A Tale of Two Twilight Towns
A tale of two little mages in two little towns that were exactly identical, except in the ways that they weren't.
by volta arovet
Author's note: There are three ways to read this story. If you like sad stories, you can read all of the topside story first, in which case you'll want to read the parts that say "above" first and leave the bottom halves for later. If you like creepy stories, you can read the downside story first, in which case you'll want to read the parts that say "below" first and leave the top halves for later. If you like puzzling together the mysteries and picking out differences, read the stories as posted in these chapters. There is no preferred way to read this story, and each way has its own advantages.
Above
Vivi adjusted his grip on the bat. He tilted his head, bright yellow eyes just barely visible under the brim of his hat. This was it, the moment he proved he was a fighter, not just some little kid who tagged along. With a roar that sounded childish even to Vivi's ears, Vivi charged at Rai, swinging his bat in a wide arc.
Rai easily batted Vivi aside, sending the little mage flying into the air. Vivi landed with a soft thud and a louder 'ow.' All three members of the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee winced.
"Geez, sorry, ya know?"
Fuu hit Rai upside the head. "Idiot."
It was Seifer who bent down and offered Vivi a hand up. "You okay, kid?" He glared at Rai. "Go easy, all right?"
"I said I was sorry, ya know?"
"'M okay," Vivi said, dusting off his backside. "You don't hafta go easy on me." He retrieved his bat and held it in the ready position. "Ready?"
Rai dubiously shifted his grip on his bat. "Ready, ya know?"
Vivi charged, Rai swung, and this time, Vivi ducked. Rai's bat passed harmlessly over Vivi's head, lightly clipping the top of his hat. Both fighters paused in shock as they realized what had just happened. And then, with a mighty yell, Vivi took a big swing and hit Rai in the side.
"Way to go, Vivi!" Seifer cheered.
"Nice shot."
"Good move!" said Rai, rubbing his side. "Also, ow, ya know?" He gave Vivi a friendly punch in the arm.
Vivi giggled and tugged his hat down to his ears. "I was thinking," he said, squirming under the combined attention of the three teenagers, "maybe I'd sign up for the Struggle tournament next week?"
"No point," Fuu said.
"Yeah," Rai added, "Seifer's totally going to win the tournament, ya know?"
"I know, but," Vivi fiddled with the brim of his hat, "there's always second place, right?" He looked up hopefully.
All three teenagers looked doubtful.
"I mean, not that I think I could get second place, I just, you know, thought I could...try?" He stared at his feet.
Seifer knelt down and put a hand on each of Vivi's shoulders. "Vivi, you know I've ticked off a lot of bad guys in this town."
"Yeah, but you showed them who's boss!" Vivi chirped faithfully.
Seifer smiled fondly before he could get control of his expression. "I sure did. But, Vivi, a lot of those guys are going to be in the tournament. They may try to get to me by hurting you, and I can't help you out if it's an official match. Do you get what I'm saying?"
Vivi nodded glumly. Seifer squeezed Vivi's shoulders as he stood up.
"Aw, come on. Vivi could totally take some of those guys, ya know?" Rai took a few mock swings with his bat.
"Hayner," Fuu said with her funny, secretive smile on her lips.
Seifer snorted. "Yeah, Vivi could definitely beat that punk."
"Setzer."
"If he could get that showy jerk to stop cheating, sure," Seifer muttered.
"Still bitter, ya know?" Rai whispered to Vivi who tittered nervously.
"It's okay," said Vivi softly. "You don't have to cheer me up. You guys are right. I'm not going to enter the tournament."
"Next year," Fuu said, giving him that strange, small smile.
"That's right. Next year it's going to be you and me fighting for that belt," Seifer said, puffing up proudly.
"There's no hurry," Rai said. "You're only nine, ya know?"
"Ten," Vivi corrected. "I'm ten."
Rai wrinkled his nose. "Didn't he turn nine last month, ya know?" Rai whispered to Fuu. Fuu frowned and shrugged her shoulders.
