Twin Reflections (SaynotoZydrate and sevenpercentsolution)

[Saynotozydrate]

Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!


Nuala's soft spoken voice eased the silence in the lonely cell where her twin brother was kept under lock and key within a cell with reinforced bars. By all means, the area he was kept locked up in was quite spacious and kept clean. He had everything he needed to function and plenty of space which he could use for various activities. There was even a small bookcase filled with a sparse collection of old leather bound books. Despite that fact that her brother suffered no cruel treatment, she knew better then anyone how he disliked the idea of being caged up like an animal. There were times when his rage grew so intense that she had no choice but to come to him. Whatever he felt, echoed through her body. His thoughts reflected in her mind if she concentrated hard enough. Some would thing it unnerving, to be able to feel and sense everything your brother could, but for Nuala and Nuada, they had never known anything else. Their bond had been intense even before they had been born, linked from the womb of their mother. At times like these, when her fair skinned brother was ill at ease, the delicate princess would stop whatever she happened to be doing and come down to visit him. She spent most of her time reciting poems to him or reading out of books, always the classics which Abe took great pleasure in showing her.

Being a twin, Nuala resembled her brother to an extreme. The same white hair, the same pale skin, the same markings – everything. There were subtle differences, though, nothing too extreme, but enough to tell the two apart. Nuala’s eyes, for instance, while they are golden in color like her brothers – were wider, and somewhat brighter. She also happened to be a few inches shorther than him, and her face is a bit rounder – full cheeks and light colored lips, as her brother’s are dark. She is slender, very petite. This evening she was bit more dressed up then usual, suggesting she had plans for later in the evening, plans that no doubt included Abe. Her dress was a deep, royal purple in color, with silver and gold accents around the wrists, neck, and waist. Certainly fit for a Princess.

Ironically enough, they didn't speak to each other very often whenever they were in eachother's company. Yet, anyone who was in the room with the creepy white twins would get a feeling that they were communicating just fine without words. Being so alike, sensing, feeling eachother's emotions, pains, pleasures and thoughts meant that there was really very little to say. Most of the time it was just Nuala reciting her poetry to him, which in an odd way seemed to calm him down. After a few long moments of silence, Nuala places a marked in her book and shut it gently. She raised her head slowly to give her brother a long and hard look, a look that plainly said she was displeased with him. "What did you say to Abe? I know he was down hear earlier to offer you some books. He was very distraught afterwards...." Her voice wasn't accusing, it was elegant and composed as a princess's voice should be. There were rare occasions when her brother, who was always the stronger and cleverer of the two, was able to hide things from her. Nuala on the other hand, had never been able to hide anything from her brother. "I know you dislike him, but he means well. He is trying very hard to be friendly with you. Brother, how can you be so petty?"

 

[sevenpercentsolution]

Nuada couldn't be certain how long he had been inside of the B.P.R.D - with no windows available to him he had no way of knowing the time of day, never knowing if the sun or the moon was up and only being able to rely on the distant voice of his instincts. At first he had still had the adaptations of an outside environment - but he was sure weeks had gone by and the outside world seemed further away, sunlight and grass being replaced by stale, flourescent lights.

And the guards. Miserable humans who stood stoically outside the hallway that connected into his cell, where he was displayed like some sort of circus sideshow, and they would occasionally peer in to watch him, their entertainment until they got bored of him.

Which they did, quite quickly - Nuada didn't speak, didn't cause trouble - after all, they had heard of his capabilities, had learned that he had nearly killed Hellboy - but he had never issued a challenge to them, had never threatened them or made any attempt to escape. In fact he barely moved most of the time, on top of refusing the disgusting human food they tried to feed him. His body was a temple; he wouldn't deface it.

The result was that, over time, they had become less vigilant. There was a more casual air to the men now - they had become used to this.

And, very occasionally, Nuada would have visitors. Nearly every member of the team had come to see him in their uneasy attempts to make some sort of connection with him, but Abraham was the most frequent guest - and he suspected this was because of the amphibious male's connection with his dear sister.

In fact, he was certain that Abraham came to see him because every time he saw Nuala, he saw him - they were two parts of one whole, the dark and the light, and Abraham was trying to get to know her other half.

