to afford to live in them, so that they no longer had to live in the streets.

   Nadir sat on the ground with his arms folded, leaning against the check-in desk.  Halo stood beside Zenith while he signed the register and paid the bill.  “We’re on vacation,” he said, hiding his hatred for every citizen of the town with a half-hearted smile as he talked to the clerk, “My twin brother forgot to get traveler’s checks, so we’re stuck with all of this cash.  I hope that’s not a problem.”

   “Damn him for blaming me every time,” Nadir muttered to himself.

   “That’s perfectly alright,” the woman said with a smile, “You poor things must be ready for a warm shower.  Here are your room keys.  You’ll be on the third floor in room 309.  There are vending machines and an ice machine on that floor, and you have a microwave and mini fridge in your room.  Please call the desk if you need anything.”

   Zenith continued to fake a smile as he took the card keys and his receipt. “Thank you very much,” he said, “It’s appreciated.”

   “It’s appreciated,” Nadir muttered, mocking his twin.

   Halo kicked him lightly.  He growled in response and rose from his seat.

   “That’s a beautiful bracelet on your tail Miss,” the woman behind the desk said suddenly.

   Both Zenith and Nadir paused, having taken a few steps towards the elevator, and looked back at Halo and the receptionist.  Halo flicked her tail around to her hands, holding it right where the bracelet with the Embala Ruby was resting.  After four years she had received multiple compliments, and not a single soul had discovered it was indeed the priceless, stolen gem.  This tickled the three with glee, for everyone was really as dumb and stupid as they had hoped.

   Halo forced a smug smile to her face, trying to appear both genuine and gracious as she replied, “Why thank you, Zenith gave it to me as a proposal gift.  I think it’s much better than any silly engagement ring.”  Her eyes met Zenith’s.  The smiles on their faces became filled with love, lust, and desire.

   The receptionist smiled sheepishly when she saw this, while Nadir continued to scowl.  “You’re welcome.  I think I remember when they debuted in a jewelry show here in town, but this is the first time I’ve seen one close up.  …I’m sorry for keeping you.  Please have a good night!”

   “No trouble at all,” Halo replied.  She turned and caught up with Zenith and Nadir.

   Nadir continued to mock them.  “No trouble at all,” he muttered, “Please, I don’t understand why we can’t ever get a hotel room with two separate rooms in it!  It’s always one large room with two beds in it!  Every damn time y’all get the hots for each other, I have to go out and sit by the pool for three freakin’ hours, or go to a bar and be surrounded by idiots, or sit in the bathroom and read the freakin’ fire escape plan on the back of the door!  This is so stupid!”

   They had gotten on the elevator by this point, at which time his muttering rose to shouting and moaning.  He lowered his arms, folding them on the top of his head, and continued to whine.

   Zenith and Halo stood together wrapped in each others arms.  They looked to each other, only for Zenith to shake his head and say, “Calm down Nadir, take a chill pill.  You know Halo’s a beautiful woman, I can’t help it if I have desire for her…”

   “Every single damn night we check into a hotel!  Sheesh!” Nadir groaned, “At least let me take a shower before you have your roll in the hay!”

   The elevator doors opened up on the third floor.  Nadir stormed off of it after snatching one of the card keys from Zenith.  Zenith and Halo glanced at each other, only momentarily stunned by his outburst, for by now they were more than used to it.

   They got off the elevator and caught up with Nadir, only to find that in his rage he was unable to slide the card key through the slot correctly, further frustrating him.  Zenith placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder and said, “Relax Nadir!  Seriously, if Halo and I bother you so much…I don’t know what to say.”

   The growl and glare disappeared from Nadir’s face as he looked to his twin.  “I’m sorry Zenith…I don’t know why I’m so angry.  I don’t mean to take it out on you.”

   Zenith smiled and half-hugged his twin, before moving past him and opening the door with his room key.  As they walked inside, Zenith said, “It’s okay Nadir, no worries.”

