In a distant forest, the sound of two young catlike children could be heard laughing happily. The younger one of the two children playfully attacked his older brother causing them both to topple to the ground. The older brother's head shot up suddenly, twitching his feline ears at a foreign sound, then looked at his brother in curiosity "Mattie, let's go check out what's going on!"

The younger neko looked at his brother, unsure. "But Al those noises sound like voices…"

"Yeah, you're right!" the older neko replies, continuing to listen to the sound emanating from deeper within the forest. "Come on lets go check it out!"

The younger cat-person, known to most as Matthew, sighed. "All right Al let's go but we have to stay quiet. No one's ever come out this far according to Mama."

Al laughed. "Yeah let's go tell them not to be out here! And me being quiet? Ha! Quiet is my middle name, Mattie!"

The smaller twin sighed and muttered sarcastically, "Yeah right, and I don't like maple trees."

"What was that?" "Nothing…."

"Well alright let's go then! Come on!" The older twin, Alfred, ran off as his brother blinked in response and got up to run towards the source of the voices. The youngest looked around at their surrounding and noticed where they were immediately.

Matthew grabbed his brother's arm. "Brother, we are heading in the direction of Mama!"

"Then we got to hurry! What if mom's in trouble? She's going to need heroes!" The older sibling exclaims.

"Um… You don't mean us, do you brother?"

"Of course I mean us bro! Who else is going to save mom? There is no one else! It's just been us…."

"You're right….Come on let's go then!"

"You bet I'm right!"

They picked up their running speed, soon finding themselves where their mother was. She was surrounded by three other men. The little nekos hid in the bushes observing the scene before them. One of the men picked the children's mother up by the front of her shirt then looked another one of their group members. "Come on you guys! There has to at least be more of them! She has to be hiding the rest!"

"No, I'm not! I'm telling the truth!" The twins' mother begged, and then winced as she was hit, falling to the ground immediately. The younger brother held the older one back, silently telling him to be quiet and stay back.

Another one of the strange guys sighed. "Come on, guys. Stop this! She could be telling the truth, I mean their race was thought to be wiped out."

The last one rolled his eyes. "I think she's lying as well, and if we can get her to talk then we would get more of them. The more we have, the more money we could get from selling them!" he smirked showing his fangs. The second stranger sighed and looked away as the other two interrogated the mother neko. He made a face and started to look around as the interrogation started to get violent.

The younger twin held his brother back from attacking the man that had hit their mother. They both noticed the fangs and shrank farther into the bushes. They didn't know how to react as they watched their mother get beaten up. Alfred gritted his teeth and bolted at the men. Matthew missed grabbing him, and then ran after him without thinking. He stopped, seeing his brother being snatched up by one of the men. He turned and tried to run but was grabbed by the same guy that grabbed his brother. He whimpered and looked at his brother with ears laid back and fear in his eyes.

The guy turned around and looked at the other two, "Hey guys look at what just ran up to me!" The two other strangers stopped their violent interrogation and looked at him, surprised.

"Whoa! Two little ones!"

"Plus they look like twins!"

"Oh yeah, we will definitely get way more money off of them then this woman right here! Besides I don't think she would have made a very good servant any ways…"

"Mhm. Too wild and untamed but these little ones could be tamed!"

The guys holding the twin nekos sighed but nodded. "So what shall we do with the girl?"

"Eh? Oh, just leave her here. She's no good!"

"Yeah let's just get out of here before we are found."

All three of them were about to leave when they heard a snarl that made them all freeze where they were standing. They all looked at the newcomer and gulped. The twins whined trying to get out of the man that was holding them hostage.

"And what exactly are you guys doing out 'ere-oh mon dieu! What 'ave you guys done to zis poor woman!?" the newcomer gasped and went down by the twin's mother and looked her over. No one said anything and just watched him.

"Someone better talk….Now…"

One of the guys gulped. "Well, uh… You see…" He glanced at the other for help.

"We were just, uh… Um, hunting?"

"Oh, really now? Zen what's with the twin nekos and-" The stranger suddenly gasped, "Antonio!? I thought you were better zan zis…."

Antonio cleared his throat, "Well you see here Francis I was just um, merely following these two. Did you know they planned to sell these children!?"

Francis blinked "Zey what!? Zere is no way zat will 'appen! Zey look… four years old!"

Antonio nodded."Yeah! I know! That's why I was going to take them to Francis. I know you would have taken good care of them!" he smiled nervously.

"Well you zree are in big trouble you know! We aren't supposed to be way out 'ere! Just wait till Lord Gilbert 'ere's about this! Now everyone 'ead back 'ome now! Oh and Antonio put ze kids down"

Antonio put the kids down then quietly left with the other two, heading home. The twins ran over to their mother and both started shaking her, trying to wake her. She looked up weakly at them. "My sons…"

"Come on mom, get up. Please, I know you can!"

"S'il vous plait mama! Get up!"

Their mother smiled at them weakly. "Alfred… Matthew… my boys… please… leave me"

"WHAT NO MOTHER I WON'T LEAVE YOU!"

