Synchronicity

Chapter 4

"So she does exist," Len said harshly as he looked down at the photograph. He was fourteen summers now, hardly a child and hardly a man. He glowered down at the picture of two babies. Each one with a tuff of golden hair. They were smiling in the picture, bright blue eyes staring forward. They couldn't have been older than a few days.

"Yes," his mother said quietly. Shamefully. "You have a twin sister. Older by a few minutes… She was taken from us to become the diva. She'll stay there until…"

"Until she dies," Len said with a tired voice. He always had felt something. A feeling of not being whole. He'd heard the tales growing up. He knew the stories of the beast that flew down the mountains one day demanding a sacrifice. It never had been a big deal to him but now… "What if I tried to save her?" He asked.

"It's impossible Len," she said shaking her head. "There have been so many others who have tried. None have come back alive."

"Then I'll be the first," he said setting the photo down on a side table.

"Don't be silly," she said with a weak laugh, "you're only a boy."

"Then in a few years," he said determined. "I'll bring her back. I promise." His mother said nothing, only turned her head away and glanced out the open window. The sea air blew in and wrapped around them. "Just tell me," he said taking a few steps forward. "What's her name? What is…my sister's name?"

"Her name is…

The morning dew covered their blankets and drenched their hair. Birds sang a good morning song overhead as the three travelers woke. Their fire had long been put out and Kaito was getting some kind of scolding for falling asleep and not waking Gakupo sooner. He said they could have been in danger, though he refused to say by who or why.

Breakfast had ended up being a few slices of bread and a cheese wedge that Kaito had bought in town the night before. They all longed for a warm fire-cooked meal, but it'd have to wait. They couldn't waste anymore money, who knew how long they'd be traveling at this rate.

As the three ate in peace, Kaito rambled on about a dream he had the previous night. Something about being a jester to the queen or something. No one was actually paying attention. When no one responded to his story, he looked over at the blond haired boy, "you're awfully quiet." He said taking a bite of his cheese sandwich he'd made, "something on your mind?"

There was plenty to be worried about which meant plenty on his mind. Len was thinking about the voice he'd heard non-stop. There hadn't been anyone there and yet he heard it as clear as he heard Kaito's voice now. A faint noise that touched his ears only a moment before vanishing into the night. He hadn't told his companions yet, they already thought he was mad enough without adding this.

Instead of replying, he just reached up and clutched the pendant. Kaito frowned taking another bite, "jeez. Silent treatments make for a boring journey," he commented to no one in particular.

Gakupo shook his head, "let the boy be. He probably has a lot to think about right now." Maybe Gakupo knew. Len almost asked but stopped himself.

The boy stood up, finishing his own cheese sandwich, brushing himself off. "I'm going to go wash up," he said quietly before taking a rag.

"The river is to the East of here," Gakupo said, motioning in one direction. Len bowed his head in thanks and begun walking away. Anything to get away from the questions and babbles Kaito was leaking out of his mouth.

The boy found the river with ease. It was more of a stream really, probably met a real river further down. It was cool and refreshing with plenty of tadpoles and lily fish inhabiting the muddy bottom. He dipped the rag into the water then pressed it against his forehead, plopping down in the dirt. The water ran down his face, dripping down his neck and under his shirt, making him shiver.

Len closed his eyes and listened to the wind, trying to find the voice again.

Nothing.

When he reopened his eyes and set the rag aside, he slipped the pendant off from around his neck and looked at it. It was glimmering against the new sunrays, spinning in slow circles. He sighed and leaned back pulling it closer, breathing against the metal. "Where are you?" He whispered to it as the wind picked up.

Rin jumped, dropping her pendant and watching it clatter against the cold cave floor. She stared at it with wide eyes, hands trembling slightly. Did it just talk to her? No. Of course not. That was crazy. Wasn't it?

"H…hello?" She asked, quietly enough so that the beast wouldn't hear. She'd fallen asleep and woke up only a little while ago, not leaving her 'room' to check on her master. It was probably out hunting or maybe it was still sleeping. Either way, it wasn't commanding her to sing and she needed the break. "Who's there?" She asked again looking around some more.

There wasn't anyone there. No voice. No other human. It was just her. Rin groaned in frustration, bending over and picking up her pendant. "I think I've finally lost my mind," she whispered to it. There were some nights she'd stare in wake, pretending someone was listening to her songs. Searching for her. Coming to her rescue. It was all a lie.

"…talking…me…?" A voice called from the pendant. Choppy at first but still understandable.

Rin's eyes went wide again as she brought it even closer, almost touching her forehead. "Who are you?" She asked it again with awe.

Len knew he heard something that time, but it wasn't coming from a person or the wind. It was coming from the pendant. His pendant.

