Cipher [A Gravity Falls Tale] #Wattys2016

Fourteen

Trillions of years ago, in a universe that existed only in two dimensions, there was a place called Flatworld, and a city that existed within this place named Geometropolis. This was no small town-- this was a bustling center where the geometric inhabitants went about their busy days. On one otherwise uneventful day in this ultra city, a child was born.

There was nothing super extraordinary about this child that was born. He held no significance to the upper circles of society, and this news was heard by few. To most, this birth was just another child born into this busy, busy world. But there were a few things that weren't quite ordinary.

The child born was a triangle, more accurately an isosceles. Two of his three sides were equal, but the third was just off, much to the disappointment of his parents. Maybe, just maybe, if he had been equal, he could have actually had a solid future.

However, he was also a twin. Two children were born within six minutes to the proud parents. This particular triangle came first. They christened him with an old family name, one that translates roughly to William. His brother was named Willie, a variation on this same family name.

William's early days were spent doing things many young children do. He learned to speak, he learned to walk, and he became immersed in the wonderful world of sight and sound around him. He came to love and be loved by his family, as all small children are. However, he was not brought outside of his surroundings that much in his early years due to his family's standing.

In Flatworld, the beings that populated it were very unique-- much more than the humans that make up our own. You could have one eye or three, be colored purple, or beige, or striped with all the colors of the rainbow, and have any certain number of body features or just lack them entirely. As it was, William had one eye, two legs and arms, and was a yellowish hue. He had no mouth to speak of, but that didn't matter. No, what mattered in Flatworld was one's shape.

There were many tiers of society within Flatworld. More sides normally meant a higher status, though perfection was a virtue as well. Irregular shapes were the outcasts. If there was no common name for your shape, you were not welcome. As it was, triangles had the fewest number of sides, and thus were the lowest on the totem pole of normal life in this world. Hoping to keep their children from the prejudices and classifications of the outside world, William and Willie were kept in a controlled environment.

This changed with school. No matter what these shapes were going to grow up to do, they all had to receive at least basic childhood education. Six years into their lives, William and Willie began attending school.

It was a hot day, otherwise unremarkable and not unlike the day these boys were born. Their father, Markus, owned a small second-hand store located on the ground floor of the building they lived in. As he strolled down the flat stairs one morning, his wife Mary called to him.

"Markus, dear, today is the day the boys start school," she shouted.

"I am aware," he muttered as he went about his business.

"You are supposed to take them," Mary reminded him, putting some stress on the you.

"Indeed I am," he sighed, heading outside to ready the family hover pod. "Boys! Come get in the pod!"

The two triangular children bounded down the stairs, William energetically racing ahead of his blue brother.

"Hey, wait up!" painted Willie, lagging.

"Yeah, you should keep up," retorted William, claiming his spot in the paper-thin hover pod.

"I- I can keep up!" protested Willie. Markus laughed as he watched his sons compete. They had been a team, albeit a competitive one, since the beginning, exploring every little nook and cranny of the neighborhood they lived in together.

Markus started the pod, and they took off, following the air streams into central Geometropolis, a shining light of technology and education. It was very different from the boys' cozy corner of the suburbs, a sight they had only seen a handful of times.

"Beautiful," mused William, his eye pressed up against the window.

"There's the technology center!" cried Willie, pointing out a gleaming orb. "And there-- that's the university." Their craft swing by the latter building, giving William a brief glance into some of the windows. Otherworldly experiments were happening within, and several caught his attention before the vista was snatched away.

After a brief trip, they arrived at the children's school. It was one of hundreds within the city, but one of only a few nice ones that allowed lower class citizens. Markus helped his children out and checked them in.

As soon as he could get away, William broke off and sprinted down the halls to find his room. He had heard the number: 42. He burst into the classroom, eyeing several shapes that were already there.

A red rhombus ran past him, suddenly stopping short. She turned back and studied William-- at least, he assumed it was a she. Not too many male shapes had braided, shoulder length hair.

"Hi there!" she chirped, her raw energy showing through her voice. "I'm Layla. What's your name?"

"William," he offered hesitantly. He wasn't used to this amount of interest in himself from a non-family member. "I'm new here."

"I figured that, silly head," she laughed. "Half these people are just starting here! It's our first official year." She stretched out the word "official," apparently liking the sound of it. "Me? I've been here for three years now. You should meet my friend, Kryptos. Kryptos, come over here!" She grabbed a royal blue square who wore thick glasses on his face.

"Oh, h-hi," he stammered. "I'm Kryptos."

"William." They shook hands.

"There you are!" exclaimed Willie, bursting into the room.

"Oh, yeah! I have a twin brother. His name is Willie."

"That is so cool!" cried Layla. Kryptos nodded.

"Twins are fairly uncommon. With all the uniqueness, it's neat to see two almost identical individuals," mused the bookish child.

"Uh, Kryptos," said Layla after they all tried to process what had just been said, "no one understood what you just said. Could you try not speaking in gibberish?" That caused everyone to chuckle. "Seriously, though," continued the girl, "I can't keep track of two Wills. Do either of you go by something else?"

"Some people call me Lee," said Willie, proud that he remembered that fact

"Great! We'll call you Lee and you Will," explained Layla, pointing to Willie first and then William. They nodded; all the children liked this idea. And so the school days began. Year after year, Will grew to know more and more people. His interests grew, and his brains began to show. In fact, both he and Lee showed above average intelligence, a fact that heartened their parents. With his developing smarts, Will spent his childhood fascinated with adventures, always looking to push the boundaries of what he knew.

Through more than a few small miracles, his parents kept him mostly isolated from the prejudice of those around him. Excuses like "What they're doing really isn't that fun" or "Some of them are just allergic to three-sided people" had to be made constantly.

And so, young William grew up in blissful ignorance of the broken system around him, nursing a curiosity about the unknown and surrounding himself with friends who didn't see him for the number of shapes he had. Even for someone of his class, the future seemed bright for the young boy.

But all that would soon change.