Chapter 2: Remains

I know it's not that good, and I've changed a lot since writing this, but here is chapter two. ^^"""

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Remains
Chapter 2

Ryo walked up the castle steps quickly.
I can't believe it's been six years, he thought. Nothing had changed. Not Dimi's odd social behaviors, not the city, the palace, nothing. After everything that had happened, not even the laws were enforced more than they had ever been. Hollow had never been a country of high very crime rates.
At the top of the stairs stood two military guards on either side of the open oak doors. Ryo sighed, he didn't want to have to face more military personnel. It was already getting to late afternoon, and he still had business. To his surprise, they made to movement to stop him as he reached the doors. Ryo stooped between them and stared.
"Um...it's okay if I...enter, right?" he asked the guard to the right. The guard gave him a surprised look.
"Yes, of course Leo. The Stewardess has made it very clear to let you in whenever you wish, and not to interfere."
Ryo had to force himself to not laugh. It had been so long since he and his twin brother Leo had been in the same city, and he had almost forgotten what it was like to be confused as the other.
"Okay....thanks, I guess..." he muttered quietly, not too sure how Leo would have handled the situation. They hadn't seen each other in six years. Leo probably would have told them it was all right, and it was no big deal.
The castle was nearly empty except for a few servants and maids going to and fro on their duties. No one paid him much attention. But he didn't mind. He remembered his way around the castle. He just needed to know one thing.
A maid carrying an armload of bed sheets came scurrying down the main staircase, not paying Ryo any attention. Ryo saw her and recognized her at once.
"Ayla!" He called out, his voice echoing slightly in the castle hall. The blonde maid stopped and gave Ryo a surprised look.
"Oh, hello Leo," she said quickly, brushing some strands of hair out of her face. Ryo put on a smile, being confused as Leo again. They must still look as identical as ever.
"No..." Ryo corrected, "It's Ryo, remember?"
Ayla let out a small shriek and dropped her laundry. Ryo flinched from her scream, not sure of what to do, or if she'd attract unwanted attention.
"What are you doing here?!" she whispered. Ryo paused, not sure of how to answer someone in her state of mind.
"Well… I came here to see Mel, actually...for amnesty."
Ayla looked away for a moment, then said, "You shouldn't be here you know...the Council still doesn't like you after six years. And after Mel's father...she might not wanna see you, Ryo."
Ryo's face fell. He knew that much, but he couldn't do anything else technically legal in the country without the Stewardess' help.
"I know that..." he replied softly, "But I still have to see her or the Council..." He drifted off, hoping Ayla would understand without him having to explain. Ayla nodded her head and began picking up the now ruined bed sheets. Ryo felt funny with her picking up a mess he'd caused and knelt down to help her.
"If you must see her, stay out of the audience hall, okay? She should be in the library. Just try not to attract any attention, Ryo. Lots of people around here still don't trust you..." Ayla said without looking at him. Ryo nodded silently. He noticed Ayla glance to his side at the sword tied to his waist.
"You shouldn't have brought that, if the Council sees you, they'll send the army after you. Make sure you see the Stewardess first..." she finished and stood up. Ryo tried giving her a thankful smile.
"Yeah, okay..." he said. When he had worked here six years ago, she had been one of the few other servants he liked. "I'll just pretend I'm Leo some more. Everybody seems to give him anything he wants." Ryo said, before turning to leave.
He proceeded up the stairs Ayla had come down. It led to a great hallway open to the garden below. The great pillars were made from Marble, like most of the castle and had carvings that covered the whole surface area. All but the last few great pillars held these carvings. Ryo glanced at them as he walked by. He knew what they were meant to say. They told stories of the past, and the uncarved marble was meant for future carvings. Ryo just wished he could read them. He was twenty-eight and he couldn't read. He passed the marble into a smaller, simpler hallway made from stone.
Maybe I should have at least tried to learn to read while I was gone, he thought. The hallway led to a wing of the castle that had the library. He stood before the untouched doors and remembered what Ayla had said about the Council. They sometimes held meetings in the library. Then he also remembered what she had said about the audience hall. Ryo decided he would just have to be careful.
