Dawn of Sommers

Dared

"Don't you think we're getting a little old for this or something?"

Second looked out at the sunrise painting the sky before them, seemingly specifically for them and only them. He took his sister's orange hair between his fingers and began to braid, starting at her part and pulling the hairs tight precisely like how he had done every other morning for the past twenty-three years. "I just think we're a little old in general, you know?" Second spoke with his signature blank, monotone voice. "Are you saying that I need to start looking for grey hairs in this mess?"

"I'll be on the lookout when I do yours, Second," Stasia chuckled and rolled her shoulders. Her wings were resting limply behind her, on a showcase for everyone to see. But it was only her and Second there this morning.

"Alright, smartass. Where are you going with this?"

"We're twenty-nine years old, dude. Instead of going out into the world and making families of our own, we're sitting on this cliff braiding each other's hair like toddlers."

"Because we are toddlers."

Even with Second's flat tone, Stasia struggled not to laugh. "Second, I'm trying to have a moment if you don't mind."

"The keyword in that sentence is "trying.""

"Second!"

"Fine, I'll tame the beast," Second rolled his eyes sarcastically and dropped two long braids down against Stasia's wings. He ran his fingertips over her wings, biting his lip as the sharp feathers made his fingertips bleed. Weapons of mass destruction, their voices had told them. These weapons would be the kingdom's downfall. Second couldn't understand how something so beautiful could be so powerful. He turned his back to Stasia and closed his eyes, placing his bleeding fingertips in his mouth. He felt her hands smooth his hair back, pulling it tight as she began to braid the fronts of his hair. His hair was only down to his shoulders, nothing compared to hers. Nevertheless, he still enjoyed her braids; they kept his hair from his eyes.

"Isn't there something better we could be doing with our lives instead of this?" Stasia sighed and tied off Second's braid with a red ribbon to match the two in her hair. "Are there not any women in town that you like? I'll put in a good word for you."

"I could ask you the same question, Stasi."

"Romance isn't for me. I'm married to my sword and bow."

"That's good for the men out there. I'd probably kill them if they looked at you."

Stasia wasn't sure if he was serious. She knew he could do it, but she didn't really care. So could she. "I'd probably be helping you with that."

It was then that their blissful silence was interrupted. Kill the voices began, startling Second and making Stasia jump. Blood! They yelled continuously, singing their morbid tune.

"Someone's here," Second whispered as he rose to his feet, Stasia joining him soon after. "First?" Blood! He called out into the air, narrowing his eyes as the voices grew louder and louder in their heads. Blood! "Terrance?"

"Tommy?" Blood! Stasia drew in a deep breath, pulling her karambit out of her pocket and opening the blade. "Tory?" Blood!

Second's hand instinctively shot to his broadsword, gripping the handle between his fingers. Blood for the blood king! "Shut up!" Both him and Stasia yelled in unison, their empty hand not wielding their weapons immediately covering an ear.

You can't silence us, they both heard inside of their heads, the voices taunting them. We're always here.

"Are you guys fighting?" They heard Terrance's voice coming from the trees behind them. "I don't think I've ever seen you two fight. Have you even once had a fight?"

Stasia sighed and put her blade back in her pocket. "You scared us, Terrance!"

"I scared you?" Terrance stepped closer to them as Second and Stasia turned around to face him. "Says the one walking around with a knife in her hand!"

"Touche, brother." Stasia took a deep breath and tossed her twin braids behind her shoulders. "Why are you all the way out here?"

"The more important question is where's Tommy," Second stated blankly, his hand still gripping the hilt of his broadsword. It would be easy, the voices cooed inside his brain.

"Oh, nowhere special," Terrance said slowly, raising a hand to the back of his neck, something he always did when he was nervous. Twenty years on this planet, and it would probably take him twenty more to grow out of that telling habit. "He's just... kind of...."

"Terrance..." Stasia said in the tone that only an older sibling possessed, a voice that was second only to the voice of a father. Second, ironically enough, didn't possess the older sibling tone, so it was up to Stasia to correct their brothers when Philip wasn't around, sometimes even Second - though he turned more towards threatening his younger brothers into performing his bidding.

