Shion

Dang, all this time travel stuff is really starting to mess with my head. As for the whole replicating himself a bunch of times so he'll see his plans through- reminds me of Voldemort and the whole horcruxes deal. But that aside, I can't wait to see how this whole thing turns out!

Hehe, Xemnasnort. Sounds like 'Xemnas Snorts'. Or 'Xemnas Short'. And yeah, more than 40%, lol.

Days. Definitely Days. Re:coded wasn't a bad game at all, I think it's fun, but compared to other Kingdom Hearts games... yeah. Plus 358/2 Days has a better plotline, multiplayer mode, tons of character development for Roxas, Xion and Axel, I LOVE the gameplay... it's just plain BETTER than Re:coded.

"So Sora, now that we're getting to know each other better... don't you go off and die on me now!" ~Axel, Chain of Memories

Bump....

Chapter 1 “Hey, Lance! Over here!” Lance Bingham craned his neck, searching the school's front lawn for the one face out of all the students. Brian had suggested that they eat outside today- Lance had been hesitant, naturally, but in the end didn't see the harm. Lance plopped down on the grass, nodding Brian a brief hello before digging into his lunch. He looked around. His friend had been right- it really was a nice day out, with the sunlight being fresh after three rainy days in a row and the grass a ripe green. Many more students are eating out here than usual, Lance noted. “So, are you excited for track season?” Brian asked. He knew that Lance loved running, no matter how natural he acted or how indifferent he seemed when the subject was brought up. After all, even stone-faced Lance had been smiling when their school had won the state track and field championship the year before. All Lance offered in response was a simple, plain shrug. “I guess so,” he said. He opened the milk carton and began to consume the contents, saying nothing more. “Well, you have a lot of enthusiasm today, don'tcha?” Brian's voice dripped with sarcasm. “You're never excited about anything!” This struck a chord in Lance. He abruptly stopped drinking, set the carton down, and turned to his friend. “Oh, thanks!” He allowed a small grin as he elbowed Brian. Brian laughed back in joy, but soon enough his playful expression vanished. “You know, speaking of exciting... did you hear?” “Hear about what?” he asked. “Well, apparently a girl who attended our school recently committed suicide.” Lance raised his eyebrows, his grin sinking back into it's usual frown. “What? When? Who?” He was so stunned that he could barely get out those three simple words. Brian shrugged. “I don't know. All I know is that she was an older girl in our grade.” “Just a sophomore...” his voice was barely audible. Brian blinked his light green eyes a few times and readjusted his position. “Word's been spreading around fast. They say that she shot herself. Her body was found just last night, when they were calling her down to watch a movie with them.” Lance didn't say anything. He ran a hand through his red hair, his lunch suddenly very interesting. “That sounds a bit like... like when...” He didn't say anything else. He couldn't afford to think about him. Lance mentally cursed Brian when he forced him back into his mind. “Are you thinking about Levi again?” For the longest time, there was only silence between the two. Yes, Lance was thinking about Levi- he thought about Levi every day. Even though he could barely remember what his voice sounded like, and even though the memory of the glimmer of amusement that sparkled in his eyes every time he laughed was fading, Lance was determined to keep him in his memory. And perhaps more than that. Even though his older brother had disappeared five years ago and could very well be dead by now, he was determined to find him. “Yeah, I am,” Lance finally admitted. Brian slitted his lips in a nervous sympathy. “Well, come on. Geography's going to start soon. We really need to work on that project, remember?” Lance did remember, thanks to Brian. A huge Geography assignment was recently assigned to them, one that would count for a reasonable portion of their grade. It was due in just a week, so they had to get cracking. Lance nodded. “Yeah, we do.” He quickly finished his lunch and began walking down to Mr. Hale's classroom, engrossed in another conversation with Brian. First it was about how Brian was sick of his little brother taking his stuff without telling him, rotated to Lance fondly remembering how Levi and him bought Goldie (his golden retriever) when he was small, and debated about whether or not golden retrievers or yorkies were the better breed of dogs as they crossed into the Geography classroom together. The entirety of sixth hour was spent with Lance flipping through various textbooks and Brian browsing through the internet, both trying to find new information about