He slowly slid open one of the library doors and looked inside. He could see the meeting table and it was empty. Relieved, he entered the library quietly and shut the door. The library appeared to be empty. He looked around quickly, hoping to find the person he was looking for. He didn't see her in the immediate area and slowly but quietly made his way down the aisle of bookshelves. Seeing the shelves of books made him regret not learning to read again.
Then he saw her. She was a young woman with long light brown hair tied loosely back, wearing a long maroon dress and skimmered along the floor. She stood a small ways away, staring idly at a book she was holding. Ryo smiled. She had always been a bookworm when they had hung out together. It was no wonder she was in the library.
Ryo crept closer in the next aisle over, being as quiet as he possibly could. Mel didn't seem to be aware that he was even there. She put the book back on the shelf and sought another, brushing her fingers along the spines.
Ryo emerged behind her and slowly crept closer, not wanting to give away his position. When he was close enough he quickly grabbed her around the waist from behind and embraced her.
"Hey Mel--!" Ryo started before he was cut off by Mel's piercing scream, immediately followed by her elbow coming into contact with his face. Ryo stumbled back, releasing her and holding his face, muttering a curse to himself. Mel swung around and glared at him with her deep blue eyes, fists clenched. She was smaller than Ryo, but he knew that she could easily defend herself.
"What the hell is the matter with you, Leo?!" she yelled at him. "You can't just do that to people!"
Ryo lifted his head to look at her while checking his nose for blood. "Goddammit Mel! Could you have hit me any harder?!"
"You deserve it! Coming in here and-" she stopped in mid-sentence. Ryo looked up and saw her staring into his eyes. Ryo knew why. Even though Ryo and Leo were identical twins, they had their differences. Where Ryo had deep green eyes, Leo's eyes were a fiery red.
Mel stared at his eyes, seeing they were green. Her eyes then went to his right arm. The second physical difference Ryo and Leo had. Ryo had a black tattoo around his upper right arm, where Leo had his on his left arm.
Mel's eyes grew wide, and she covered her mouth with her hands. Despite the pain afflicted by Mel's blow, Ryo smiled at her. Neither said anything, while Mel slowly lowered her hands and stared at Ryo.
"What are you doing here?!" she whispered harshly.
"Mel, there's no one else here." Ryo said, not bothering to whisper.
"Shh!" Mel hissed harshly, looking around. Ryo, taken aback, glanced around also, only to confirm that they were alone in the library with nobody else. It slightly confused him
"Come on!" Mel said grabbing his arm and leading him to the back of the library.
"What's wrong? There's no one else!" Ryo insisted, but it didn't faze Mel. When they were in the farthest corner of the library she released his hand and turned to face him.
"What the hell are you doing here?!" she said, louder now.
"What do you think I'm doing here?!" Ryo replied, being quieter to hopefully make her feel more comfortable.
"You shouldn't be here Ryo! The Council hates you!"
"Then get me amnesty or whatever! Do it before the Council finds out, and they won’t be able to touch me!"
"I can't do that Ryo!"
"Yes you can!"
"You killed my father!"
Ryo stopped. He didn't want to discuss this. Not now.
"Mel, you know I didn't do anything! It was a setup!"
"I have to try and prove it to the Council, Ryo. Killing the Steward is a serious crime! I can't grant you amnesty..." She turned away and rested her head on one of her hands. Ryo stood without saying a word. This wasn't going as he had planned or hoped it would.
"Well...what am I supposed to do? Why can't you? You're the Stewardess! You can do anything you want!" he said again. Mel turned to him. Her face looked sad, almost painful.
"You should leave Ryo..." she said softly. Ryo sighed. He never liked politics. It was always too complicated and forced people to do stupid things that could have been handled simply. Mel's soft pleas weren't enough for him to just leave.
"Is that what you really want...?" he asked. Mel just nodded. "But why can't you grant me amnesty? Just answer me that."
Mel shook her head.
"Because...I'm the Stewardess, but I'm not the one in control..."
Ryo lowered his eyebrows. "What do you mean...you're Mel, the Stewardess, you're practically the Queen! How could you not have power?"
"Because, I got married."
Ryo's body froze. Mel was married. He suddenly was forced to remember the past six years, and the years he and Mel spent together before her father died. The whole time he had been in the Dead Lands, he had anticipated coming home to Mel. Sure, she had been the heiress to the country, and he was only a soldier, but it had never mattered before.
