Chapter Text
Twins.
Two beings that share the same womb, developing during the very first instances of being. An astonishing wonder of life that some still can’t quite comprehend, even in a world filled with spectacular quirks and the profession of heroes.
Two sets of eyes, two sets of ears, two hearts seemingly in sync as they grow from mere embryos, to fetuses, and are finally born into the world as newborns.
When they are born they are more often than not seen as a pair, two halves of a whole, where one simply cannot be without the other.
And how can that not be true?
Life wouldn’t simply group together two beings at the conception of their being just for them to be apart.
Why would one want to be utterly alone as they trekked through the adventure of existence, when one could do it with someone by their side? It shouldn’t even need to be discussed.
There’s just something about twins, something mystical about them, even if eclipsed in number such as triplets, quadruplets, hell, even quintuplets!
The magic of two.
Weren’t some of the best heroic team-ups duos? Two individuals that knew each other in and out, and could work in perfect harmony together. And weren’t some of the greatest food combinations of all time made of two contrasting foods? Peanut butter and jelly. Bread and butter. Mango and chili. Chocolate and anything.
The sheer influence and power of two was undeniable.
So that was why when Katashi and Sakae Kendo discovered that they were having not only one, but two baby girls, they were beyond thrilled. It could only be seen as a sign of good fortune and prosperity; twins didn’t exactly run on either side of their families. A blessing on two people who had long hoped and prayed and tried for a child of their own.
Two for one; a miracle.
Itsuka and Itsumi.
One and Second.
Peas in a pod.
Two girls of sunburst orange hair and emerald eyes, true jewels in the eyes of their family.
A long sought-after treasure that had alluded them for so long was finally granted to them, and the Kendo couple had every desire to cherish them to the fullest.
***
“Oh, there’s Kendo and Kendo 2!”
See that’s the thing about twins, people tended to group them together, and that suited Itsumi just fine.
It was perfectly fine.
While Itsuka would huff and pointedly explain that they were both more than their twin-ship, that they both had actual names, Itsumi would just shyly smile.
“’suka, it's fine.” The younger twin’s small smile would slowly grow in encouragement, because in all honesty, it was fine with her. Itsumi was more than happy to be known as a Kendo twin, younger sister of Itsuka Kendo, the second of two.
Itsuka and Itsumi were twins, but people tended to overlook one minute detail. They were, in fact, fraternal twins, which meant that while they were twins and shared a womb, they started as separate eggs.
Yes, separate.
So, while they were of course a pair, they were very much unique individuals that just so happened to share the sacred bond of the first stirrings of life. Members of a pair could be different from one another, in fact, differences could make it that much better in a pair.
Opposites attract, as some would say.
Yes, Itsuka and Itsumi were kind, intelligent, and they valued others oftentimes more than themselves, but they of course had their differences.
Where Itsuka was outgoing and exuberant with others, Itsumi was softspoken and reticent. Where the older twin was bold and adventurous, the younger twin was modest and demure. Their differences were what made them unique, but it also is what made them stronger together.
They were truly a dynamite team.
***
It becomes a curiosity when two beings that share everything together start to feel restless. Why with the comfort of routine and predictability would anyone want to dare venture into the realm of the unknown?
Excitement.
Adventure.
The need and desire to be seen for their own individuality as opposed to a sum of parts.
Some could say the yearning to explore and develop their uniqueness is normal.
One hundred percent.
Isn’t that what teenagers were always striving to discover? To find out who they are and what it means to be in the world? It would only be natural to feel this type of way. No one would question it, really. But for it to happen to twins? It could be construed as odd to some.
It would be seen as abnormal to anyone who wasn’t a twin to feel a rush of individuality and want to express it to the world. Unless you have been viewed as a part of two rather than one person, it is assumed one would not understand the desire at all.
Itsuka Kendo knew this all too well. Yes, she did. It wasn’t like she didn’t love her sister, her other half, because of course she did!
She just yearned to strike out on her own, make a name for herself, not her and her sister as it so often was.
Kendo and Kendo 2.
Itsumi Kendo, though, well she just had to feel the opposite of her sister, didn’t she? They were juxtapositions of the other were they not?
So, where Itsuka longed for her own identity, Itsumi cherished her worth as a twin, content and secure in her place in the world. The world, with all of its dangers and constant tribulations that were present with quirks as the norm. It could truly be a frightening place, and just knowing who she was, who everyone expected her to be, well, it was just better that way.
In Itsumi’s eyes, at least.
There were just too many things that she was unsure of unfolding around her, but the one thing that she was sure of was comfort of being a twin.
Itsumi was blessedly unaware and ignorant, and though her sister didn’t outright sit her down and explain her thoughts, there were signs sent to her.
Itsuka going over to a friend’s house was almost a constant, and of course she was invited, but well, it always felt like an intrusion of sorts. She would much rather hang around at her friendly neighbor’s house until her sister returned. He and Itsuka were her closest confidants, and she was fine with that.
When Itsuka went out for competitive Karate, Itsumi tried, but well, it just wasn’t for her. Too assertive and hard-hitting for her tastes. Itsumi figured her sister might have known that. No, she was much happier with noncompetitive Aikido practice and yoga.
She was fine with that.
Should these have been signs of her older twin yearning for independence? Probably. What would it take for the younger twin to see it was time to strike out? A lot. It would take a forceful separation. It was time to let go.
It was time for Itsuka to be Itsuka and Itsumi to be Itsumi. Who would have thought that it would take an acceptance into a prestigious school and into a coveted program, for Itsumi Kendo to see that it was okay to be her own person, more than a part of a pair.
Because while the illustriousness of two was intoxicating, one could be just as mighty standing on their own.