Part Three
"Shogun!"
Nakago looked up. "Hai."
"The Emperor wishes to see you in his private chambers."
Nakago nodded and continued walking down the hallway, changing direction so he was headed towards the Emperor's room. He was trying to decide what to do about those bratty little twins. He couldn't just kill them. For one thing, that wasn't interesting at all, and for another, he might still need them. If he could find a way to unseal Seiryuu, he would need all his seishi, alive and preferably in one piece. Also, Yui-sama might be upset if he killed Suboshi. She was fond of the boy.
So what to do with them? Torturing them was one thing, but it would tire quickly. He couldn't just leave them in the dungeon to rot. And he wanted to find a way to make Amiboshi regret what he'd done. The little brat had spoiled all his plans. How was he supposed to get revenge on the Emperor and take over the world if he couldn't call Seiryuu? The only thing he'd been able to think of was to turn them against each other by placing the blame with Amiboshi. But he could already tell that it wasn't going to work. Their loyalty to each other was too strong. So now what?
He reached the Emperor's chambers and knocked.
"Come," a voice called.
Nakago entered the room and got on one knee. He tried to suppress the nervousness he always felt when facing the man. "You wanted to see me?" he asked.
The Emperor nodded. "I was wondering what you were doing about your rebel seishi."
Nakago frowned. Why did the Emperor care? "They are being punished," he finally answered.
"Good," the Emperor said. "Have the troops been pulled out of Konan?"
Nakago nodded.
"Hmmm . . . " the Emperor frowned, deep in thought. "How old are these twins?"
Nakago's eyes narrowed. "Fifteen," he finally said.
"Are they pretty?"
Nakago repressed a shudder. He heard a voice in his head say, "Come here, pretty boy, I'm not going to hurt you . . . " His being "pretty" had saved his life, and at the same time condemned him to a life of torture. "I suppose you might call them that," he finally answered.
"Bring one of them to me," the Emperor said, smiling cruelly.
Nakago stared at him, almost unable to believe what he was hearing. "Now?" he asked.
"No. Tomorrow afternoon."
"Here?"
"Yes."
Nakago couldn't repress the shudder anymore. He cursed himself for giving away the emotions he was feeling. "I will," he finally said.
The Emperor nodded. "Dismissed," he said.
Nakago stood up and got the hell out of the room as quickly as he could.
Well, if he was looking for revenge on Amiboshi, he'd found it. But to give him to the Emperor . . .
It's perfect, Nakago thought. It'll make him realize exactly how you felt all those years, all the tortures you went through. He'll regret the day he ever laid eyes on the Suzaku Seishi.
But giving him to the Emperor . . . ?
Nakago shuddered, then again cursed himself. He can't hurt you, he thought disdainfully. Why do you still insist on being afraid of him?
I'm not afraid! he insisted. I'll give Amiboshi to him. I'll make the little brat regret everything! I'll make him understand how I felt! He'll suffer exactly the way I suffered. When the Emperor's done with him, he'll never be the same again.
But still . . .
"No," he said quietly. "He has to pay."
~~~
The next day . . .
Amiboshi awoke to someone shaking him and calling his name. "Koutoku . . . Wake up, Koutoku . . . Are you okay?"
He opened his eyes but the world was spinning. "Shunkaku . . . " he tried to say.
"Shhh," Suboshi said. "You're all right. I think."
Amiboshi tried to tell his younger brother that he wasn't being very comforting, but decided he'd better not.
"Are you okay?" he asked instead, trying to sit up but failing. If the world would just hold still for a second, he might be able to manage it . . .
"Yeah, I'm okay," Suboshi said. The wound on the side of his face looked bad, but Amiboshi could tell it looked worse than it was. "I'm better off than you, anyway."
Amiboshi groaned in agreement. "I really don't feel too good . . . " He paused in thought. "How long was I out?" he finally asked.
Suboshi shrugged. "Beats me," he said. "I just came to myself. I -- I saw you lying there and I didn't know -- " he stopped.
Amiboshi managed to crawl over to Suboshi. "You okay, Shun-chan?"
Suboshi nodded, then shook his head. "I'm fine, I guess," he said. "I was just worried, that's all. Probably I should have just let you sleep, but when you didn't answer when I called your name . . . I kind of panicked a bit. I thought you might never wake up."
