Hey everyone!

Okay... I wanted to upload more here. So, I decided on this story.

Well, I was watching Chrono Stone when I noticed – once again – that Saru and Tenma look alike. I actually think that Saru is Tenma's descendant, but I was thinking something along the lines of, 'hmm, wouldn't it be awesome if Tenma and Saru were twins?' and well, then my mind started to come up with ideas how that would be possible.

So yeah, I decided to write this. The first part comes from episodes 49 and 50, the rest I made up. Hope you guys like it~!

Please enjoy~!

~'0'~

The ball starts is surrounded by a yellow light. Tenma, in Mixi Max form, kicks the ball from the other side of the field. ''Here we go! Torb!''

The dinosaur boy kicks the still glowing ball with a wordless scream towards Kinako, who kicks it to Tsurugi. ''Let's go!''

Tsurugi kicks the ball towards the next person. ''Nishiki-senpai!''

''Shinsuke!'' Nishiki shoots the ball towards the keeper, who shoots it away. ''Go!''

Shindou is the next one to receive the ball. ''Connect it!''

The ball flies towards Taiyou. ''Kirino-san!''

The defender receives it and shoots it away again. ''Zanark!''

Zanark kicks it to Fei with a wordless scream.

And finally, Fei kicks it to the captain. ''Tenma!''

The shoots connect, and form a glowing lightning bold. The point of the lightning bolt, where Tenma stands, starts to admit an intense light. ''Hissatsu Tactics!'' shout the members of Chrono Storm together. ''Grand Laster!''

Tenma stands on the ball, surrounded by the yellow light. His Mixi Trans disappears, and is replaced by his Keshin. ''Demon God Pegasus Arc!'' shouts the brunet. He throws his arms in the sky while crossing them. ''Armed!'' his Keshin changes in a blue golden light, that splits into seven separate light beams. The beams surround him, and form a white armor. White and red wings appear on his back, as the last beam shoots towards his forehead.

Tenma shoots forward, and the ball is surrounded by a golden glow. The brunet kicks the ball as hard as he can towards the goal. ''God Wind!''

It shoots towards the goal. The keeper puts out one hand in front of him, and the goal turns black and white. ''Reverse World.'' Then, the ball starts to admit a golden light, and breaks through the black and white, shooting in the net.

''Goal! Their teamwork play from a hissatsu tactics to a shoot goes in magnificently!'' exclaims the commentator. ''Chrono Storm's second point goes to Matsukaze!'' Chrono Storm and their allies start to cheer.

Saru grits his teeth in anger. How dare they? How dare those little humans? They are Second Stage Children! The future of the world! Then, the captain of The Lagoon smirks. No matter, they will still win this. First, he was still kind enough to just beat the hell out of the Chrono Storm team, not planning to use that at all. But hey, they asked for it. And it will be fun for him to watch.

When Tenma returns to his position, he passes Saru by a few inches. When the other captain suddenly looks at him, the brunet stops in his tracks. The white-haired boy is smiling at him. ''Well, I've got to admit, that was surprising,'' whispers Saru, so soft they are the only ones who hear it. Tenma frowns, clearly noticing Saru is planning something. The white-haired captain smirks at him. ''For a while there, I was afraid you were going to disappoint me. But it turns out my fears were for nothing.'' Tenma is staring at Saru in confusion. The white-haired boy can barely contain his smirk. ''I wish you good luck for the rest of the game. You'll need it...'' Saru starts to move towards his position, and Tenma's eyes widen in shock when he registers what Saru just said to him. ''... brother.''

The moment Tenma hears what Saru called him, he knows it is true. He can't tell how, but he just knows. That doesn't mean it doesn't come as a shock. The brunet stumbles, the sound around him fading. His heartbeat sounds loudly in his ears, and his vision starts to blur. He falls on his knees on the ground, staring at Saru's retreating back.

Fei frowns when he sees Saru talking to Tenma. He sees his friend frowning at Saru, clearly cautious. Tenma's expression turns to confusing, and a few moments later, Saru starts to walk away. Fei sees how his captain's eyes widen in shock, before he stumbles backwards and falls on his knees. ''Tenma!'' shouts Fei concerned when he sees his friend fall.

This catches the attention of the other Chrono Storm members. Fei starts running towards the brunet, and a few moments later, he reaches him. ''Tenma! Are you okay?'' asks the other boy, but the brunet doesn't seem to hear him.

They are soon joined by the other members of Chrono Storm, and Shindou kneels next to Fei and Tenma. ''Tenma? What's wrong?'' the captain doesn't reply, and worry appears on the faces of the players.

Fei stands up, and his gaze falls on Saru. ''What did you do to him?!'' demands Fei, and his teammates turn to look at the white-haired boy.