Italy's farming and agriculture that would be useful for their presentation. By the end of Geography, Brian had come out much more successful than Lance. “Try looking in the school library,” Brian suggested as they were about to part ways for their respective classes. “There's a book there, 1001 Facts About Italy, that my brother used for his report way back. It was incredibly useful for him, so if you can go ahead and find it, that'd be great.” “I'll see if I can.” Brian smiled. “That'd be awesome.” He turned around and waved a hand behind him as he walked away. “Well, see ya!” “Goodbye.” The final hour dragged on by- Lance wasn't exactly fond of Chemistry. The whole time he simply held his head in his hand, his eyes eventually drifting down. When he opened them again, the Chemistry classroom was replaced with a rolling field overlooked by a midnight black sky. Lance could see a very thin outline in the distance- an outline of a human being. He could faintly see a smile on the figure's face, but before he could discern everything, a tolling bell cut through sharply- Lance opened his eyes with a start to see that the final bell had rung, sophomores filing out of the classroom. He avidly shook his head, biting off drowsiness, standing up and slinging his backpack over his shoulder. All right, Brian wanted me to get that book, Lance mentally reviewed. I should probably go ahead and do that now before I forget. Lance shoved his way through the bustling students as he headed on down to the library. Eventually his thoughts turned to that dream he had during Chemistry- who was that figure? And why had he or she been smiling at him? That doesn't matter, he soon decided. A dream is a dream- nothing more. That's what Levi told me. Lance pushed open the library door and crossed over to the nonfiction section. Geography books were at the very back, right? He wished he knew this stuff- after all, he didn't exactly come to the library unless he had to. Fortunately, it was just as he had guessed- all of the Geography books at the very back. Lance ran his finger across the spines of the books, his finger bumping whenever he came across space between books like a bus jolting over a few rocks. The book Brian had told him to get, 1001 Facts About Italy, was at the very end of a shelf, stopped only by a divider. The book was somewhat worn due to its age, but wasn't damaged enough that it wasn't readable. Lance stood up. Well, he had gotten what he had came for- Wait. What was that? Lance swore he saw something glint out of the corner of his eye, something around where he had found the book. He knelt down and examined the small space- Yup. There was something, all right. He slitted his eyes, any emotion in his dark eyes blocked by concentration. He felt around- there was something behind all of the books. At last his hand enclosed around the object. It was smooth to the touch, like the feeling of rushing water solidified. He took his time in pulling it out as to be careful not to damage it- whatever it was. He also faintly heard a tinkling of a chain being dragged across a surface. Lance removed his fingers from the object once it had been extracted from its hiding place. It was a smooth, oval-shaped, richly black stone a little smaller than his palm attached to a silver chain. Both the surface of the stone and the chain were frosted in dust- how long had it been there? An onyx, he suddenly identified as he wiped the dust off. What was an onyx pendant doing behind a bunch of books? Before he could think much more about it, a light slowly began to radiate around the stone- small and incredibly faint at first, gradually thickening and thickening until it was completely surrounded by the glow. Lance stared at the onyx. What the heck was happening?! Did he do something? He frantically tried to cover the glowing onyx in some way, putting the book over it and wrapping it in his red shirt. Whatever this thing was doing, he had to stop it before it did anything bad... His efforts weren't exactly succeeding. The onyx was still attracted to something, pulling in one direction as if a giant magnet was summoning it. And all the while, the light continued to grow stronger. Lance finally gave in and brought the onyx out again- now it looked like a miniature sun instead of an onyx. Then, all at once, the onyx shot a beam of light straight at the bookshelf. Lance's eyes grew in horror. “Dang it, no! What the crap?!” He dropped the pendant in an attempt to extinguish the ray of light, but it was almost as if it made the light stronger... Before he knew it, the light suddenly vaporized, as if there was a secret switch that turned it off. He didn't even have time to register for this when a weight pushed against his body roughly and sent him toppling down on the floor. And that's when it all began.