Amiboshi lifted one shaking hand and brushed his hair out of his face. "I'll be okay," he reassured his brother. For now, anyway . . . But if Nakago comes again, I think I'll be in trouble . . . He stared at his hands, trying to make them stop trembling.
"You're shivering," Suboshi told him. "Are you *sure* you're okay?"
Amiboshi tried to reassure his brother again that he was fine, but he couldn't quite say it. His shoulders shook, and Suboshi put an arm around him tentatively.
"Oh, God," Suboshi muttered. "You've got a fever, Aniki."
"I'm okay," Amiboshi whispered. "As long as he doesn't come again, I'm okay . . . my friends will come . . . " But yesterday -- if it was yesterday -- you were so sure they wouldn't. What's changed that? He wished his shoulders would stop shaking; he knew he was scaring Suboshi. "I'll be fine, Shun-chan," he said, not sure who he was trying to convince.
They both looked up as footsteps came down the hallway. Nakago opened their cell door and came in.
"Here to torture me again?" Amiboshi asked, trying to sound brave and defiant, but not fooling anyone, including himself.
Nakago didn't answer. He took hold of Amiboshi's arm and pulled him to his feet, then shoved him out the door.
"Where are you taking him?" Suboshi cried, trying to stand up.
Nakago still said nothing. He went down the hallway, dragging Amiboshi with him.
Amiboshi blinked, trying to keep his balance. The world was spinning in front of his eyes. Nakago shoved him through a doorway, and he fell to his knees.
Nakago shut the door and leaned against the wall just outside.
The Emperor, who was sitting in his bed, looked up. "Which one are you?" he asked bluntly.
"Amiboshi." He looked up and saw where he was. "Emperor . . . " His first thought was that he was glad he was already on his knees. His second was more to the point, wondering why on earth the Emperor wanted to see him.
The Emperor nodded to the guards. "Leave us."
The guards turned and left without a word.
Amiboshi managed to focus on the Emperor. Something about him made Amiboshi's skin crawl. He wanted to back away, but couldn't see any way to do it on his hands and knees without looking both obvious and also ridiculous.
"Hmm," the Emperor said. "Nakago was right. You are a pretty boy."
Amiboshi stared at him.
Nakago, still standing outside the door, shuddered. He knew he should leave. He was going to leave. Right . . . now . . . He didn't move. Couldn't move.
"Come here, pretty boy," the Emperor said.
Amiboshi managed to get to his feet and walk over. It was difficult; every nerve in his body was urging him to run for it. He was also having a great deal of trouble keeping his balance, and he wished the room would just stop moving for a minute.
"Sit down," the Emperor said.
Amiboshi looked around, but there were no chairs. He hesitantly sat on the bed, as far away from the Emperor as possible.
The Emperor moved so he was sitting beside Amiboshi. "So you are the one who betrayed us," he said conversationally.
Amiboshi nodded and said nothing.
"Why, may I ask?"
Amiboshi looked at him. "It was either betray you or betray my friends," he said, shrugging.
"Friends. Suzaku Seishi?"
Amiboshi nodded again.
Nakago wanted to go in and warn him, say, "He's just making conversation so you'll let your guard down, trust me, I know. I know!" But he didn't move.
"And what has my Shogun been doing to you?"
Amiboshi shivered a little. I really don't feel too well at all, he thought. Do I really have a fever? Shunkaku said so, but I feel so cold . . . "Whipping me, torturing me," he said flatly. "What else?"
"Are you injured?"
Amiboshi stared at him, confused. "Of course I'm injured."
"Let me see."
Amiboshi hesitated.
"Let me see," the Emperor repeated.
Don't, Nakago thought. Can't you see what he's trying to do? Don't listen to him! His more sensible side spoke up, saying, No, of course Amiboshi doesn't see what he's trying to do. He doesn't have any idea what's going on. Serves him right, too. But still . . . what gave the Emperor the right to do this?
Amiboshi blinked, still confused, then took off his shirt.
The Emperor glanced at the injuries. "Those are serious," he said. He put a hand on Amiboshi's back and traced the wounds. Amiboshi shuddered and pulled away.
The Emperor decided he'd had enough of this. Before Amiboshi realized exactly what was happening, the Emperor had pushed him down so he was lying on his back on the bed.
"What are you doing?!" Amiboshi cried.
Nakago couldn't stop shivering. It must be cold in the hallway, that was it. He'd have to look into that.
