Chapter Text
The fabricated ocean stretched endlessly in every direction, a dark blue canvas brushed with streaks of gold from the setting sun. Gentle waves rocked the cruise ship as it cut through the water. The low hum of the engine combined with the soft sounds of smooth jazz filled the air. Up on the open deck, a small table had been set near the railing. A white tablecloth fluttered softly in the evening breeze with candles glowing warmly between two plates that had long since been emptied.
Pomni leaned back in her chair, letting out a small laugh as she watched the horizon. Jax lounged across from her, one arm slung casually over the back of his chair.
Pomni tilted her head at him. "When you said you wanted a quiet night together, I bet you weren't expecting a full luxury cruise adventure, huh?"
Jax smirked. "I wasn't. But for what it's worth, I'm really glad you dragged me along."
Pomni paused. "You’re glad?"
Jax shrugged lazily. "Free food. Ocean view. And you didn’t even panic once when the boat horn went off earlier. I’d say that’s a successful date."
Pomni rolled her eyes, though the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her. The wind lifted a few strands of her hair as she looked out across the water again.
Jax turned his head back toward her, his eyes narrowing ever so slightly as if a memory had suddenly crossed his mind.
"What?" Pomni asked, already suspecting something.
Jax leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table. "Remember how we met?"
Pomni immediately groaned and covered part of her face with one hand. "I try not to."
Jax chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Screaming, existential panic, running in circles-"
"To be fair, I did get thrown into a nightmare circus hell dimension."
"You also tackled me into a wall."
Pomni pointed a finger at him. "And whose fault was that?"
Jax grinned wider, clearly enjoying every second of this. "Mine, probably."
Pomni shook her head, though the irritation in her voice had long since softened into something warmer.
The music drifting shifted to a slower tune, violins floating gently through the evening air. Jax glanced around the deck. Couples were leaning against the railings, some dancing slowly under the lantern lights. The ocean breeze carried laughter and quiet conversation.
"This is… Actually really nice."
"Don’t get used to it."
Pomni laughed. Before she could reply, a familiar bubbly voice suddenly popped into existence beside them.
"Complementary photo?"
Both of them turned. Floating just beside the table was Bubble, somehow holding a camera with enthusiastic determination. The two of them slowly turned to look at each other, sharing a slightly amused, slightly confused look.
Pomni shrugged. Jax leaned back again, folding his arms behind his head.
"Sure. I wanna save this moment for the books."
Bubble hovered excitedly, raising the camera.
"Wonderful! Scoot closer!"
Pomni slid her chair toward Jax. He leaned in beside her, resting one elbow on the table as if he had been posing for photos his entire life.
Bubble lifted the camera.
"3… 2… 1! Say 'fuzzy pickles'!"
"Fuzzy pickles!" Pomni said automatically.
The camera flashed.
For a split second, the moment froze in bright white light- the two of them sitting together beneath the lanterns, the ocean behind them, the sunset glowing across the water.
The camera whirred softly and a photograph slowly slid from the front. Bubble grabbed it and shook it with great enthusiasm.
"Oh, this one's going to be adorable!"
Pomni leaned forward as the image began to develop. Jax and Pomni sat side by side in the photo, caught mid-laugh, the golden sky and endless ocean stretching behind them.
The perfect moment.
12 YEARS LATER
Where a normal summer camp might have wooden cabins and dirt paths, the Digital Circus Summer Camp looked like someone had thrown a carnival, a theme park, and a playground into a blender. Neon tents popped up across the landscape as floating balloons drifted lazily overhead. A rope course hung suspended in midair without any visible support while a lake shimmered nearby, its water occasionally glitching into pixelated squares before returning to normal. NPC counselors ran around trying to organize campers who ranged from energetic to utterly confused. At the center of it all stood Caine, arms spread wide like a showman greeting his audience.
"Welcome, campers, to the first ever- And possibly only- Digital Circus Summer Extravaganza!"
