Duality in a Grain of Sand (open)

The sands of Hueco Mundo shifted quietly as the often did. Nothing changed much in this world, the inhabitants sure, but the actually scenery? About as permanent as death. The sky was that off putting black, the kind that was close enough to represent night but not quite exactly what a person would expect when looking up. The trees were barren and dead but hinted at something far more sinister bellow ground. Even the buildings and caves when someone was lucky enough to come across one didn't have the sort of hospitality they would hope for, in fact those relics and rock formations might even hold a more permanent death for those brave or stupid enough to explore. It was a harsh place but many called it home, most people did so because they had no choice, but some, like the two boys relaxing on a nearby dune, loved this place about as equally as someone might love a family home.

Those boys, who seemed to be taking the day off, had an interesting look about them. One of them was dressed in all white. He wore a suit jacket with long coat tails, dress pants, and t-shirt underneath. His hair was as white as the sand he sat in, if not whiter, and his skin was as pale as porcelain. The only color on him was his right eye that housed a yellow iris. As for his other eye, well there wasn't one. Instead there was a hole that went straight through and around the eye where three white scars that looked like someone had scratched his eye out with claws. On closer inspection it was clear that the scars were not skin deep but instead raised above and made of bone, a hollow mask for a young arrancar. The boy in white lay on the sand with a book in his right hand and his left playing with the black hair of another boy whose head was in his lap.

Laying perpendicular to the one in white with his head in the other's lap, was another boy. This one was physically identical to the other one, right down to the facial features. The difference, however; was in the color choice and garments he wore. This one was dressed in all black to match the jet color of his hair. His clothes consisted of another suit jacket, this one reaching down past his legs, dress pants, and a black tie over a white dress shirt. The white in the shirt alluded to this ones care for the other, the fact that he shared colors meant he shared a bond. On a second glance one would notice that the boy in white had a chest pocket colored black mirroring this idea of a bond. Just like the other one, the boy in black had a hole in his eye, hollow mask, and colored iris. Again there was a difference, this boy had his hole over his right eye, and a red iris in his left. The boy in black had his arms crossed under his head, eyes closed, and a smile on his face as the other played with his hair.

Breaking the peaceful silence, the one in black spoke, "Chris, my favorite brother, I have a question for you..."

"You know Tristan, by calling me your favorite brother as if you had other options, and I knowing full well that I am the only brother you have, makes that statement feel a little...flat. But regardless, ask away..." The smile on Tristan's face made it clear that that was the whole point of him mention favorites in the first place. The smile on Chris' face also indicated that he knew that even if Tristan had other choices they would still be favorites among each other. It's a twin thing.

"Have...have you ever thought about what might happen, if we...you know, if we became one again?" For most people that question might have come with a lot of red faces and embarrassing looks. For anyone listening without context a look of disgust might be present as the idea of twincest floats around in their dirty little minds. For Chris and Tristan? It came with a sad, longing, look from Tristan, and one of painful memories and even a smidgen of anger from Chris.

"You know exactly what will happen. It happens every time we activate our blades. We can't control it, he can't handle our minds as one. It breaks him, turns him feral, makes him uncontrollable. He kills people, friend, foe, good, bad, it doesn't matter. He kills anything he can eat..." Clearly this topic made Chris uncomfortable. He didn't like to discuss the fusing of him and Tristan. Control was something very important to him, ingrained into his very being. To woefully give up that control? Inconceivable.

"Now wait a moment, hear me out. What if the reason he loses control is because our personalities are too developed. What if we've been two separate beings for too long and now we're losing control faster. I know what he can get like, but at the same time what if we're not trying hard enough to let him work it out? Tristan was always the fun, reckless brother. He loved Chris and would do anything in his power to protect him, but it wounded him how Chris always wanted to be apart. He understood that it wasn't his fault. He was the problem. But if they fused and he could maintain control? Then Chris and Tristan would be together forever, and that's all he wanted.

"I get what you're trying to say. I think you're right, our personalities are getting in the way. But not trying? Excuse me for not wanting to murder everything insight. I know it's what us Arrancar are best at, but I thought you were better than that, that we are better than that. Every time we release our swords we risk not being able to control it. You're right we could just give in and let him have everything, but then what? You think we'll be together forever. I think we'd cease to exist." And that was the core of the argument. Tristan believed that the brothers could be together forever, and Chris thought they'd disappear. He wanted to stay Chris Gemelos, he wanted his brother to remain Tristan Gemelos, but if they fused he figured they'd become him, their original form, Christian Gemelos.

Their conversation was left hanging, much like it always was at this point. Both of them had valid points, and neither of them could be certain who would be right in the end. The only thing they could agree on that is without proper control, Christian Gemelos, was a monster that could not be stopped. Tristan sighed and stood up. He walked a bit further away from his brother while Chris got into a more comfortable position. Tristan then reached down and picked up his hook blade from on top of his brother's that they had set slightly aside. It was one half of the mighty Rayas Dobles. Chris continued to read his book in silence while Tristan swung his sword and practiced various stances. The two would remain like this until one of them broke the silence again, or something else happened to distract them.