Amiboshi's eyes widened as the Emperor leaned down and kissed him. He pushed away violently. "Don't!"
Nakago needed to lean against the wall to keep his balance. God, it was like living it all over again. "What are you doing?" he heard a voice, not Amiboshi's, much too young to be Amiboshi's, crying out. "Stop it, please, don't!"
Amiboshi fell backwards as the Emperor hit him across the face and pushed him back down again. He was much too weak to fight. "Don't!" he repeated. He struggled to sit up and the Emperor hit him again, causing his head to snap back and hit the wall. He managed to squirm away, but the Emperor pulled him back and punched him in the stomach.
He's putting up quite a fight, Nakago thought. By the time Nakago had been old enough to fight back, he hadn't really seen the point in it anymore. But he knew that the more Amiboshi fought, the more violent the Emperor would get.
Amiboshi couldn't seem to catch his breath. He turned so he was on his hands and knees, coughing. The Emperor hit him in the small of the back, directly on one of his injuries. He screamed in pain and his arms gave out, sending him falling onto the bed. He hit his head on the bed post as he fell and nearly blacked out.
Nakago shuddered. No, he thought incoherently. No, I can't let this happen . . . He was eleven years old again. "Come here, pretty boy, I just want to see you for a few minutes . . . I spared your life, pretty boy, surely you can show a little gratitude?" NO!!
Amiboshi couldn't quite seem to move, his limbs weren't doing anything he was telling them to. He couldn't stop the tears from flowing down his face, tears of anger and pain and absolute terror. The fear was stronger than it had been since he'd seen his parents killed, and he'd been so terrified that he could be next, or Shunkaku, and all he'd been able to do was stand there and scream, and that was all he could do now. He screamed and screamed and couldn't stop screaming, but there was nothing anyone could do. There was no one. He felt hands at the waist of his pants.
"What the FUCK are you doing, you sick bastard?" Amiboshi heard a blessedly familiar voice yell.
Amiboshi screamed one last time.
Before Tasuki, who was climbing in through the window, could take another step, the door burst open.
Amiboshi looked up dazedly as Nakago lifted the Emperor off him and threw him across the room.
Tasuki climbed the rest of the way in, followed by Tamahome and Chichiri, but for a minute none of them moved. They just stood there staring at Nakago.
"What are you DOING?!" the Emperor screamed at Nakago.
Nakago grabbed him by the shirt and shoved him against the wall. "You will never hurt anyone else," he said in a low voice. "You will never torture anyone the way you tortured me, you will never kill anyone's spirit the way you killed mine. Never! I won't let you hurt anyone! I don't care if it's this little brat who betrayed me and ruined all my plans for revenge against you or my best friend or a total stranger! You will never hurt anyone the way you hurt me!" Suddenly there was a knife in Nakago's hand.
Amiboshi hid his face in the pillow, trying to stop the tears. He heard a strange noise, then a groan. Then everything was very quiet.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and scrambled away without thinking about it, still terrified.
"Are you all right, no da?" Chichiri asked.
Amiboshi stared at him, shivering too hard to answer.
Chichiri took off his kesa and wrapped it around Amiboshi's shoulders, wincing as he noticed the wounds on his back.
"What the fuck was that bastard doing?" Tasuki asked indelicately.
Nakago was standing very still, staring at the Emperor's body.
Amiboshi tried to talk, but his teeth were chattering. When had it gotten so cold in here?
"What is it, no da?" Chichiri asked.
"Sh-Sh-Shun-chan," Amiboshi managed to say. "Shun-chan. Shun-chan."
Nakago walked to the door and opened it. "Guard."
"Yes?" the guard asked.
"Go get Suboshi and bring him here."
The guard nodded and departed.
"Shun-chan," Amiboshi kept saying. He seemed to have forgotten every other word in the world. "Shun-chan."
"He's coming, no da," Chichiri assured him.
Amiboshi rocked himself back and forth. When Chichiri put a hand on his shoulder, he pulled away violently.
The door opened and Suboshi came in. "What's -- " he stopped dead, seeing four people he didn't know, one of whom was dead, Nakago with one hand covered in blood, and his brother wrapped in a strange cloak, rocking back and forth. He ignored everyone and went to his brother.
"Shun-chan," Amiboshi whispered.