Bubble floated beside him, spinning excitedly. "Friendship! Outdoor activities! Mild emotional growth!"
A confetti cannon fired somewhere behind them. Several campers cheered while others looked deeply concerned.
Standing a little ways back from the crowd was a girl who looked like she would rather be anywhere else. Lisa crossed her arms as she surveyed the chaos in front of her. Her long rabbit ears drooped slightly behind her as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. She wore a red corduroy with short pant legs with a purple hoodie underneath. Her expression could only be described as deeply unimpressed.
"Summer camp..."
A nearby NPC counselor ran past carrying an armful of pool noodles that immediately turned into rubber chickens mid-run.
"Yeah. This was definitely worth leaving the house for."
She shoved her hands into her pockets. Her father's voice echoed in her memory from a few days earlier. He had insisted this would be good for her. Something about meeting other kids, doing activities, and not turning into a cave goblin. Lisa personally believed she had been doing just fine as one.
Up ahead, Caine continued his dramatic speech.
"Here at camp you will participate in a variety of exciting activities such as obstacle courses, team building exercises, arts and crafts, competitive canoeing, emotionally enriching trust falls-!"
"And mandatory fun!"
Lisa rubbed her face. "This is gonna be a nightmare..."
Around her, campers began splitting into groups as NPC counselors guided them toward different cabins. Someone nearby tripped over a floating jump rope. Another camper accidentally activated a confetti mine.
Caine clapped enthusiastically. "Oh, this is already going wonderfully!"
Lisa started walking toward the cabins. If she survived the first week without losing her sanity, that would be a miracle in of itself.
The cabin door creaked open with a squeaky boing sound effect that clearly hadn’t existed a moment ago. Of course it made a noise. Why wouldn’t it?
Inside, the cabin looked like someone had attempted to design a traditional summer camp bunkhouse and then allowed the Digital Circus to do its own take on it. Four bunk beds lined the walls, though one of them occasionally rotated slowly before snapping back into place. The wooden floor flickered between different patterns every few seconds- polka dots, checkerboard, stars.
Lisa stepped inside cautiously. Three other girls were already there. One of them immediately perked up when she noticed her. She was tall and lanky with bright green pigtails and a constantly shifting sweater that changed colors every few seconds like a mood ring.
"Oh! Hi! You must be the last bunkmate!"
Lisa gave a small half wave. "Guess so."
The girl practically bounced across the room. "I'm Dottie! Well technically I'm Dot.exe Model Three but everyone calls me Dottie!"
Dottie pointed excitedly toward the other side of the cabin. "And that's Glimmer!"
The second girl sat on the lower bunk beside a pile of glitter covered craft supplies. Her entire appearance shimmered slightly, like someone had applied too much sparkle in a character creator.
She gave a polite little wave. "Hi."
Lisa nodded. "Hi."
Dottie then spun toward the third bunk. "And that's Pogo!"
The final girl was currently bouncing on her bunk as though the mattress had springs hidden inside it. Every time she landed, a faint boing noise echoed through the cabin.
She popped up with a huge grin. "Hi!"
"Hi..."
Pogo bounced again. "Isn't camp amazing?!"
Lisa looked around the glitchy cabin, the rotating bunk, the flickering floor, and the glitter explosion that was Glimmer's corner.
"No."
Dottie didn't seem discouraged at all. "So what's your name?"
"Lisa."
Dottie tilted her head curiously. "That's it?"
Lisa shrugged. "That's it."
Pogo bounced onto the floor and hopped closer. "Where are you from?"
"Home."
Glimmer quietly chuckled from her bunk.
Dottie leaned in slightly. "You don't talk much, do you?"
Lisa walked over to the empty bunk and dropped her small bag on the mattress. "Nope."
She sat down and looked around the cabin again. Kids were running around outside. Somewhere nearby an airhorn blasted followed by Bubble cheering loudly.
Lisa rubbed her temple. "Seriously, what's the point of this place?"