Saru just smirks. ''Me? I didn't do anything,'' says Saru, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

Fei wants to shout something else, when he is stopped by a weak voice. ''Fei, stop.'' The green-haired boy looks at Tenma in shock, who smiles weakly. It's not very reassuring. ''I'm okay, really.'' The brunet stands up, and almost collapses again, if it wasn't for Shindou, who catches him. The brunet smiles at the concerned game maker, before standing on his own. ''By the way, we still have this match to win, don't we?''

After reassuring everyone he is okay, Tenma and his teammates take their positions again. The captain glances at his coach, who looks at him in concern. When the man notices him looking, he sends the brunet a questioning look, to which Tenma answers with a smile. Endou's frown only deepens, but he nods anyway.

The match continues, with the kick-off from The Lagoon. Even though they are worried about their captain, Chrono Storm fights on equal level with The Lagoon, especially when they notice that their captain is back in the game. Saru gets the ball, and Fei passes him, not even looking at the white-haired boy while he steals the ball. Saru turns around in shock. ''Fei!''

Apparently, Fei is still angry at him. ''King's Fangs Remastered!'' he exclaims, kicking with such force that the keeper doesn't even stand a chance. The score is now four against three for The Lagoon. Fei turns around and looks at Saru coldly. ''I don't know what you did, but I won't let you hurt Tenma again.''

Saru just smirks. ''Oh? You're one to talk. You were the one who used his Second Stage powers on his friends,'' replies the white-haired captain.

Fei grits his teeth. ''Shut up! You used me. Just be warned. If you ever-''

''Fei, that's enough!'' he turns around to look at Tenma in shock. When he tries to protest, Tenma holds up a hand to stop him. ''You aren't acting like yourself. Get your head in the game, Fei.'' Tenma's eyes wander to Saru, who smirks. ''And Saru holds no power over me. He shocked me, that's all. I'm sure he was lying, anyway.''

Saru's smirks widens. ''Oh, is that really what you think? It's not, is it? You know that I was telling the truth. You can feel it,'' he says mockingly.

Tenma shakes his head, noticing that they have the attention from the entire field now. ''I don't care if you told the truth or not. I'll figure it out later. Right now, we have a match to win. Come on, Fei.'' The brunet turns around, walking towards his position, and Fei follows him without looking back at the still smirking soccer player behind him.

The match goes on, and Saru has the ball. He runs over the field, passing the players of the opposite team, when Tenma stops him. Saru tries to pass him, but Tenma doesn't give in. Saru grits his teeth in annoyance and kicks the ball forward, but Tenma stops him by kicking the ball the same time. They fight for the upper hand, until they are both pushed back. Tenma kicks the ball over the sidelines, and stumbles backwards.

He falls on one knee, gasping for air. At the same time, Saru turns to Gillis and Meia. ''We'll bring out our max power,'' he says, and their eyes widen.

Meia smiles hesitantly. ''But... will our bodies be able to handle it?'' she asks.

Saru glares at her. ''Do it!''

The next time Saru gets the ball, their passes are too fast to see. Finally, Saru shoots, and Torb, Kinako and Kirino jump in to stop the ball. They are blasted to the side by the power of the shot. It flies towards the goal, and Shinsuke frowns. ''I'll definitely stop it!'' a drawn world appears, and the ball flies towards the highest rock, where Shinsuke is standing. ''True Rejoice of the Country!''

He slams the ball down, but it is too powerful. Just before it enters the goal, Shindou and Tsurugi appear out of nowhere. ''Not yet!'' the ball bounces away from the goal, while Shindou, Tsurugi and Shinsuke fall on the ground, gasping.

Tenma looks around at his team, seeing a golden yellow glow surround his teammates for a few seconds. He joins Shindou and Tsurugi. ''Our Mixi Max is getting weaker...'' he says alarmed, looking at his friends. ''It will come undone soon.''

The two others frown. ''What should we do?'' mutters Shindou.

Tenma turns to face his team. ''Everyone! Let's bring out the last of our power to face them!'' he shouts. His teammates nod.

Then, a shout comes from the sidelines. ''What do you think is important to soccer?'' shouts Endou. ''Remember the soccer you love!''

Tenma's eyes widen. 'Our soccer... That's right... we're a team! We've accomplished so many things together! We worked together to conquer hardships.' Tenma smiles. ''That's what makes soccer fun!'' he exclaims.

Saru finally loses his cool, growling at the other captain. He runs forward, but Tenma steps in front of him. ''You think that's enough to stop me?!''

''Come on!'' exclaims Tenma, bracing himself. At the last moment, he slides out of the way, revealing Tsurugi who steals the ball from Saru. The ball rolls towards Tenma, and he stops it with his foot. Smiling, he looks up to face Saru. ''You say that all of you are the strongest, but we're the strongest when all eleven of us are together! The strongest eleven!''

Tenma turns to face his team after they've taken their positions again. ''Let's do it!'' he says, and his friends nod. They all close their eyes, connecting their power. They are all surrounded by a yellow golden fire. Then, they start to run forward. Tenma jumps, and the energy of his teammates gather around him. ''Strongest Eleven Surge!'' he shoots the ball, and it blasts all of The Lagoon's players away. Just when it is about to hit the goal, Saru jumps in front of it. It doesn't matter, the ball flies into the goal anyway, and the score is finally a tie.