Thank you! Next chapter should be out tomorrow.

A/N: So on Saturday me and my friends all dared ourselves to write a complete first draft of an entirely new novel by the end of the month. It'll be very hard, but I believe we can do it! This is my novel. I'm posting it on here so I have motivation to actually complete this thing. It's an OC, an urban fantasy. And actually, the idea for this was inspired off a Kingdom Hearts FanFic. About the title... I think I'll change it later on since it's the name of one of the Final Fantasy XIII scores, but that's what I have for now until I come up with a better one. Enjoy! Oh, and if you don't get the prologue- don't worry. You're not supposed to, lol. ~Fighting Fate~ By Shion Prologue Erin Mercer was about to die. The sixteen year old turned the grimy pistol over in her hands. Everything was set- her note, the bullet and pistol, all of her valuable belongings in the hands of people she trusted. She was alone- it was now or never. Her throat constricted, her fingers uneasily flexing around the gun. Was she so sure that she wanted to go through with this? She had done her research- this was a permanent solution. Her family would be devastated. But yet again, she had always devoted herself to the happiness of others. Now it was her turn to be happy. Erin drew in a deep breath and pressed the barrel of the gun to her head, the cool metal sending icy waves on her skin. She tightened her grip once she felt herself relaxing her hold. “Sorry guys,” she murmured, her voice almost a whisper. Erin willed her finger to pull the trigger before she could stop herself. ~ ~ ~ Celia Vandergrift felt a sudden, splintering pain shoot through her head. The sensation disoriented her senses- it made her vision go topsy-turvy and sent a pulsing ring through her hearing. She would have collapsed if she hadn't already been sitting down in an armchair. She brought her knees to her chest, forcing her teeth together. Don't cry out, don't cry out, she told herself. You're strong, you can live through this- Apparently Celia wasn't doing a good job of hiding her pain, because she faintly heard footsteps pound over to her. “Celia! Are you all right?” It was so painful that Celia couldn't recognize who the voice belonged to. All she could tell was the voice sounding feminine. Celia wanted to answer her, but it throbbed so much that she couldn't move... Just as she mentally screamed for the pain to go away for the thousandth time, it did. Not all at once, but gradually, slowly trickling out of her mind. She felt a wave of ease brush over her once it finally stopped, but as a result, she felt as if it took twice as much effort to move, walk, just to do anything- Celia stopped breathing once she realized what had happened. She helped herself up into a sitting position, blankly staring into the fire she herself had lit. The fire was supposed to be warm and reassuring from the way the heat lightly dabbled on her skin, but it wasn't tonight. The girl who had rushed to help Celia, who she now recognized as Melody, knelt by the chair and studied Celia. “What's wrong?” Melody asked softly, in her voice as smooth as silk. Immediately Celia felt an urge to pour out all of her secrets to Melody, but quickly realized that it was just the effect her voice had. Melody was the Pearl Mediator, after all. Her pearl gave her the ability to convince anyone and anything with her melodic voice. Of course Celia wouldn't tell every little thing to Melody, but she did have to tell her what she just realized... “My Counterpart is dead,” she muttered. Melody furrowed her eyebrows. “What's that?” she asked, leaning in closer. Celia gulped. “My Counterpart is dead,” she repeated, voice louder this time. Melody's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. “Oh no... this isn't good.” Even her amazing voice was filled with