Pogo flopped dramatically onto a nearby bunk. "To make friends!"
Lisa lay back on her mattress and stared at the ceiling. "Pass."
Dottie giggled. "Oh, you'll warm up to this place eventually!"
Lisa doubted that very much.
A bright yellow bus screeched to a halt just outside the camp entrance. The doors folded open with an exaggerated hiss, followed by a cheerful trumpet sound that absolutely no one had asked for. One by one, campers began stepping off. Some ran excitedly toward the cabins while others looked around nervously.
Near the middle of the group, Mona stepped down from the bus, adjusting the strap of the small duffel bag slung over her shoulder. She wore blue corduroys with a purple hoodie, much similar to an outfit a certaib someone had on. She paused at the bottom step and looked around. The camp stretched out in front of her in all its chaotic glory with floating ropes courses, colorful cabins, and distant NPC counselors trying to herd kids toward different activity zones.
Mona took a slow breath. "Okay... So far, so good."
Truthfully, she had been looking forward to camp. Well, for the most part.
Her mother’s voice echoed in her head from the morning she had left.
"I think this will be good for you, Mona."
"But eight whole weeks?"
"You'll make friends."
"But I have friends."
"Yes, but you spend most of your time helping me around the house."
"Because I like helping."
Pomni had knelt down and straightened Mona’s headband before she left.
"It's okay to have your own adventures too."
Mona had smiled at the time.
She shifted her bag again, squaring her shoulders and started walking toward the cabins.
Mom said this would be good, she reminded herself. And she trusted her mom.
Ahead of her, an NPC counselor waved a clipboard. "Cabin assignments! Step right up!"
Mona approached.
The counselor scanned the list. "Mona… Mona… Ah! Cabin Three!"
He pointed down the path. Mona thanked him and headed toward the small wooden cabin marked with a bright painted number three.
The door creaked open when she pushed it. Inside were three other girls. One of them immediately looked up.
She had fluffy cloud shaped hair. "Hiya!"
Mona smiled politely. "Hello."
"I'm Marble." She gestured toward the others. "And that's Petal and Gearbox."
Mona stepped further into the room. "I'm Mona."
Marble clasped her hands together excitedly. "Oooh, that's apretty name!"
Mona blushed slightly. "Thanks."
She placed her bag on the empty bunk and sat down. The cabin felt warm and welcoming, with sunlight filtering through the windows.
Petal glanced down from the top bunk. "First time at camp?"
Mona nodded. "Yeah..."
Gearbox finally looked up from her device. "You'll get used to it."
Marble flopped dramatically onto the bunk across from Mona. "It's going to be soooo much fun!"
Mona smiled, though she fiddled with the strap of her bag. "I hope so."
She looked out the window at the bright campgrounds.
She missed home a little already. But maybe her mom was right. Maybe camp really would be an adventure.
The first day of camp unfolded in a whirlwind of color, noise, and barely controlled chaos.
Caine had insisted on a full schedule of “character building recreational activities,” which in practice meant campers running between obstacle courses, craft tables, canoe races, and whatever strange new event he invented every ten minutes.
Throughout it all, something odd kept happening.
At the arts and crafts pavilion, Mona sat carefully painting a wooden circus mask. She leaned close, concentrating as she filled in the bright red details. An NPC counselor approached with a clipboard.
"You know, I’m impressed."
Mona looked up. "With what?"
"You already finished the obstacle course and came straight here. Most campers are still recovering."
Mona blinked. "I haven’t done the obstacle course yet."
The counselor frowned.b"But I just saw you over there ten minutes ago."
Mona tilted her head. "I think you might have the wrong person."
The counselor scratched his head, thoroughly confused. "Huh..."
Across camp, Lisa hopped down from the final rope of the obstacle course and landed on the padded ground.
She brushed off her hands. "That was easy."
A camper nearby stared at her. "Wait… Didn’t you say earlier that you hated physical activities?"