Saru starts to scream in rage, and takes on his beast form. He runs forward, and one of his teammates passes him the ball. Nishiki and Zanark are thrown to the side when they try to stop him. Saru jumps over Fei's tackle, and keeps running. He passes the ball to Gillis, but it is stolen by Shindou, who passes it to Fei. Fei turns to face Saru, a small smile on his face. ''We are not alone!'' he exclaims, while Saru's beast form disappears.

At the same time, Tenma looks around at the exhausted forms of his friends. 'We're all at our limits. In that case, we'll just have to go all or nothing in our next play.' He takes a step forward. ''Guys!'' his teammates look up. ''All of us will attack!''

This gets their attention, as the members of Chrono Storm look at him in shock. Then, Shindou smiles. ''Our last play, huh?''

''Got it,'' says Tsurugi, smiling at the captain.

Zanark smirks, even though he clearly looks exhausted. ''I thought you'd say that.''

Fei also smiles at his friend. ''If that's your decision as captain...'' one by one, the Chrono Storm members agree.

They all activate their power one last time, and, surrounded by a golden light, they move forwards. At the same time, The Lagoon gets surrounded by the blueish purple light that belongs to their Second Stage Powers. ''It's your last useless struggle!'' exclaims Saru.

The two lights meet, and suddenly Tenma is somewhere else. He's floating in a white room, with numbers floating around him. When he turns around, he sees Saru.

The white-haired boy glares at him. ''We are different from you! We are superior humans born as the future of this world! So through this match, we will make you accept us!''

''Where's the difference?'' asks Tenma desperately. ''Whether we're superior or not, we're all humans! Of course each of us will be different! I don't know what you've been through, but there is no difference between you and me-''

''There is!'' Saru cuts him off. ''I am completely different from you! We are Second Stage Children!''

On the field, Saru pushes Tenma back, but, at the same time, injures his foot. The ball shoots away, but Fei gets it, and jumps like Tenma did before. Again, the energy of his teammates surround him. He shoots the ball. ''Strongest Eleven Surge!'' Saru can't make it back to the goal in time, but the rest of The Lagoon are already standing in front of it, a dark aura surrounding them. They are blasted to the side when the ball hits the goal, and Chrono Storm finally turns the score around.

The Mixi-Max finally disappears when the Chrono Storm members have used all their power. Saru wants to stand up again, but falls down because of his foot. ''What...? I can't stand...?'' he gasps. ''That can't be...'' his teammates surround him.

''Not yet.'' Saru looks up at Gillis in disbelief.

Meia kneels down beside Saru, smiling kindly. ''That's right. You can do this, Saru.''

Gillis continues. ''Let's play together, to the end.'' He offers a hand to Saru. ''You hate losing.''

''I won't lose...'' Saru looks up in determination. ''Who do you think I am?!'' and with that, he accepts Gillis' hand, and slowly he stands up.

The match continues, but this time, the two teams are having fun. They play the last few minutes of the match, Tenma and Saru running after the ball, before collapsing while the whistle sounds. ''Chrono Storm wins the final round!''

''Tenma!'' shouts Shinsuke, running at Tenma who is just sitting up. The keeper jumps and hugs his friend, causing the brunet to fall down again, just when his other teammates join them. The entire stadium cheers, and Chrono Storm is at the center of the attention.

Then, Tenma looks towards The Lagoon, where Saru is standing, smiling softly while surrounded by his teammates. He excuses himself, walking slowly towards Saru. The white-haired boy's eyes widen in shock when Tenma offers him his hand. He smiles while the two shake hands. ''Thank you.''

Tenma smiles at him. ''So you see now?''

Saru nods. ''Yes. We are all friends. We'll do as El Dorado proposed and give up our Second Stage Children powers...''

Tenma hesitates for a moment, looking at Saru with hesitant eyes. ''Saru, what you said earlier...'' he begins, and the two teams, who are listening to the conversation, frown, as they have no idea what Tenma means.

The white-haired boy sighs, and nods. ''Yes. It's true.''

Tenma's eyes widen. ''B-but how is that possible? I mean, I'm from...'' he trails off.

The other shakes his head. ''No, you're not. I'm sorry, Tenma, but everything you've known so far...''

Tenma stares at Saru in shock, as he sees his whole world shatter around him. ''No way...''

Saru's eyes widen in shock when he sees Tenma's eyes close. The brunet stumbles, and falls forward. Saru catches him before he hits the ground. ''Tenma! Can you hear me? Tenma!'' the white-haired boy kneels on the ground, holding the unconscious brunet in his arms.

The two teams run towards their captains in shock, surrounding them. Tsurugi is the first one of Chrono Storm to arrive, and looks alarmed at his friend. ''What's wrong with him?'' asks the navy-haired boy, looking at Saru for a moment.

