Siblings Squable

If one were to ask Lucien if he got along well with his twin sister Lycée, the seven years old would, without the shadow of a doubt, answer that yes - they got along phenomenally. They were together in the womb and together they stayed ever since.

Being a twin was not something you could understand unless you're a twin yourself. Of course, Lucien had no other sibling to compare the relationships but to him, that much was evident.

There was just an inexplicable special bond he shared with his twin sister that was unlike anything else in the world. Otherworldly - it definitely suited the feeling well. Then again, it could also be chalked up to the twins being the progeny of a goddess. There was no sure way to know.

However, Lucien liked the former better. Unlike Lycée, the seven years old boy did not particularly value being half-godly. He could not remember their mother, Séléné, at all. But, while he did not resent her for not being a part of their lives - the fact she was indeed absent remained true. To Lucien, he and his twin sister only had one parent, Endymion.

His indifference to having godly blood flowing through his veins stemmed from his lack of attachment to its very source. As he did not hold his mother dear to his heart, being a demigod was like having curly hair. Both facts were true but neither were particularly relevant or interesting.

If one had asked Lucien what it was like being a demigod, he would not know how to answer. It was surprisingly mundane and there was nothing special to it. If anything, being a regular mortal sounded better in his books. For some reason, children of Gods always had a peculiar relationship with Fate. Most of them were either heroes or complete monsters, going on quests for Gods and seeking glory.

Lucien did not see the appeal to that. Why would he go on a perilous adventure for someone else's sake that was neither his father nor his sister? What's more, if the Gods sent heroes on quests to retrieve rare items which they could get themselves with a bit of effort, why should heroes bother to take the quest in the first place?

This was, of course, an unpopular opinion and Lucien dared not say it outside of his home. Evidently, his twin sister Lycée strongly disagreed with him. In fact, it was one of their most recurrent argument as of late.

Lycée had always been utterly fascinated by epic tales of dangerous quests and eternal glory, an interest that unfortunately was growing stronger by the day. Lucien and Endymion alike worried about what it entailed for Lycée's future. The strong-willed girl would never be content with a regular, peaceful life. She yearned for more and as a demigod, it only meant trouble.

Having succeeded in talking Lycée out of particularly bad and daring ideas in the past, Lucien was relentless in his attempts to have her let go of this fascination of hers. It did not work, at all.

Usually, Lucien would give up. He valued peace and quiet more than being right. However, there were a select amount of subjects the boy felt strongly for - this, was one of them. Lucien categorically refused to back down on this matter.

Lycée was the one described as strong-willed, opinionated and utterly stubborn but Lucien could be just as bad. It merely happened once in a blue moon but when Lucien refused to let go of something, it was like trying to pry open the maw of a bulldog. In retaliation, Lycée would be just as fierce and determined, like a bull ready to charge.

In the end, neither twin ever won this argument and Lucien doubted they ever would. At least, arguing and giving the silent treatment for a couple of days was the worst their arguments could get. Little did he know, he would be taking back those words very soon…

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It happened on a warm afternoon, at the tail end of summer. Endymion and Eureka were tending to the sheep and the twins had a free afternoon to themselves. These days, it was rare for them to have an entire day off since they started helping their father out with the chores. It was nice, though. It reminded Lucien of when he was younger and would take ahold of his sister's clothes, following her around for the entire day.

The boy had to admit that while his sister had a few screws loose and rather obvious flaws, Lycée was a genius of entertainment, filled with boundless creativity. Her way of thinking was odd, let alone unlogical but she never failed in making him laugh and having him enjoy himself.

At the end of the day, Lycée may have her shortcomings but she was a fun, bright, energetic and honest person. It was impossible to dislike her or to stay mad at her for long.

The twins were in the middle of braiding each other's hair when Lycée suddenly spoke up.

"Oh! I completely forgot to tell you this! Last time I came to this boulder, I met a talking white ox."

Lucien furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Sometimes, it was hard to tell whether his sister was making a joke or if she was being serious. Knowing her, it could go either way.

"Do you know what he said? He had a message from the Fates- he even recited an entire prophecy too!"

Lycée brightly divulged, not noticing how pale and stiff her twin brother had gotten. She continued just as enthusiastically.

"I don't remember it in too much detail but, how cool is that? I get a prophecy just for me! Just imagine the adventures I'll live, Lucy!"

Lycée's enthusiast was entirely lost on her other half. Completely caught off guard, Lucien froze. A prophecy was something extremely serious. Receiving one was akin to forewarning all the hardships one would face because one would inevitably face hardships.

The other implication was not at all lost on him. Lycée's prophecy was delivered physically, by a talking animal. This could only mean one thing - at least one god had a vested interest in Lycée's fate for being well known for disguising themselves as innocuous animals. The gravity of the situation terrified him.

"Lys, do- do you remember any of the words? Anything about the prophecy at all?" Lucien asked, his voice shaking.

The raven-haired girl tilted her head slightly to the side, thinking.

"Um - There was something about darkness and the power of light? Something about not giving up! Also, there was a mention of the lives of many, something about a keystone? Oh! It said something along the lines of a thread being snapped, I think? In any case, it sounded really cool!"

Hearing his sister's ominous words was like being punched in the gut. This - was terrible news. Despite the very little Lycée remembered, it did not bode well for her - at all. From what Lucien could gather, Lycée's life would be extremely dark and even at the risk of forfeiting it.

"Why are you treating so lightly?!! Are you an idiot, or what?! Your life is on the line here, Lys!!! This prophecy mentions your death!!! Stop being silly and get a grip of yourself!!!"

In his anger and desperation, Lucien did not take note of the shift in demeanour of his twin sister. Tight-lipped, Lycée fake eye smiled.

"I am being an idiot, am I? I should get a grip, is it? What should I do then?!! To pity myself and cry?!! Is that what you want?!! Should I start being miserable right this moment?!!"

After his sister's outburst, Lucien realized his faux pas. Of course, Lycée would know what the prophecy meant. She heard it and processed it first hand. She was goofy but it didn't mean she was stupid.

"If that's all you have to say then, I have nothing more to say to you! You, blind bat!!!"

And with those words, Lycée walked away from her brother.