"Non non non! Mama s'il vous plait! Mama non!"

She sighed then glanced at Francis. "Could you… Please take them… as my last wish….Please."

Francis smiled sadly but nodded "Of course I will miss. I'll take good care of them" He reached out and grabbed Matthew who turned around and buried his face into his chest. Francis rubbed the back of his head then went to pull Alfred away from their mother, who immidiently clung to her "NO I WON'T. Mom you're going to be ok!"

He looked at Francis crying, "Do something please! Can't you save her!?" Francis set Matthew down then went to try to pry Alfred from his mother. Alfred fought against him trying to stay close to his mom.

The mother reached up to rub his cheek "Alfred sweetie, please go with him…" Alfred stopped struggling and looked at her Matthew walked over to them. She rubbed Matthew's cheek as well. "I-I love you both… be… be good boys down you hear… an-and Alfred… Matthew… W-watch out for each other."

"A-alright mom."

"O-oui mama."

Their mother smiled at them before her eyes finally went shut. Matthew clung to his mother putting his face in her stomach as he listening to his brother yelling at Francis. He heard his name but ignored it clinging to his mother.

"Mattie... Mattie! MATTIE GET UP!"

Matthew eyes shot open and sat up looking around. He looked over at his brother Alfred, who ran over to him and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him a bit "Matt!? Mattie!? Are you all right!? Dude, why are you crying?"

He blinked whipping his eyes quickly and getting Alfred to stop shaking him. "Geez Al, stop shaking me already. I-I just had a nightmare is all…" Alfred sat down by him and rubbing his shoulder looking at him with sad eyes "The one about mom again?"

Matthew nodded slowly then blinked as Alfred pulled him into a hug. Al hugged him back, burying his face into his chest. "Shhh Mattie, it's alright. That's the past now! Cheer up, Master Ivan wants us!"

Matthew blinked and looked up at him his ears perking up a bit "Wait, both of us?"

"Yep, says he wants to talk with us about something, dude, but I don't know what."

"But usually he only wants you. You know to help you with your 'needs'." Matthew raised an eye brow at him. Alfred went bright red.

"Well uh… s-shut up! I-it's not just taking care of my 'needs'!"

Matthew chuckled and nodded "I know Al. I just find it funny when you get all flustered by this."

Alfred puffed up his cheeks "Well at least I have a mate, unlike you! I bet you'll just die alone!" he snorted and crossed his arms. Matthew blinked and looked away getting up. He walked out of the room without saying a word. Alfred blinked and muttered "Shit…", knowing he had gone too far since his brother had been trying his hardest to find his mate. He got up and ran over to his brother.

"Shit Mattie I'm sorry! Look, I didn't mean what I said!"

Matthew sighed and looked at him "I know you didn't Al, but you really need to learn to think before you speak." Alfred nodded "Yeah, yeah, yeah I know! Please Mattie won't you forgive me?"

The younger neko shrugged, keeping his ears lay back, swishing his tail. "I don't know Al, Can I forgive you for something like that?" Alfred looked at him with pleading eyes and ears laid back, trying to look cute. "Come on Mattie please! I'll do anything!"

Matthew raised an eye brow "Anything?"

"Yes, anything! I'll…I'll even do your chores for a whole week!"

"But you'll get in trouble if you're caught."

"It don't matter. I couldn't stand it if you stayed mad at me over something I said… Besides, we have to look out for each other… We promised mom."

Matthew bit his lip when he mentioned their mother. Alfred did the same, thinking he said the wrong thing again. He didn't want to lose his brother and was afraid of the fact that they had been growing apart for the past year. Matthew sighed finally giving in "Alright I forgive you, but you don't have to do my chores."

The younger brother smiled, glad to see a big goofy grin spread across his older brother's face. He still cared for his brother even though he was trying to distance himself from him to give him more time with his mate. "Awwww come on, Mattie….What kind of hero would I be if I went back on my promises/ I really will do your chores for a whole week and if Ivan gets mad, I'll tell him the truth!"

Matthew sighed but nodded in agreement, knowing once his mind was set on something it couldn't be changed. Alfred kept the big grin on him face, but it slowly turned into a smirk. He hit Matthews arm "Race ya to the throne room. Three, two, one, GO!"

He took off down the hall and Mathew rubbed his arm before chasing after him. "ALFRED, that was so not fair!" Alfred just laughed.

Matthew chased him down the halls then tackled him to the ground once they reached the throne room. Ivan raised an eye brow at them as they both wrestled on the ground, arguing over who won the race. Ivan cleared his throat cause both of them to stop and stand up straight saying at the same time. "Sorry Master Ivan!"

Ivan nodded "It's all right. I won't normally mind but as you see we have guest." He gestured to the man standing next to him.

hope you enjoyed the story ^^ I will try to update once a weak or every two weeks at the most. I would also love to give credit to my Girlfriend (Zero Gin'iro Akuma) for doing the editing for me!