"Married...?" he said quietly, almost intimidating. A few people came into mind when he tried to imagine the man who stood by her at the altar. One face, Ryo hated more than anyone... "To who...?"
Mel gave Ryo a hopeless, sad look before saying that one name.
"Janon..."
Ryo gritted his teeth. Janon. If there was a soul in the world he hated more than death it was him. "Melody, why him?"
"Who else?!" Mel screamed back. "What was I supposed to do?! My father was dead! You killed him, and you disappeared for almost six years! You knew I couldn't wait!"
"But I thought you would anyway!" Ryo yelled back, but not as loud.
They were interrupted by a small girl's voice echoing through the library.
"Mom? Mom?" it called out quietly. Ryo froze out of fear of being discovered and shock from the title 'mom'. Different ideas flashed through his unprepared mind.
"Mom....?" he said quietly, looking at Mel with questioning eyes. The girl's voice still called out. Mel sighed, and answered back.
"Back here Kaira..."
Small footsteps approached and a small girl emerged from between the bookshelves. She was small, with short brown hair and blue eyes identical to her mothers. She wore a short pink dress and walked barefoot. She looked only five years old. She gave Ryo and curious stare, and Ryo returned it. She was five years old...
"Hi..." she said softly to Ryo, giving a small wave. Ryo just stared.
"What is it Kaira?" Mel said, bringing Kaira's attention away from Ryo.
"Taj and Davis came, and they wanna play in the castle, but Dad said we can't play in my room..." she said. Her voice was light and sweet.
"Then go to the garden, stay out of your father's way, all right?" Mel said kneeling down to her daughter. Ryo felt some relief, followed by unexplained anger. This girl was Janon and Mel's daughter. He wondered if they had any other children. He was brought back to reality by being addressed.
"Who's he?" Kaira asked looking back up at Ryo. "He looks like Davis' dad, but he has green eyes..."
"This is Davis' uncle, Ryo. He's Leo's twin brother." Mel said softly, looking up at Ryo also.
A lot more has changed than I thought, Ryo thought to himself. Mel was married to Janon with a daughter. There was nothing left, it seemed like.
"Do you know Uncle Dimi?" Kaira asked, walking to Ryo. Ryo took a step back, shaking his head no. "Dimi is Taj's dad." she said informatively. Ryo's head lowered. He thought Dimi and Kima always were a good couple, but couldn't imagine Dimi as a full-time father.
"Oh..." he said quietly.
"Yeah, they're my only friends," Kaira went on. She reached up and grabbed Ryo's hand. "Come on, we can see them, and show Davis you look like his dad! Leo told us once he had a brother named Ryo! You look just like him! You can come play with us until Uncle Dimi and Leo come to pick up Taj and Davis!"
Ryo stiffened up when Kaira grabbed his hand. She spoke a lot for someone her age, and he refused to move. Mel reached out and took Kaira's hand off Ryo's.
"Don't do that Kaira..." she said to her daughter. Ryo rubbed his hand where Kaira had held it. “Go play with Taj and Davis, okay sweetie?"
"Okay...” Kaira said, turning to leave. "Bye Ryo!" she said as she left.
Ryo and Mel watched her leave. When they heard her close the library door, Ryo turned to Mel, with some regret in his eyes.
"I'll just go then...I doubt Janon's ever gonna do anything for me, besides steal my life..." he said in monotone. Mel didn't say anything. She just looked down and said something inaudible. Without another word Ryo left Mel, leaving the way he came in. He passed the big staircase and walked through the open castle doors without anyone bothering him. When he passed the garden he heard Kaira laughing, and glanced at the two boys with her. One had short, messy blonde hair, which he figured was Taj, Dimi's son. The other had dark brown hair that was spiked, and looked a lot like Ryo. He figured that was his nephew, Davis.
He left the castle and at the gate, he saw Dimi again, still at his post. When he saw Ryo, Dimi jumped up and tried giving him a forced smile. "Hey, so...you saw Mel?" he asked, trying not to sound like an ass.
"Yeah..." Ryo muttered not wanting to talk about it. Dimi probably knew about it for some time now, since Dimi's girlfriend and Mel used to be best friends and Dimi has ways of finding out everything in people's lives. Ryo wanted to change the conversation. "You have a son Dimi?"
