Twins

Konomi stared at her phone as she sat on a bench next to the reptile habitat at Ueno Zoo. The chat windows on her phone told a sad tale of Konomi requesting the day off work so she could process what Takamasa had described about his world, and Takamasa agreeing.

"Of course, Konomi" The final message of the text chat started. "Take as much time as you need and if you need to, or want to, talk about any of it, I'm available for you any time."

After minutes of sitting there, staring at the message, she put her phone in her purse, stood and entered the exhibit. She settled in next to the tortoises and just relaxed. Before long, one of the workers walked up and stood next to Konomi.

"The park closes in twenty minutes." The worker said as she leaned on the rail next to Konomi.

"I was hoping I could have some time with them all." Konomi replied.

"I'm sure we can work something out." The worker said winking and sticking out her tongue a bit at Konomi. "I'd like to think you came here to see your sister, but I'm not so self absorbed to believe that."

"Don't be like that, you know it's always good to see you." Konomi said apologetically.

"I know, since you had that happen to you, you just understand them better." The girl sighed. "Despite me spending my days with them, they seem to understand you too."

The tortoise, who had been mostly sedentary, noticed Konomi standing there, stood, and began walking toward her.

"Even Kappa likes you more than any of the handlers." the worker said as she gestured toward the tortoise.

"I think I just spent so much time inside the animals' heads that I picked up on what they like more." Konomi explained. "Once you've heard their thoughts then you just understand them a bit more. It's hard to describe."

"I'm sure all of them would love to see you, not just Kappa." the zoo keeper replied to Konomi before realizing the saddened look on her face. "Is everything okay?"

"Right now, Chikako, I really need the distraction." Konomi lamented.

Chikako, seeming surprised at her sister's mood asserted, "We should start getting you out of that makeup and the frilly clothes so they don't get dirty and the animal habitats don't get contaminated by something."

"Yea" the gyaru clad Konomi whimpered before following her sister through some doors marked for employees only.

The two walked together through halls before finally settling into a set of animal examination rooms. Chikako opened a cabinet and pulled out some makeup remover and a few other things for her sister to use.

"I'll go get my backup clothes for you to change into while you start taking off the makeup." Chikako expressed. "I'll be right back Konomi and then, if you want to talk or anything, I'll be here for you."

Konomi opened the package of makeup wipes and started removing the layers of makeup she had on. Chikako sighed lightly and left her sister to it. After only a few moments, Chikako returned carrying a shirt, a pair of pants, and some boots. She sat them on the table next to Konomi who had almost completely removed her makeup.

"You know, it's pretty crazy that we ended up so different but, at the same time, so alike!" Chikako exclaimed.

"Eh? What do you mean?" Konomi asked.

"I remember you from before what happened." Chikako answered gleefully as Konomi began changing clothes. "You were interested in food above all else. You were going to be one of Japan's greatest chefs. After your incident, you came back changed. You're so much more in tune with animals now than I think I could ever be. I was the sister that always wanted to be a veterinarian. Now, because of what happened to you we're a lot more alike. It's like we're kids again."

With Konomi now dressed as her sister, she looked in the mirror. Chikako came and stood next to her.

"When you're dressed like this, you can really tell that we're twins." Chikako chimed.

The two looked nearly identical with the only difference being their hair and eye color.

"It's amazing how we went on completely different journeys in our lives and ended up in almost the same spot." Konomi said smiling lightly.

"So, you seemed pretty down earlier." Chikako started. "Is it something, or anything, that I can help with?"

Konomi's face started to sour as thoughts about Takamasa's story began to flood back in.

"I don't mean to bring down the mood, but it was good to see you smiling again." Chikako said. "To bring the mood back up though, It's almost Yamato's feeding time!"

Konomi's face lit up as she started to reply, "You mean, I get to..."

Chikako cut her off by saying, "Naturally sis! Also, knowing Yamato, he'll be ecstatic to see you too."

The pair left the examination rooms and began heading across the zoo. By then, the zoo had closed for the day and was devoid of visitors. As the sisters passed other zoo employees, they all greeted Konomi as if they weren't preoccupied with whatever task they had. A few inquired what they were off to do and, upon hearing Konomi was going to feed Yamato, couldn't help but join the pair to watch.

The sisters entered into some back halls parting from the group as they moved to the exhibit's observation area. Near the end of the hall were a couple large buckets filled with fish and chunks of meat.

As Konomi picked up the buckets, Chikako said, "Be careful, he's been grumpy lately. Knowing you, I doubt you'll have any problems but I figured I should warn you."

"Grumpy?" Konomi questioned.

"Yea, we've had to tranquilize him a couple times for medical reasons and he always gets upset after that." Chikako answered. "He's been sluggish lately and one of the senior veterinarians think he's just getting older."

"I'll see what I can figure out while I'm in there." Konomi said as she pushed the door open and entered the multi tiered, ice themed exhibit.

Yamato the polar bear was swimming and didn't notice Konomi enter his enclosure. Above where he was swimming, Konomi could see a handful of zoo employees watching on and chatting to each other.

"Yamato!" Konomi called to the polar bear.

He snapped his head around as he was swimming to spot the girl, then began swimming toward her. Konomi sat down in the middle of the enclosure with the buckets of food on her right. Yamato, full charge, ran up the enclosure to Konomi grunting along the way. As he approached her, he began smelling around, first her and then the food. Finally, the nine foot long polar bear laid down to Konomi's left, and placed his head on her lap. Konomi let out a small grunt from the weight pressing on her.

As he laid there, Konomi would fetch fish out of the bucket and place them in his mouth. With her other hand, she pet his thick fur. Konomi noticed Yamato would grumble when she pet close to his shoulder.

"Ah, I see." Konomi said to herself. "Lucky for you, roundworm is easy to treat. You just have to be nice, the others are afraid of you because you're so big and that's why they make you sleep. Don't be mad at them for that, they're just trying to make you feel better okay? They'll make your muscles not hurt like they do."

Yamato groaned and grumbled.

"Beyond that, are you having a good time?" Konomi continued speaking to the massive monster of an animal. "I've had some problems with the guy that I like."

Yamato poked Konomi with his cold, wet nose and then licked her face.

"Yea, I can tell you about it. Just don't tell anyone else okay?" Konomi continued.

Yamato yawned, closed his eyes, and began listening to Konomi's story about Takamasa and the inner turmoil she was feeling about the situation.

Chikako had joined the others in the observation area of the polar bear exhibit and watched on in just as much amazement as the others.

"How does she do that Chikako?" one of the other zoo keepers asked earnestly.

"I wish I knew." Chikako replied. "She's one of the red eyed people and from what she's told me, she spent a lot of time with wild animals, beasts, and monsters in the world she was taken to."

"So you actually believe the red eyed people were taken to another world?" the worker asked.

"Having known her all our lives." Chikako observed. "She changed drastically from one minute to the next and she's never lied to me. I'm not naïve enough to think she's told me everything, but, if nothing else, I owe it to her to believe her."

"Seeing something like this almost makes me believe it too." the worker contributed.

"What do you mean?" Chikako inquired.

"She's in there with a polar bear." the young zoo keeper said. "A POLAR BEAR! She's just petting him like he was a pet dog. None of the rest of us could do that. Your sister is something special Chikako, but another world? There's just too much there for me to wrap my head around."