A Grimm Taste of Fate

Passion Pit

1989

"It's time." Harbour said, bringing his middle and index finger together as he smudged mud across his face just underneath his eyes. "This is war." Harbour narrowed his eyes with determination and frowned looking at his reflection in the mirror, continuing to give himself a pep talk. "I shall not lose, for if I do, I'm bestowing shame upon the family name." Harbour turned his head away from the mirror as he closed his eyes and held his head up in pride. "I will destroy the enemy and peace will once again be restored." Harbour brought his eyes back to his reflection while his fists clenched. "I will win!" He shouted just as the mirror dropped to the ground shattering in pieces.

"What the hell?"Asked Harbour, now face to face with an identical copy of him, only instead, this person was not a mirror.

"Seriously? Don't you think you're being a little over dramatic?" Arius, his twin brother asked, as a look of annoyance spread across his face.

Harbour turned his back away from his brother and crossed his arms. "Not at all. In fact I'm being too kind in describing the enemy."

"This is just a stupid challenge. One that you and her always do at the beginning of the year to 'prove your strength' or whatever." Arius said rolling his eyes. "You've lost every challenge so far so I don't know what continuing to humiliate yourself is going to prove."

Harbours face quickly drained of colour as the brother quickly jumped to his own defense. "I haven't lost anything! We've been caught mid battle and had to stop!" Harbour continued, "And besides, it's not some stupid challenge. It doesn't matter what our scores say, you can be book smart without being street smart, and this is all to prove that theory. And this time, this time I'm sure I'll win! We chose this battle ground because it's far enough away from the school and from experience, no teachers ever seem to come down here." Harbour explained while he looked at the scenery before laughing. "If anything is stupid it's the teachers, for thinking we would never find this place."

Arius slapped a mosquito that had planted itself onto his shoulder. "I'm sure they thought that even if we found it we wouldn't stay for long with all these bugs. They probably just assumed we'd get fed up and leave."

"If we can deal with the teachers then we can easily handle a few pesks." Harbour stated turning back to look at Arius. "Now come on, Ar, it's time we get going, the challenge is going to be starting soon and I need my biggest fan cheering for me."

"If anything, I'll be cheering when you get knocked on your ass." Arius mumbled as Harbour walked past him. Arius turned around and began walking next to his brother. "So, I've gotta ask, you seem to be sure of it that you're going to win this fight. I mean you are every year but this time, this time it's different."

"I've got a secret weapon this time, that's why." Harbour stated confidently.

Arius' eyebrows raised in amusement. "Oh yeah? And what's that?"

"Well, what Saten doesn't know is that I've developed my third ability." Harbour snickered. "I've been keeping it a secret just for this. It's going to blow her away if you know what I mean." Harbour joked as he began to nudge his brother in the rib.

"Ow!" Arius exclaimed, smacking his brothers arm away.

Harbour rolled his eyes, "Now look who's being over dramatic. Stop being such a whimp." Harbour then raised his arm up behind Arius and wrapped it around the back of Arius' neck pulling him down into a headlock and proceeded to give him a nuggie.

"Hey!" Shouted Arius as he struggled to free himself from his brother's grasp. "Stop it! Harbour! Hey!"

Arius kicked Harbour in the shin with the back of his heel only to cause another laugh from Harbour. "Don't be so naive, that's not gonna get you outta this mess." He teased while Arius continued to pry himself from Harbours lock.