The others arrive just when Saru answers. ''He's just unconscious. He's exhausted and in shock, so this was to be expected. Don't worry, I think he'll be fine.'' The other players sigh in relief. ''Let's get him to his room, he needs rest.''

  ~'0'~  

After the brunet is taken to his room, Saru is standing in the halls of the stadium, when he hears his name. ''Saru!"

The white-haired boy turns around, eyes widening in surprise when he sees a familiar figure running towards him. ''Fei?''

The other smiles sheepishly. ''Sorry for acting like I did. I hope we can still be friends?'' asks the greenhead, looking seriously at Saru.

The white-haired boy looks at him in disbelief. ''I'm the one who should apologize. I never thought about my actions, and made you hurt your friends... I'm sorry, Fei. And thank you, for helping me see what I didn't see before,'' answers the other, and Fei smiles.

  ~'0'~  

Tenma groans softly, and blinks. The first thing he notices, is that it's dark. The brunet sits up, and sees that he's still wearing his soccer uniform. He looks around, finally seeing that he is in his room. Moonlight shines through the window, giving him a little bit of light to see by.

The door opens, and someone walks inside, though Tenma can't see who it is because it's too dark. His question is answered when he hears a voice. ''Hey,'' says the unknown person softly.

Tenma raises his eyebrows in surprise. ''Saru? Is that you?'' he asks, and the other chuckles. When the other walks forward, the light from the moon falls on his face, showing that it is, indeed, Saru.

The white-haired boy sits down in a chair next to the boy. ''Good morning, Tenma,'' he says, and smiles at the confused look he receives. ''It's six in the morning, and almost everyone is still asleep,'' he explains.

''Then, what are you doing up? What are you doing here?'' asks the brunet, and Saru shrugs.

''I'm used being up so early, to train. I don't have to train anymore now, but I still woke up early,'' he explains. ''I had a feeling you would wake up soon, so I decided to check on you, before you got up and got yourself in some kind of trouble.''

Tenma frowns. ''How long have I been out?'' he asks Saru, who shakes his head.

''Since the match yesterday, so I guess it would be... sixteen hours? Fifteen? Everyone was really worried when you suddenly collapsed.'' Saru smiles sheepishly. ''I guess it's also my fault, for shocking you like that.''

Tenma's eyes widen in alarm. ''What did you mean? Are we really...''

''Brothers?'' finishes Saru for him, and nods. ''Yeah. Twins, actually.''

Tenma looks at him in shock, and Saru stays quiet so the other can process the new information. Finally, Tenma opens his mouth, and asks a question that makes Saru sweat-drop. ''Who is the oldest?''

Saru chuckles. ''That would be me. So, I guess you want the full story?'' he asks, and the brunet nods. ''In this time, thirteen years ago, there were two people. A married couple. Their names were Naomi Evan and Shou Evan. About ten years before, the first Second Stage Children were born, and those children were now teens. That was when the war between the Second Stage Children and the rest of the world started. Naomi and Shou were scientists, and were part of the group who tried to make peace with the Second Stage Children, while, at the same time, trying to create a cure. It was a hard life, and they were in constant danger, but they both wanted to help the children. It was then, thirteen years ago, that Naomi got pregnant.'' Saru stops for a moment, looking at the younger boy who is listening carefully to him. ''Nine months later, she gave birth to twins, two healthy baby boys. The two were almost identical, save for their hair and eye colors. The oldest had white hair and purple eyes. They called him Saryuu. The other had brown hair and grey eyes, and they named him Tenma.''

Tenma looks at him in shock and confusion. ''What happened then?''

Saru sighs. ''The two of them both had Second Stage genes, which gave them the possibility to become Second Stage Children. Do you know, Tenma, why this world fears Second Stage Twins more than anything else?'' Tenma shakes his head. ''It's because twins hold so much power together. When Naomi and Shou found out about the genes, they didn't know what to do. When the twins were two years old, Saryuu started to develop his powers, but Tenma stayed normal. It happens quite often, actually. A baby is born with the right genes, and has the potential to become a Second Stage Child, but doesn't. Tenma was such a child. But even so, he still had those genes, and his brother was a Second Stage Child. This made them Second Stage Twins, and Naomi and Shou knew that they would be killed if the world ever found out. So they did the only thing they could do at the time. They sent Tenma away, to another time. He didn't have his powers, and living in a world without the Second Stage Children made the possibility that he would awaken at a later time very small. Naomi and Shou knew that the bond between the twins would always be there, no matter the age difference, so they sent Tenma so far back that he would never live long enough to meet Saryuu. Two hundred years in the past. What they never expected, however, was for Tenma to travel through time to save the future, and meeting his twin brother in the process.''

The two stay silent, lost in their own thoughts. Then Tenma speaks up. ''What happened to Saryuu?''