"...stuck inside the hole we used as kids to hide stuff from First," Terrance sputtered, almost too quick for Second and Stasia to comprehend the words he said. His grip on the back of his neck tightened, and he pursed his lips together, fully expecting to get reprimanded for allowing this to happen.

"He's what?" Second and Stasia yelled in unison, their eyes all but popping out of their sockets. The twins then broke into a sprint, Second sheathing his sword and Stasia dragging Terrance behind them by the wrist. "Talk," she ordered as she grabbed his arm, her bare feet cutting through the leaves and grass - Stasia never cared for shoes ever since she was a child.

"Well, um," Terrance swallowed hard as they ran, struggling to keep up with his older siblings, "we were playing war with Tory, right? Well, Tory might have flung Tommy's sword-"

"Sword?" Stasia interrupted, pausing her sprint to give Terrance an authoritative look that she had perfected over the years. Catal had passed away when they were young, and since she was the only female left in the household, Stasia took over the role of a mother figure. "You were playing with swords?"

"Not real ones, Stasia!" Terrance defended, taking a step away from his sister. He was several inches taller than her, but she was still the most terrifying person in the world to him when she was mad. "We were using those plastic tubes First tried to throw away yesterday." Stasia narrowed her eyes at Terrance and pulled on his arm, forcing him to stand in front of her again. Then, after a few seconds, she raised her hand and slapped him. "Ouch! What was that for?"

"I don't quite know how yet, but I'm sure you deserve it," Stasia turned and resumed running, once again tugging her brother behind her. "Now continue."

"As I was saying, Tory blocked Tommy and then flung his sword into the hole. Then I..."

"Then you?" She prodded when Terrance's silence extended longer than she liked.

"I dared Tommy to get it back. Told him only a child would be too scared to not try."

"Terrance," Stasia sighed and put her fingertips against her temple as she stopped behind a tree, untying her black cape from around her waist and fastening it around her neck, hiding her angelic wings away from the outside world.

The cliff wall was all rock, moss and grass creeping up the side where it was able. Besides them and the cliff stood Second and Torrent. Tory was Tommy's friend from school, his best friend if Terrence didn't count. Tory's home life wasn't exactly as much of a home life as the Sommers household was. His mother left when he was a child, and his father was rarely home, leaving him to raise himself. Until he grew old enough for school, and Philip all but adopted him. He was like another brother to all of them, especially Tommy, and his curly hair gave the appearance that he was related to the Sommers somehow. If it wasn't for his black hair, Tory could pass as Tommy's twin.

In front of them laid the c***k in the cliff's wall they called the hole. It was about a foot wide and thirteen feet tall. Tommy was the only one of them small enough to even attempt to slide inside - and that he did. Except he couldn't seem to slide out. He had found his way in between the two separated rocks, the walls pushing against his back and chest. "Second!" Tommy cried out, his face red, most likely from yelling at the other two boys to pull him out. That obviously didn't go well. "Second, please!"

Leave him to suffer and die. "What would I gain from getting you out of there?" Second asked with his arms crossed over his chest.

"You'd lose your favorite brother," Tommy pleaded.

"I think I have enough siblings," Second replied sarcastically, "and you are most certainly not my favorite."

"Is it me?" Tory asked wide-eyed.

"We're not related, but sure."

"Second!" Tommy cried out once more, beginning to kick and push at the rock. He soon realized that he wasn't getting anywhere with his eldest brother, so he turned to his only sister. "Stasia, please! You have a heart!"

No, she doesn't. "Did you at least get the tube thing?"

"Well, um, that's the funny part."

Stasia groaned and walked towards the hole, reaching inside and grabbing Tommy's arm. "This may or may not hurt," she warned before pulling at his arm with all her strength. Tommy gasped and yelled out in pain, now trying to push her away. "Hm. You're actually stuck."

"No, I'm just in here FOR b****y FUN, ANASTASIA!"

"That attitude's not really one I'd like to rescue, Tommy."

"Come on, Stasi. Don't you love me?"

"Still deciding."

"But I'm your baby brother."

"So you admit that you're a baby?" Terrance added from the background, his lips ear to ear with a smart smirk.

"Terrance, come on, man," Second leaned against the cliff, crossing one ankle over the other.