He brought books once. Nuada had gone through them in a detached way, more like he was studying them than actually reading them, picking apart the human literature - some of them had been promising, but still undeniably human.

He had refused the next time Abraham tried to bring them to him, informing the other that he didn't want to sully his mind with such idealistic rubbish,

"You are trying to groom me, Abraham," Nuada had said, yellow eyes flicking over the other man's face; the musculature didn't allow for a broad range of emotion to be displayed, but the slightest twitch was enough for Nuada, "Allow me to save you the effort - literature will not endear humans to me the way it has done for you. I will not be swayed."

Abe had simply watched him in that calm way of his, but there was an underlying anxiety; yes, Abraham was nervous.

"I know what they did to you." Nuada added flatly, "I know that you were tortured, kept in a glass tube, and treated like a science experiment. This bureau is only a safe haven for as long as the human government is interested in -"

He struggled with the word due to his hatred for it, and the unfamiliarity of it,

"- freaks. And humans have a terribly short attention span, Abraham. You should know, they abandoned you to a decrepit laboratory. They may very well do it again."

Abe had left without optimism, and his sister arrived filled with anger - certainly, her pretty face didn't show it, nor did her gentle tone imply it, but their connection was too strong for her to be able to hide anything from him. Nuada felt the anger as though it was his own, but would not be cowed by it.

He cocked his head to the side, white-blonde hair falling over his shoulder as he inspected her; she dressed in light colours as always, elegant and draping over her tiny form while Nuada adhered to neutrals that fit closely to him.

"Dislike, sister?" Nuada repeated, testing the word out like it was foreign, continuing to watch her through the bars, unblinking in his focus - he was drinking her in, absorbing her in a way that was wanton. They needed eachother in a strange way; their connection had always made it difficult to stay apart, sometimes caused an ache, as though something in them was missing when they were distant.

"You find him sweet." Nuada said simply, a statement of fact, one that came without emotion, "He is naive. Intelligent, but misguided. You feel a connection with him, sister - I feel it as well. I cannot dislike Abraham because of it - I have no choice in the matter."

 

[Saynotozydrate]

Nuala unconsciously drew away from him, lowering her head ever so slightly so that her long train of silver-white hair fell around her face and spilled down her sides, betraying her discomfort as his golden gaze swept over her. There was always something in the way he looked at her, something dark and...something she didn't quite understand. Their father had always tried to keep them apart. Perhaps he had seen the way Nuada looked upon his sister and did his best to put distance between the two of them. An impossible feat. When he had left in exile, a part of Nuala had gone with him. She'd been so terribly lonely. The only thing that had kept her going at times were those rare occasions when they subconscious selves touched in the form of shared dreams. Sometimes her body would ache after his training sessions and it would remind her that he was still out there. After witnessing him kill their father, she nolonger felt safe around him. She knew he would never hurt her, but he would hurt those around her. It was one major reason why she was currently upset with him. He had harmed Abraham, the person dearest to her. The person she had forsaken her homeland for. Oh, she knew just as well as he did that they would eventually have to return to Bethmoora. As the only living heirs to the throne, their people would suffer more without them and fade even faster without someone to claim the throne. She didn't want to go back just yet. In her mind, she planned on learning as much as she could about the human world in hopes of figuring out a solution. She held out hope that they could live in harmony with humankind. Surely there had to be a way.

Her brother on the other hand, held no hope. Only contempt. His resolve was already firmly in place and it saddened her that they could be so close and yet so different on their opinions. Nuala was everything light and good in this world and Nuada seemed endowed with darker and stronger elements. She didn't understand his drive to kill. She viewed all living things as sacred, from the smallest blade of grass to the greedy humans who destroyed the forests from which they had originated. "Well, you have certainly done something to upset him. He......he's barricaded himself in his tank." Her amber eyes sought his, reading his expression and words. She had never stopped to consider that her feelings for Abraham might leek into Nuada as well. This had never happened before. For the lognest time...the world had only consisted of the two of them and now Abe had broken that thin barrier and stepped into their hearts. "Liz and I are going shopping tonight. Since I cannot go out into the human world, she and Hellboy are going to the Troll market with me instead. I was....wondering if you would like me to bring you back anything brother? Nothing that can help you escape ofcourse, but some new clothes perhaps?" She held genuine concern for his well-being. He was her brother and no matter what, she would always love him. She didn't even seem to have realized how close she had come to the bars of his cell. Her pale hand outstretched so that her palm was nearly touching the bars. It was as if some sort of magnet drew the two of them together.

