In the forest at an unknown location is where we find Hehehe and Hahaha with Esmeralda von Krauss. She is walking in her silvery gown while she smokes an Egyptian cigarette on the end of a bone white foot long holder.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Why are we here, dahlings? There is nothing here and we have walked for about an hour from the limo.
Hehehe - We promise that we have a point.
Hahaha - We come here every year.
Hehehe - Yeah, you just don’t normally come with us.
Hahaha - But it’s ok. You can come. We don’t mind!
They continue to walk down an overgrown path in the woods until they come to a clearing. The ruins of a stone foundation of a hut from long ago jut out of the ground at odd places in the clearing. The Twins ignore the faint ruins and head to an area behind it where a simple, worn stone lies half buried all alone.
Esmeralda von Krauss looks around in curiosity at the strange setting and then at the twins as if waiting for an explanation. The Twins grin in their slovenly way, drooling a little as they do so.
Hehehe - That space was our house!
Hahaha - We used to live here when our names were…
Hehehe - Our names were…
Hahaha - We don’t remember what our names were…
Esmeralda smiles big and pats them each on their head, evoking a wide grin from the act.
Esmeralda von Krauss - It’s alright, dahlings. We have names that we call you. They are not your real names, but they will do. So you lived here with your mom and dad long ago?
Hehehe and Hahaha nod their heads, giving a ghastly giggle that sounds like they are laughing while gargling something foul.
Hehehe - Yes! Well, dad died when we was young. He was killed by a boar I think.
Hahaha - No, that was a lie that He told us. He killed dad so that he could have mom!
Hehehe - Oh, right. Yeah that man murdered our dad and took over the family.
Hahaha - He said that he found dad when he was killed by the boar and slew the boar for us!
Esmeralda narrows her eyes as she listens. She has heard something of this story before, but no reason to stop them from telling it.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Jericho? Jericho was his name, right?
Hehehe - Yes! He came in and courted mom with a slain boar, the boar that supposedly killed dad, on the day of his death!
Hahaha - It wasn’t like mother could support us on her own so she was forced to take Jericho in and eventually marry him.
Hehehe - He was abusive though. A wizard of the most cruel type.
Hahaha - He cast spells on us for fun! Made us hurt sometimes.
Hehehe - Sometimes, he would even hurt mom.
Hahaha - But he brought in money and food so we could not say anything.
Hehehe - He was gone a lot of times too. To go on adventures for books and other relics.
Hahaha - I think he used us to hide his wizard books.
Esmeralda’s eyes flitted toward the ruins of the cabin that once stood in the woods. Could secrets be buried there even now? Her moment of greed is seen by the Twins, who respond.
Hehehe - That ship had sailed.
Hahaha - He took his stuff when he…
Hehehe - You know that we wouldn’t help him forever. Mom wouldn’t always let him hurt us, even when he would hurt her. Mom defended us the best that she could.
Hahaha - One day that wasn’t enough. He had hurt her and we ran to her aid. We attacked him and brought him low, but his magic was too strong. He knocked us aside easily and slew our mother in vengeance.
Hehehe - We were sad, but we were dying. We knew it and Jericho knew it.
Hahaha - We told Jericho that he had killed us and that we were going to be back with mom and dad very shortly.
Esmeralda von Krauss - And that’s when he cursed you both to live forever. That you could die, but you would never land a step into the afterlife to be able to see your beloved parents again. Right?
There is a silence for seemingly a long time before there is an answer from the Twins.
Both - Yes.
Esmeralda von Krauss - But you did get revenge for the harm he had inflicted upon your family? We found him and trussed him up for you to beat and torture to death. Yes?
That’s when the Twins look down in what surprisingly looks like guilt.
Hehehe - It wasn’t him.
Hahaha - He only looked like Jericho…
Esmeralda flicks ashes onto the ground. She frowned as she thought things through. Jericho was a wizard and therefore could extend his life unnaturally. It was normally at the expense of being able to have children, but in this case.
Esmeralda von Krauss - So you tortured and murdered an innocent descendant of Jericho?
Both - Yes.
Hehehe - We saw him in the man’s face.
Hahaha - We could not control the rage we felt.
Hehehe - We tried to get the location of Jericho from him.
Hahaha - He did not know his father.
Hehehe and Hahaha each produced a single crumpled red rose and laid it before the half-buried stone.
Hehehe - Father’s grave was never marked as Jericho burned the body and scattered the ashes.
Hahaha - Mother lies here.
Hehehe - We love you, mom.
Hahaha - We don’t remember your name, but we dream of you every single night.
The Twins stayed kneeling before the stone, great tears flowing from their eyes and gathering colors from their face paint until they dripped off their greasy chins and onto their outfits. Esmeralda drops her cigarette butt down and crushes it out with her foot before putting the foot long holder away in her wristlet.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Dahlings, you are obviously loyal to your mother, but you never told me that Jericho was still out there.
Hehehe - We wish to find her on our own.
Hahaha - We owe that much to our mom.
