Twin Stars Meet

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Somewhere far...in the future, beyond time? :

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In a meadow filled with spring flowers, a young girl clad in white armor lovingly traced her finger over the black leather cover of her book.

Her hair had a golden shine of fresh wheat, and her eyes emerald green, sparkling with hope and untainted dreams.

For the one-hundredth time, the girl opened the book and started to read her favorite page.

A passage that she shall cherish for her entire life.

"Hope.

To Hope is to be in Harmony with your worst fears.

And from that, love shall sprout.

To love is to understand. From that, stems compromise.

Humanity is still too young, too immature. Its comprehension too feeble to withstand the grandiose nature of the World.

A man is only a man. Unless humanity stands as one, one individual could only try to adapt.

Even several thousand years from now, their primitive nature might still remain unchanged.

Even when gods fall, mystic fades, and humanity rules over the planet, humans shall still fight, kill, pillage, and disgrace. Either among themselves or for something else, always a slave to their own selfish purposes.

However, He still hopes.

That one day, maybe one day, humanity might learn to stand as one.

That one day, instead of blood and hatred, there shall be smiles and love.

That one day, the world would become a better place.

Bear the responsibility. Drink in the humiliation. Bask in the pain.

Be the star that outshines the darkest of nights.

Become the beacon of hope in the midst of despair.

Then, walk forwards once more.

Again and again and again.

For a Fate eternal."

-[Records of Herasterus], Page 777, From the Treasury of the British Royal Family

...

...The words of her ancestor, Herasterus.

He who became the candle of the weak.

He who burnt himself to shine in the dark.

He who discarded his ascension to divinity.

Tragic Hero of Hera.

Twin of Heracles, Chosen of Phoroneus, Husband of Pollux, Sworn Brother of Castor, Lord of Skye, Crown Prince of Mycenae, and Champion of Olympus.

Also a rumored descendant of Gilgamesh the Golden, who himself claimed that he carried the blood of Halmeus the Heroic; Divine Ancestor of Phoroneus the First King, from the age of the Tower of Babel.

The Babylonian king claimed that the Sword of Rapture he wielded was proof of his lineage, and this very sword was excavated by Herasterus from an ancient underground ruin, which was later summoned by him when he was in dire need of a weapon after he lost his Holy Sword to an ambush.

The same Holy Sword that she shall one day wield.

The Sword of Crystallized Hope that was passed on to Herasterus in the Secret Shrine of Phoroneus.

"...Hmm?"

So engrossed she was in her fantasies, that she didn't notice the voice calling out her name. It was her mentor, the great mage of the flowers.

Taking a deep breath, she rose from the stone she was sitting on and brushed off the dust from her pristine white dress.

Buckling her sword of choosing to her belt, she ran to her teacher.

...

.....

....

Today was a big day for Herasterus.

Today was the day that the Heroes their father has called to Mycenae shall arrive.

Among them were Peleus, father of Achilles and husband of the sea nymph Thetis, and the famed Dioscuri (Children of Zeus) who were, according to them, the incarnation of old gods who received Zeus' blood and reverted into half-immortal demigod twins, Castor and Pollux.

He and Heracles stood near the palace doors, eager to welcome their mentors. After all, it wasn't every day you can call in a personal tutor that is a legit demigod...who was also once an old god.

While he had no intention of asking why they became demigods of Zeus -he had a fair guess anyway; they were most likely a twin god that was one entity, one who belonged to a fallen pantheon and was forgotten by humanity, which made them regress into a spirit and was then assimilated by Zeus into the Greek Pantheon- he was still very much interested in their abilities.

He knew from his fragmented knowledge that they were regarded as helpers of humankind and held to be patrons of sailors in particular, to whom they appeared as St. Elmo's fire.

He also knew that their role as horsemen and boxers made them the patrons of athletes and that they intervened in moments of crisis to aid those who honored them.

However, it was always different to see the real deal.

Thus, it was only natural that Herasterus excitedly jumped down the steps leading to the palace door when he sensed a chariot with divinity on it. Heracles quickly followed his lead and landed half a step before her brother, as if to shield him if anything goes out of hand.

