Chapter 12
It started back when Maica was still living with her family, back in the East Blue. She and her twin, Mikomi, were nine years old as of today. Their family spent loads of money to give their only children the best birthday and little girl could ever want. The twins both got their own ponies, their own silken dresses made by the best tailor, shimmering shoes lined with the most precious of jewels, and so much more. After all, they were very important nobles so they had money to spare on their precious little girls.
That same day, the two twins and their appointed guards went into the town for the day, since their parent's had work to do.
"Mikomi, what should we do?" Maica asked. The blond twin sighed and looked to her maroon haired sister.
"I'm not sure sis. We could go see what the commoners are doing. I hear they play in the dirt when they are bored."
"Wouldn't that ruin their clothes?" Maica asked, tugging on her short sleeved, satin, sapphire blue dress that stopped above her knees and had an oval shaped black jewel placed by her breast bone. The girl did not like the idea of her dress getting dirty.
"Yes, but they don't get the expensive designer clothing like we do so they don't care what happens to them." The two shrugged and decided to walk towards the commoner side of the island. Their guard was greatly against this, but the girls insisted and he could not say no to the children of his boss. He knew better than to deny them of anything, his only job was to protect them.
About an hour later the three were in the less rich part of the island. The three looked around at the commoners, who were staring. Mikomi gulped and messed with her long sleeved emerald green dress stopped at her ankles and had gold lining. She was a bit scared about what could possibly happen to her and her sister. That was when a girl, about a year older than the two, trotted up to them with a smile. She had short brown hair that was pulled into a pair of pigtails, dazzling grass green eyes, and wore a black and violet shirt with a denim skirt along with dirty dark gray converse. She waved at the twins.
"Hi there. You two're from the noble part of the island, right?" She asked. The twins nodded in unison. "That's cool. Not many nobles come over here, especially nobel kids. Nice to meet you, I'm Nozomi Akahoshi." She smiled kindly. The twins exchanged glances then looked at Nozomi and smiled back.
"I'm Maica Kinoshita, hello."
"And I am her twin, Mikomi Kinoshita, hi. Oh, this is our guard, Elek." Mikomi gestured to the buff, black haired man with chocolate brown eyes wearing a black and white suit that stood behind them.
"Nice to meet you sir." Nozomi smiled. Elek just huffed his reply. "Uh, anyway, what brings you here?"
"Our parents had work," Maica began.
"So we had to leave the house. There's nothing to do over on our side of the island." Mikomi sighed.
Maica crossed her arms. "Which is quite odd because it's our ninth birthday and usually mother and father have the whole noble side of the island make sure there is a gigantic party for us." The twins sighed.
"So we thought we'd try something new." Mikomi smiled. Nozomi nodded with a smile.
"I see. Well, you've come to the right place. Come on, I've got some pretty cool stuff." She smiled then began to lead the two. "Oh, I should warn you, prepare to live a little. I like to feel the adrenalin rush." With that said the older girl walked on ahead with the two sisters and their guard not too far behind. Eventually the two arrived in the forest part of the island. The twins looked around in awe at its beauty. Nozomi glance behind her at the three and smiled slightly, narrowing her eyes a bit.
"Hey, Nozomi, where might we be going?" Mikomi called, Maica nodding at her sister's comment.
Nozomi stopped then turned to see the two. "Up!" She pointed to a tree house that was in the trees. "All of my friends and I made a bunch of these tree houses. We call 'em our homes away from home. All of 'em connect to one another so if you find one then it's easy to find the others if you know what signs to look for." She smiled then jumped up, grabbing one of the branches above her head and pulling herself onto it. "C'mon!" Nozomi called and continued upward. The twins exchanged glances and giggled, racing to follow their new friend.
Elek began to follow, but the twins stopped him. "Sorry Elek, but I don't think you'll be able to climb the tree." Mikomi stated.
"Yeah, you might fall back to the ground because you're so muscular and all that." Maica called. "Don't worry. We'll scream if we need your help." Elek sighed and gulped, nodding and watching the twins from the ground. The sisters giggled and continued to climb, reaching the tree house in about thirty minutes.
"You two are kinda slow. Then again, you've never climbed a tree before now, have ya?" Nozomi giggled, helping the two stand. "Well? Come on in. We've got games and some stuff for hunting and gathering if we're hungry."
"Why not buy the food?" Maica began. Mikomi nudged her in the side, giving her sister a glare. "What?!"
"Well, it'll go bad. We have no way of keeping food fresh up here so we need to eat it all so it won't go bad. But there are times we buy some food and bring it here for a day or something like that." Nozomi chuckled nervously. "Anyway, the games are over here, the bookshelves are over there and there are some mats, beds, hammocks, pillows, and blankets in the room to the right. The room to the left holds the weapons for hunting and stuff. If you go on the balcony out of the weapons room then you'll see the zip lines. One leads down to the ground and the others lead to the man tree house, which we call the hub, well the lowest floor anyways." The twin began to take mental notes. "From there we can climb upwards. At the top you can use zip lines to go to other tree houses, well the main ones at least, then from there you can go to the sub-houses. All of the tree houses have different things all together and each have their own unique look." Nozomi smiled widely.