Ryo hoped he didn't sound defeated. Dimi smiled.
"Yeah, I know, huh? Happened right after you disappeared! Seriously, the morning after you were gone, Kima told me she was three months pregnant. I almost died! Kima named him Taj, and I thought it was a good name, he has blonde hair..." Dimi went on talking like he normally did, and Ryo half listened. He just wanted to go to his old home and forget about what could have been his life.

"Well, I should probably go get Taj, my shift's almost over...oh, and I told Leo I'd get Davis too...." Dimi said getting up and stretching. "I'll be back after, you can come with me or..."
Ryo gave his friend a stern look that clearly said 'there's-no-way-I'm-going-back-in-there.' Dimi trailed off and gave a nervous laugh.
"Yeah, I thought so....you can wait here, or go on without me. I just have to get my kid."
Ryo told him he'd wait, and was left alone at the gate. He still had trouble believing Dimi was a father to a human child. He was so reckless and irresponsible, having him father and raise a child was almost funny. The only reason Dimi kept his job was because he was actually a skilled Water User, someone who could summon and manipulate Water. Only a small percent of people in the world could use one of the Elements. And those who could were drafted into the army because of their abilities. Ryo and Dimi were drafted when they were eighteen because of it.
Ryo waited and soon he saw Dimi walking down the palace steps dressed in his normal black pants and white button-up shirt. With him was Taj and Davis, both clinging to each of Dimi's legs and he dragged them along, trying to convince them to let go. Ryo couldn't help but laugh at Dimi. When Davis saw Ryo he let go of Dimi's leg and stared.
"Hey Davis, this is your uncle Ryo! Remember your dad told you about his twin brother?" Dimi said hastily, obviously trying to dump the two boys on Ryo and free himself.
The two walked home slowly, mostly due to the two kids on Dimi's legs, towards the edge of town. Halfway there, Dimi collapsed, and Ryo was forced to carry Davis on his back while Dimi carried Taj.
When they finally made it to the house the sun had set. Ryo looked up at what used to be his house. It was a large house, almost large enough to be considered a mansion. From the outside, it looked like a dump. Some windows were still boarded up from when they first bought it. Cracks ran up some of the walls, and vines grew along the walls and windows.
When the house was built, it was abandoned due to construction mishaps, and it was suspicioned that the house was not safe to life in. Years later, Ryo, Leo and Dimi managed to buy it together, and they fixed it to be a suitable living place. In a way, Ryo supposed the house was still his. He had been gone for nearly six years, and he didn't know what Dimi had done to the place since he wasn't there to stop him.
Taj and Davis ran ahead into the house while Ryo and Dimi waited outside. "Leo still lives here?" Ryo asked.
"Yeah..." Dimi sighed, "Kalon and Caza don't come by as much anymore. Your room's the same though..."
Ryo nodded and they stood in silence. From inside he could hear Dimi's girlfriend, Kima, yelling at Taj for something. He also heard another female's voice, slightly deeper, mixed along with the sounds of Taj and Davis laughing. Dimi looked up at Ryo.
"You ready?"
Ryo nodded again and went to the door. The kitchen had definitely changed. Before it had only been a rickety table barely strong enough to support Dimi when he passed out on it. Now there was a strong wooden table, and a big one at that. There was a fully functioning sink and counter along the walls as well. Ryo thought Kima must have been responsible for making the house more suitable for living in.
Kima stood at the table, feeding Taj. Her hair was a shimmering white that went a little past her shoulders, and was held back loosely by a hair clip. Kima's eyes were golden brown and her skin slightly tanned. At the other side of the table was another woman about the same age. Her skin was also slightly tanned, and her hair was long and black. Her eyes were a deep shade of violet and on her lap sat Davis, lazily sucking on a popsicle. Taj was protesting eating his vegetables.
"Dimi, get your son to eat! He can't have a popsicle until he eats!" Kima yelled without looking up when she heard someone enter through the kitchen door. The woman with Davis stared in amazement at Ryo.
She must be Davis's mother, Ryo thought.
Dimi gave a nervous laugh. Kima had always been rough on him, and very demanding, where Dimi was a pushover idiot. But still, they got along famously, to everyone's surprise.
"Look who came back Kima!" Dimi said pushing Ryo in front of him, a makeshift shield. "Ryo!"
