Game

It was a game, and a game they played well, and why wouldn't they?

They have been playing it since childhood...and it has never stopped.

But it wasn't really a game. The truth was, it was a safety device.

A lock for their hearts.

It had hurt, as children, that even their parents didn't-couldn't tell them apart. At first, they eagerly waited for someone-anyone who'd be able to tell them apart. Someone who would care enough to notice the small things that made each of them different. So, even at an early age, they devised a game, called "Which one is Hikaru," so that people who wanted to, or believed they could, can try.

Since they were children, they thought it was more in the way of being the 'dragon' one had to slay, to save the princess.

Or, in this case...princes.

Years passed, and every failure had disillusioned and twisted them to such an extent, that they had slowly, outwardly become similar-almost mirrorlike not just physically, but mentally and emotionally as well (Which also explained why they thought alike, and always knew what the other was thinking or feeling.), but it was done to such perfection that it had become a tower, isolating them from others, that no one could reach them. Only look at them and talk to them from afar.(though the things that were fundamentally different about them, remained the same. After all, they were two people. And no two people, however alike, could really be the same.)

the princes, finally unable to take the disappointment, gave up on ever being saved, and thought to make the 'dragon' more difficult to overcome, to amuse themselves. or comfort themselves. Or maybe a little bit to a whole lot of both. Or maybe, the 'dragon' finally ate the princes, who knew? Dragons were so misunderstood, the poor things.

Then one day, a sparkly, perky, happy-go-lucky prince came by to visit. And although, like the others he failed at overcoming the proverbial dragon (you can't exactly kill a non living thing, after all, the 'dragon' is only a metaphor for the guessing game they played.so we're using 'overcome' and we're retaining the physical image of the dragon, hehehehe), he was the most persistent in trying. It amused the twin princes to some degree, since this sparkly person thought up the silliest things, but even that gets old.

Then one day, the sparkly, silly prince suddenly said something that made sense and sort of weakened the dragon.

"I may not be able to tell which one of you is which, but how will you meet someone who will, if you stay locked up in your tower?"

The prince might be sparkly and silly, but he at least understood what they really wanted, deep inside.

So they decided to join the prince in his quest to bring luck and happiness to women. They put wheels on their 'tower' and they took the dragon along with them.

But although the dragon was weakened a little, no one could still overcome it.

Oh well. At least they found more ways to entertain themselves.

Then, through some accident, their little group had captured a peasant...an unruly-looking one, at that!

This peasant was really amusing. She had the natural knack of upsetting the silly, sparkly prince, and provided them with more entertainment than they usually had.

Then, quite by accident, they also found out that although the commoner was scruffy-looking, he polished up really nicely, and was elevated to 'natural-type supposed prince' status.

And by the most surprising accident of all...said peasant/ natural-type prince, turns out to be...a girl?!?!?

But this wasn't so surprising after all. Because in another few days, she had done something not their parents, their relatives, nannies, NO ONE has ever been able to do.

"This one is Kaoru. This one is Hikaru." she answered, pointing from one twin to the other, in an unconcerned tone.

"Wrong!" The twin princes answered.

"Of course, not. I know I'm right." She insisted firmly.

"How can you tell?" a princess asked.

"If I had to say specifically...hmmm...Hikaru's a tad bit meaner than Kaoru." She answered, thoughtfully.

They stared at her, really long and hard. It was unprecedented! And to overcome the dragon in such a swift, spectacularly blunt manner, to boot!

Then suddenly...it was as if the dragon stepped aside, and allowed her to enter the tower, her dainty little feet walking through the mud and sludge of their disappointment, until she stood in front of them, with that mostly unemotional, sometimes curious face.

For a mere peasant girl to save the most difficult princes.

She was oblivious to the twins' inner thoughts, as they seemingly talked telepathically to each other.

"Did you notice?" a twin asked the other, looking on, as the peasant served the princesses their tea. "Someone's finally intruded on us."

And just like that, the lock was opened.

The other twin felt himself smile, as he answered.

"You're right."