Saru smiles softly. ''His parents raised him, keeping his Second Stage Powers hidden from the world. When he turned nine, however, his powers were revealed. The people who were against the Second Stage Children came to their house one night, and Naomi told her son to run away. He did as was told, and watched as his house, with his parents inside it, was burned to the ground.'' Tenma looks horrified. ''He joined Feida, and became its leader. You know the rest of the story.''

Tenma frowns. ''That's horrible... but, if Second Stage Twins are so dangerous, is it okay for us to be in each other's company?'' he asks Saru.

The white-haired boy smiles and nods. ''Don't worry. I gave up my powers yesterday. Because we still have the Second Stage genes, we can still use our powers if we work together, but there won't be any side-effects, and our powers will only activate if we both want it to. So it's okay,'' he tells the other, and Tenma smiles brightly at him. The silence returns, and this time, it's Saru who breaks it. ''What do you think of all... this?''

Tenma sighs. ''I'm not sure, honestly. I'm shocked that my life... everything I thought to be true, is fake. My parents aren't my real parents, I have a creepy older monkey twin brother from 200 years in the future," Saru snorts at this, "and even my name is wrong!"

Saru shakes his head, smiling at the younger. ''That's not true, Tenma. Even though it's not your birth name, you are Matsukaze Tenma. But you are also Tenma Evan. A name doesn't change who you are inside.'' Saru pauses for a moment, before taking something out of his pocket. ''I wanted to show you this.''

Saru pushes a button on the small device, and a picture appears in the air, giving of a weak light. In the picture are two boys, about a year or three. They are sitting next to each other, smiling brightly. Their faces are identical, but one of them has white hair and dark violet eyes, and the other has brown hair and grey eyes.

Tenma stares at the photo, taking in all the details. Then, his gaze falls on the white-haired boy. ''Saru...''

Saru stops him by holding up a hand. ''Call me Saryuu. It's my name, after all.'' He smiles at the younger.

Tenma smiles back. ''Okay... Saryuu-nii-san.''

Saru's... no, Saryuu's eyes widen in shock, before he smiles a soft, kind smile. ''Thank you, little brother.''

The two sit in silence for a while longer, and the sky outside the window turns from a dark grey to a greyish blue, as the sun slowly rises. Then, Saryuu stands up and smiles at the younger twin. ''I think it's time that you take a shower.'' The white-haired boy nods towards the door that leads to the bathroom. ''Breakfast starts in twenty minutes, and you haven't had the chance to shower after the match. I'll be waiting here, okay?''

The brunet nods, leaving the room. After he is done with showering, he joins the older boy where they head to the dining room. When they reach the doors to the dining room, they hear sounds coming from the room behind them. Saryuu smiles. ''I think everyone is already eating. We're a bit late, and they probably didn't want to wake you up if you were still sleeping.'' The Lagoon's captain smirks darkly. ''And my... friends have learned to let me do my own thing in the morning.'' Tenma looks at him in horror. They stare at each other for a moment before the two brothers start to chuckle.

After they are done with laughing, the brunet turns to the doors. ''What if they ask what you told me yesterday?'' he asks hesitantly.

Saryuu places a hand on his shoulder, smiling encouragingly. ''It's your own choice. You can tell them if you want, but I can also understand if you want to keep it a secret. If you don't want to tell them, I'll keep quiet too.'' The brunet nods, and the two of them walk through the doors leading to the dining room.

A big table is standing in the middle of the hall. Sitting at the table are the members of Chrono Storm, Raimon, the Feida teams, and the Protocol Omega teams. The teams are mixed with each other, chattering with the players from other teams. It's too noisy to hear the doors open, so the twins almost don't get any attention when they enter the room.

That changes, however, when Gillis notices them. ''Saru!'' he says surprised. Clearly, he didn't think that his captain would show up. Then the boy looks at the brunet standing next to Saryuu. ''And Matsukaze?''

At Tenma's name, all the Raimon and Chrono Storm members look up, wanting to see for themselves if their captain is alright. Tenma smiles hesitantly at all the attention, and Saryuu, who notices, pulls him to two empty chairs. The two captains sit down next to each other. Right from Tenma sits Fei and left from him sits his brother. Left from Saryuu sits Gillis, of course, next to Meia.

Fei looks relieved to see his captain awake, and smiles at him. ''Tenma, good morning! You have no idea how worried we all were!'' the brunet chuckles, and Fei looks past him. ''Good morning to you too, Saru.''

''Yeah, yeah, good morning,'' answers Saru, and smiles at Tenma's confused look. ''We made up yesterday,'' explains the white-haired captain, and his twin nods in understanding.

Fei smiles at the brunet. ''When did you wake up?'' he asks.

Tenma shrugs. ''Um, around six o'clock, I guess. At least, that's what Sary- um, Saru said.'' Luckily, Fei doesn't notice the slip up, or doesn't point it out.

Instead, the green-haired boy frowns. ''Saru? He was with you this morning?''