worry. Celia closed her eyes, trying not to cry. “One Counterpart cannot exist without the other. Within seven days, I’ll die. There was still so much that I had to do...” “What's going on?” A new voice startled both Celia and Melody. A muscular, stiff-necked boy strode into the room, curious. “You both look like the world's going to end or something.” Melody stood. “Actually, Barrett...” she hesitated for a brief moment, twirling her platinum hair uneasily. “For Celia, it will. Her Counterpart has died.” Barrett's face paled. “Oh man, that's horrible!” His green eyes flickered around the room, as if he was hoping the walls would yield a solution. He then shook his head in an attempt to clear his mind. “Look, I’m sure we'll be able to find a new Ruby Bearer, one who will be just as capable as you-” The very idea of having a new person assuming her position ignited a spark of anger in her stomach. Celia shot up and whirled around to face Barrett, staring at him as if she wanted to kill him in one look. “No,” she snapped. “I can do this. I’ll find a way for me to live!” She pounded her chest with her fist pointedly. “C-Celia... I’m sorry, but no one has been able to survive without a Counterpart for any longer than a week.” Melody's voice was fragile and threatened to break apart at any second, but still persuasive as ever. “You may as well-” Then, just like that, a plan pieced itself together in Celia's brain. “Of course...” Celia said. “No one has been able to survive without a Counterpart.” With that, Celia dashed to the fireplace- or rather, the shelf that hung above it. She yanked a book off of the shelf and flipped through it excitedly. Celia still didn't quite know what the book was about. She had never bothered to look into it. The only reason they kept it around was because it wasn't Arcanian- the book had wound up in their world from Geomelis and kept it should they ever need to travel to Geomelis. Only Mediators had the ability to travel between the two dimensions. It was an ability that she could finally put to use. “Celia, what are you doing?!” Barrett nearly yelled. Celia payed no heed to him- she simply ignored him and yanked her ruby pendant off her neck and laid it on the surface of the book. Celia then turned to look at the Citrine Mediator. “Maybe... if there's even the slightest chance of bringing my Counterpart back to life-” Barrett didn't even give her a chance to finish. “Celia, have you gone mad? There's no way to bring back the dead!” “Celia, I hate to admit it, but he's right,” Melody agreed, almost seeming to shrink, as if she thought Celia would yell at her for saying this.” She shook her head briskly. “No, you don't understand,” Celia persisted. “The Onyx Mediator-” “In case you haven't noticed, we're kind of fighting against the Onyx Mediator!” “Yes, the Arcanian Onyx Mediator,” she said. “But what about the Geomolin Onyx Mediator? If I can just travel to Geomelis and find the other Onyx Mediator, I can possibly-” Barrett gripped his blonde hair fiercely. “Celia, this is crazy and you know it.” Celia allowed a small smile. “So crazy that it just might work.” She didn't allow any further conversation. Celia firmly pressed the book against the rotten, wood-planked wall, then jammed the ruby into the cover of the book as well. The Ruby Mediator closed her eyes, mentally stretching out an arm, desperately looking for a road to Geomelis. For the longest few moments, all she could find was a flat-out nothingness. So hollow, so pitch black, that Celia wondered if Barrett was right after all- Then, just like that, a mental, winding road to Geomelis gradually unfolded, laid out perfectly as if Celia was just looking at the palm of her hand. Celia grinned. “Found it,” she said to Melody and Barrett before allowing herself to travel down the road to a whole new world. Perhaps all was not lost after all.

