Chapter Text
Pace. Left and right. Non-stop. Foot tapping on the ground rapidly whenever she decided to pause, remaining in one spot.
Wind above the curly guy and sparkly girl invited their hair to dance, wiggling them along with the soft breezes.
"Glimmer."
Bow's annoyed voice caught the Queen's attention, only momentarily.
"Would you please SIT DOWN?"
Queen gave him a stern look, her jaw tensed visibly, shoulders went stiff. How could she sit down when the nightmare of her life was coming back from the mission that her deceased mother sent her on?
"Why did she decide to come back after all these years? Every time she's in the middle of something, disaster follows!"
Glimmer spat, making her husband who seemed to be calmly sitting on the plain soil cross-legged uneasy.
After the deep inhale filled his lungs to their maximum capacity, Bow loudly exhaled and it literally took a minute for him to stop this.
"I thought you wanted her to come back."
"No. It was long ago. She made her choice, I did mine. There's no reason to scratch the wound over and over knowing it will rather hurt than soothe."
"Give her a chance," Bow admired the moon, the sole survivor of the reign of the sky's black veil smiling at him from afar. Brightest protector that kept the darkness away from swallowing their world completely. "Maybe it won't be that bad?"
"Her presence here will only bring trouble. I have enough problems in my life and I'm not in the mood for her to be pushing my buttons."
Understandable. Bow nodded as he stood up, making his way to hug Glimmer from behind. Soothing kiss was planted on her bare skin hanging from her off-shoulder, maroon overalls.
Glimmer didn't show any sign of relaxation, though. If the time law didn't apply so differently, she'd just age and turn into an oldie with stretched wrinkles and white hair due to stress.
No one really aged until a certain point on Etheria.
"It's all left in the past. You're grown, she's grown, too. All the things she has done were provided by a childish motivation. Every sibling has a problem getting along with the other."
No, her relationship with her sister was never that easy.
Recalled like yesterday the bitter moments when her sister ruined her homework, broke her favorite weapons, told her friends lies so they would leave her eventually; simply anything that would get Angella to realize she has done a huge mistake choosing Glimmer.
When Glimmer mentioned that, Bow sighed deeply. "All I see is a girl who is desperate to prove herself to her mother."
Angella hasn't been always a great mother. Pressive, had anger issues, obsessed with royalness and discipline.
Glimmer was the golden one of her daughters, the perfect heir to the throne whereas her sibling didn't give a shit about anything.
All she wanted to do was mess around, and sleep with every single body she found esthetically pleasing from the outside.
"Plus, why did you want her to come at this hour?"
"I don't want anyone else to see her, yet. We have things to talk about first. "
They detected a time anomaly a few feet from their location. Pink patch of vortex split the air through. Blinding glow hurt Bow's eyes, whereas Glimmer stared firmly at it as her sister came from that shiny portal.
"Glimmer,"
"Shimmer."
Bow watched the two identical girls staring at each other. About to start the war of sparkles. Glimmer grimaced, all the bad memories with her twin sister reeled in her eyes.
"Missed me?"
"On the contrary."
"And here I thought queens are supposed to be loyal and kind. Look at you. You look nothing like mom-"
"Don't fucking dare to talk about mom. Don't."
The other abruptly stopped talking when Glimmer cut her off. Behind them, Bow's skin grew paler, as if seen a ghost.
Weird to see there were two of his wife standing nearby. Voices were indistinguishably alike.
Shimmer always has been the bitter, independent princess.
Clothing obeyed that trait perfectly. Dressing like a villain; tight shorts and cropped top, adjustable straps around her elbows, wrists, ankles, thighs, and knees, and steel knives were attached to them for her to sharply pull, and skillfully throw.
No one could hit a target better than Shimmer. She hit a bullseye whenever she wanted by giving curved acceleration. Regardless of how far she was, and how bad was the angle.
With an enhanced sense of direction and abilities that allowed her to use her teleportation powers parallel to gravity, she was unrivaled in physical combat.
Sisters completely the same, yet completely different, just like day and night.
"Hi, brother-in-law." Shimmer greeted Bow, waving her hand in the air.
"Hey, sister-in-law." Bow dipped his jaw in a solemn greeting.
"Sorry, I couldn't make time for your wedding."
Bow wanted to reply. Though his wife glanced at him over her shoulder and that was enough for him to get the message. He nodded before leaving the twins alone.
Glimmer's head remained in the same position until Bow was completely out of the scene.
Neck bones sharply swung to the side, allowing Glimmer to face her sister, again.
"You didn't even come to mom's funeral."
"I have been busy with the mission she sent me on. Now that you mentioned... Did she suffer? Before she died?"
Sounded like she was teasing. Tears stung Glimmer's eyes. Pain consumed her. No words would be enough to express the sadness she had stored in her heart.
Nearby stood a dull family member whose strings were poorly connected to their family bond. Shimmer didn't care. Didn't ask.
"Mission... My ass. If you would have bothered to come to the funeral, you would know."
Glimmer turned her back to the twin, clenching her fists.
"Don't cause any trouble here. Or you and I will finish what we have started years ago."
"Of course," Shimmer snickered. "The golden girl of our family. Now the fucking queen. All I have to do is obey and stay in your shadow, right? That's what you always wanted me to do."
Glimmer summoned her staff out of nowhere, which once belonged to her father, and faced her. Seemingly, Shimmer recognized it and let out another chuckle of crimson sorrow.