In the lab Taiga had perfected punching his way into Hueco Mundo, A strong enough beam of spiritual pressure focused at one point was all that was needed to create a tare between the dimensions much like that of a gargantua. Taiga would frequently venture into the realm of the hollows . Sometimes for sharpening his skills or a hunt for clues of his families end, today was a little of both. Before he left he went over the checklist of his equipment, a cloak, a few bottles of water, a few rice balls, and an extra power cell just in case. Taiga draped the cloak over his back and stepped into the newly opened portal. Stepping through the portal and out the other side Taiga found himself in a decaying forest blanketed in sand and topped with a sky as black as night. The air was cold enough to chill the bone, who could live and prosper in a place like this. Taiga pondered this as he began to hoist up his backpack on his shoulder and hike through the forest.

As Tristan continued to stretch his sword arm, his movements stopped mid slash as his brother looked up from the book at the same time. Something had just entered the plain, and most violently they thought. Using their minds to reach out like feelers, prodding for foreign energies, they zeroed in on one near a strange echo of a spatial tear. It wasn't quite like a gargantua and the hole had closed too rapidly before they could exactly tell what it was, but what was obvious to tell was that something had snuck through and was headed their way.

"I say we just let them come to us, easier that way. I don't have to move, and you don't have to get up." Tristan needlessly said aloud. The two could send thoughts effortlessly between them, but for some reason stuck with speaking out loud. Most likely because once you get used to something it easily becomes a habit. Chris just looked back down at his book and Tristan continued to swing his sword aimlessly. They would make no extended effort to track this stranger down, Hueco Mundo wasn't theirs to police, but that didn't necessarily mean they would sit idly by if they wandered to close. A bored beast, was still a beast.

Taiga pulled his cloak tight around him and pushed forward through the tangled decaying mess of a forest. it seemed as if he was only walking for several minutes when he found himself at a strange circular clearing. Upon reaching the center of the clearing a cold draft ran down his spine. Taiga knew something here wasn't right, he franticly searched around the area around him until he found the source. Not one but two shinigami? No their robes were off, He had never seen these creatures before. They appeared humanoid at first glance, and wielded a sword just as shinigami did. But theres no mistaking the hole both of them had. They were hollows of some kind. One was laying down reading a book the other practicing his swordplay. Both drastically different personalities but, they displayed intelligence. A trait most hollows did not have although his father had made mention of a higher class of hollows that have trans versed their limits and have become something differently entirely. Either way a hollow with a blade could be a clue in the mysteries he was trying to unravel. With that thought in mind Taiga approached the two hollows and called out.

"What are you two and what do you know about any recent human attacks!!!"

Chris looked at Tristan. Tristan looked at Chris. A wicked grin spread across both their faces. Was this guy for real? Asking a pair of arrancar's if they knew anything about recent human attacks while stepping on to their home turf? That's like asking a human if they've had anything for dinner while standing in their dinning room. It was a bit silly especially if the person questioning the human was a deep fried chicken. The twins could practically smell the treat that had just offered itself to them, and they were dying to get a taste of it, but first they would play along.

"Human attacks? Why us simple Arrancar? Now why would we know anything about that?" Tristan said in his best impersonation of a Southern Belle with a heavily condescending tone of voice. The twins immediately burst out laughing as if Tristan had just said the funniest inside joke. It was a bit of a personality shift for Chris, laughing and smiling that is, but it was just one of those days where they both needed to blow off steam.

"Nah, I'm just fucking with you. You're asking an Arrancar about any old human attack, you're going to need to be a bit more specific, we do hunt you after all." Tristan said matter-of-fact. An interesting quirk could be noticed between the two as they never really refer to themselves in the plural, it's always just one when it came to them. They might occasionally slip up, but it was pretty obvious these two didn't exactly view themselves as separate entities.

"Now why don't we skip all the drama and boring formalities and just have fun! You want to play a game with us?" Tristan finished. The smile that both of them shared implied that their sort of fun would leave quite a different impression with this person, in fact it might be better to just avoid them all together if at all possible.

Taiga got very frustrated and heated at the sly condensending tone and statements of these self proclaimed arrancar. It quickly became clear that these ignorant egotistical creatures wern't planning on cooperating in the slightest with him. They simply wanted to play a game, to have fun with him like he was some kind of helpless prey, What these creatures didn't realize is that not all humans were helpless prey waiting to be feasted on. He would not be so easily preyed upon. If he wasn't going to get stright answers he may as well entertain their game.

"Cut the crap and lets play a game, If this prey can put a scratch on either of you will you answer my questions then? How about it? You get to have some fun and i get what i want."

Taiga dropped his backpack to the ground and prepared himself to fight. Well what are you two waiting for? Come have your snack demons.