Suboshi sat beside him and gently pulled his brother to him, holding him. "Shhh, it's okay, Aniki. I'm here. I won't let anyone hurt you."
Amiboshi hid his face in Suboshi's shirt and started to cry, trying to stop the tears but unable to once they had started.
For a long moment, everything was silent.
Suboshi looked up and asked in a very quiet, deadly voice, "Who hurt my brother?"
Chichiri looked at him nervously. Obviously, Amiboshi's fierce devotion to his brother wasn't one-sided.
"WHO HURT MY BROTHER?!" Suboshi screamed. "I'll kill the bastard, I swear I will!"
"Ya can't," Tasuki said. "He's already dead."
"Tasuki!" Tamahome said, rolling his eyes.
Suboshi paused, looking at the body. He was so furious he could barely speak. "What happened?" he managed to ask. "Nakago-sama! What happened?! Who hurt Koutoku?!"
Nakago seemed to jerk out of a trance. He walked over to the twins and put a hand on Amiboshi's shoulder. Amiboshi looked up with tear-filled blue eyes.
"I didn't do it for you," Nakago said coldly. "I didn't do it to save you. I did it for me."
Amiboshi nodded. "I know," he whispered. "Thank you anyway."
Nakago turned and walked out of the room.
Suboshi looked around helplessly. He had no idea what was going on. He was surrounded by people he didn't know. Wait a minute. One of them had called the redhead Tasuki. And the black haired one looked a lot like Tamahome, according to Yui's descriptions. He looked at the one standing closest to him, unsure of who he was. Undoubtedly he was a Suzaku Seishi, too. Suboshi wondered what to do. The three men didn't *look* dangerous. Well, they were Suzaku Seishi, so that made them dangerous by definition, but they didn't look like they were about to be dangerous in his direction. Therefore, he felt safe asking them, "What happened?"
Chichiri explained quietly what they had seen, saying that they didn't know anything more than that. Suboshi's eyes widened in horror; his arms tightened around Amiboshi. He tried to speak but the words stuck in his throat.
Amiboshi suddenly pulled away. "Where's my shirt?" he asked, not looking at any of them.
Tamahome picked it up and handed it to him wordlessly.
Amiboshi put it on and handed Chichiri his kesa. "Thanks, Chichiri."
Well, that explained who the blue-haired guy was. "Are you okay, Kou-chan?" Suboshi asked.
Amiboshi started. Suboshi hadn't called him Kou-chan in years. "I'm fine," he said, nearly choking. "I'm fine."
"Then can we leave?" Tasuki asked. "I want to get the hell out of here before someone comes in and thinks *we* killed the fucking bastard."
Amiboshi looked at the Emperor and started to shiver. "He -- he -- "
"Don't talk about it!" Suboshi said fiercely, putting an arm around his brother and hugging him tightly. "Don't even think about it!"
"If Nakago had to live through that -- " Amiboshi whispered. "I think I understand him a little better now."
"All this was just for revenge on this guy?" Tasuki asked, looking at the Emperor. "Seems like a strange way to go about getting revenge, ne?"
"What about Yui?" Tamahome asked, quickly changing the subject.
Suboshi looked up. "What about her?"
"We were going to bring her back with us," Tamahome explained. "Miaka wants to try to explain things to her."
Suboshi brightened a little. "That's good."
Before they could go anywhere, the door opened and Yui walked in. Tasuki blinked. "That was convenient."
"Nakago sent me," she explained, looking confused. "He said it was time for me to leave." She looked around and her eyes widened. "Tamahome!"
"We've come to get you," Tamahome explained.
Yui hesitated.
"Please, Yui-sama," Suboshi pleaded.
Yui looked at him, then at Tamahome. "I -- I guess -- " She sighed. "If Nakago doesn't need me anymore, there's no reason for me to stay here . . . so I guess I'll go." She paused. "What's wrong with Amiboshi?"
"I -- I'm fine," Amiboshi whispered, but he wasn't fine, the world wouldn't stop spinning, if it could just stop spinning for one minute he might be okay, but he couldn't quite see well. He'd been feeling bad enough before all this, but now it was much worse.
Chichiri put a hand on Amiboshi's forehead. "He's got a fever, no da," he reported.
"He -- he said one of you was a healer -- " Suboshi began, then stopped, uncertain about how to ask them for help.