Saryuu is the one who answers this time. ''To make sure Tenma wouldn't walk around and cause trouble,'' answers the white-haired boy with a shrug, ignoring the 'hey!' from his twin brother. ''And to explain some... things I said before,'' adds The Lagoon's captain after a moment of thought.

This earns Gillis's attention, who turns away from the conversation with his girlfriend. ''Yeah, what was that all about yesterday?'' he asks, and looks curiously at the two captains. Meia leans forward to get a good look at the twins too.

Saryuu looks at Tenma, and opens his mouth to answer. ''Just something-''

''It's okay, I'll tell them.'' Tenma cuts him off.

The older boy frowns, looking a bit concerned. ''You sure you want to tell them? I mean, it's kind of personal...'' he trails off, earning curious looks from the other three ex-Second Stage Children.

Tenma nods. ''Yeah, I'm sure.'' He looks up, meeting Fei's concerned eyes. ''Saru told me something important about my family.'' Meia and Gillis nod, starting a conversation with Saryuu, but Fei doesn't look convinced.

''Really, Tenma? I saw how you reacted on the field,'' protests the green-haired boy.

Tenma smiles at him, noticing Saryuu who is keeping an eye on him while talking to Meia and Gillis. The twins share a look, a silent conversation going on between them for a second. Then Saryuu nods, and Tenma turns to Fei again. ''Fine, I'll tell you, if you promise to not tell anyone and to not freak out.''

Fei nods. ''I promise.''

When Tenma hears his answer, the brunet leans forward. ''Saru and I...'' he begins, talking so softly that Fei almost can't hear it. The green-haired boy leans forward so he can hear it better. ''We're twins.''

For a moment, Fei is silent, taking in what the brunet just said. Then he sits straight, eyes wide, staring in shock at his captain. ''W-what?! Are you serious?'' he almost shouts, earning the attention of every Raimon and Chrono Storm member present, who have been keeping an eye on their captain. Tenma just nods silently, expecting this reaction. ''But- that shouldn't be- I mean, you're-''

''Wow, Fei, calm down!'' Saryuu says worriedly. The green-haired boy just stares at him. ''You need air to live!''

Fei's eyes go from Saryuu to Tenma and back. Then, the boy shakes his head, relaxing in his seat. ''That sounds impossible, you know?''

At the same time, the twins nod. ''That was my reaction,'' says Tenma at the same time that Saryuu says ''that was his reaction.''

The greenhead smiles when he hears that. ''That convinced me.'' Noticing the looks they are getting, Fei starts to talk softer. ''I'll drop it for now, but I want the full story later.''

  ~'0'~  

After breakfast, Tenma and Saryuu leave the dining room. For a few minutes they just wander through the halls, when they hear footsteps behind them. The two turn around to see Fei, with Raimon and Chrono Storm – except Zanark – behind him. At Saryuu's questioning look, Fei smiles sheepishly. ''They deserve to hear the story too.''

Saryuu's eyes narrow. ''Did you tell them?'' he asks in a low, dangerous tone. ''Because I believe that we're the only ones who have the right to tell something like that.''

Fei shakes his head in denial. ''No, I promised not to tell.'' Saryuu nods.

''Tenma? Are you okay?'' the brunet looks down when he feels something pull his sleeve, smiling when he sees Shinsuke gazing worriedly at him.

The captain nods. ''I'm fine.''

Shinsuke looks relieved but still worried. He wants to say something else, but Tsurugi beats him to it. ''So, what was that all about? I've seen you been beaten up during a soccer match more than once, and you've never once collapsed after.''

Fei and Saryuu turn their attention to Raimon's captain when they hear the question. Tenma looks at his team uncomfortably, not meeting their eyes for longer than a second. ''Tenma?'' asks Shindou worriedly when his captain doesn't say anything.

The brunet looks up. ''Promise not to get angry at Saryuu?'' he asks, forgetting about his brother's codename.

''Saryuu?'' asks Shindou surprised, and The Lagoon's captain smirks.

''He means me. Saru is my codename,'' answers the white-haired boy. ''My real name is Saryuu Evan.'' Shindou nods in understanding. Saryuu walks forward and places a hand on Tenma's shoulder. ''And his real name is Tenma Evan.''

Shindou's eyes widen in shock, his teammates having similar reactions. Tenma takes this chance to talk, not giving his friends the time to say anything. ''Aoi noticed it before, that we look a lot like each other. The reason why we look so similar... Saryuu and I are twins.''

Saryuu continues when Tenma stops talking. ''In our world, Second Stage Twins are feared, even more so than Second Stage Children, because twins are so much stronger. Tenma and I were both born with Second Stage genes, thus making us Second Stage Twins.''

''My Second Stage powers didn't develop, though, but Saryuu's did,'' says Tenma. ''Even so, having Second Stage genes made us Second Stage Twins. Together, we are incredibly strong in our Second Stage powers.''

The older twin nods. ''Our parents sent Tenma away, to another time. That way, we would never meet each other, and our powers would stay hidden. By sending Tenma back to the past, they decreased the possibility that his powers would awaken at a later time.''