"Who are you?" A female voice called from inside. It was the same one as before, the one singing.

He felt a smile tug his lips as he held the pendant closer, the edge of it touching his forehead as he closed his eyes and concentrated hard on it. He imagined there was nothing else. Just him and the voice in an all white world. Who ever it was, they held some sort of comfort.

"My name is Len." He told it, a psychotic laugh slipped out for a moment, "please. Who are you?"

"My name is Len," the pendant said clearly. Rin felt butterflies in her stomach as she listened to the voice. It sounded so familiar and yet she'd never seen or heard anyone from the outside. Not since she was a little girl.

"Len," she repeated fondly, then giggled a bit. "Our name's kind of match. My name is Rin." There seemed to be an awkward pause between the two for a moment. He didn't say anything and her first fear was that he'd vanished. "Len?" She asked frowning a bit as she closed her eyes, "are you still there?"

"What's her name? What is…my sister's name?"

"Her name is…Rin."

Len felt his heart stop for what seemed like forever. Rin. That was the name of his sister. A familiar voice… It made sense now. "Are you still there?" She asked, sounded frightened. He shook his head trying to clear his mind then nodded dumbly, "yeah. Sorry."

"Yeah. Sorry." He sounded off now. Almost emotional. "Rin, how are you talking to me right now?"

"My pendant," Rin smiled reopening her eyes as she looked at the cool metal. "I've had it since I was a baby." She'd always been told it was her only possession, but she would have never imagined it would hold something like this in it. "I think there's a spell on it." She told the voice.

"Yeah," the boy said softly. "Is your pendant shaped like a music note?"

"Yes," Rin said somewhat surprised. "How did you know?"

"Mine is shaped like a music note too," he replied cheerfully. Almost overwhelmed. "Do you…" He trailed off as though nervous to ask something. She waited. "Do you know where you got yours? Or why?"

"I was told my mother gave it to me when I was still an infant," she said it so comfortably. He was a stranger but she felt as though she could trust her life with him. "As for why… I don't know. I was told it was the only proof I have that they did still love me when I was sent away."

Len made a fist with his free hand and his jaw tightened. "Sent away?" He asked as calmly as he could. "You were kidnapped. You weren't sent anywhere, you were taken." What other lies had they told her?

She was silent for a long time. He thought the line had been cut. Then she spoke up, "how do you know all this?" She was demanding an answer.

Len sucked in a deep breath trying to think of how to answer her. There were so many things he could say. He didn't want to scare her but at the same time he needed her to understand him. He said the most logical thing he could think of.

"Rin, I'm your other half."

Rin's heart skipped a beat at first. It took a while for it to process, then she opened her mouth to say something. Nothing came out. "I know it's probably hard for you to hear," the voice said again, "but it's true. We're twins. I bet I can prove it to. You have blond hair. The color of the sun. You probably have blue eyes. You just turned sixteen a few weeks back. You probably-"

"Stop," her voice quivered. He went quiet on the other end. She took in a shaky breath trying to take it all in. He did seem to know a lot about her. A matching pendant. A familiar voice without a face. It all seemed so surreal and yet…

Sing a command rippled through her mind. She gasped and dropped the pendant, listening to it clank against the cave floor as she squeezed her eyes shut. Rin covered her ears and glanced back out of her 'room'. Her master was awake.

"I'm sorry," she said reaching down and picking up the pendant, setting it on her ragged pillow. "If you…really are my other half you'll know about the monster."

"The dragon," the voice corrected softly. "I know you have to sing to it."

"I have to go now," she whispered to him. "Will you be here when I come back?"

She sounded desperate. Len nodded immediately not caring she couldn't see him. "Yes. Of course. I promise."

"Thank you. Len." The pendant he held seemed to fade in shine a moment, even in the sunrays. He felt himself regain composer as he took in the conversation.

"Did that really happen?" He asked himself as he looked up at the sky, then back to the necklace. "She is real," he smiled though it was sad. She'd sounded so scared. So unsure of everything. No doubt they had fed her lies her whole life. "I'm coming," he said putting the pendant back around his neck as he made his way back to the camp site.

So many things were racing through his mind. It made sense to him now what his mother had meant when she'd given him that silly pendant. He wasn't sure as to why it'd just started working or even how it did. All that mattered was that he knew the journey wasn't impossible after all. She could give him landmarks, signs, anything to follow. In no time, he'd be able to find her.

"Well well," a drawl cooed and Len snapped back to reality. He looked on ahead at the camp site where his companions were. Each one tied up and gagged, solders held them firmly in place like prisoners. Then there was a woman with short brown hair and red armor. Len had heard of her in stories so he knew exactly who she was. He tensed up as she spoke, debating between running or not. "The hero returns," she smirked pointing her sword.