Prologue: Silver and Gold

We begin at the beginning.

Luna pulled her long silvery hair back into a ponytail. Sol ran a hand through his own scruffy, short, golden-blond hair. The two exchanged glances, Sol's sky-blue eyes meeting Luna's midnight-dark gaze. Without speaking, they each know the other is ready. Their matching outfits -- dark green long-sleeve shirts, dark brown boots, and dark grey pants and finger-less gloves -- were made for walking the forest at night. Which is exactly what they intended to do. Luna quietly opened the window of their bedroom. Sol glanced back at the room: identical twin beds, the room divided equally in two and decorated in each of their unique tastes. He had a strange feeling that he won't be seeing it again. Luna looked back at him, picking up on his unease.

"We'll be fine. Mom and Dad won't even know we're gone," she reassured him.

"I know, this isn't our first night sneaking out. I just... I have a bad feeling about this time," he murmured. Luna simply laughed, reaching out to take his hand. Sol smiled back, obliging. The two stepped onto the windowsill in unison. The huge maple growing in their yard had branches stretching all the way to the house. Dad had to chop them back to keep them from growing into the walls, but they were still close enough to step onto. The closest branch was just thick enough to support two ten-year-olds. Luna and Sol stepped out, swaying with the branch as it bowed slightly under their weight. Sol turned, taking the front with Luna behind. They didn't let go of each others' hands. The twins walked down the length of the branch, following the curves to the tree's trunk. They let go, each taking their own path down the tree, watching to make sure the other didn't fall. When they reach the bottom, Luna glanced back to make sure their parents' bedroom light is still off.

"It's go time," Luna and Sol chorused. They linked hands again and took off, running in sync for the forest that backed their family's backyard. Just before they reached the treeline, something like a shooting star tore through the sky, flashing silver and gold. Luna and Sol stopped in their tracks, staring up at it. It fell closer and closer until--

A flash of silver-gold light. The twins were blown backwards by the blast of wind that rushed out of the forest from where the "star" landed.

"What the heck was that?" Sol gasped.

"Let's go find out," Luna decided. Sol gave her an "are you crazy?" look, but she tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the forest. He reluctantly followed. They quickly got back into sync, their steps matching up as they ran. A glow that alternated silver and gold lit the forest and guided their path.

The crash site was surprisingly devoid of any wreckage. The "shooting star" was far from that. Luna and Sol stood at the edge of the small crater, staring at two longbows, almost identical. The only difference: one was silver, one was gold. In unison, the twins reached down and picked up the bows. At second glance, they weren't made of silver and gold, simply colored to look like it. The material was sturdier than the bendable metals. Luna and Sol exchanged a glance, confusion and excitement mixed on both of their faces.

"Where did these come from?" Sol wondered aloud.

"I don't know," Luna murmured, awe obvious in her voice, "but... do you feel it?" Sol nodded. They both felt the power radiating from the weapons. Hands still linked, they gripped the bows tightly. "We should head back to the house. The blast might've woken Mom and Dad."

"Right," Sol agreed. They turned to leave, not letting go of their acquisitions. Before they could take another step, the bows began to glow. The twins' eyes widened as power flowed into them.

"Whoa," they said in unison. Starting at the hands holding the bows, the twins began to glow: one silver, one gold. They glowed brighter and brighter until they couldn't help but close their eyes.

The last thing either of them remember clearly is being torn from each other, spinning into a bright oblivion.