Twins Sharing a Sacred Gear Chapter 2: Devil in the Details

“Okay, so, I’m going to need you to cover for me tomorrow.” Crystal muttered to her twin. “I’ve got something I need to do with Shepard, and I can’t have Mom catching me.”

“Can I get more details than something I need to do sis?” Melody asked gently as she slowly brought her swing to a stop, using her fledgling skills with the grace of a flying brick, “Not that I’m opposed…”

“Umm… it’s Mom’s birthday coming up, and I think I can make her a signal blocker. She always says she hates people talking on the phone when she’s making a presentation.”

“Okay sis! I’ll run interference, just make sure to show up every so often so she doesn’t get too suspicious~.” Melody chirped, kicking her swing back into the air, her own little way of declaring the matter settled.

Crystal grinned, shooting her sister a thumbs up. “So, how’s your training with Obi-wan going?” She asked, even as the ghost in question phased into existence right over her sister’s shoulder, floating in pace with her swinging to Crystal’s amusement.

“Good! He’s a really good teacher; don’t you look at me like that master! It wasn’t your fault that Anakin was your first student!” The younger twin pouted up at her master, before grinning, “We’ve moved on from Form One to Form Three! Soresu is fun~”

“I am still baffled that you consider a passive, defensive form fun, Padawan.” Obi-Wan stated with a raised eyebrow, “Most younglings and Padawans consider it boring to the point of tears.”

“You beat several masters of offensive forms with it. Hush.”

Neither girl was that good at shielding, and the presence of multiple ghosts (as Shepard, Marson, Haku, and Ash joining Obi-Wan) drove up the feeling of ‘weird’ in the corner of the playground. While most of the local kids, long endured to the weird surrounding the twins simply ignored them, one little man visiting the human world for the first time peered at them with interest.

“Excuse me, ladies.” Both twins looked up, blinking as the sky went pinkish. The boy was handsome, blonde hair perfectly arrayed and perfectly fitting polo shirt over his tan slacks complimenting his classic looks. “May I have a moment of your time?”

Crystal tilted her head. “Um… Melody, why is the preppy boy talking to us?” She stage whispered.

Shepard snickered. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow. Melody poorly concealed a giggle, even as the Specter spoke “Aww look, it’s a little politician. Maybe if we can adopt him, we can stop him from growing up wrong.”

“Now now Shepard.” Obi-Wan chided with perfectly concealed amusement, “Politics is a perfectly respectable career.”

Struggling to contain her mirth at her ghostly companion’s comments, Melody nodded at her sister, eyes twinkling in delight, “I haven’t the slightest clue Crystal. Perhaps he knows dad and mom? Or perhaps we are secretly long lost Royalty of some forgotten nation?”

The boy’s smile twitched into a frown, looking at them with some irritation. “Now, you’re probably wondering what happened to the light–”

“Yeah, a little. Some sort of barrier space? Magic, right?”Crystal interjected.

“Well it is–” He paused, then huffed. “Yes. It is.”

“Oh poop.” Melody grumbled, amusement overtaken by annoyance, “Now mom and dad aren’t going to let us be weird in public anymore.”

“I dunno, maybe he can keep it quiet? We could probably convince him…” Crystal murmured, considering who she’d merge and what weapon would work.

“Well, you do not need to worry about that!” The boy spoke, trying to regain his aura of control. “After all, after you join me, you will never need to worry about your parents again!” He allowed his black wings to spring from his back. “I am Steven Melladux, first son of the Melladux family; and I believe you two will be fine additions to my peerage!”

The boy paused, obviously expecting a response. Melody looked around. “...feels like there should be a sound effect here. Either lightning, or crickets, maybe…”

“I could build you something for that later…” Crystal offered.

“Ooh, thanks!”