The outside of the chariot was embroidered with enchanted bronze and was led by two white horses with small wings -Pegasus offsprings. While they were inferior to the Pegasus since they were half-bloods, they were still exceedingly rare and nigh-impossible to find in the wild.

A man and a woman were on the chariot, both identical in terms of demeanor and appearance. They were both blonde and had electric blue eyes, and were clad in black skin-tight armor with a white kiton covering it.

His eyes met theirs, and an electric tremor passed through their spines. They immediately knew who the other was. The demigod twins leaped down from their chariot and onto the ground a few feet before them.

Herasterus and his sister lightly bowed with a smile, and the Dioscuri nodded back in return.

All of them instinctively knew that this encounter would most likely shape their future and were rather cautious in their approach.

"A pleasure to meet you, O' guiding stars of man! Even the sun is unable to outshine your splendor, is it not?"

All except one idiotic boy, it seemed.

...

....

...

In all honesty, I thought about using the red carpet approach when I first heard that the Dioscuri was coming.

I mean, those guys claimed that they were literally gods of an old pantheon! Not that a lot of people believed in their claim, though I deduced that their story had at least some truth in it.

After all, I knew for a fact from my splintered knowledge that the Dioscuri were the divine manifestation of the stars that light up the night skies after a passing storm and were worshiped by people -later known as the constellation Gemini.

Nonetheless, I decided against my initial approach for it may be taken as a job or even an insult to the fact that they were no longer gods.

Instead, I chose to show my sincerity by waiting for them at the palace's doorstep. I craned my neck and focused beyond the horizon with the eagle vision of Artemis.

A tiny flash of bronze reflected the sunlight, like a star under the sun. Dust clouds trailed behind the bronze as it speeded in the direction of Mycenae.

The divinity the chariot carried could be sensed from a mile away. Indeed, they were no ordinary demigods, if they could be called one in the first place.

The chariot drew nearer and nearer and finally stopped a few feet before the palace steps where we stood. The pegasus offspring neighed and pawed the ground, flapping their small wings on their backs in an attempt to cool themselves down.

I signaled to one of the guards positioned nearby and made him carry over the things I had prepared beforehand, while I greeted our new mentors with open arms.

"A pleasure to meet you, O' guiding stars of man! Even the sun is unable to outshine your splendor, is it not?", I said cheerfully with a sweeping bow, with my sister following behind with a small bow of her own.

"My name is Herasterus, and my former name is Iphicles. I shall be in your care.", I added with a thump to my chest.

The Dioscuri raised their eyebrows as one, seemingly perplexed that a mortal acknowledged their origin before they introduced themselves, but suddenly widened their eyes when they noticed the meaning of my name. They nodded.

The young man, Castor, spoke up first.

"...Prized daughter of Zeus, and the blessed boy of Hera...the Artificial Star of Olympus. I greet you as well and..."

Castor glanced at the guards who were busy placing buckets of cold water and chopped fruit mixed with fresh vegetables in front of their mounts.

"...I appreciate your hospitality."

I smiled my best megawatt smile at him.

"No problem! My sister, Heracles, shall lead your...Pegasus offsprings to the palace stables."

Castor nodded and stepped forward. He seemed to trust me more with my show of respect and welcome.

"Thank you. I will personally settle them down. They tend to make a fuss in unknown environments and harass other horses."

With those words, the stoic man waved his hand at his horses and followed Heracles to the stables.

I was left with Pollux, and it was then that my anxiety started to kick in. She was observing me in an almost emotionless way as if she was dissecting me with her eyes alone.

"Err...Lady Pollux? Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Pollux blinked at my words. Her long golden eyelashes fluttered before her piercing brilliant azure eyes. She shook her head and giggled.

"Ah, I've made you uncomfortable, haven't I? It is just...exceedingly rare for someone to actually recognize us as gods of the old. A lot keep silent in respect for our status as demigods of Zeus, though seldom do they accept us as we are."

She had dimples when she laughed. It was so cute, it was hard to believe that she was unparalleled in boxing and sword art.