   “Don’t say that Zenith, I’m really upset,” Nadir replied, closing the door behind them.  He let the duffle bag hanging on his shoulder fall to the floor as he collapsed into a chair near the door.  “I guess…just being back in this wretched place really has me at my wit’s end.  I hate this stupid place so much, I’d much rather be anywhere else than here,” he added, burying his face in his hands.

   Zenith, who had already pulled off his wet shirt, looked back at his brother, feeling Nadir’s pain.  Halo, who had gotten her change of clothes and hairbrush out of the duffle bag walked past them, heading for the bathroom so she could shower.  She paused long enough to give Nadir a hug and said, “It’s okay Nadir…none of us like being here.  Still, I think we have to find some way to let go of this hatred we have for our parents, and this is the only place to do it.  Even if we can’t find them and tell them to their faces how much we hate them, we’ve got to do something.  We’ll never be able to move on if we don’t.”

   She kissed Nadir gently above his brow before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her.  Nadir listened as the shower water turned on, feeling his anger leave him as he looked back to his twin.  A weak smile came to Nadir’s lips as he asked, “You still don’t mind that?”

   “Mind what?” Zenith asked, putting on a warm change of clothes.

   “That she kisses me like that.”

   “Please,” Zenith replied, pulling his shirt over his head, “You two have always flirted like that, and I know Halo loves me truly.  What she does with you is nothing more than a sister caring for her brother.  It’s not like you’re a complete stranger.”  Nadir lowered his head and eyes, rubbing his temples as he felt a headache coming on.  He looked up when he felt Zenith’s presence, seeing his brother standing there offering him a dry set of clothes.  “Seriously Nadir, everything’s okay.  We’re all tired and frustrated.  Change into some dry clothes and we can relax.”

   After Nadir took the clothes from him, Zenith walked back over to the mirror to comb out his wet and tangled hair.  Rising to his feet, Nadir began to change as he asked, “So…you and Halo aren’t going to boot me out?”

   A quick laugh escaped Zenith.  He put his comb away and walked over to his twin.  Placing his hands on Nadir’s shoulders he replied, “Not tonight Nadir.  I think we had plans to, but like I said before, we’re all tired, cold, stressed out, and need a break.  Halo and I will just have to wait until tomorrow.  We’re family, we’ve got to respect each other.”

   There was light in Nadir’s eyes for a moment, but that light faded as he tossed his wet clothes to the floor.  He looked away from Zenith and muttered, “You’re right.  If we don’t respect each other, who else will?”

   Zenith embraced his twin, and Nadir slowly but surely returned the hug.  The brothers, before they met Halo, were all they had, and were much closer than any twins, identical or not, for this reason.  It was always a sensitive wound in their hearts, talk of their mother for abandoning them, and thoughts of their faceless father, whose identity gave them their hybrid appearance, and mocked them in his absence.  No matter how much their lives changed, no matter how old they got, they would never lose this bond that had kept them alive, even when no one else cared enough to help them.

   Pulling back from the hug, Zenith grinned and said, “That’s the spirit.”

   This caused Nadir to laugh a little.  He shook his head and replied, “Thanks Zenith.”

   “For making you feel better?” Zenith asked.

   “…You said that on purpose, just so I would say, no, for not kicking me out tonight,” Nadir replied, smirking.

   Zenith laughed.  He and Nadir sat down on the beds, and after a few moments Zenith said, “There’s got to be somebody in this town that knows what happened to our mother.  We’ll just ask around at the local bars.  If our mother is who we think she was, then we’ll have no trouble.”

   Nadir lay down on his stomach, covering his head with a pillow.  “Please Zenith, spare me.”

   “I thought you didn’t care about her?” Zenith asked.

   “I don’t” Nadir cried in response, “That doesn’t mean I’m more inclined to hear about it!  Gee whiz.”

   At that moment, the bathroom door opened, and Halo, wearing her pajamas, walked into the room, running a comb through he hair as she walked.  “Ah, that feels so much better,” she said with a sigh, “I feel like the beauty I am again.”

   “When were you not that beauty?” Zenith asked with a grin.

   “Humph, I guess in your eyes I could look like living hell and you’d still think I’m beautiful hmm?” Halo asked, hands on hips.