Steven coughed. “A-hem, this is where you thank me–”

“Oh, right! Thanks but no thanks.” Crystal waved one hand. “So, sound effects–”

“But that’s not how this is supposed to work!” The devil pouted, barely avoiding stamping his foot into the ground obviously, though both girls could tell he was desperate to, “You were both supposed to bow in gratitude to my gracious offer and come with me to school so I could show off!”

“...that assumes we don’t have our own plans.” Crystal replied. “I mean, I don’t want to stop being human, at least not for a long while yet.” She sniffed. “So, yeah. Also, you have no idea what we can do.”

He huffed. “You can obviously talk to ghosts! That’s the first seeds of necromancy, and I could teach you two to harness your powers over the grave!”

“... Sure, necromancy. That works!” Melody nervously stuttered, concealing her fear with some difficulty. Chaplain Johnston had warned the pair of girls about devils, and now those warnings were crashing into her emotions with the force of a raging hurricane.

Crystal, on the other hand, had far less cool or panic. “Nope. We’ll get training on our own time, thank you.” She waved one hand. “Swing back by in… huh, maybe eight years? We can talk about it then.”

“That’s my girl.” Shepherd praised, earning an eyeroll from the far more composed Jedi Master, “What? She’s like a mini-me but better! What’s not to love?”

“Sis, I think mister devil’s processing center crashed.” Melody stated after a few moments of silence, recovering from her momentary panic in haste and walking up to the poor, confused child and poking his frozen face, “He seems to have lost all comprehension of reality.”

Steven twitched, then began to growl. Crystal blinked, then grinned as she watched his hands light up with green energy. “Hey, if he attacks us in a space normal people can’t get to, that means we get to fight back, right?”

“Yep!” 

“Ash when did you get back?” Melody blinked, looking at the trainer with already fading incredulity, “And yes, Crys, we can fight back if threatened or attacked. Daddy said to be especially harsh on pushy boys.”

“Dialga says hi!” The trainer snickered in reply, before pulling out what appeared to be ghostly popcorn.

“Okay!” Crystal pulsed, and Steven blinked as a set of dark gray armor wrapped around her torso. “Try not to pass out too quickly, please! I need to practice my headbutts!”

--(II)--

“I am so sorry about Steven’s behavior. I don’t know what his nanny was thinking when she went off and left him alone.” The beautiful blonde woman groaned as she sat across from Stephen and Natalie. “He really should know not to be so pushy. Really, he only has his pieces so that he can go the familiar forest in a few months.”

“But mom–”

“Steven, enough.” Mrs. Melladux cut off her son’s protests, making sure not to jostle his black eye, dislocated shoulder, and swollen ear as she cut him off.

“I’d apologize for my girls rough treatment of your son, but I’d be lying.” Stephen answered dryly, noting with some pride that Melody had gotten her licks in, few as they may be. Girl was too passive. Crystal had done a phenomenal job, as always, accounting for everything except the ear.

The other man in the room, a bulky devil in a suit, chuckled. “Now, I’m not going to say Steven wasn’t in the wrong, but I can’t deny he has an eye for talent.” Mr. Melladux (who’d asked to be called Paul with limited success) carefully ruffled his son’s hair. “Keep those eyes open, so long as you let us know before you make any moves.” His smile dropped. “Otherwise, well… this can happen.” He gave Crystal a wink. “Good hits, little lady.”

Crystal huffed. “Devil magic is cheating. That first fist should’ve laid him out…”

“... Dear sister, have you perchance forgotten my entire lecture on how much stronger devils are than baseline humans?” Melody interjected dryly, brows twitching in annoyance, “I wouldn’t have had to throw a rock at the poor boy’s head if you had remembered…” she continued dangerously.

“Dear sister? Now you’re talking like him!” Crystal paused. “Where did he learn to talk like that?” She asked Steven’s parents. “Neither of you do.”

“From his peers at school, I’d imagine.” Mrs. Melladux said politely, “He insisted on attending to a well regarded pillar school because his crush-”

“Mother!”