Aw, thank you! Chapter 2 (Part 1) Sariella 'Sari' Isamar I remember the day of my funeral quite clearly. After had been pretty much disowned from the Isamars six years ago, of course Dad had to make up an excuse for my absence- best not to worry Marvyn with the Prophecy. So he faked my death. As for the lack of body, Dad claimed he cremated it. In the back, I had been there listening to the false speeches and watching as they untruthfully cried. Just remembering their faces, the nerve… it fueled me incredibly for my job. I dug my elbow harshly into my opponent’s stomach, fire beginning to brim in my chest. I was fighting a man, Valker, I think. It was simply my job- to fight in the tavern rink to entertain people. I don’t blame them for liking to watch fighting- I especially like to watch fights myself. Following that I quickly kneed Valker in the chest with force as I recalled their words. We are all saddened today by the loss of Princess Sariella Isamar. False. An uppercut punch. I just wish that she could somehow come back! Funny. I block an attempted punch from Valker with my forearm. It stings, but I take my mind away from the pain. She was such a promising young princess. Lies. Now I place my hands firmly on Valker’s chest, kicking him as far back as I can. To my satisfaction, Valker went as far back as to almost hit the thick rope that protected the fighting rink. There are many ‘Oooooh’s from the crowd. Unfortunately, the burly and bald man won’t back down. Figures. Valker snarles as he sets his jaw and tightens his muscles. Performing these two simple actions has given me enough time to think. Based on past experiences at the rink, I swiftly calculated his next actions. Since Valker was tightening his muscles, he plans to charge at me rapidly and at full force in one simple direction. All I have to do is sidestep it at the last second- a simple feat, but if I don’t accomplish it, I can be disabled. But there is that one knot behind me- one of the knots holding the arena rope together seems to be slipping apart. I have to improvise greatly if the plan doesn’t work, because now Valker has started running full speed towards me. I angle my body towards the knot strategically. My eyes narrow into slits as I watch him. The corners of my mouth are tempted to smile, but I haven’t won just yet. Even though I always do despite my age and gender. When Valker’s heavy, pulsing footsteps are only seconds away from me, I step to the left, away from Valker’s attack that could have injured me. Valker’s eyes grow when he witnesses the rope. He digs the heels of his bare feet into the floor of the rink. Despite this, I hear a satisfying snap. Sure enough, Valker’s heavy weight undid the knot- what was more, it snapped the rope in half. The audience gathered around the rink gasps in astonishment. Valker hasn’t dropped out of the rink, but from the way one foot is teetering closer to the edge and his arms are spinning around in circles, he will. Acknowledging this, the audience stepped back to make way for a large patch of wood flooring, so he’d be able to fall somewhere and not injure someone. But to my horror, Valker’s foot is beginning to recover. As if my body has a mind of its own, I run behind the man, only stopped by his back. I hug my arms closer to my chest in the form of an X as I push my weight against Valker’s. Valker gasps as he falls to the floor with a thud, and I have to quickly grab one end of the split rope to prevent myself from falling right after him. I don’t grunt as I pull myself up with my own sharp tug. Now I had been able to recover myself, it looks like I knocked him out cold- or close to it. It doesn’t matter whichever it was, because he now has six seconds to get up. Five… four… three… two… one… The crowd quickly erupted into a cheer. I mindlessly sweep off sweat I hadn’t known I’d seeded off my forehead. Now that this whole thing is over, I turn around and smile when I see the Rinkmaster already center stage. I walk forward to meet him. The Rinkmaster proudly took my hand. “Once again, the winner is our champion- Sabre!” He held my hand up high in the air as if trying to reach the ceiling. A usual yet very encouraging round of applause ensues. He handed me a small sack of pecuns- Marvyn currency. Challengers and I bet a certain amount of pecuns on who would win- it’s a tradition gladly upheld in The Sparrow’s Nest. Let’s see… twenty-five silver pecuns. Not bad, but not the best either. It’ll help Lilla hand I stay alive for about a week. Speaking of her, since the crowd had dispersed due to the match being finished, I can now see her clearly. I hop off the stage and land on the floor with a thud. Eagerly I weave through the crowd, mumbling a thanks whenever a congratulations or compliment was offered. Soon enough I see Lilla Caye, my best friend and practically sister. I can see the glossy auburn hair that always seems to be compounded into a thick, light brown mass that reached just a little bit past her shoulders- it frames her heart-shaped face perfectly. I can also see she’s very tall, even for a seventeen year old. The simple brown dress looks good on her as they bring out her sky blue irises. Lilla smiles without showing off her teeth when I meet up with her. “Well well, great job yet again, Sabre,” Lilla