   “Baby you know it,” Zenith replied, grinning seductively, his eyes burning with an eager flame.

   Letting out a sigh, Nadir sat up and said, “Hey now, come on, I thought we weren’t going to do this tonight.”

   Jumping on the bed beside Nadir, Halo pounced on him and said, “Who invited you anyway Nadir?” with a laugh.  She then sprung quickly from Nadir’s bed to Zenith’s half tackling him as she flew into his arms.

   “Nobody, thank goodness,” Nadir muttered as he recovered.

   After a good long kiss and a snuggle, Zenith looked to his brother and said, “Really Nadir, I don’t understand you.  You obviously love beautiful women, but then you turn around and act like you detest such a thing.”

   “He’s hiding more than you think Zenith, all because he isn’t getting any,” Halo added with a smirk as she rubbed Zenith’s chest.

   “Shut up!” Nadir shouted, “You two were just lucky that we’ve always been friends.  It’s always been our own little group.  I’m not gonna start trawling bars full of women just to find someone to satisfy my urges.  I’d rather ignore them, but you two make it damn near impossible.”

   Zenith cringed.  “Ignore them?  Yikes Nadir, no wonder you’re such a grouch.”

   Halo broke out into wild laughter, kicking her feet against the bed, soon joined by Zenith who couldn’t restrain a chuckle.  Nadir furrowed his eyebrows at them, then with a growl he muttered, “I’m out of here…I think I’ll grab a cigarette and go sit by the pool.”

   As Nadir was leaving, Halo tried to stop laughing as she cried, “Oh come on Nadir, stop being such a baby!”

   After getting a cigarette out of his duffle bag, Nadir held out his hand and said, “Forget it, I need some time away from you idiots.  I’m warning you though, I’m coming back in two hours so I can watch the evening news.  See you later.”

   Once the door closed behind him, Halo looked to Zenith and asked, “Why do I get the feeling that he forgot a room key?”

   A gleam came to Zenith’s eyes, as both he and Halo looked to the bedside table that sat between the two beds, only to see two card keys sitting together.  Zenith shook his head, laughing softly as he replied, “Oh poor Nadir.  I swear…I love my brother, but man…he can be so…impulsive and rough.  I do admire him though.  He’s the only person I’ve ever heard of who can smoke one cigarette every few days, and not get addicted.  He’s gone for months without them.  It’s like he can come and go from them as he pleases.  He says it’s because he chews nicotine gum at the same time, but I don’t know.  Maybe it’s willpower.”

   “Or maybe it’s his way of…letting go,” Halo suggested, her voice quiet, with a hint of begging hidden in the breaths.

   That fiery gleam came back to Zenith’s eyes, lighting up his purple irises as he looked back to her, watching as she walked her fingers up his arm.  Swallowing, he whispered, “I don’t think a cigarette is a suitable replacement for…that, but, if it’s how he deals with it, then we’ll all have a good night tonight.”

   “Then let the good night begin,” Halo whispered seductively.

   Through smoke or seduction, the three of them made the most of their first night in town.  Even poor Nadir, who was locked out of the room, managed to get back in to rest, but only after having to go to the front desk when his twin and sister-in-law wouldn’t answer the door.  Though Nadir gave them grief about it, he loved them; for whatever reason the time alone that night, the cigarette and the nicotine gum left him fresh and in a good mood the next morning.  Zenith and Halo obviously had nothing to be sore about either.

   And so they began their search for information on their parents, even going as far as to pick pocket from the people they were asking questions to.  As tough and badass as they felt and acted, they were nervous walking through bars filled with thugs.  Halo especially was unnerved, for even though she showed off a tough exterior, inside, she was still a woman, verging on having the spirit of an innocent little girl, even after all she had been through.  The same could be said for Nadir and Zenith, who for all their battle scars, tough times, and struggles, still felt fear, that instinctive longing for their mother’s arms, even as they dammed her and condemned her to apathy.