“Rias Gremory attends there.” The aforementioned woman continued without regard to her son’s desperate interruption, “We’ve talked about how you are to refer to me, Steven.”

“...yes mom.” Steven muttered.

“Wait, Gremory?” Natalie interjected. “As in, Ars Goetia Gremory? As in, Devil Nobility Gremory?”

“My boy aims high!” Mr. Melladux chuckled. “Maybe a bit ambitious, but that’s fine.” He paused. “Tempered with caution, of course.”

“He could have picked worse pillars, at least.” Mrs. Melladux sighed. “Even if… well. She’s engaged.”

“Riser’s an idiot, though!” Steven protested. “If I were her fiance, I’d treat her right! Not like he does.” He grumbled.

Crystal tapped her chin. “So, you wanted peerage members to impress her.”

Steven sulked. “Yeah.”

“Not the right idea.”

“Huh?”

“Girls don’t really get why boys like showing off so much, most of the time.” Melody interjected kindly, shooting her sister a mild glare, “We’d much rather have a friend.”

“Yeah, I guess. How’s she treat you, anyway?” Crystal blinked as the boy went red. “Okay, you have talked to her, right?”

“...she’s really pretty… and powerful… why would she want to talk to me?”

“We also like it when boys are confident.” Melody said flatly, “and don’t pursue us solely cause we’re pretty.”

“Dears, you two are eight.” Stephan groaned, “Why.”

“Shepard has no filter, Ash got curious, and Obi Wan didn’t see any reason to stop them. Until Chloe got involved at least, then everyone dogpiled her. Except Illya. Illya just laughed the whole time.”

Crystal ignored her sister, looking directly at Steven. “Okay, first rule; talk to her. Like, seriously, see her doing something interesting, go and talk to her.” She huffed. “Even if you turn into supercaptaincoolman, if you can’t talk to her, you’re getting nowhere.”

“But–”

“No buts! I will sic Shepard’s ghost on you, if I can figure out how!”

“I’ll do it too. I swear, if more of the men that were interested in me actually had the balls to ask they’d get somewhere.”

Crystal looked up, tilting her head. Melody did the same, eerily mirroring her sister, “Didn’t you hook up with a girl, though?” Both girls chorused.

“Yeah, because she had more balls than any of them.”

“Oh good, you haven’t elected to make me explain the more nuanced bits of romance yet Jane. Do keep that up, my dear.” Obi-Wan called from elsewhere, “I’m busy wrangling the Einzberns into compliance at the moment. Both seem to wish to stick around.”

“It must be fascinating, to have so many other people only your girls can interact with.” Ms. Melladux observed.

“We can interact with them at home, using a ritual circle. They are fine people, just different.” Stephen countered. “But it can be interesting. Unless we ask, it makes understanding a conversation very difficult.”

Steven stared in the general direction of Shepard. “So Ms. Shepard is like the Sitri family?”

“Sitri?”

“Ah yes, the lady Sitri married another woman, then a man, then another woman.” Ms. Melladux hummed.

“Force damn it now I have to explain polyamory. Blast, I was hoping to avoid that until they were twelve.” Obi-Wan grumbled totally not petulantly, ignoring Jane’s full-bell laugh as it echoed throughout the house with the greatest of ease as he floated into the living room, shaking his head at the twins, “Later, Melody, Crystal. I’m sure your parents or our guests will give you a somewhat detailed version of it, which I will expand upon later.”

“Okay.” Both girls said at once.

Steven tapped his fingers. “Um. So, I need to talk to her? I don’t know how to do it without looking like…”

“A brownnoser?”

“Social climber?”

“Yeah. Those.”

“Well,” Natalie interjected, “I’d just start by talking to her. Don’t make it romantic at first; be her friend. If it goes somewhere from there, you’ll both know when the time is to ask.” Unsaid by the older woman was that most childhood relationships tended not to last for a lifetime, but the boy didn’t need his dreams crushed to accomplish the goal of the day. That being hopefully helping the young boy be more socially active with his crush without mixing her girls in with him.