Lisa raised an eyebrow. "I do."
The camper blinked. "But you were just painting at the craft table a few minutes ago.
Lisa stared at him. "No I wasn’t."
He pointed vaguely across the camp. "You were! You had paint on your hands and everything!"
Lisa looked down at her perfectly clean hands. "Buddy, I think you're losing it."
The camper walked away looking extremely unsettled.
Later near the snack stand, Mona stood patiently in line holding a tray. Bubble floated up beside her.
"Oh! Hello again!"
Mona smiled politely. "Hi."
Bubble tilted slightly. "Back for more snacks already?"
Mona looked confused. "I haven't been here today."
Bubble blinked. "But I saw you get some cotton candy five minutes ago."
Mona shook her head. "I think you're mistaking me for someone else."
Bubble floated in a slow circle around her.
"Hmmmmm...."
Then he zipped off.
"Curious!"
At the canoe dock, Lisa dragged a life jacket across the ground like it had personally offended her. An NPC counselor waved at her enthusiastically.
"Back already?"
Lisa stopped. "What?"
"You just finished canoe practice!"
Lisa stared at him. "I literally just got here."
The counselor squinted suspiciously. "Didn't you say earlier that canoeing was 'pleasant and relaxing'?"
Lisa scoffed. "That sounds like something I would never say."
The counselor blinked slowly. "Okay, now I'm confused."
Near the central campfire pit, Mona walked past two campers whispering to each other.
One nudged the other. "Dude."
"What?"
"Didn't we just see her climbing the rock wall?"
The second camper frowned. "I thought she said heights freaked her out."
They both looked at Mona as she passed.
Mona waved politely as they stared.
Later that afternoon, Lisa stepped out of the mess hall carrying a plate of food. A camper approached her immediately.
"Hey, thanks for helping me earlier!"
Lisa paused. "With what?"
"The puzzle challenge! You solved it in like two minutes!"
Lisa stared at him. "I've never solved a puzzle for anyone in my life."
The camper looked genuinely shaken. "But-!"
Lisa walked away. "What's wrong with people here?"
All across camp, the confusion continued. Mona and Lisa passed through the same spaces, minutes apart, each leaving behind a trail of very confused campers and counselors.
Neither of them had any idea why.
The fencing field had quickly become one of the most popular spots at camp. A long strip of padded flooring stretched across the grass, surrounded by eager campers sitting on wooden benches and crates. Several racks of fencing gear sat nearby, though most of it looked like it had been designed with Caine’s usual flair- helmets that sparkled, swords that squeaked slightly when swung, and jackets that shimmered like circus costumes.
At the center of the strip stood Lisa, her fencing mask firmly in place and her foil resting confidently at her side. She had already won four matches in a row. A camper on the sidelines groaned as he limped away from the strip. Lisa twirled the foil once with casual ease.
Caine clapped enthusiastically from the announcer’s stand. "Ladies, gentlemen, and assorted NPC lifeforms! Our current undefeated champion, Lisa!"
A few campers applauded. Lisa gave a small shrug beneath the mask.
Caine leaned forward eagerly. "Any takers? Come on, don't be shy!"
The crowd murmured. No one seemed particularly eager to challenge the girl who had just demolished half the camp.
Nearby, Mona stood watching with her bunkmates.
Marble nudged her. "You should try!"
"What? No-!"
Petal gently pushed her forward. "You'll be fine!"
Gearbox gave a supportive shove from behind. Before Mona could protest, she stumbled forward into the open space.
Caine clapped delightedly. "Perfect! We have a challenger!"
Mona froze. An NPC counselor quickly helped her into the fencing jacket and mask before she could escape.
Across the strip, Lisa tilted her head slightly.
The two girls stepped into position.
"En garde!" Caine called.
Both girls raised their swords.
"For the honor of recreational summer activities! Ready…"
The crowd leaned forward.
"Fence!"
The match began.