"I see... You even got his staff. What did I even expect. Who the fuck cares though. It wouldn't save you from my demolition."
Menacingly, Shimmer pulled a heavy, sharp knife out of the holster that was around her left ankle.
Bright pink stroke formed around her skin, glowing.
Staff dissolved. Glimmer's fists as a response buzzed as sparkly balls formed around them. Together, they caused illumination in the wide area.
They stared at each other like a bull and torero, just a breath away from bringing oblivion to their homeland.
Eleven seconds charged forward before their powers faded out, and the thick veil of darkness embraced the era, once more.
Game of death stares was over at last.
"A thousand and two hundred years, Shimmer. I heard nothing from you. Nothing. I wrote you letters. Sent you invitations. It was dad's, then Prince Peekablue's funeral day when you last showed up. Now you can't come back as if nothing ever happened."
Hearing about the former King left a dolorous lump in her throat. Hard to swallow. Hurting. However, Shimmer flashed an ear-to-ear grin at the end.
"Indeed, I got those invitations and letters."
"And you decided to not attend nor respond, despite I begged you to come, to be here with me. But no. You had to leave everything about your family behind. Even our enemies attended my coronation, my wedding, and mother's funeral but you.
My very own sister didn't have the slightest bit of kindness and dignity that even the people we call our enemies had. You still don't."
Queen's back was turned against her once more, once and for all this time. "Now don't expect me to show you love."
Shimmer locked eyes with Glimmer's moving body until it has become nothing but a dot on the horizon.
Sisters by blood. Not by the heart.
Over millennia, surely her room would be assigned to someone else, but Shimmer wasn't expecting to run into a scary lady with a mask that could shape the lady's facial features simultaneously.
Jet black hair seemed disturbingly messy. Claws were not making it any easier to look at her.
Funny to see her having tea time in the middle of the night under a lamp's sepia-toned illumination. A book was accompanying her.
"You're not Glimmer."
"And what might you be?"
"Shadow Weaver."
Shimmer barely stifled a laugh. "Seriously? Is that the best you could come up with?"
"You are connected to the Moonstone. Just like Glimmer. Twins as I may say."
Oh, how could she figure that out when she literally teleported in and she looked exactly like Glimmer?
Clap sounds were a sarcastic reward from the Queen's sister. "Bravo, hawk-eye." She mocked.
Shadow Weaver rose to her full height, slowly approaching Glimmer the 2nd.
"I sense pure negative energy from you. No wonder why no one has seen your face before. You don't belong here. No one understands you."
Shimmer couldn't care less.
"This room belongs to me, Sucker Whiner."
"It used to belong to you. Now it is a cell where my eternal captivity is held."
Laugh of pity came out of her lips when she heard that. Head shook to the two sides. No, even Glimmer couldn't be that stupid.
"A cell. This room. Haha...! Ha. Right."
Her back turned to the scary lady. Brief moment passed before Shimmer threw her head back to only laugh a little more. How stupid was her twin sister. Pure idiot.
"Honestly, what did expect from my fucking sister, anyway. Of course, this would be the way she ruled Bright Moon."
"Perhaps, you'd make a better Queen."
Shimmer's forehead got furrowed, an angry breath came out of her nostrils.
"Perhaps."
Then she teleported.
Very little changed in the room once her mother and father stayed. Nowadays, it was in the claws of her stupid twin and her stupider husband.
Waterfall inside of the huge room still flowed elegantly. Silky odors, shiny furniture, and rare gems decorated the whole area. On the edge, stood a king-sized mattress, big enough for six people to fit.
On the bed's left, there was a gigantic window that was wide open, letting the strong breezes of wind in. Shimmer stood before a frame where she and Glimmer were newborn babies in their parents' embrace.
Strange rustle caught her attention. Could it be Glimmer approaching?
Getting ready to teleport away, Shimmer stood in the middle of the room but stopped dead in her tracks once a 2 meters tall swordswoman in a red cape and white jumpsuit dragged herself inside by the window.
Her long golden hair was tied up in a ponytail. Cape swung side to side, reacting to the wind's impatient thrust. A thin sword she carried, whereas the other hand held an edict firmly.
"Hey, Glimmer. Glad I found you here. Sorry, I wouldn't have intruded if it wasn't urgent."
Countless girls she has slept with, that one completely changed her perspective of beauty. The moment her steel-blue eyes met her lavenders, blood gushed between her legs.
"Where have you been?"
Played along. If that woman could burst into somewhere private, she must have had an important role in Glimmer's game of chess.
The blonde one seemed confused, taken aback by the question.
"Umm, Winter Wonderland? You know, Frosta needed help with re-building a town. Are you okay?"
"I am. Hard day, as usual. What is that you're holding?"
"Frosta's invitation. For Princess Prom."
Stepped forward, to end up on Shimmer's side, putting a hand on her shoulder as a reassuring move.
"Horde wouldn't try anything in Frosta's castle. But... We don't have to join if you feel uncomfortable."
Shimmer gazed into the pair of blue eyes. Processing.
Could it be the goddess had feelings for her dumb sister? They must be close if she could just touch the queen like that. But Glimmer was married to that arrow guy.
Time would show what the deal was here. But already, Shimmer enjoyed the show so far. Should have come back much earlier.
"Oh, sweetie. We're definitely joining."