“...okay.” Steven nodded. “I’ll try.”

“Let us know how it turns out!” The twins piped up at once. “I still need a good sparring buddy.” Crystal finished. “You did have that neat trick with the slime shot.”

“Please. I get tired of sparring constantly with Crys. Even though I win more.” Melody chimed in, eyes twinkling in mirth.

“For now. For now.” Crystal muttered. “Stupid neo dodges…”

Natalie shot her husband a glare. “Dear, did you show them the Matrix?”

“...ah…”

“Daddy’s in the doghouse~” Melody singsonged, ignoring her father’s betrayed look with feminine glee, “Also, Neo’s got nothing on me~”

Ms. Melladux pursed her lips as the mortal family began to needle each other. “We should make these visits more regular, I think. We could use some lively discourse, don’t you think?”

Mr. Melladux grinned. “Why not?” He paused. “However, Steven, tell no one about these girls, okay son? Not yet, at least.”

Steven blinked. “Why?”

“Our turf now, at least in one way of thinking. In another, well, some Devils like to poach. Or fail to ask nicely.” His face went grim. “Obscurity is better, until they’re stronger.”

“Steven.” Mrs Melladux stated severely, “I am going to need an oath that you will not talk.” At her husband and son’s baffled look, the female devil grimaced, “Those girls share a powerful Sacred Gear. That should be explanation enough as to why, husband dear.” She snorted, not even noticing when both of the twins swiveled to face her.

“... Oh.” Melody blinked. “Do you know which one it is? Seeing and allowing spirits to possess you isn’t one we know of.”

Ms. Melladux winced, before coughing. “I have no idea. Most Sacred Gears are very obvious in their applications and activation. In fact, as best I can tell, you two haven’t actually fully activated yours.” She shook her head. “There are some who would sell more than their own soul for a chance to study you two.”

“... Honestly, that’s fair.” Melody shuddered, “Given what little Obi-Wan has told me, I should be surprised there aren’t more people finding us with how careless we’ve been.”

“Being normal is boring. Besides, so far everyone just thinks we’re doing the creepy twin thing, or talking to imaginary friends.” Her sister spoke up, then paused. “Actually, can we be sure you guys are real?” She reached out, poking at Shepard, who poked her back.

“... Crystal why.” Melody despaired dramatically as she collapsed theatrically to the floor, “Why must you use your impeccable skills in making no sense to make sense.”

“I think it’s because we constantly share thoughtspace with beings a lot older and more experienced than us, which leads to blendings of higher concepts and childish free-thinking.” Crystal countered. “Or at least, that’s what I got out of all this the one time I merged with Obi-wan.” Her face scrunched up. “Also, how can you stand being tranquil all the time? Introspection feels like your brain is eating itself.”

“I mean, the secret is that I’ve acknowledged my impending mortality as our uncaring universe neverendingly marches on towards its inevitable heat-death because I am but a mote of dust on a tiny spec in the middle of infinity.” Melody deadpanned severely, before brightening, “Oh, and it’s fun to fuck with you when you think I’m tranquil when I’m basically having an anxiety attack in my brain half the time.”

Natalie spoke up. “Language.” She said distantly, as all the adults wrestled with the words coming out of the mouths of the twins.

Steven raised one hand. “I think I’m ready to take that oath now. I don’t want to think about this, much less talk about it.” His eyes were wide and his pupils dilated. “I can’t tell if they’re messing with us, and I really want them to be.”

Paul nodded. “Okay, tea time is over. Remind me, how old is the mortal drinking age these days?”

“... Not nearly low enough for this shit.” Stephan groaned, sending a pleading look towards the uncaring heavens, “Why are my daughters philosophizing.” He despaired.

Both girls pointed at Obi-wan.