Vega and Blood
dark heroLater that night, Heroes Lair was already full of blankets and pillows of every shape and size. Segu and Nezu lay side by side, gazing up at the sky through the skylight.
It felt as if heaven itself had listened to Nezu’s call, not a cloud in sight, the bright moon casting silver light that eclipsed even the brightest stars.
Nezu turned to Segu, eyes shining. “Sister… do you know why I wanted to show you this?”
Segu shrugged. “I have no idea what’s going on in your beast brain today.”
He shook his head in disbelief, smiling faintly. “Being a beast is one thing… being a brother is another.”
Segu giggled mischievously. “Hm… so today you’re Zu, my little beast. Zu!” She blinked at him, holding back a laugh.
“Fine… then I’ll be Zu,” Nezu said, grinning. “And you, Gu… sticky little Gu!”
They laughed together, the warmth of their bond filling the room. After a few playful rounds, Nezu’s gaze returned to the sky.
“Now… back to why we’re here,” he said, more serious. “Do you see the stars? Every constellation has a story. Orion… the Seven Sisters… Altair and Vega. They mean a lot to me.”
Segu leaned on his arm. “Talk about stars? Come on, brother, stop teasing me!”
Nezu pointed to the southwest sky. “Orion was a mighty hunter. One day he saw the Seven Sisters, daughters of Atlas, the titan who holds up the earth, and Pleione, their mother, protector of sailors. He fell in love… not with one, but all seven. Obsessed, he chased them for twelve years. Pleione begged Zeus to save her daughters, and Zeus transformed them into doves, sending them to the sky as the Pleiades. Orion chased them, but he could never reach them. Twelve years… twelve long years of endless pursuit, never succeeding.”
Segu’s eyes widened. “He never got them? That’s… so sad.”
“Yes,” Nezu said softly, “sad for him… but happy for them. They no longer had to fear him. That is the fate of chasing blindly, without understanding. Orion could not see the cost of his obsession.”
Then Nezu turned slightly southeast. “Now, the story of Vega and Altair. Vega was an immortal princess, destined to live alone in the heavens. One day, she saw Altair, a mortal, and fell deeply in love. She promised him they would be together, but her father, enraged, forbade it. He banished them both into the heavens, placing them on opposite sides of the Celestial River, our galaxy, to live separated for eternity.”
Segu tilted her head. “Separated… forever?”
“Not quite,” Nezu continued. “The heavens themselves felt pity. Once a year, a bridge of magpies forms across the Celestial River, letting them reunite. But it lasts only briefly. They must treasure the moment, because it is fleeting.”
He pointed carefully to the stars. “That’s Vega… and that’s Altair. Two different fates. One chasing endlessly, losing everything… one separated but finding a fleeting moment of union. Both are lessons. Both are choices.”
Segu listened silently, enraptured.
Nezu took her hand in his. “Gu… do you understand why I told you these stories?”
Segu shook her head slowly, her eyes tracing the constellations. “No… but… I see they’re about dreams. About chasing them differently.”
“Exactly,” Nezu whispered. “I want to help people. I want to be a hero. But like Orion, I could fail… or like Altair, maybe I’ll succeed, if only for a moment. That moment… it must mean everything.”
Segu fingers tightened around his. “Zu… I promise I will help you fulfill your dream.”
Nezu’s gaze became serious, unflinching. “Then… let’s make it real.”
He reached into his pocket and produced a tiny spring-loaded pin. “It won’t hurt. Trust me.”
Segu nodded, her heart thudding in her chest. “I trust you, Zu.”
A quiet click. A single drop of Nezu’s blood appeared on his fingertip. When he gently pressed it to Segu’s finger, a drop of hers mingled with his.
Under the moonlight, their blood shimmered faintly. When they pulled back, each saw it: a tiny star-shaped mark where their fingers had touched, faint, almost invisible, yet unmistakable.
“I swear,” Nezu said softly, “to help you fulfill your dream. Above everything else.”
“I swear it too,” Segu whispered, “above everything else.”
For a moment, the world ceased to exist. Their bond, sealed by belief and strengthened by the stars, had left its mark, not just on their hands, but deep within them.
Nezu leaned closer, voice barely above a whisper. “We were already family… but now, we are blood family.”
As they looked at each other, subtle changes went unnoticed: a few strands of white hair appeared under Nezu’s black locks, and a few strands of black hair under Segu’s red. Hidden for now, but a signal of the bond they had just created.
They spent the rest of the night talking, sharing everything, their past, the loneliness they had endured, the creation of Heroes Lair, and their hopes for the future. The stars above bore witness to their solemn oath and the first true steps of their journey together.
By dawn, exhausted but bound by more than blood, they finally slept.
The first light of dawn filtered through the skylight, casting pale streaks across the piles of blankets and pillows. Nezu stirred, a gentle touch shaking his shoulder.
“Child… time to wake up. You still have to gather your things before your father arrives.”
Nezu yawned, rubbing his eyes. “Hm… father? Who? When?”
“Mr. Brown,” ‘Mama’ said, a playful smirk in her voice. “At any moment.”
“Oh… I overslept.” Nezu scrambled upright, glancing at Segu. “Gu! Wake up, it’s already past noon!”
Segu groaned, muffled under a tangle of blankets. “Just… five more minutes… zZz…”
Nezu rolled his eyes, smirking. Well… her problem, not mine. He began folding blankets and stacking pillows, meticulously cleaning up the remnants of their night.
After nearly an hour, Heroes Lair looked pristine. Nezu tugged at the last blanket and shook Segu awake.
“Uncle Steve! Take this sleeping beauty with you,” he called, grinning.
Steve smirked, picking Segu up effortlessly. “Haha, Nezu… she’s heavy in her sleep. Don’t worry, I’ll wake her gently.”
Nezu finished organizing the room, tucking away the last mementos into wooden boxes. He paused for a moment, glancing at the skylight, where the first real stars of the day lingered faintly. Not for long… he thought, feeling the weight of the morning.
“Ready?” he asked Segu, now awake and pouting.
“I’m ready,” she said, though she didn’t hide her displeasure at being disturbed.
Nezu nodded, then went to ‘Mama’s’ office. He knocked softly.
“Come in, child,” her voice answered.
He entered, trying not to let his emotions show. “I won’t say goodbye, because this isn’t a goodbye. It’s a see-you-later. I’ll visit whenever I can to help.”
‘Mama’ smiled, tears glinting in her eyes. “Child… you will always be my son.”
Nezu hugged her, feeling the warmth of decades of care. She patted his head, crouched to his height, and kissed his forehead. “Go now, your father’s car is waiting.”
He released her gently. “See you later, ‘Mama’.”
As he walked toward the car, Nezu’s eyes caught a faint glimmer on his finger, the tiny star-shaped mark from last night. Subtle, almost invisible, yet unmistakable. He didn’t fully understand it yet, but somewhere deep inside, he knew that tonight had changed everything.
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