"Of course, no da," Chichiri said. He spread his kesa on the floor. "We'll go back right away."
Suboshi tried to stand up, still holding his brother, but stumbled and nearly sent both of them tumbling to the floor.
"You're not strong enough," Yui told him gently. "Let one of the others take him."
Suboshi hesitated.
"They're . . . my friends . . . Shunkaku . . . " Amiboshi whispered.
"I'll take 'im," Tasuki said. "He's pretty light."
Suboshi reluctantly let Tasuki take Amiboshi from him. He stumbled again and nearly fell.
"Lean on me," Yui said, smiling at him a little. He gave her a look of undying gratitude and accepted her arm.
Chichiri opened the portal. "All set, no da?"
The others nodded and went through the portal, and then Chichiri jumped through, closing it behind him.
Two minutes later, when the guards walked in and found the body of their Emperor, no one could figure out exactly where the "assassins" had gone.
~~~
The six landed in the dining room where the remaining Suzaku Seishi were eating dinner. Everyone went down in a heap, then picked themselves off the floor. They all started talking at once.
"Yui-chan!" Miaka cried.
Yui backed away.
Miaka stared at her, hurt. "Yui-chan . . . "
Suboshi, who was kneeling beside Amiboshi, was desperately trying to remember the healer's name and figure out which one of them it was. Before he could ask, Chichiri tugged on a tall, serious-looking man's sleeve and said, "Mitsukake no da! Amiboshi is hurt, no da."
Suboshi cradled his brother in his arms. "Please . . . " he began.
Mitsukake looked uncertain.
"What is it, no da?" Chichiri asked.
"There was a carriage accident this morning," Mitsukake explained. "A young woman was badly hurt and I had to heal her."
Suboshi blinked. "What's that mean?"
"He can only heal one person a day, no da," Chichiri explained.
Suboshi's face fell. "But Koutoku -- "
Mitsukake knelt next to Amiboshi. "He'll be fine for the night," he said reassuringly. "I can heal him in the morning."
Suboshi nodded, then said quietly, "Domo arigatou."
"I'll take him to his room," Tamahome said, mostly because someone needed to and he was uncomfortable with both Yui and Miaka staring at him.
Suboshi stood up, ready to follow, as Tamahome picked Amiboshi up.
"You should eat something, no da," Chichiri said. "You probably haven't eaten in days, no da."
Suboshi tried to remember when the last time he'd eaten was, but he couldn't quite recall. Other than the stale bread the guards had tossed him, he hadn't eaten since before they'd thrown him in his cell. He decided Chichiri was right and allowed himself to be helped into a chair. He looked around nervously at the Suzaku Seishi. "Oh -- my name's Shunkaku."
"Well, you know me and Chichiri already," Tasuki said. "That's the Emperor, Hotohori-sama, that's Mitsukake, this is Chiriko, Tamahome just left, that's Nuriko, and that's Miaka. Did I miss anyone?" He looked around.
Suboshi was still looking around nervously. A servant put a tray of food in front of him.
"You can eat it," Tasuki told him when Suboshi didn't touch it. "Trust me, it's not poisoned."
Suboshi hesitantly began to eat, then realized how hungry he was. He abandoned all doubts and ate as quickly as he could. Tamahome came back in and sat next to Miaka. Yui hesitated, then sat next to Suboshi.
For the next half hour, everyone was talking and joking and soon Suboshi forgot his fears and relaxed. Koutoku would be all right. He would be all right. Everything would be all right. His head nodded and he nearly fell asleep in his food. The Suzaku Seishi are so nice, he thought. I think I understand now, Koutoku. They're so kind to me. They don't even know me, but they trust me anyway. He felt himself drifting off to sleep, and he tried to wake himself up, but it had been a long day. He gave up and let his head rest on the table.
He felt arms lifting him up, and heard a voice say, "I'll take him to Amiboshi's room, no da. He's fast asleep."
"Been a long day, ne?" another voice said. He thought it might be Tasuki's, but it sounded like it was coming from a mile away.
The arms carried him to a room were he was laid on a bed, and before he could even figure out where he was, he was fast asleep.
~~~
Amiboshi woke to voices. "How can you tell them apart?" a light, rather high-pitched voice was asking.
"That's Amiboshi," a deeper voice said. "I know because I healed him this morning, so unless they've switched places since then, I can tell them apart."