Raimon's captain nods. ''But they didn't expect that I would go to the future – or the original time – to save soccer, together with my friends, and meet my twin brother.''

Fei is, at this point, the only one who isn't in shock. The greenhead nods in understanding. ''That explains everything. The reason why Tenma has Second Stage genes, why you two look so much alike, and how it is possible that you two are twins...''

Raimon still doesn't react. They are gaping at the twins with wide eyes. ''Um...'' begins Tenma. ''Are you guys okay?''

No reaction.

''Hello? Anybody home?''

Still no reaction.

Fei and Tenma share a look, and the greenhead waves a hand in front of Kariya's face. ''Helllooooo? Are you still alive?'' asks Fei, but the tealhead doesn't react.

For a moment, the twins and the rabbit just look at each other, before Tenma looks at his brother and breaks the silence. ''I think you broke them.''

Saru sweat-drops and chuckles nervously. ''Ah... you might be right about that...''

The greenhead sighs and looks at his white-haired friend. ''This is your fault, you know. You were the one who decided to go all 'evil-mastermind' and tell Tenma about being twins.''

''When you put it like that...'' Saru's eyebrow begins to twitch. ''I have to admit that you're right...''

Tenma frowns. ''But Saryuu! They're my teammates!''

''Great, Saru, just great,'' says Fei, glaring weakly at The Lagoon's captain. ''Couldn't you really just keep your mouth shut?''

''I'm sorry!'' protests the white-haired boy. ''I really wasn't counting on this!''

Tenma shadows his eyes with his bangs, a depressed aura surrounding him. ''You are evil, Saru.''

''T-Tenma...?''

Fei nods in agreement. ''He's right, Saru. Breaking people isn't nice, especially if they're your brother's teammates.''

''I said I'm sorry!''

The silence returns, as the three of them inspect the Raimon Eleven again. ''...Do you think they're still breathing?'' asks Tenma finally.

Fei shrugs. ''Probably. They're not turning blue.''

The silence that follows is once again broken by the brunet. ''...What should we do with them?''

''How should I know?'' asks Saryuu, before an evil glint appears in his purple eyes. ''We can always use them as target practice while dressing them up in pink tutus?''

''...'' Fei and Tenma sweat-drop at the white-haired boy. ''What did they ever do to you? You really are evil,'' decides the greenhead finally.

''Don't use my teammates as target practice! And don't dress them up in tutus!'' protests Tenma.

An evil grin appears on Saryuu's face. ''But it would make for great blackmail material.''

Tenma is silent, and just when Fei thinks that the brunet is going to protest again, he looks up with a grin equal to the one that Saryuu has. ''That it would.''

The rabbit just sighs and turns back to Raimon. The twins just stare at him, wondering what he is going to do, when the greenhead raises his hands and claps loudly, the sound echoing through the hall.

''UWAAH!'' shrieks almost half of Raimon as they flinch back from the sound, stumbling over each other in the process and falling on the ground in a huge mountain of human limbs, still shrieking. The three watching just sweat-drop at the scene.

Grumbling, their friends untangle themselves from their human mountain - which isn't easy, with a lot of falling over and having to start again - as the other three do nothing to help and just watch.

When Raimon is finally standing again, they all stare at the twins. ''So...'' starts Kirino finally, breaking the awkward silence. ''You two really are... twins?''

''Yep!'' Tenma nods happily.

Taiyou inspects the brunet and his brother. ''Well, you two do look alike, but...''

''But how do we know that Saru- Saryuu is telling the truth?'' finishes Tsurugi, looking at the twins. The forward is still looking surprised, but seems to accept the story after their huge 'human mountain' adventure.

Shindou nods at the words of his blue-haired friend. ''Yeah... it's sounds... logical, when you explain it like that, but still...'' he trails off, feeling uncomfortable to think about the brunet and the white-haired boy as twins.

''I know it sounds strange, but...'' Tenma looks at Saryuu, frowning. Then he looks at his team. ''I know it's true. I can't explain how, but... I can feel it.''

Shindou nods in understanding, deciding to believe his captain's words. Tsurugi nods too, still looking a bit hesitant, but also trusting his friend's judgement. Kirino frowns. ''This does complicate things, though,'' says the pink-haired defender. At the questioning looks, his frown deepens. ''I mean, does Tenma belong with us, in the past, or... does he belong here, in the time where he was originally born?''

Tenma pales when he realizes what Kirino means, and his brother sighs. ''I'm sorry about that. First, I was simply deciding to crush Raimon,'' he says, earning a few raised eyebrows, ''and not talk about this at all. But then... well, I was pissed off, and I decided to shock Tenma with telling him about this. Otherwise, I wouldn't have told him, ever. Even when he would return to the past, I'd keep it a secret...'' The Lagoon's captain trails off.

''But won't it change the timeline?'' asks Fei, and all eyes land on him. ''Having someone from the future live in the past, I mean. Didn't your parents think about the changes that Tenma could make? In what way he could change the future?'' he looks at Saryuu.