A clock chimed on the hill. Vivi jumped and quickly gathered his things together. "I completely forgot! I promised Grandpa I'd help him out today!" He hefted his bag over one shoulder and his bat over the other, then ran down the road, shouting a hasty "Bye!" over his shoulder.
Below
Vivi adjusted his grip on the bat. He tilted his head, bright yellow eyes just barely visible under the brim of his hat. This was it, the moment he proved he was a fighter, not just some little kid who tagged along. With a roar that sounded childish even to Vivi's ears, Vivi charged at Rai, swinging his bat in a wide arc.
Rai easily batted Vivi aside, sending the little mage flying into the air. Vivi landed with a soft thud and a louder 'ow.' All three members of the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee winced.
"Geez, sorry, ya know?"
Fuu hit Rai upside the head. "Idiot."
It was Seifer who bent down and offered Vivi a hand up. "You okay, kid?" He glared at Rai. "Go easy, all right?"
"I said I was sorry, ya know?"
"M'okay," Vivi said, dusting off his backside. "You don't hafta go easy on me." He retrieved his bat and held it in the ready position. "Ready?"
Rai dubiously shifted his grip on his bat. "Ready, ya know?"
Vivi charged, Rai swung, and this time, Vivi ducked. Rai's bat passed harmlessly over Vivi's head, lightly clipping the top of his hat. Both fighters paused in shock as they realized what had just happened. And then, with a mighty yell, Vivi took a big swing and hit Rai in the side.
"Way to go, Vivi!" Seifer cheered.
"Nice shot."
"Good move!" said Rai, rubbing his side. "Also, ow, ya know?" He gave Vivi a friendly punch in the arm.
Vivi giggled and tugged his hat down to his ears. "I was thinking," he said, squirming under the combined attention of the three teenagers, "maybe I'd sign up for the Struggle tournament next week?"
"No point," Fuu said.
"Yeah," Rai added, "Seifer's totally going to win the tournament, ya know?"
"I know, but," Vivi fiddled with the brim of his hat, "there's always second place, right?" He looked up hopefully.
All three teenagers looked doubtful.
"I mean, not that I think I could get second place, I just, you know, thought I could...try?" He stared at his feet.
Seifer knelt down and put a hand on each of Vivi's shoulders. "Vivi, you know I've ticked off a lot of bad guys in this town."
"Yeah, but you showed them who's boss!" Vivi chirped faithfully.
Seifer smiled fondly before he could get control of his expression. "I sure did. But, Vivi, a lot of those guys are going to be in the tournament. They may try to get to me by hurting you, and I can't help you out if it's an official match. Do you get what I'm saying?"
Vivi nodded glumly. Seifer squeezed Vivi's shoulders as he stood up.
"Aw, come on. Vivi could totally take some of those guys, ya know?" Rai took a few mock swings with his bat.
"Hayner," Fuu said with her funny, secretive smile on her lips.
Seifer snorted. "Yeah, Vivi could definitely beat that punk."
"Roxas."
"There's something wrong with that guy. I'd love to see Vivi teach him a lesson."
"Setzer."
"If he could get that showy jerk to stop cheating, sure," Seifer muttered.
"Still bitter, ya know?" Rai whispered to Vivi who tittered nervously.
"It's okay," said Vivi softly. "You don't have to cheer me up. You guys are right. I'm not going to enter the tournament."
"Next year," Fuu said, giving him that strange, small smile.
"That's right. Next year it's going to be you and me fighting for that belt," Seifer said, puffing up proudly.
"There's no hurry," Rai said. "You're only nine, ya know?"
"Ten," Vivi corrected. "I'm ten."
Rai wrinkled his nose. "Didn't he turn nine last month, ya know?" Rai whispered to Fuu. Fuu frowned and shrugged her shoulders.
A clock chimed on the hill. Vivi jumped and quickly gathered his things together. "I completely forgot! I promised Grandpa I'd help him out today!" He hefted his bag over one shoulder and his bat over the other, then ran down the road, shouting a hasty "Bye!" over his shoulder.