   They shied away from humans, most of them having the appearance of bikers, a large part of them bald and covered with tattoos, and piercings that seemed to be everywhere except for their ears.  They laughed and shouted loudly, cursing and swearing, an atmosphere Halo, Zenith and Nadir were used to, and even immersed themselves in, but were somehow frightened of at the same time.  Halo hung on to Zenith’s arm, while the brothers, though trying to act tough, held each other’s hands when the crowds got thick and rowdy, so they wouldn’t get separated.

   Still, they had a job to do, and instead sought out members of their own kind.  Bartenders who were hedgehogs, the occasional Greywolf that worked as a bouncer, even young foxes and lynxes who worked as waitresses, strippers, and show girls, for information.  They got the farthest with some strippers, two young foxes who, though they had only worked there for a few years, had heard stories from former colleagues of a blue hedgehog that was often seen.

   The owner of that particular bar gave them the biggest lead they had ever come across.  “Your eyes, they are familiar,” he said, “Not the color, but the shape, even as they curl in that echidna fashion.  I cannot remember much about this girl.  She was not in my employ, but I did see her around.  She never had a steady boyfriend, nor was she married, so I can’t tell you anything about the possible identity of your father.”

   Halo had a similar bit of luck.  A bartender remembered stories about her grandfather, a brown furred cat who lived behind a dumpster.  “This cat lady talked often about her geezer of a father,” he said as he cleaned glasses, “I’m afraid to tell you this lass, but your mother did not like your grandfather very much, if these are indeed the same people.  She called her father a lunatic and did everything she could to avoid him.  She, I recall, had purple fur, with the occasional stripe of red.  The male I saw her with was another cat.  He had green fur with white striping on his hair.  I only saw him once though, and I fear he was either arrested, or gunned down, possibly part of a the local drug trade.  Your mother, she was a loose cannon, very impulsive.  Didn’t care about anyone but herself, and I doubt she cared much for your father.”

   After a long day of bravely walking through the red light parts of town, the three, now with weary spirits and heavy hearts, went back to their hotel.  They were silent the entire way.  Upon entering the room, Nadir collapsed onto his bed, hugging a pillow tightly.  Zenith took some aspirin for a headache.  Halo retreated to the bathroom.

   Lying down on his bed, Zenith let out a sigh.  “We were right Nadir…our mother…she probably sold herself to people.  And for once, she got unlucky and had us.”

   “I thought we agreed not to talk about her…the wench,” Nadir muttered, covering his face with the pillow as he clutched it.  “She didn’t give a damn,” he continued, “The only reason she had us was because she couldn’t afford an abortion.  I say hell with her.”  His voice got quieter and quieter with each word, until Zenith could hear a sniffing sound coming from under the pillow, even as it was slightly muffled.

   Sitting up a bit, Zenith looked to him and asked, “Nadir?  Hey, buddy, are you okay?  Is…is everything alright?”

   “Shut up Zenith!” Nadir cried, shooting up suddenly, the pillow falling away from his face.  There were no tears on his face, but you could see them glassing over his eyes, and it appeared as if he was struggling with all the power he had to keep them from falling.  The anger faded from his face, giving way to sadness.  He let out a sigh, and slumped back down on the bed.  “I hate this Zenith.  Our mother didn’t care about us, and Halo’s parents didn’t care about her.  What’s scary is we’re going down the same path they did,” Nadir said.

   Zenith reclined, resting his head on the stack of pillows behind him.  “It’s not the exact same path Nadir…you and I aren’t running drugs…Halo isn’t…selling herself to the first pile of scum to wave a fifty dollar bill in her face.  We’re better than our parents ever were.  They’re nothing but sorry ass excuses for living beings.  We’ll always be better than them.  If we were to run into them today we’d put them to shame and beat them until hell won’t have them again.”

   Letting out a sigh, Nadir replied, “I just don’t understand it.  Robbery is wrong, I admit it, but what else can we do to survive?  What they were doing is just…inexcusable.  I don’t ever want to be such filthy trash.  We don’t know what our father did, but the fact that he conceived children in this way doesn’t make me think he was any better.”

