It was the same sweltering heat the twins had grown up in during the afternoons over the summer, cicadas being one of the most familiar sounds along with the rushing water flowing downhill. Pear blossom trees stood tall and swayed in the cool summer breeze.

The slam of a door rung throughout the ears of the residents located in the small Village of Tuka. The Tuka Twins were fighting yet again, the residents of the village mused. It was not uncommon to hear Jayakrishna and Demetria bickering over something pertaining to the village and its occupants. Nor was it uncommon for it to end with Deme slamming their house door shut and storming off leaving her brother, Jay, behind to brood.

To put it simply, they were considered to be the normal Tuka Twins who fought, at least, once a week. Now, their last name was not really Tuka, in fact, they had no last name. According to the villagers, the two siblings showed up out of nowhere with only their first names and the clothes on their backs.

Despite being twins, they could not have been any more different. Jay was considered to be calmer and sophisticated while Deme was more witty and troublesome. Not only their personalities, but their appearances as well were completely different. Jay had short, charcoal colored hair and hazel eyes while his sister had long blonde hair and ocean blue eyes.

Though the twins did not get along with one another they got along perfectly with the villagers. They had some indescribable warm feeling about the twins, as though the inhabitants had known the two for a long time. Within the first week of coming to Tuka Village, the twins had befriended all its occupants. Given that they had no home to go to, the village prepared a house near an ancient pear blossom tree located on top of a hill. The two fit in just fine and over time they began to be recognized as Tuka Village’s Tuka Twins.

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After the door was slammed shut, Jay counted to fifteen and sighed in annoyance.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Jay muttered rubbing his temples, “Can she ever see to reason?”

For over four years, the two had been bickering over the same thing ever since they stepped foot back into the village, and over this period of time, Jay learned it was better to go after his sister than to try and let her “cool off”. He composed himself and headed out to confront his hot-headed sister again.

Upon leaving their home, he glanced over to the nearby pear blossom tree. The winter white petals quietly blowing in the gentle wind; they were always Jay’s favorite gift.

“Bickering with Demetria again?” An elderly woman questioned knowingly to Jay who snapped out of thought; she sat on her porch in an old, creaking rocking chair. Her name was Eliza Shemmings; she was their neighbor and had been for a long time.

Whenever the two twins would fight it was she who talked to the one who did not storm off; most of the time being Jay. Not only was she the voice of reason, but she was considered to be the Grandmother of Tuka Village. Deme saw her as a mother-like figure while Jay would call her the perfect person; both wise and caring. After all, she was the only one who knew what happened before the incident.

            Jay bowed humbly after stopping in front of her, “Sorry for the noise, Nana.”

            The old woman chuckled before waving her hand in dismissal, “No worries, if anything I would find it a bit odd if the two of you didn’t fight; it’s just natural to do so with your sibling. Especially given the circumstance you’re in.”

Jay winced, for the first time in his life he had done something so reckless and selfish; worse than how his sister normally acts. And the only ones who knew about the events were Nana and himself.

“Hey now,” She saw his gloomy face, “It’s no big deal, you did what you had to do. For the good of your sister, and the village. Now if you’re looking for Deme she headed towards your old shrine spot this time; surprised me a little that she didn’t come in for some peach pie like usual.”

“Thank you, Nana,” Jay bowed again before heading in the direction of their old shrine. Stopping a short distance he glanced to Nana and smiled, “And I’m sure she’ll have some pie later.”

Nana smiled softly, “It was always her favorite offering.”

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As Jay made his way through the old pear blossom grove he stopped near the edge of a cliff. There, right below a lone peach tree sat Deme with her back towards her brother.

“I want this land back.” Deme muttered sorrowfully as she gazed over to the pink and orange horizon. She was huddling her knees up to her chest, arms crossed in front of her.

Jay sighed as he gazed at the setting sun before crouching down next to his sister, “You know that won-” He held his tongue before carefully thinking about his next choice of words.

He opened his mouth to speak, so badly he wanted to tell his sister what he did. To tell her what he did to the villagers, all except Nana- but he was afraid she would never forgive him. With as much resolve as he could muster up, the courage to tell her the truth, he opened his mouth but stopped when Deme held up her hand.

“I know… I know we can’t go back to having that...but I just wish we could. To be loved and adored….to feel wanted...”
            The two then sat in silence as they looked over the land they grew up in. Long had their temple and shrines been removed. Long had their followers ceased their worship. Long had the true Tuka Twins been forgotten.