 

[sevenpercentsolution]

"Any disturbance in Abraham is a result of something that reaches far beyond anything I could have said." Nuada replied coolly, "He is troubled by you, Nuala - you are too perceptive not to be aware, I know you feel it. There are days where he comes down here to speak with me, and he looks upon me the way he might look at you - he sees you in me, just as he sees some part of me in you. It concerns him, confuses him."

Slowly, he cocked his head the other way, eyes flicking over the details of her outfit, the ornate material and the silver clasp at her neck and wrists - silver had always looked so lovely on his sister, as did all of the cool colours she tended to favour, the blues and greens and purples.

Of course, she was very becoming in red, though she wore it so rarely.

"Abraham understands more than we could hope for anyone not of our kind to do - but he will never fully comprehend us - he bases his worth on how much he knows. Being unable to connect - frustrates him. Beyond that, his concern is for your well-being and because of the way we are, sister, indirectly he is also concerned for my own. He cannot help himself; the curse of his perception."

He was watching his sister through his eyelashes, his hands sliding up the bars of his cell, fingers grasping the metal,

"There is nothing I would desire." Nuada said, and his hand suddenly shot out, limbs lean and reflexes so quick that he caught Nuala's tiny, fine-boned hand in his palm, tugged it towards the bars. The guards outside were suddenly tensed, poised to spring - but all Nuada did was draw her hand close and kiss her fingertips, "My dear sister."

 

[Saynotozydrate]

Some part of Nuala knows that her brother's words ring true, that Abraham is struggling to grasp at the connection between the twins. A connection that he can detect, but cannot hope to gain entry and dare not intrude upon. He was kind, intelligent, and understanding. He was everything Nuala had ever hoped for....and yet there was a void within her that he could not fill. No doubt Abe could sense that void. An empty space, an aching in her heart and her entire being that only Nuada could fill. Anyone who loved her would have to play second party to the intense bond she shared with her brother and that was the plain, bitter truth. Just as she opened her mouth to speak, a strong pale hand shot out and grabbed at her wrist, spidery fingers locking her in place. The princess jolted as the bond between the two of them intensified when they touched. Her thoughts flew into his mind like the fluttering of a humming bird's wings and at the same time, his thoughts bombarded her. She could feel him inside of her mind like a dark whisper, the two of them speaking a lifetime of words without uttering a single word outloud.

Nuala snapped out of her trance as his mouth replaced his hand, drawing in a shaky breath as the guards began to make their way towards her. She held out her free hand to ward them off, her heart racing and body quivering with each brush of his lips. "No, no! He's not hurting me. Lower your weapons....please." All she recieved in reply were faint grumbles and odd looks in their direction. At long last she drew her hand away from the bars of his cell. Every single time Nuada touched her, the slightest brush of skin or lips flew through her body like a lightning bolt, freezing her in place and leaving her breathless. She began to take a delicate step backwards, picking up the book she had discarded and holding it to her chest as if it could shield her racing heart from his dark gaze. "I'll pick something out for you nonetheless, brother." Sheepish. Shy. Withdrawing from their connection. "Liz is going to have twins....I don't know if anyone told you." She had decided to change the subject, nervously pushing back strands of silverish white hair behind her ears.

 

[sevenpercentsolution]

There was little else Nuada could possibly need, and with his sister's hand in his, there was nothing but her. When they touched, there was a sense of - completion; it was the feeling that he was finally whole after being only a broken shard for far too long. As very young children, they had shared a close connection that had kept them together at all times and when they had been apart, Nuada had communicated with his sister through their shared telepathy, had soothed her to sleep on nights where she was troubled.

But age and time and the years of becoming jaded had made them blossom into two very unique beings; their connection was as strong as ever but their differences were palpable. They hadn't grown distant or even grown apart, but their lives had merely forced them to journey away from eachother, and as much as it had pained Nuada, he had frequently reminded himself of the greater good and had dedicated himself to his cause - rid the world of the disease that was ravaging it. Destroy the humans, save and restore the suffering and dying planet.