"No, no, I'd like to hear more about this," Stasia mimicked Terrance's smirk and folded her arms across her chest. "Please continue, Tommy."

"You're not going to let me out unless I say it, are you?" Tommy asked, sighing defeatedly.

"Nope!"

Tommy sighed once more and rested his head back against the rock. "I'm your little baby brother."

"Good baby," Stasia chuckled and looked at Tory. "Go get matches and butter from the house."

"Aye aye, captain!" Tory gave Stasia a quick salute before running in the direction of their cottage. He returned after a few minutes with the items Stasia had asked for.

Tory handed Stasia the matches and stick of butter, and she turned to Tommy. She motioned for Second to come over and gave him the butter while she lit the match.

"Is your solution to burn me alive?" Tommy joked.

Do it. Torch him at the stake. "Definitely," Stasia said with a smirk, positioning the match above Tommy's chest, above the point where he was trapped. "Second."

"Understood. Torch the child," Second stepped closer and held the stick of butter over the tiny flame, watching as it quickly melted and ran down his hand onto Tommy's shirt. The thick liquid found its way in between Tommy and the rock, and before long, the entire stick had melted.

Burn him alive. "Shut up," Stasia muttered before she licked her fingers, smothering the small flame between them.

"I didn't even say anything!" Tommy whined.

"You were totally thinking something, though," Second quickly covered for Stasia, glaring down at Tommy - thirteen years younger and four inches shorter.

"Stay still, and I should be able to pull you out now," Stasia took a breath and took Tommy's arm, tugging at it with less strength than before. Second reached inside and pulled at Tommy's torso, and working together with the liquid butter, they managed to pry Tommy out. They toppled backward, Tommy landing on top of Second and Second on top of Stasia.

Tommy rose to his feet in a hurry and ran at Terrance, tackling him to the ground. "This was all your fault!" It was apparent Tommy wasn't going to genuinely hurt Terrance, so the other three simply sat on the ground and watched, laughing at one of Tommy's famous tantrums. Tommy eventually tired himself out and laid on the grass beside his brother, who could no longer contain his laughter.

After a short time of laying in the sun, doing nothing but enjoying each other's company - and Tommy's rare silence - the moment abruptly ended. Second and Stasia sat up at the sound of footsteps and the voices in their heads growing louder - the more people around them, the more voices they heard, the louder they became. The other three sat up once Philip entered the tiny clearing. "Is something wrong, Phil?" Tory asked when he noticed the sadness in Philip's eyes.

"My nephew was killed," Philip forced out, dropping his body onto the dirt beside Stasia. "Reiner, his name was. The last of our family outside of us. The messenger just arrived. The funeral is in four days, just enough for all of us to make the trip."

"Trip?" Terrance asked. "What trip?"

"I've never met anyone named Reiner," Tommy tuned in, "and I know everyone in this village."

"Reiner lived in Hephaestus. The capital, to be specific."

"The capital?" Tommy's eyes began to glow. "Isn't that only for the rich and famous? Did we just inherit a bunch of money?"

"Thomas!" Stasia scolded, grabbing hold of Tommy's hair and yanking it downwards, making him cry out with his Tommy whine. "This is our cousin you're disrespecting."

"There's something I've neglected to tell you, boys, for quite a while now," Philip began.

"What do you mean, First?" Terrance asked, c*****g his head to the side, the tell that he was intrigued. "You've been keeping a secret? For how long?"

"To be fair, it's not technically a secret. I just haven't told you. I would've said if you had asked. And it's been... twenty-one years? Twenty-two? I've lost count."

"So this secret is as old am I am, basically."

"Not a secret, Terrance," Second reiterated. "I would have told you if you asked."

"I highly doubt that this is something they'd ask about, First," Second added.

"Second knows!" Tommy yelled as he stood up, his arms flailing towards his elder brother. "How could you tell Second and not me!"

"The fact that you're yelling answers your own question," Second answered, his voice monotone as always.

"Tommy, sit down," Philip sighed and ran a hand down the center of his face. "Yes, Second knows, and Stasia, as well. But, no, I did not tell them. They were there; they lived through it similar to me."

"Are you going to tell us, or...?" Tory finally spoke up, propping his arms on the ground behind him and resting against them.

