Let’s Talk about TwinsF

Raistlin’s Good-bye in Dragonlance: Test of the Twins

He screamed, and he would scream, and he would keep on screaming, unendingly…
Something touched him…a hand…He clutched at it as it shook him gently. A voice called, “Raist! Wake up! It was only a dream. Don’t be afraid. I won’t let them hurt you! Here, watch…I’ll make you laugh.”
The dragon’s coil tightened, crushing out his breath. Glistening black fangs ate his living organs, devouring his heart. Tearing into his body, they sought his soul.
A strong arm encircled him, holding him close. A hand raised, gleaming with silver light, forming childish pictures in the night, and the voice, dimly heard, whispered, “Look, Raist, bunnies…”
He smiled, no longer afraid. Caramon was here.
The pain eased. The dream was driven back. From far away, he heard a wail of bitter disappointment and anger. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered anymore. Now he just felt tired, so very, very tired…
Leaning his head upon his brother’s arm, Raistlin closed his eyes and drifted into a dark, dreamless, endless sleep.

Twins. Such fascinating people they are. They are very unique despite the appearance. In Dragonlance, you can clearly see it with Caramon and Raistlin Majere. One was a healthy warrior who was good the other was a sickly mage who serves darkness.

The excerpt was taken from the last part of the Test of the Twins where Raistlin fought the Dark Goddess Takhisis. Raistlin was about to die that time but the dark queen stopped, all because of the bond Raistlin shared with his brother. That bond, whether it was love or something else hindered the dark queen in punishing and hurting the young mage who sought after her throne as a god. Knowing that Caramon will never leave his side wherever life takes him, Raistlin was saved. The queen can no longer torment him. He was untouched from her powers. Without that bond, Raistlin would surely be experiencing eternal damnation. Even if they are already worlds apart, Caramon will always be there for Raistlin because that’s how twins are.

I have always wondered what it would be like to have a twin. I have the misfortune of having no twin so I really don’t know how it feels like having one. I know it can be annoying at times because being twins, having a clone of some sort your parents usually color code you just to know one from the other. You share everything together, friends, clothes, education, etc. People tend to mistake one from the other. And if one made a mistake, both of you are to blame, not only one.

But there are upside to it as well. For one, you have this kind of connection that no one else has. Even if it isn’t supernatural like having a telepathic link of some sort, there is still a certain connection where all you have to do is look at each other and you already know what the other is thinking (without taking in your mind) because you are so close…you have been together since the first nine months of your lives cramped in you mom’s womb after all.

Still, I wonder? I have been fortunate to have to have friends who are twins. And they have different personalities. I still can’t tell one from the other at a glance but once I started talking to them. I know who they are already.

Take the example of the Robi and Regi. They’re my RPG friends I meet weekly in Greenbelt. These two are identical twins and at a glance, you can’t tell one from the other, except for the fact that one is slightly larger than the other but you won’t notice it until you get a closer look at them. And once you get to talk to them and play with them, you’ll get to know who’s who at a grander scale. Regi tends to be more silent than Robi who is more vocal when playing. Robi tries to counter your every move while Regi just accept what’s happening and tend to leave it at that. Robi tends to be spontaneous sometimes while Regi follows the norms of playing RPG.

The twins also have a color-coding scheme. While Robi wears green, Regi tends to wear blue all the time. And they told us that that is the only color they wear, nothing else. But both brothers are really nice and jolly all the time.

I wish I had a twin. I guess it would be great and at the same time scary. There are some cases after all that they have different personalities that one tends to be good and the other evil. It kind of made me think as well. What if you’re so identical, no one can tell you two apart? What if your twin was evil and wants everything you have? What if she makes a lot of mischief and blames you for all of them? That is one scary thought.

Having a twin is really great at the same time scary. But I guess people who have twins wouldn’t trade their twin for the world. It does have merits and also have flaws but since you’re so close to each other since before birth, you don’t care. You are a unique pair to be reckoned with.