The twins exchanged glances then looked at Nozomi. "Why'd you do all this? The tree houses, I mean." Mikomi asked.
"Huh? That's not important. Also, there's a whole lot of people using these tree houses, usually kids and teens. The oldest among us is almost twenty. He's also the one who built this whole thing, all the tree houses in the area. I think it was about five years ago. Maybe six or something like that." Nozomi informed then walked towards the games. "Anyways, let's play some games, yea?" She smiled and walked towards the games. The twins smiled and followed the older girl. The three played a few card games then two board games and before they knew it, a few hours had passed. The twins decided to go home for the night since it was almost time for dinner.
"Hey, Nozomi." The two called up to the older girl as the got on the ground next to Elek. "We'll see you again." Nozomi blinked in shock. Noble children wanted to see her again? She smiled.
"Promise?!"
"We promise!" They called and walked off. Nozomi sighed, watching the three walk off. She knew they were lying. All nobles lied and used money to get out of any situation that did not suit their fancy. Nobel children were no different. She climbed down the tree and walked to her small home, only to turn back after seeing a few unfamiliar shadows in the window.
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The next day, Mikomi and Maica woke up happily. They hopped out of their beds and ran to their closets. Mikomi grabbed her long sleeved, pale yellow, floral patterned dress that ended a little bit above her ankles. She then pulled up her long shimmering blond hair into a low ponytail, using a book to help her with the instruction since this was the first time she had put her hair up, then put on a pair of black shoes. Maica grabbed a short sleeved venom purple dress with red lacing that stopped a bit above her knees. She put on some shimmering navy blue shoes and brushed her short maroon hair, which was in a short bob hair style. The two met up after getting ready then got their guard and left for the commoner's side like the day before.
This continued for a few weeks and the twins were always welcomed by Nozomi. They had met many others who used the tree houses and had made friends with some of them while others kept their distance. The twins decided that they would get to understand the townspeople a bit more, so Nozomi showed them around the town happily.
"And over there is Mister Chung's house. He's basically the local old guy. Well, he isn't that old, he's like forty-two or something like that. But he acts old tho." Nozomi informed while gesturing to an old hut, just liveable for one person. The twins blinked in curiosity. "Ya know, I heard that he was once some kind of teacher. Like, a fighting teacher or something like that." She smiled nervously. The twins looked at the house for a while then continued to follow their friend. That evening while the sisters and their guard walked home, a man who had black hair and goatee both with some gray hairs, hazel eyes, and wore a black kimono top and matching kimono pants with a white sash. The twins eyed him while Elek huffed.
"You two are noble children, yes?" He asked. The twins nodded. "Why are you here?" The twins explained that they were just here to see a few friends and were now heading home for dinner. "Ah, I see. Do your parents know about this?"
"Uh. N-no sir." Maica replied.
Mikomi nodded slowly. "If they knew, they'd be very upset and ground us for sure." She stated.
"You see, we are not very strong. The two of us were born very weak and frail." Maica stated.
"We have been getting a bit stronger though. Our friends know this too, in case something happens to us. Also, we are the first and last children of our family."
"After our birth our mother nearly bled to death, but the doctors saved her with some kind of surgery, but the result ended in her unable to give birth ever again." Maica frowned and Mikomi looked down. The man blinked at their story and the guard watched him with a glare.
"Alright. I will help you. My name is Chung. I would like to see you tomorrow. Please come to my house tomorrow if you can." He smiled and gestured to his hut. "I will be awaiting your arrival." He smiled and walked home. The twins looked up at Elek with an awe struck expression. He just glanced down at them and sighed. He knew they wanted to get stronger, he had no right to stop them.
"It will be hard." He informed once they were back on the noble side of the island.
"We know, but we're willing to work hard!" They called in unison. Elek sighed and opened the door for the girls once they were home. "Thank you, Elek." They thanked him and went to their room.
"Oh, lady Mikomi, lady Maica dinner is--" A woman, one of the maids, began.
"Sorry miss Diana, we will be a bit late to dinner." Mikomi stated while running up the stairs to the second floor.
"Yeah, sorry!" Maica giggled, following swiftly behind her sister Diana blinked a few times.
"Oh, uh, o-okay then. Please don't be too late. The food'll get cold." She informed.
"Yes ma'am!" The twins called in unison, shocking the simple maid with their words. The two shut the doors to their rooms.
"Did they just call me "ma'am"? And even "Miss Diana"?!" She muttered. Elek approached Diana and sighed.
"They are figuring things out. Things all nobles should know." He stated and walked away. Once the twins were at dinner, they thanked the maids who got their dinner and ate, being sure to take their dishes to the kitchen despite anyone who tried to stop them. Once in the kitchen they thanked the cooks for the food, shocking them at the sudden change in their attitude.
When the twins went to bed, they turned down any help getting changed and ready for bed. They wanted to do it themselves. All of the maids, except Diana, told the children's parents about Maica and Mikomi's sudden behavior.