"Patient, Tory," Philip smiled and smoothed back his hair out of his eyes. "You boys aren't going to process this all at once, so I'll give it to you in pieces. Our family is from Capital, Hephaestus."

"We've established this, First," Terrance quipped.

"Our family is one of the most important families in Hephaestus."

"Well, duh. I mean, I'm very important," Tommy said sarcastically.

"Serious, Tommy," Stasia said.

"I know it's hard for you, Tommy, but-"

"You, too, Second," Stasia interrupted.

"But, the most important family in Hephaestus," Terrance thought aloud, "is the royal family. Is it not?"

Philip pursed his lips together and nodded.

"But that would mean...."

"Go on," Second prodded.

"That would mean what?" Naive Tommy asked, oblivious to the true meaning of his father's words.

"Tommy, I think you're a prince," Tory said with wide eyes, not sure how to process this new information himself.

"I'm... a what?" Tommy's eyes grew as well, looking to Stasia, Second, Terrance, and finally, his father.

"Tory's correct," Philip said softly. "Terrance, Tommy, you, and Second are princes, and Stasi is a princess. Tory, however... Tory is simply Tory."

"You said something about a trip," Terrance spoke up. "Are we going to Hephaestus?"

"We have to go," Philip said. "The messenger brought me a letter, a letter your cousin Reiner wrote on his deathbed. It couldn't have been anyone else; he and his mother, my little sister, were the only people that knew where we were. Reiner requested for us to return to Hephaestus. He thought it might lift the people's spirit if they saw me."

"First is trying to downplay it," Stasia said. "He was the best king the country had ever seen, and I'm not saying that because he's our dad."

"If he was the best king, then why did you leave?" Terrance asked.

Philip stared at the twins for a couple seconds before taking a deep breath. "It was a lot of reasons, too complicated to explain. Just know that it was justified. That is all you need to know."

"Alright, I guess," Terrance frowned and laid back in the grass. "So, I'm a prince?"

"I'd say so, yes." Philip smiled, happy to finally tell his sons about their heritage.

"Are we moving to Hephaestus?"

"I don't know about moving," Second said.

"Are we going to live in a castle?" Tommy asked, his eyes still wide as ever.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, now," Second laid back in the dirt.

"May I come with you guys?" Tory asked, not wanting to leave his hypothetical family. "To Hephaestus, I mean. My father won't notice I'm gone."

"I don't see why you couldn't come, Tory," Philip smiled. "Tommy, go back to Tory's house and help him pack all of his belongings he has there, then once you are done, come back here, and Terrance will help him pack his belongings at our house."

"Why do I have to help Tory?" Terrance whined, his relation to Tommy showing.

"Terrance, help Tory or so help me I will end your bloodline," Second threatened, no actual weight behind his words. End him instead.

"You are my bloodline, i***t," Terrance said as he sat up.

"If that's what it takes, then so be it."

Philip chuckled and watched Second nervously. Stasia noticed and placed a hand on Second's shoulder, their nonverbal cue to calm down. "We'll set off tomorrow at dawn," Philip spoke as he rose to his feet. "Better be packed and ready by then. If not, I'm leaving you behind."

"I'll just stay here then," Second mumbled as he stood.

"Come on, Second," Philip frowned and walked over to his eldest son, putting his hands on Second's shoulders. He waited for Terrance, Tommy, and Tory to leave before he continued speaking. "You're older now. You can handle it."

"But crowds, First!" Second yelled in his father's face, making Stasia bite her lip and fight the urge to separate them. "There are always crowds in Capital, First! You remember what Stasi did in school, right? The reason she got expelled and the reason you took me out? That was with only thirteen other people in the room! How do you think we're going to react when there are hundreds in every direction?"

"The older you get, the better you become," Philip said calmly, knowing the rage wasn't Second's fault but the fault of the circumstances he was victim to. "And besides, everyone will be there for you. All of us."

"Stasi's the only one that can calm me down."

"I'm included in that everyone," Stasia smiled and took Second's hand in hers, squeezing it tight. "I'm always going to be there for you, just like how you'll always be there for me. Together forever, right?"

Second looked over his shoulder at Stasia and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. "Together forever."