stretches the last word. I elbow her teasingly and smile. “Come on, you know you like the name,” I joke. Even though my name is indeed Sari Isamar, of course I go under a different alias nowadays. After being casted out of Marvyn, I had immediately traveled to Volkan, training in martial arts and swordmanship. A few years later I returned to Marvyn, I quickly picked up a new name- Sabre. It gave off the impression I need- to sound somewhat mysterious, cool, yet they would know automatically I’m not a force to be reckoned with. Then shortly after I met Lilla I also adopted her last name as well to complete my transaction. I had gone from Sari Isamar to Sabre Caye. I like that transformation. Just one downside to it- for some reason, Lilla hates it. She says it doesn’t sound too realistic. But I don’t care about being realistic- I care about first impressions. Lilla sighs. “You do realize that I like the name Sari much better than Sabre right?” She drops her voice to a whisper as not to give my identity away. I squint at her questioningly as we exit the tavern together. “Let me guess- because it isn’t realisitic?” Lilla shrugs. “I actually don’t know,” she confesses. “Sari just sounds better.” We walk through the streets of the Marvyn capitol. Behind us the castle looms over us menacingly, and out on the actual streets light threads through the windows of small homes and pours onto the streets. Parents gather the last of their children who’re outside for dinner or bedtime or whatnot. Only a glimmer of the afternoon sky remains, taken up almost entirely by the blackness of night. In the distance, you can hear the faint rush of the ocean waves now that it’s eerily quiet. Up ahead tall trees signal the beginning of the forest we reside in. Soon dropping the subject about my name, we eventually exit the town and head on to the forest right next to it. Once enclosed in its familiar depths, Lilla and I hike up the trail to our little house when a strange, white-blue light emits from the trees. “I mostly think that he’s just a dunderhead, but-“ Lilla then gasps and silences me. “Sari! Be quiet!” She leaned over to the blue glow, as if straining to hear somebody. When it appeared she was fruitless, Lilla spins back to me, her hair brushing the air as always. “What do you think that is?” I shrug nonchalantly. “Dunno. Anyways, let’s get a move on. I don’t see how that glow is gonna get us food. In fact, in most stories I’ve read, nothing good happens from random, ominous-“ “Sshh!” Lilla hisses. Lilla crouches down low, her glittering blue eyes eagerly searching. “I-I think I heard something! Follow me!” Before I can even open my mouth to complain how bad an idea this is, Lilla dashes off. Sighing and knowing I may as well follow, I start off after her. I look around, holding an arm out and angling my steps perfectly as I run down a slope- not an easy feat, especially with slippery rocks and the cramped elbow room the pine trees offered me. I’m guided only by the numerous branches snapping underneath Lilla’s steps. Over time as we draw nearer, the light burns brighter, so we have more light. Still, this does not change my shifting footsteps. I’m somewhat relieved when Lilla stops. I can see the source of this eerie light now I’m walking. Lake Orna. The lake nearby Lilla and I’s cabin is our main source of water, so we’ve got to be nearby our destination now. But I can barely recognize Lake Orna- the only way I’m able to identify it is the jagged outline- the like is slightly curved, making it look somewhat like a crescent moon if you squint. But since Orna is pretty long, you have to look at it multiple times to identify the shape. Almost everything is different about the lake- it normally looks like, well, a lake. But this time, it looks as if Orna were fostering some strange, otherworldly substance. I’ll admit though, it does look rather beautiful. Tall pine trees border the midnight-black sky, from which a full moon pours its moonlight sparingly onto Orna. I can barely see where the light hits the lake- after all, the blue glow seems to radiate deep from the lake’s depths. The water ripples diagonally- Wait, diagonally? It ripples vertically. From Orna’s change of tide, it’s easy to figure out that something’s wrong. But what? Unfortunately, Lilla is oblivious, amazed by the sight. “Whoa,” Lilla remarks. “This is pretty.” I grunt. “Pretty or not, it doesn’t affect us.” Sometimes Lilla can be easily distracted- despite me being younger, from time to time I have to place Lilla in check. But yet again, Lilla puts me in line more than I do her. “Let’s go- we’re almost home.” “One second,” Lilla insists. “Just that I haven’t drunk any water since we left, and the hike has made me rather thirsty.” I roll my eyes. “Hurry up,” I mumble. Nodding in satisfaction, Lilla turns to Lake Orna, lowers herself on one knee, and scoops up water to her mouth. While she drinks I watch drops of water plummet to the ripe grass. The instant her lips touch the water, Lilla jumps up and drops it. “Holy crap!” Lilla exclaims. “That water is a lot colder than usual!” As if to prove this, Lilla shivers in the night air and rubs her hands against her arms. I chuckle, amused by Lilla’s reaction. “I told you- shouldn’t have drunk that. Now com’on- let’s get back home.”