Amiboshi realized the pain was gone. It was a strange feeling. He opened his eyes and was face to face with a young boy.
"Hi!" the boy said cheerfully.
Mitsukake smiled. "Ohayo, Amiboshi. Chiriko wanted to meet you."
Amiboshi tried to sit up and found that he could. "Chiriko?" he asked the boy.
"That's me," he said. "I heard they confused the two of us. Isn't that strange? We don't look anything alike!"
Amiboshi repressed the urge to burst out into laughter. He tried to remember the last time he'd laughed and couldn't. "It's nice to meet you, Chiriko," he said.
"How are you feeling?" Mitsukake asked.
"Fine," Amiboshi said. "Better than I have in a while, actually. Arigatou."
Mitsukake shrugged. "It's my job."
Amiboshi looked at Suboshi, who was sound asleep on a mattress on the floor.
"Tamahome brought the mattress in," Mitsukake told him. "I'll heal him tomorrow."
"Is he okay?" Amiboshi asked.
"He's in better shape than you were," Mitsukake answered. "He's just tired out."
"It's hard to believe it's only been a week since I was still Chiriko, ne?" Amiboshi asked, laughing a little.
Mitsukake smiled at him. "You should eat something," he said. "We've already had breakfast, but there's bound to be something else around." He caught Amiboshi looking at Suboshi. "He'll probably sleep for a while yet," Mitsukake said. "He's had a rough week. Don't worry about him."
Amiboshi nodded and stood up, following Mitsukake and Chiriko out of the room.
"Ohayo, Amiboshi," Nuriko said in the hallway. "Feeling better?"
Amiboshi nodded. "Thanks. Oh -- call me Koutoku, all right? I never got used to Amiboshi, and I guess I'm not a Seiryuu Seishi any more, am I?"
"Whatever you say," Nuriko said, smiling.
Amiboshi smiled back.
~~~
That night . . .
Koutoku and Shunkaku walked into the dining room. Everyone looked between them uncertainly, unable, for a moment, to tell which was which. Once Mitsukake heals that wound on Shunkaku's face, Tamahome thought, there won't be any way to tell them apart.
"Hi, Chir -- Ami -- I mean Koutoku," Tasuki said. "Damn it, if you don't stop changing names, I'm just gonna call you 'hey you.' "
Koutoku smiled and sat down. A minute later, Yui walked in.
"Yui-chan!" Miaka said, jumping up and hugging her friend. Much to Shunkaku's surprise, Yui hugged her back.
Shunkaku leaned over to Koutoku. "I missed a lot while I was asleep, didn't I?" he asked.
Koutoku nodded. "Miaka used one of her wishes," he whispered. "She wished that Yui would understand and that things could be the way they used to be between them. She's barely left Yui's side all day. And Taiitsu-kun was here this morning, something about us not existing in the Miko's world and Tamahome having to be reborn or something really confusing like that. I missed most of it."
Shunkaku hesitated. "Are they going home?" he asked.
Koutoku nodded. "Tomorrow, Tamahome with them. Yui . . . "
Shunkaku smiled. "It's okay," he reassured his brother. "She'll be happier there, anyway. I do love her, but part of me thinks it may just have been because she was so kind to me. She's the only one besides you who was ever nice to me. And then I got here and *everyone* was nice to me!"
Koutoku smiled back. "You understand now, ne, Shun-chan?"
Shunkaku nodded.
"What are you two whispering about over there?" Tasuki asked.
"We're talking about you," Koutoku said, smiling innocently. "I'm telling Shunkaku all your bad habits."
"Oi! What bad habits?" Tasuki asked.
"Oh, nothing," Koutoku said. "Never mind."
"I'll fry it out of you!" Tasuki said, reaching for his tessen.
"Oh, sure you will," Koutoku said. "After all that work to get us back from Kutou, you're just going to fry me?"
Tasuki pretended to hesitate. "Well . . . "
Everyone laughed.
"You really okay, no da?" Chichiri asked Koutoku.
Koutoku nodded. "It's good to be back with you guys. I missed you a lot."
"We're friends, ne?" Tasuki said. "I'll forgive that little thing just a minute ago."
Koutoku bit his lip to keep from laughing. "Okay, we're friends."
Tasuki looked between the two of them. "Now all I have to do is learn how to tell you apart . . . "
The twins looked at each other and grinned.