Esmeralda looks from one to the other before nodding.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Then, we shall simply give you whatever you require. Gods, I thought the two of you to be too stupid to be able to handle an investigation on this scale, but you have been making strides over the past few years from simple, violent children to respectable henchmen. I will trust you, dahlings.
Hehehe and Hahaha look at Esmeralda for a long moment before fresh tears begin rolling down their cheeks.
Hehehe - Thank you! You have been like a second mother.
Hahaha - We owe you and Armand for saving us from that vile circus man.
Hehehe - I mean we do similar things for you, but gladly.
Hahaha - And the crowd doesn’t sneer at us. They are afraid, as they should be.
Hehehe - They don’t understand why we die and then get up.
Hahaha - They understand that should we miss, one of them could die.
Both - Instinct.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Aaww, I feel loved. We took you in with love in our hearts. Well, my dahlings? What now?
Hehehe - We head back to the limo.
Hahaha - We are done here.
Esmeralda von Krauss - That assumes he waited for this long, but I’m sure he did. Well, dahlings? Let’s head back!
The three of them begin walking back down the path toward the road where the limo has been parked. As they walk, Esmeralda takes her foot long cigarette holder back out and lights a fresh Egyptian cigarette. As she blows smoke into the air, we talks.
Esmeralda von Krauss - So, you are both still in the WUK’s Union Classic. Yes?
Hehehe - Oh yes! We get to fight two teams this week.
Hahaha - Fulcrum and Central Defense.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Two teams, eh? Tony really trying to get you out of his tournament?
Hehehe - Yes, but we are going to win the whole thing.
Hahaha - We are going to claim the tag team titles for the WUK.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Tony Blood would never=
Hehehe - If we win the tournament by his rules.
Hahaha - We get the title shot at the champions.
Hehehe - A match that we can win.
Hahaha - And become champions.
Esmeralda von Krauss - I am loving this confidence, dahlings. It is a total change from when you wrestled in the CWF and told your opponents that you were not really wrestlers. Are you wrestlers now?
Hehehe - No, we are not wrestlers.
Hahaha - But we are big. We are mean. We are tougher than any wrestler out there.
Esmeralda laughs as she flicks her ashes onto the trail.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Honest. I like it! Now, tell me about the two teams that you get to face.
Hehehe - Central Defense. They are a new team.
Hahaha - They are made up of Joel Vetch and Broden Cater.
Esmeralda von Krauss - They are a brand new team for this tournament?
Hehehe - We don’t know for sure.
Hahaha - We just know that we can take them.
Hehehe - The team is made up of Joel Vetch and Broden Carter.
Hahaha - Do the names sound familiar to you?
Esmeralda smokes her cigarette in silence a little as they are walking through the woods to head back to the limo. She eventually shrugs, flicking ashes onto the ground.
Esmeralda von Krauss - No idea, dahlings. Then again, I am not one to keep up with WUK affairs. What’s the other team?
Hehehe - Fulcrum.
Hahaha - Yeap. Ana Somnia and Moryana Lupei.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Know anything about them?
Hehehe - They are fancy fighters. Don’t understand the name though.
Hahaha - Are they like a seesaw in action?
Esmeralda von Krauss - These teams are likely good. They made it to this round in the tournament so far, just like you. You should be taking them seriously.
Hehehe - Of course!
Hahaha - We shall take them all down in our quest to become champions.
Hehehe - Because, if we become WUK tag team champions?
Hahaha - It will prove that ANYONE can become tag team champions.
Esmeralda nods as they walk.
Esmeralda von Krauss - And so cast shadows on the reign of the Bastards since their talents wouldn’t be special. Did Armand put you boys up to this?
Hehehe - Maybe?
Hahaha - Does it matter?
Esmeralda von Krauss - I mean. One could argue that if you boys became the tag team champions that you would be just as special as the Bastards and lift you up to their level.
Hehehe - We know that as well.
Hahaha - We know we are special already!
Esmeralda von Krauss - How do you know this?
Hehehe - Our first mommy said so!
Hahaha - And our second mommy did too.
Esmeralda stops in her tracks, causing the other two to stop as well.
Esmeralda von Krauss - Second mommy? Who is this?
Hehehe and Hahaha give her a hug at the same time.
Hehehe - You! We chose you long ago!
Hahaha - You are our second mommy!
Esmeralda nearly drops her cigarette, her mouth hanging open as the Twins release her.
Esmeralda von Krauss - You count me as…your mother? Your second mother?
Both - Yes!
Esmeralda von Krauss - Oh, dahlings! Come back!
Hehehe and Hahaha come back to her and hug her tight. A single tear rolls down Esmeralda’s cheek, dripping off of her chin and onto Hehehe.
Esmeralda von Krauss - You boys will defeat whomever is placed in front of you. This I have no doubt! Now, let’s get to the limo before it gets dark out.
Hehehe - Yes, mom!
Hahaha - Of course!
The scene fades to black as the three continue their trek back to the limo.