"What do you mean?" A plump man with dark maroon hair that was almost black, dark green eyes, a mustache, and wearing a royal purple vest with a navy blue long sleeved button up shirt, a white ascot, black pants and black shoes, and holding a long cane with a shimmering ruby in the handle.
"Are my babies sick? Please, tell me they are not sick!" A skinny woman with short dirty blond hair and hazel eyes, wearing a spaghetti strapped emerald dress that covered her feet, a gold chained necklace with a sapphire jewel around her neck, and a pair of elegant silk white gloves that were a few inches below her elbows.
"I do not believe so, ma'am. But it is odd." One if the maids replied.
The man hummed. "Well, be sure they do not leave at all tomorrow. They are not to leave the house, not even to go in the garden."
"Of course." The maid bowed and left the room. The next day the girls got prepared to leave, only to be stopped by a few maids.
"Your father has ordered us not to let you leave the mansion. Wherever you have been running off to, avoiding your lessons nonetheless, has made you are sick and you must be looked after." The twins exchanged looks and nodded then looked back at the maids in front of them and frowned. "Back to your rooms please." The sisters nodded and made their way back to their rooms. Once in their rooms the two took out a walkie talkies, one for each of them, given to them by Nozomi. They began getting on the correct frequency and gulped.
"Hello?" They called in unison, in their respective rooms, being sure to keep the volume low.
Moments later there was a reply. "Hey, Nozomi here. Who's speaking?"
"The M&M twins," The two said in unison.
"Mikomi"
"And Maica." The twins started their names respectively.
"Hey guys! Where are you?"
"Stuck at home. Mother and Father think we are sick. Mind helping us out?" Mikomi asked.
"Please. We wanna come be with you guys." Maica pleaded.
Nozomi chuckled. "10/4, be right there. One bail mission comin' up. Over and out." She called. The twins smiled and opened their curtains, looking out every so often for their friends to come and help. Elek had heard the conversation from outside the two rooms, which were side by side. He sighed then gave a small smile and walked onwards.
About thirty minutes later there were a few movements in the garden. The twins noticed immediately and waved where the movements were, signaling their location. They smiled upon seeing their friends and watched as the group of children stealthily made their way to their rooms. Once there, the kids helped Maica and Mikomi out of their rooms and onto the roof. Thankfully their room windows were really close to each other so they did not have to travel far.
"Careful you two." One of the older kids started, taking their hands to help them keep their balance. A bird-call sounded and everyone froze and turned to see Elek on the ground, watching them. He waved then pointed to an unguarded exit, gesturing for them to follow. Everyone nodded, keeping their guard up and following the guard.
Not long later the children and Elek were on the commoner's side of the island. The twins thanked their friends then walked off with Elek to Mister Chung's house, knocking on his door. Once the man opened it he smiled and greeted them. "Sorry we're late." The twins apologized. "Our parents think we're sick. But we're not."
"It is because you act differently than before." Elek stated. The twins looked up at Elek and then back at Chung.
"Well, please come in." Chung smiled. The three walked into the small house. They saw that the house only had three rooms. The main room, the bedroom, and the bathroom. "Sorry for how small the house is, but make yourself at home." Chung smiled. "I'll make some tea." He stated happily and went to the open kitchen and started making tea. The three sat down on the ground and waited for the tea to be ready. A few minutes later the tea was made, the tea was done. The three took their cups and took a sip. The twins loved the tea and drank it happily, not caring how hot it was.
"Thank you!" They stated in unison happily.
"So, you said you'd help us get stronger?" Mikomi asked and Maica nodded. Chung looked at them then smiled kindly while nodding.
"Yes, I did. But it will be long and hard. You will get hurt a lot. You will definitely have to explain to your parents. Weather you hide it or show it, or not is your choice. But I don't think your parents would approve of this." The twins nodded. Chung smiled then stood up. "Well then, shall we begin with the basics?" The girls nodded and stood up with Elek and followed Chung. The two learned a few breathing techniques then they were told to practice the techniques at home. This continued for the rest of the week.
Weeks two, three, and four they started learning stances, balance, hiding in plain sight and in the shadows, and much more. Weeks five, six, seven, and eight was when they started sparing and going home with bruises and scrapes. This caused the maids to get worried. Finally, weeks nine, ten, and so on, they learned about weapons. They learned how to use them properly and how deadly they were. After learning how to use weapons they started using practicing with them, once they showed promise, they started sparring with them. The girls returned home with cuts now as well as bruises and scrapes. This worried everyone even more. They also stopped dressing in their fancy clothing and went for a more common look.
Mikomi wore an emerald green tank top and a black skirt with shorts underneath so her underwear would not show that stopped a bit below her knees while Maica wore a black tank top with denim shorts that stopped half way down her thighs. The two wore black slip ons and ankle high socks. They continued to sneak out with the help of their friends at times while sometimes they snuck out on their own. They learned a lot about the commoners and became welcome by many of them. They no longer acted like the typical nobel child and acted more like a commoner. The twins were happy with their current situation, which continued for about a year.
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