Kima looked up and her mouth fell open. Ryo just smiled. He and Kima got along all right, as long as he never got in her way. He had no idea how her and Dimi had a son.
Kima stood up straight and looked Ryo over. She gave him an unusual smile, considering it was Kima; it was almost a happy one.
"Well, Ryo, you look the same as ever. This is Chele, your sister-in-law," she said hastily, addressing the other woman still in the room. She gave Ryo a simple smile, acting rather shy. Davis looked up over his head at his mother.
"I told you he was here! I wasn't lying!" he chimmed. Chele just smiled at her son, while Taj managed to escape his chair into the living room.
"Where's Leo...?" Ryo said quietly to Chele, not knowing what she's been told about the man who supposedly killed the late Steward of Hollow. Chele made a motion upward. Ryo and Dimi muttered a bye then left into the living room. Ryo smiled that the living room area hadn't changed much.
"What's Leo doing? Doesn't he work?" Ryo asked as they climbed the stairs.
"Yeah, he normally works in the army like the rest of us," Dimi answered. "But I covered for him today, since he stayed home to fix something I broke..."
"What did you break that'd cause him to..." Ryo didn't finish. He saw. At the top of the staircase were two holes in the ceiling that led to the attic. As he looked down the hall he saw three more holes. All large enough for a grown man to crawl through into the attic. Ryo couldn't help but laugh.
"What the hell did you do?!"
Dimi laughed a little. "I bought a 'Make Your Own Fire Works' kit from this guy at work, but I made them bigger than the instructions warned, and set a few off in the attic. I though no one would find out...especially Kima..." he said almost innocently. Ryo looked up one of the holes and saw the ceiling of the house.
"Dimi, you are undoubtedly the dumbest person I know," he said sincerely. Dimi just smiled. He wasn't affected by those types of comments. He appreciated them. A trait about him Ryo found inspiring at times.
"Is that you, Dimi?" a male voice came from the attic. It was lighter, and sounded almost exactly like Ryo's. He knew it had to be his twin brother.
"Yeah!" Dimi yelled up one of the holes. "Look who I found! You'll never guess!"
"Ryo."
"How'd you know?!" Dimi whinned, sounding hurt like a little kid.
"I heard him, and you just told me." From the hole Dimi was looking up appeared Leo. He was exactly identical to Ryo, with his eyes and tattoo being the only exceptions. His hair was a little longer than Ryo's and hung over his eyes more. He leaned lazily over the hole and looked at Ryo.
"Hey Ryo," he said casually, as though they had seen each other just last week.
"Hey..." Ryo said just as casually. Neither of them felt the need to start spilling their guts in the fashion Dimi did. Leo turned back to Dimi, still leaning out of the hole in the ceiling.
"I only got to fix three holes today, Dimi. The rest will have to wait. What the hell were you thinking?" he asked quietly. Dimi got a thoughtful look.
"I thought that they would be awesome for blowing something up, but I needed to test them, and I thought Kima would get mad at me again if I blew up her kitchen, so I thought the attic would be a good spot, but I forgot I made them bigger than what Professor Bob recommended," he answered honestly, speaking very fast. Ryo gave him a hopeless look.
"And blowing them up outside never occurred to you?"
"No, 'cause then people would see the big holes from the bombs! I'm not that dumb!"
Ryo and Leo exchanged the hopeless looks they shared.

Ryo's room was the same as Dimi had told him. His bed was built into the wall, and with another bunk bed built in above it. Back when it was just him the three of them, Leo or Dimi would sometimes sleep in the spare bed. Dimi never liked being alone, and though they still had their sides of the house, Dimi spend most of his time in Ryo's side.
The closet was still intact and had some of his old clothes still in it. His window was still boarded up to hold out the sunlight when he slept. The room was one of the master bedrooms and the center floor was clear for whatever purpose Ryo and Dimi had put to it. The rest of the room was random things Ryo had that just sat on the floor. Some of Dimi's old things were also there. Ryo found that Leo had hidden Dimi's bomb kit amongst Ryo's things. He decided it was best to ignore it for now.
Leo was laying on his top bunk, idling away at one of Dimi's military issued pocket watches so Kima wouldn't find out Dimi broke it. Ryo swore Leo could fix anything. It was one of his many talents.