The way she stared at me made me realize that I'd messed up. I felt my cheeks heat up. I must be blushing so hard right now. Why am I suddenly acting like a braindead moron!?

"I...I said that aloud, didn't I?"

Pollux grinned at me in the exact same way an adult would tease a toddler.

At the very least, she seemed to take no offense from my words, rather finding them adorable.

"How about I show you an interesting trick?"

When she saw how hesitant I was, she laughed out loud. Her voice was like glass bells; refined, elegant, and pleasing to the ear.

"I won't bite. I won't hurt you either. Now, if you would kindly join me in a short boxing spar...my prince?"

Pollux tilted her head coyly to the side. I blushed again.

I swear to the gods above that she's having a field day teasing me. She would be the death of me.

I couldn't figure out if the palpitation in my heart was the symptom of a cardiac arrest due to fear or arousal.

Pollux laughed again in that delightful voice, and I realized that I'd fucked up once more. Shit.

Eager to end my embarrassment, I took a stance and raised both of my fists in the traditional Greek boxing style.

"Are you ready, little star?"

The way Pollux said my name caught me off guard once more, though I managed to reign myself in. I don't know why I was reduced to a nervous mess in her presence.

It couldn't be that...? Nah, focus!

"I'm ready-"

Pollux stepped inside my striking zone. I couldn't react. Not at all.

It wasn't that she was inhumanly fast. It was as if she weaved through the tiny blank space in my consciousness and capitalized on the minuscule lapse in my concentration. She was just...there.

Her footwork was also queer, as she seemed to disappear into my blind spot before my eyes caught up, in the same manner a small insect slips through one's gaze.

When I tried to raise my guard, it was already too late.

Her fist caught me in the chin. Her knuckles gently bumped against my jaw. It was tender and harmless, yet it struck with deadly effectiveness.

Before I knew it, I was already on the ground. The scenery around me seemed to blur and blend at its fringes. Small white and black dots flickered across my field of vision.

A concussion, my brain told me.

A white hand stuck out. I grasped Pollux's hand like a drowning man who found a piece of rope. She hauled me up with surprising strength.

Still swaying on my feet, I stumbled forwards. My head was burrowed into something soft and warm. I wrapped my hands around something equally soft and feminine to steady myself.

I blinked. Then, reality hit me.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry!"

Stammering, I tried to pull back, only for Pollux's hand to pat my head reassuringly.

"Rest, child. I'm not so easily offended."

"But-"

Our conversation was cut with two thuds.

We looked toward the source of the sound.

A few yards away, our siblings stood motionlessly. Two saddles were on the ground, discarded and forgotten.

Simultaneously, Castor and Heracles raised a quivering finger and pointed accusingly at us.

""LET MY SISTER/BROTHER GO THIS INSTANT YOU THOT/HARLOT!!!""

I and Pollux rolled our eyes and sighed as one.

...

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[Omake: Chaldea Style Bond Level]

Bond Level 1~2: Welcome Friend

Bond Level 3~4: You are now officially my new BFF

Bond Level 5: You are Family!!

Bond Level 6~9: Must. Protect. At. All. Costs.

Bond Level 10: Soul Mate

Bond Level 11~14: Touch One Hair and I'll Scorch the Entire Timeline

Bond Level 15: &"'(&"%('&$%)%!)'(!<>?<?<#)#=)(~=|'#)& (Chuthulu level of Affection)

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Scathach: Bond Level 3/15 (33% till next level)

Atlanta: Bond Level 2/15 (20% till next level)

Pollux: Bond Level 1/15 (50% till next level)

Castor: Bond Level -1/15 (Temporary Debuff: -2 Levels)

Chiron: Bond Level 0/15

Amphitryon (Daddy king): Bond Level 5/15 (-1% with every hairline joke)

Alcmene (Mommy queen): Bond Level 3/15 (-2 Bond Levels due to proximity with Heracles)

Heracles: Bond Level 10/15 (20% till next level)

Hera (Sugar Mommy): Bond Level 7/15 (70% till next level)

Zeus (#For the Greater Good, #ThunderDaddy): Bond Level 2/15 (90% till next level)

Other Olympians: Average Bond Level 4/15 (?)

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