Chapter 1
The afternoon was murky and warm. The lights were blinding. The smell of sweat and people were much too close. Crowds weaved back and forth as we waited. Through the buzzing of insects and clamoring of music, I could hear my dear sister sigh.
“He's late again.” She stares off into the distance as if hoping that he may appear among the tall grasses before her. It's as if she believes she can force him to appear if she stares hard enough. Knowing her, she actually may just believe that.
I grit my teeth and am grateful for having such a neutral face to hide my expression. “I'm sure he's just busy again. He'll turn up soon. Let's wait a little longer.”
“You don't have to pretend, Minoto. You never wanted to wait to begin with.” I go to protest until I watch a splash of water stir the dirt at her feet. Quietly, a second and third one follow suit.
“Hinoa,” I coo gently as I brush the tears from her eyes, “don't ruin your beautiful kimono on a guy like him. Look at me. If he's not here yet, I'll enjoy the festival with you.”
This time, I managed to steal a smile. Hinoa’s soft lips turn ever so slightly upwards. “Could I have some of the specialty dango for tonight?”
“As much as our purses would allow.”
Turning on her heel, my sister's tears all but disappeared. “Well, then, let's go! We don't have all night!” She grabbed my hand and pulled me along with fiery determination. I grin after her, but I whisper a small prayer for our wallets.
The night is filled with laughter and games. I noticed every shiny snack and bought her one before she even had the opportunity to ask. Every doll she pointed at, I won. We rode the backs of some rodeo Jagras. We swung on wirebugs high in the air. I watched as the moonlight caught in her eyes and hair. All the while, I followed beside her, caressing the delicate hand she placed in mine.
Several hours had passed when Hinoa's head started to bob. I reached out to her and cupped one of her cheeks. “Dear sister, mayhaps we should return home.” Her rosy and supple cheek presses into my palm as she nods. She covers her mouth with the tips of her fingers, letting out a small yawn.
I wish the night had ended there. My heart was torn from its chest as I heard the snarling of a monster in the distance.
Some bystanders turn to look in the brief moment of confusion. Their hearts also leaping into their throats as they look around for the source of the commotion. Suddenly some palicoes make way through the crowd, carrying massive cages with the monsters snoring inside. A sigh overtakes the festival.
However, my blood boils.
Between the blue-black scales and feathers and shocks of yellow fur, I can see the Apex Zinogre and Apex Mizutsune being paraded through the middle of Kamura. Only one hunter could have handled both in one hunt. I thought the task would take him longer to complete though! How foolish I had been!
I tried to usher Hinoa away, but I felt her hold her ground. Her face of peaceful sleepiness slowly turned into excitement and joy. I couldn't take her away from this now.
So I would stand beside her as I've always done.
The hunter happily greeted everyone and gently pushed his way further into the crowd. When his eyes lit upon my sweet Hinoa, his smile spread across his face. He rushed forward as the townsfolk chuckled and made way for him. When he got to my lovely sister, he scooped her up in a tight embrace.
“Hinoa! What are you still doing up? Minoto would normally have brought you home by now.”
“We were just headed home now actually, but I saw you! I'm wide awake now!” In an adorable fashion, she placed her index fingers against her cheek as if to show how awake she was now.
The hunter laughed. It annoyed me. How dare he laugh off such a cute expression instead of burning it into his eyes forever. “Don't you think you should go to bed if you were so sleepy just a moment ago?” Idiot. Of course, she wouldn't.
“Noooo! I want to experience this with you! C’mon! Win me a lifetime supply of dango!”
“I'm not even dressed for the festival. I'll look like a mangy felyne compared to the palico princess you are.” I bit back a laugh. He looked like that regardless.
“Who cares! Let's have some fun!”
Hinoa's soft hand left mine to enter the Hunter's. The night air felt colder as her warmth faded. I sighed and followed behind them.
Every doll she glanced at, the hunter would steal away without so much as asking if she truly wanted it. They rode on the backs of some untrained and dangerous Izuchi children. The hunter lowered her on some wirebug thread to steal some dango and cause mischief. The hunter leered at the moonlight catching in her eyes and hair like a creep. All the while, I followed behind them, caressing the cold and empty space where her hand used to be.
Once more, Hinoa's head started to bob. The hunter laughed and asked if she would like a piggy back ride home. My ears burned and I ran forward.
“Hinoa, don't listen to this man's insolence. That suggestion is ridiculous. It would ruin your outfit.”
Despite my pleas, Hinoa shrugged and dove onto the Hunter's back. I stood there in shock and clenched my fists to my sides. The Hunter only insulted me further by looking over his shoulder and murmuring, “I promise to be easy with her.”
Does he not know how that sounds?! He shouldn't be with my gorgeous and perfect sister at all!
I trudged behind them, fuming, the entire way home. Once we were home, he had the audacity to even gently place her in her futon. He even placed his hands on her shoulders when he covered her up. When I told him that she should be covered to her neck, he shook his head and simply said ‘She’s too fussy. May as well give her space to squirm.’ I simply would have remained awake to re-cover her all through the night.
Finally, I could escort him outside. As I was about to close the door, he motioned for me to come outside. I peered at him warily and obliged.
“You don't like me very much, do you?”