"You don't have to sleep in here. We're both adults." Ryo said lying on his lower bunk.
"I know we're both adults, Little Brother. It'll be like when we were kids. Only you actually have a bed," Leo said quietly. Ryo knew he was just trying to make light of their childhood, but it didn't help much. His childhood wasn't anything he liked looking back on. There were only a few memories worth keeping, and they all included Leo.
"Besides," Leo went on, "I missed having you around."
Ryo didn't comment on it. Being called 'Little Brother' by a twin who was only two minutes older than him was an ongoing joke between him and Leo.
"You still work in the Military too, huh?" Ryo said, trying to stray away from their childhood.
"Yeah...." Leo sighed, throwing Dimi's watch on the floor. "Still the military's reliable Fire User..."
There was a long silence. Ryo wasn't tired, and Leo was restless.
"You can still do everything, right?" Leo asked from the top bunk. Ryo waited a long while, before answering.
"Yeah..."
"Has anyone found out about you?"
"Just you, Dimi and Mel."
Leo paused for a long time. "You talked to Mel since you got here?"
"Yeah..."
"And...?"
"You've met her. She married that prick Janon, had a kid with him, and completely forgot about me," Ryo scoffed.
"She didn't forget about you," Leo insisted. Ryo scoffed again. "She didn't. She told me about what happened. She didn't wanna marry Janon. I know that guy's a dick..."
Ryo thought about it for a moment, "Maybe, but she still had a kid with him. He's the most powerful guy in Hollow now, next to the Council." Ryo heard Leo shift in his bed above him, then saw his head hanging over to look at Ryo.
"You met Kaira?" Ryo didn't say anything. The girl was sweet, but she was Janon's daughter. "What did Mel tell you about her?"
Ryo turned to look at Leo. "Why are you asking so many questions?" Leo lifted his head back to the top bunk. "Is there something I should know?" Leo was silent for a long time.
"She told me, Kima, and Dimi not to tell anyone..."
Ryo got out of bed and looked over the bunk at the back of Leo's head. "Tell me what...?" he asked carefully.
Without looking at him, Leo said, "Kaira's your kid Ryo. She was pregnant when you left...she married Janon to cover it up, the Council would have gotten rid of Kaira if they found out she was your daughter..."
Ryo stared in silence for a few minutes before lying back down on his bed. He tried remembering everything about Kaira the few moments they had known each other. She had brown hair, like his, but it could be believed that she got it from Janon, he had dark brown hair too. Her eyes were blue like Mel's, but shaped more like his. She was his daughter, he realized. Ryo clenched his fists.
Ryo's door was suddenly kicked open and Dimi marched into the room. "How come you guys didn't tell me you were both sleeping in here?!" he said in his whiney voice.
"Never occurred to us," Leo said.
"Ryo's my friend too! Get off my bed!" Dimi said, reaching to pull Leo down. Ryo didn't say anything.
Leo kicked Dimi away. "You can sleep on the floor, I got this spot!" Dimi made a face then started digging around in Ryo's stuff for a pillow and blanket. He looked up, realizing Ryo hadn't said anything since he came in. "Ryo?"
"I'm going back to the palace tomorrow...I'm gonna talk to Janon."
Dimi tilted his head. "Talk as in words, or as in fists."
"Whichever comes first."
"Don't be stupid," Leo said. "He'll have you banished to the Dead Lands for good. Mel still hasn't granted you amnesty."
"I don't care, I'll think of something..."
"You can still stay here with us. Janon and the Council don't know you're here yet." Dimi said quietly.
Ryo thought for a moment. "I'll join the military again. I can still pass as a Fire User."
"No you can't," Leo said. "Not with your record and not without amnesty. The country still remembers you as a traitor."
Dimi jumped up and down on the spot. "You can dye your hair and cut it, and pretend you're a Water User like me! I can say you're cousin...uh....Jorge!"
Ryo couldn't help but smile at Dimi's idiotic plan. "No..." he said softly, rolling over to sleep. "I'll just see Mel again tomorrow about amnesty...you guys can come with me..."
"Not me, I don't work tomorrow...." Leo said lazily.
"Me neither," Dimi said, lying on his stomach.
"Then you can fix the ceiling tomorrow," Leo said, talking into his pillow.