Kissing her fingers, he could feel her heart - it was as though it was in his chest instead of hers, and he could hear the change in her breathing, feel the heat in her face without needing to touch it. He awoke something in her just as she did to him.

Still, Nuada said nothing; he simply watched her, yellow eyes boring into her, absorbing her.

With no words, he still managed to communicate to her:

I have missed you.

Finally, he released Nuala's hand as she began to step back and he dropped his own to his sides, giving her one final study before turning away again.

"Twins." Nuada repeated thoughtfully, and then added with a dark, airy sort of humour, "I do hope the planet is prepared."

And he moved away without another word, taking his place up against the wall to resume his meditation.

 

[Saynotozydrate]

Princess Nuala turned at the exact same time her brother did, mirroring his movements in perfect symmetry, right down to the sway of their silvery hair. They truly were opposite sides of the same mirror. Darkness and light. It all seemed so simple when put that way, but for the two of them it was much more complicated. "I'll be sure to bring you something back, brother." The fact that they were so close sometimes had a positive side. She always knew what gifts to give him. She knew, even if he would not admit it, that her brother needed another set of clothing. He refused to wear the human clothing that had been given to him. He was so stubborn. Even human food disgusted him. He ate only enough to keep up his strength. Elves were not like humans, they needed less food to survive. Infact, one would almost say that they indulged in eating as more of a habit then a necessity. For a few moments she remained frozen in place, standing with her back to his cell, her head bowed and her eyes closed.

After a few moments of silence passed, the princess daintily picked up the long edges of hs skirts so that they would not drag along the floor and become dirty, walking calmly out of the lockdown ward. His omnious reply to Liz's pregnancy bothered Nuala...mostly because she knew as well as he did the destruction that demons could wield. Hell on earth...fire and chaos. She shook herself from those thoughts, not entirely sure if they were her own or if they belonged to her brother.

As a daughter of King Balor, Nuala could grant Hellboy and Elizabeth Sherman safe passage into the Troll market. She did not normally come here herself, this was a place her brother haunted and so his knowledge of the crowded streets soon became her own. She knew this place, but only in a hauntingly deja vu sense. Most of the nooks nad crannies they traveled through she had never seen herself, yet she navigated with all the experience of someone who had walked the market a thousand times over. Elven royalty did not often visit the market....everywhere they went, they were given wide berth. Some of the market inhabitants would even bow from time to time. Not only was she a princes, she was the sister of Prince Nuada Silverlance, Lady of Bethmora, The Elf Princess of Underworld, She-elf of the Invisible Realm; and she was to be treated with respect and reverence.

Nuala somehow managed to slip away from her group, just long enough to listen to a bit of gossip about what was going on in her homelands. One of their lesser cousins had stepped in to become the new King, but as any elf well knew....the crown rejected him. So long as the true heirs were alive, the sacred crown would never rest upon a usurpers head. Her people were fading faster then ever before without a ruler. She could not help feeling guilt and shame. Her people needed someone to guide them and here she was, hiding out in the human realm. Yet, she didn't want to return. Not yet. She didn't have a solution on how to live in harmony with humankind just yet. If she could not return.....that left her brother.

The next evening her visit was much later then usual, in the darkest hours of the night. She crept towards the guards and gave them a smile to disalarm them, placing a strange looking sweet in each guard's hand. Little did they know that those weren't sweets at all. They were laced with a sleeping potion. Even in this act of deceit, Nuala was kind and gentle, she could have easily killed them. When the guards fell swiftly to the ground, she stopped to be sure they weren't harmed by their fall before pushing open the doors and entering quietly.

"Brother." She greeted him as she reached the cage, holding up the key card that controlled the door to his cell. She had wanted the guards out of the way so that she could speak with him in privacy. At this point, the fate of his freedom was within his own sister's hands...but there was a catch. There was always a catch. "You know why I'm here. If I set you free, if I help you escape back to our homelands, will you swear an oath to me that you will not wage war upon humankind?" He would not relent in destroying humans, she knew this....but as always she held out hope. Someone had to return, someone had to lead in their father's absence. "You will not shed the blood of our people in a war against humans?"