I was taken aback for a moment. “Whatever do you mean, Hunter?”
He sighed but gave me a weary smile. “I would never want to take you from your sister, Minoto. She loves you dearly. I want Hinoa to be as happy as possible. So I wish you would see that I make her happy, too.”
I scoffed and turned to leave. However, a horrifying thud landed by my ear. I turned to see that the Hunter had extended an arm to keep me there longer. “What are you–”
“Besides,” he said calmly. “I like both of you, Minoto. I don't want you to hate me either.” He opened his hand and revealed a small trinket. He pulled away and placed the heavy piece into my hands. It was a doll designed to look like Hinoa and I holding hands.
“Where did you get this?”
“I had it commissioned…” He gave a nervous chuckle and looked away. His cheeks reddened as he admitted it. “You two are a beautiful and perfect pair. You balance each other. I would always like to see you two like this.”
Once more, I felt the anger rise in me. “Nobody is as perfect as Hinoa!” I yelled. In shame, I looked away. I wondered how he would judge me. I was sure he'd find me to be a freak.
Instead, he grabbed my chin and pulled me to face him. “You're twins, Minoto. But you're more like Yin and Yang. Where Hinoa is adorable and sweet, you're intelligent and fierce. Where Hinoa is soft and the moonlight compliments her, you're so cool….. and I never thought anybody could look as pretty under the stars. Hinoa is perfect. As long as she's by you.”
What happened next escaped me. As our lips touched, I felt fire ignite all over me. The way my breath caught in the back of my throat scared me, but it was thrilling as well. The Hunter smelled of berries and honey. It was like he was the embodiment of nature itself.
Even more surprising than all of that was that I kissed him.
The hunter looked surprised. I was amused. I didn't think something that had bested Magnamalo could look surprised. I reached up and caressed his face and kissed him again. He turned bright red and started stammering.
“M-mi-minoto, I… I don't know about this… If Hinoa f-found out, she’d be–”
I placed a finger over his lips and pulled him inside. I kissed him in the hallway again and again. Slowly, I pulled him towards my bedroom.
“We can't… I don't wanna wake Hinoa,” he whispered.
I pulled him in with me regardless. As I did, I closed the door behind us. I placed him onto my futon and held a finger to my own lips to signal for him to be quiet. I sat in between him and my precious sister. Leaning forward, I kissed him again.
As each kiss became more passionate, I found my hands straying. One placed itself between my own thighs, rubbing gently. The other reached out behind me. It found the familiar feeling of Hinoa's chest and very lightly massaged her.
The Hunter began to stammer again. “This is a-all a little f-fast, isn't it?”
I whispered, “You're right. Forgive me.” I turned away from him and crawled into my dear sister's futon. I kissed her sweetly upon her face a few times. Finally, her eyes fluttered open.
The Hunter whispered out to me. “What are you doing?”
Once more, I held up a finger to signal him to be quiet. “Hinoa, dear, we have a guest.”
Her beautiful eyes danced open and finally found me in the darkness. I could feel my heart beating ever faster when she recognized me. “Yes, Minoto? What is it?”
“The Hunter is here.”
“The Hunter?” She sat upright and peered into the darkness. Her face brightened when she found him there. Like a good boy, he had remained quiet, but now he was starting to get antsy and embarrassed.
“He told me something tonight, Dear sister.”
“He did?” She looked at me with curiosity and embarrassment.
It was then that I leaned in close to her and whispered in her delicately tipped ears the beautiful truth. “The Hunter claims to love us both. He also claims we are the most beautiful thing when paired together. He won't separate us.”
A delighted squeal escaped Hinoa's lips. “Hunter?! Is it true? You love us?!”
The Hunter nodded gently.
Hinoa dove out of the futon, knocking him to the ground with a well-planted kiss on his cheek. She peered down at him with her shimmering golden eyes. “And you'll let me love Minoto just as much as you?”
The Hunter nodded again, more vigorously than before. I stifled a laugh.
“Dear sister, don't speak like that to men. Their wild imaginations may affect them.”
Hinoa turned to me, confused. I pointed down towards the belt the Hunter had on. The poor piece of armor couldn't hold back all of the Hunter's feelings.
Hinoa gave an innocent laugh that sounded like bells in the summer wind. I crawled up beside her and turned to face her more head on.
“But Minoto, you told me men are stupid things.”
“Yes, I did.”
“I bet he's imagining it wrong.”
“I bet he is.”
“How silly of him!”
“We can fix that, Dear sister.”
Hinoa blushed. The red on her cheeks was too irresistible. I kissed along the tops of them and slowly kissed down to her neck. She let loose a heavenly moan. One of my hands found my way between Hinoa's legs. The warmth there was intoxicating. The other hand found itself reaching towards the Hunter. When I heard him moan, I knew that it had found its target.
Every body part the Hunter glanced at, I pulled his hands towards so he could experience them. Hinoa and I took turns riding on the Hunter in every way we could imagine. The Hunter tied us within his wirebug thread as he would spill a silvery liquid into our mouths and wombs. We cried, moaned and came as the moonlight would catch our silhouettes and faces. All the while, I mingled between them, caressing their warm fingers as they intertwined with mine.