Lisa lunged first, fast and confident, expecting the usual quick victory. But Mona blocked the strike. She stepped forward cautiously, her movements careful but surprisingly precise.
The two circled each other, steel tapping against steel.
The crowd grew louder as the match stretched longer than anyone expected.
Lisa pushed forward again with a sharp thrust.
Mona dodged, pivoting to the side. Lisa stumbled slightly, and in the next moment, Mona tapped her cleanly on the shoulder.
A bell rang.
Caine threw his arms into the air.
"We have a winner!"
Lisa blinked behind her mask. She had lost.
She stepped backward, right onto the edge of a wooden platform.
And promptly lost her balance.
Lisa disappeared into the large water trough sitting beside the fencing strip.
The crowd burst into laughter.
Mona rushed over to the trough. Lisa surfaced, dripping wet and looking very annoyed.
Mona reached down. "Let me help you!"
Lisa grabbed the offered hand. "No, let me help you."
Before Mona could react, Lisa yanked her forward. Mona tumbled into the trough with a loud splash.
The crowd erupted into even louder laughter.
Mona pushed herself upright, soaking wet. "What did you do that for?!"
Lisa wiped water from her face. "Me? You pushed me in!"
Mona stared at her. "I did not!"
Caine clapped enthusiastically. "Looks like we have a new winner, everyone!"
The crowd cheered again.
Both girls climbed out of the trough, dripping water onto the ground. They stood back on the fencing strip, pulling off their masks. They faced away from each other, both catching their breath and grumbling under their breath.
Caine floated down beside them. "Now, now! Good sportsmanship is very important!"
He waved dramatically. "Go on, girls! Shake hands!"
Lisa and Mona turned.
The crowd suddenly went very quiet.
They both froze.
The same height.
The same face.
The same bright eyes.
Even their expressions were identical.
Around them, campers began whispering.
"Whoa…"
"Wait…"
"Are they…?"
Bubble floated slowly forward, squinting. "Oh..."
Caine blinked several times, spreading his arms dramatically "Well! This just got interesting!"
Lisa cleared her throat as nonchalantly as she could. "Why's everyone staring?"
"Can't you see it?" Mona asked.
"See what?"
Mona gestured vaguely between them. "We look like each other."
Lisa glanced out at the stunned crowd surrounding the fencing strip, then back at Mona. She studied her for a moment.
"Do a little spin for me." She made a small circling motion with her finger.
Mona frowned. "What?"
"Spin."
Mona rolled her eyes but did as she was told, turning slowly in place while the entire audience watched.
Lisa examined her like a very unimpressed art critic. "Hmm..."
She folded her arms.
"Well, your eyes are much closer together than mine. Your ears..." She gestured vaguely. "Well, don't worry, you'll grow into them."
A few campers snickered.
"Your teeth are a little crooked. Oh, and that nose." Lisa tilted her head sympathetically. "Well, don't worry, dear. Those things can be fixed."
Mona’s jaw dropped.
Behind her, Marble immediately stepped forward. "Want me to deck her for ya, Mo?"
Lisa raised a hand without even looking at her. "Hold on, I'm not finished."
She turned back to Mona with a smug grin. "You wanna know the real difference between us?"
Mona crossed her arms. "Let me guess. That I know how to fence and you don't?"
A few campers gave out some ooohs.
"Or that I have class and you don't?"
Lisa’s ears twitched.
"Take your pick."
Lisa stepped forward. "Why, I oughtta-"
Before either girl could continue, Caine suddenly appeared between them in a burst of confetti. "Alright, time to break it up, ladies!"
Bubble floated nervously in circles nearby. "Ooooh, this is escalating!"
Caine gently, but firmly, pushed them apart.
"Now, now! Camp is about teamwork, cooperation, and minimal attempted violence!"
Lisa and Mona both glared at each other over his shoulders.
Neither one looked particularly convinced.
This was just the beginning of their heated rivalry.