The white-haired boy shrugs. ''Well, yeah. But they couldn't have predicted that it would make changes as big as this. And they had to choose. Change the time, or let us be killed. They probably should've let us be killed for the greater good, but they couldn't,'' he says. ''And it is possible to send someone to live in another time, even though it could change the timeline. Time is unpredictable, and the events that take place can't be controlled. It's not set in stone. And our parents made preparations.''

Fei frowns at this. ''Saru- sorry, Saryuu... you're not talking about that... are you?'' when Saryuu doesn't react, his eyes widen. ''But- that's strictly forbidden! If it goes wrong-''

''-but it didn't go wrong, did it?'' Saryuu cuts him off, and Fei looks at him in surprise. The Lagoon's captain sighs. ''I know that it's forbidden, but it worked. Because of that, Tenma can only live in the past.''

''What do you mean?'' asks Tenma, looking curiously at the older twin. ''How can I only live in the past?''

Saryuu smiles at him, a soft smile that not even Fei has seen before. ''It's called Gene Search. It's a device that is strictly forbidden here, because it hasn't been proven safe yet. You take the genes of a person, and the Gene Search will try to find a match in time.''

''A match in time?'' asks Taiyou, looking cautiously at Saryuu.

The older twin nods. ''It will search for a matching set of genes in time. At this point, it can only search in the past, but the original idea was that it would search in all times – past, present and future. Normally, those genes belong to a family member,'' explains Saryuu, and understanding is shown on the faces of Raimon. ''Tell me, do you believe in fate?''

''Fate?'' exclaims Tenma in surprise, not expecting such a question. ''I- I'm not sure, I never really thought about it... but I guess I do, kind of...'' he frowns. ''In matches, I think it's more important that you do what you can, but things like meeting Fei and you...''

Saryuu nods in understanding at his twin's answer. ''Well, I'm not sure if I believe in fate either, but I think that everyone has a certain path in life. The Gene Search searches for matching genes, and... I'm not sure how exactly, but it places you in the life of that person – the 'path' that that person follows becomes your own path. In other words, you take the life from that person. That way, you don't change time, because it was meant to be in the first place,'' explains the white-haired teen.

''So you're saying that your parents used this 'Gene Search' on Tenma-kun...?'' asks Kariya, frowning.

The Lagoon's captain nods. ''Yes. They didn't want to change the original timeline to much, so they used the Gene Search. And they did find a match – the son of Matsukaze Shiori and Matsukaze Kichirou. That's where our parents sent you, to become their son, Matsukaze Tenma.'' Saryuu pauses for a moment to gather his thoughts. ''But... the path that you follow is an important one. You're Raimon's captain, Chrono Storm's, and you'll become the captain of a few others. You're the only one who can fulfill that path, and it must be fulfilled.''

''In other words...'' says Fei softly, ''even if you wanted to, you can't live here. You have to go back to the past.''

''And when you do... I'm not sure if we'll ever see each other again,'' finishes Saryuu, gazing sadly at his twin. ''Maybe when time travel becomes easier, I'll be able to visit you, but that could take more than twenty years.''

Tenma stares at him in disbelief and shock. ''N-no way...'' he looks at the ground, hiding his eyes in the shadows of his bangs. ''So... that means I'll never see you again?''

Raimon shares uneasy looks, unhappy with seeing their captain so sad. ''Tenma...'' says Fei softly.

Saryuu looks at the brunet with a sad look, and places a hand on his shoulder. ''Don't be so down, Tenma.'' When the younger looks up, the white-haired boy smiles at him. ''I won't give up on you so easily. I'm sure I can find a way to come visit you.'' At this, he grins darkly, and the Raimon members shiver, while Tenma just brightens.

''Really?'' asks the brunet hopefully, and his twin nods.

Fei smiles at the two. ''And Raimon can still stay here for a little while,'' he says, gaining the attention of his friends. ''I'm sure we can also stall a bit, maybe allowing you to stay a week or two... and we can also try to convince Toudou-san to allow Saryuu to travel back to the past to visit you. As a... thank you, for everything you've done for us.''

''Ara...'' mutters Kariya, ''who was Toudou-san again...?''

His friends sweat-drop as Saru answers. ''Toudou-san is El Dorado's leader.''

''Oh!'' Kariya nods in understanding. ''That grumpy old man!''

Cue to even more sweat-drops.

Then Tenma turns back to Saryuu. ''So... we will see each other again?''

The other grins. ''And you can't forget about the next week, right? We've got a lot to catch up on!''

  ~'0'~  

Well... twelve pages, not bad, huh?

Anyway, I basically upload this story whenever I have inspiration for it. Which I actually don't have. So, I'm sorry... probably not a lot of updates for this :/ Anyway, if you're really anxious for another part and you have ideas for this story, feel free to tell me~! I'm open to suggestions, guys!

Bye bye~!

- Yara Meijer