   It was silent for a moment.  Zenith gazed at the ceiling, lost in thought.  He loved being with Halo in that special way.  Somehow it made them closer, as close as any two people could be.  The only way they could be closer would be if they were twins, identical twins, coming from the same egg, growing in the same womb, being born on the same day.  Short of that, this was as close as he could come to Halo.  Part of him was now part of her, part of her was now part of him.  Zenith felt ill.  How could a woman mistreat such a special thing, giving herself to scum and trash just to get by?

   It was wrong, it was disgusting, and it gave Zenith the creeps.  He came from the womb of a woman that was indiscriminate as far as what she allowed in it.  It was true.  He and Nadir were just a terrible mistake.  They weren’t wanted.  No one gave a damn about them.

   Halo’s mother was just as bad it seemed, for though she apparently offered herself to only one man, she did not want her baby daughter, so much that she was willing to leave her with her father, a man that the bartender made clear that Halo’s mother hated, just so she could be rid of her.

   Zenith, like Nadir, felt tears entering his eyes.  Though this was what they had come here to find out, it was a bitter pill to take.  They weren’t just victims of parents who had had their lives cut short; no, they were alone, because they were abandoned.  No one wanted them then, and no one wanted them now.

   It was enough to cause the hearts of the twins to be filled with even more anger and hatred.  Why should they care about anyone if no one cared about them?  Why should they even care about themselves?  They were worried about turning into their parents, why did they care?  Nobody would miss them…nobody would…

   “I’m sorry,” she said, walking out of the bathroom.

   Both Zenith and Nadir looked up to see  Halo walking slowly towards them.  She took such little steps it was as if she was walking down the wedding aisle again.  She had one arm wrapped around her waist, pressing against her tummy, with her other arm resting against it as the cup of her hand cradled her jaw, her fingers covering her mouth.  Her voice was soft, quiet, and vulnerable, filled with fatigue.  Her ears, free of her many earrings, now drooped as low as they could.  Her shoulders sagged, her tail dragged against the floor.  Her eyes gazed at the ground, and it appeared she could barely hold her head up.

   Horror filled Zenith’s eyes, as he had never seen her that sick.  Running over to her, he put his arm around her and walked her over to the bed, crying, “Oh Halo, what’s wrong?  What are you sorry for?  Are you alright?”

   Nadir sat up, his own heart filled with concern.  As Zenith helped Halo lie down she replied, “I’m sorry for taking so long.  I just don’t feel well.  Each bar we walked through was filled with smoke and the air smelled so disgusting.  I can handle smelling one cigarette now and then, but I just…by the time we were walking home I was ready to puke.”

   “And I’m assuming you just did,” Nadir asked, his voice soft.

   “Yep,” Halo replied, “Don’t worry, I feel much better now.”

   With a sigh of relief, Zenith sat down beside her, pulling her into his arms and holding her close as they cuddled.  “Good, I don’t want anything bad to ever happen to you,” he whispered.

   Nadir, who could feel his anger from earlier melting back into sadness, realized he had an answer to why they wanted to be better than their parents.

   He got up, and walked around to the other side of Zenith’s bed.  He sat down beside his twin, resting his head on Zenith’s shoulder and whispered, “The reason why, we want to know about them, is so we’ll never make the same mistakes they did.  The reason why, we want that, is because, we love each other, and we love ourselves, and for the sake of that love, even if nobody else gives a damn about us, we’re going to do the best we can.  It may be us against the world, but as long as we’re still alive, we’ve got to try our best to live as well as we can, and living the lives we’ve lived growing up, just isn’t the way to do it.  It’s drained us, and we know now we’re no better than our parents were.  We’ve got to get revenge, yes, and we’ll do it by defying them, by showing them, they were wrong.”

   Zenith glanced at his younger twin.  Putting his other arm around Nadir, he held both him and Halo as close to him as possible.  The rain from the night before had returned, and as the thunder crashed and the rain began to pour, the three felt sleep overtake them.  They knew Nadir was right.  In their hearts they finally understood the answer to their problems, the very reason for their mission.  As long as they were still together, this was their fight.

   His eyes heavy, Zenith finally succumb to slumber.  His final thoughts, however, troubled him.

   “Where do we start?”