Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait between chapters. I had lost my notebook, in which this story is written (and illustrated), and school is just being crappy for me. And the next chapter should be up a lot sooner, if any of y'all care.

Face On
Book One: Believe
Chapter Two: Twins

"We'll make a quick detour first." Brogan told Kina as they raced through the village. She nodded weakly, letting herself be pulled along. Twyla and Quin were trotting along behind them, conversing casually about their Partners.

Presently, the four reached a shabby, but large home. Banging on the door, Brogan yelled, "Tucker! Are you home?"

The door was not opened by the boy they were looking for, but by his little sister.

"Oh, hello, Tavia. Is your brother home?" Brogan asked breathlessly, looking at the young girl in front of him.

"He is arguing with Father right now…" Tavia whispered, glancing back nervously over her shoulder.

"Well, have you seen the new decree?" he asked bitterly.

"Yes…that is what they are arguing about…"

Tavia was normal enough. She had dark green hair, nearly black, and hazel eyes. She was only a bit younger than Kina, but the same size as her. Her Partner, an extremely protective Stantler, was christened Xylan. The younger girl kept tugging at the bottom of her grey dress nervously, wincing as the shouting made it through to those outside.

Her older brother, Tucker, looked nearly exactly like her. He had the same dark hair, same light eyes. Some people even went as far as to call them twins, although Tucker was a few cycles older than his sister. His olive hair, however, was always pulled back in a tight ponytail, and his golden eyes were much colder than his sister's. His Partner, in contrast to his own hard demeanor, was a friendly-to-the-point-of-being-annoying Meowth named Xenia.

On cue, Tucker marched into view, Xenia perched on his shoulder. He strode out the open door, whistling a short note as he passed Tavia. His sister's Stantler trotted into view from the direction of the forest, tilting his head in confusion.

"Come on, Tavia." Tucker said, turning to her. "We're leaving here."

"And hello to you, too, Tucker." Brogan said loudly, trying to restrain a grin.

"Kina's like a sister to you, so you must know how I am feeling right now." Tucker retorted, not sparing a glance as he helped his sister onto Xylan's back. "Come, Xylan. This way."

"Wait! Where are you going?" Brogan asked, picking up Quin as he jogged after them. Kina and Twyla followed at a trot, just as Tucker and Tavia's father skidded into the doorway behind them.

"You get back here RIGHT NOW, damn it!" the man shouted, his Execcutor standing boredly behind him.

"Go to hell!" Tucker shouted back at him. He then turned back to Brogan. "We're heading over with you to Kina's home, to yell at them for a bit. Then we'll probably head off."

"Head off…?" Tavia whispered, hugging her Partner's neck fearfully.

"Head off?" Brogan echoed. "To where? You're only seventeen, and Tavia's not even fifteen yet!"

"We shall just move to another village, nothing big." Tucker turned to the other boy, narrowing his eyes by a fraction. "Or perhaps into the forests." he added calmly. Xenia nodded her agreement, purring loudly the whole time.

"But that's illegal! You're not even allowed to go into the forests, much less live in them!" Brogan protested. "If you get caught-"

"We won't." Tucker turned to glare icily at him. "I can take any Baron, let alone their pathetic lackeys." He paused, sighing. "And I seem to recall that you and Kina go into the forests many times during the day."

"We're here." Tavia said softly as she pointed ahead of them, cutting off Brogan's retort. Sure enough, Kina's house lay in front of them. Her mother was sitting on a stump in front of it, apparently waiting for her daughter. The woman hurried over, hugging Kina. The white-haired girl stiffened, unsure of how to react to something as rare as a hug from her mother.

"Oh, Kina, darling! You're home!" The woman cried, faking cheerfulness horribly. She turned her plastic smile over to the others, the grin slipping into more of a grimace. "And…you brought your little friends! How-"

"Cut the crap, woman." Tucker said harshly, upper lip curling in a snarl. The dark-haired lady seemed taken aback at the sudden rudeness, too stunned to respond.

"We know you know about the notice. The new decree." Brogan added, stepping up from behind the older boy. "So no use trying to suck up to Kina, because she knows about it as well."

"Is that so." The woman stated, letting go of her silent daughter. "Then I won't have to explain a thing. Come, Kina, we need to pick out a dress for tomorrow."

"You-What's tomorrow?" the brown-haired boy asked cluelessly.

"The full moon…And the night for suitors to pick from the girls of the village…" Tavia replied with a shudder. "That is what Tucker and Father were arguing about…"

"Hey! You are not going to auction off Kina like that!" Brogan rounded back on the woman, now having at least an inkling as to what he was arguing about. Tucker sighed again, mumbling something about idiots and women.

"You should be thankful, boy." Kina's mother spat, pulling the girl towards her.

"I'm not a b-huh? Why?" Once again, clueless. But at least he wasn't the only one in the group slightly confused.

"We were considering you, among other suitors." she hissed. Both Brogan and Kina blanched. Brogan was busy, at a complete loss of what to say, while Kina was blushing terribly and stared down at her feet. Tucker looked bored as he sighed, yet again, as Tavia giggled nervously. Kina's mother took advantage of the awkward silence to tug her daughter towards the house behind her. "Now come, Kina. We need to get you looking pretty for everyone."

Recovering from the initial shock, Brogan snarled, "Hey! She's already pretty, you're just too dense to realize it! Plus, she's tooyoung to get married! You can't just auction her off!"

"Hey, genius, as long as they're fifteen cycles old when the marriage takes place, it's perfectly legal. Check your facts before you start an argument." Tucker pointed out jadedly. The brown-haired boy turned on him with one of those 'you're not helping' looks. Kina gave a whimper at that time, diffusing any negative feelings, however. Brogan turned around just in time to see her mother drag her inside.

"…Tucker…"

"Yes, Tavia?"

"May we go home now? We can run away later, when we are better prepared and more well rested, if we must…" Tavia whimpered, still clinging to Xylan's neck. The Stantler nodded his approval on the matter, pawing at the dirt impatiently.

"Alright, then. I suppose we shall see you tomorrow night, Brogan." Tucker turned on his heel, walking away with a purring Xenia curled lazily around his neck. Xylan, Tavia in tow, followed a few steps behind.

Brogan stood there for a moment, pondering over things. "…Fine. Don't help me rescue Kina." he snorted at the retreating figures. "I'll do it myself."