Oh, crap, it looks like I missed the writing due date- darn it, I thought it was today!

Bump. x3

Hello! This is an original story that I'm looking to get published someday, and I'm posting the first ten chapters on here because I'd like some feedback on it. Racing Eternity Book 1 of the Guardians Trilogy Chapter 1 Parissa Isamar We are playing tag that day- the day our lives change. The bell residing in one of the tallest turrets of the castle rings sharply and boldly, its echoes persisting throughout the castle and allowing a few doves formerly resting against it to be jolted awake, take to the air, and fly away. The few doves that soared away from the bell is a pretty sight to look up to while my twin sister is chasing me. The lavish white silk brushes my skin as the sun beats on me. It would have been peaceful, if I had not been playing a game with my twin sister and my best friend, Princess Sariella Isamar. A foot shoots out one after the other in fluid motions as I giggle, heavy footsteps behind me. “I’ll catch you!” Sari ranted as if she’s some villain who lost against his hero nemesis. But she wasn’t that- she was a Princess, just like me, and this was a simple game of tag. I dare a look behind me and stick out my tongue. “Fat chance!” This challenges Sari to run faster, which she accomplishes. A lump forms in my throat, and I quickly turn my head around as strands of blonde tickle my face. I want to be the one to win the game this time- Sari is physically fitter than me, after all. I do want to live up to her. Sudden even to myself, I take a sharp turn at the edging brick walls of the castle courtyard. I fumble on my own footsteps for a tiny bit before I quickly recover and scamper onward. A voice as smooth as silk interrupts Sari’s and I’s game. “What are you two up to now?” I turn my head and abruptly stop to see her, a smiling woman that radiated elegance and caring. Adorned in a fancy white dress and her long, silky black hair carefully poured over her shoulders and a sparkling diadem crowned, the Queen of Marvyn, or my Mom, arrives. I immediately bow my head in shame- Sari doesn’t. Princess’ aren’t supposed to play rough games- it isn’t ladylike, even for nine-year-olds. Sari and I often do it in secret when we can get away- which isn’t easy, mind you. “I… I’m sorry!” I begin to wail. Instead of being mad, Mom only tilts her head curiously. “What is there to be sorry for?” she inquires. “You’re just playing- even princesses need to have fun, you know.” Mom giggles at this. Sari boasts her hand into the air, long curly black hair flailing slightly. Sari gets the hair from Mom, I get the hair from Dad. “Yes!” she cheers. I just smile somewhat wearily, fastening my hands behind my back so no one sees my fingers fumbling with each other. I always play with my fingers whenever I’m uneasy or nervous. Mom had suggested we still play, but still… As if to prove my feeling right, Dad suddenly bursts into the Courtyard, along with a maid scrambling fretfully behind him. I think her name’s Teresa or something. “But, Your Highness- you have to hear it!” Teresa insists. Dad waves a hand dismissively, adding to his bold appearance with his flowing cape that marked him as the Marvyn King. “I will not accept such nonsense.” “But it’s a new part of the Prophecy!” Teresa says. “The Prophecy- the one that the magicians have said will change the world! And it pertains largely to this family!” Before Dad can say anything more, Mom cuts in. “A new part of the Prophecy, you say?” Teresa eagerly nods. “And again- this is pointing to your family! Your family has an influential part in the fate of the Four Lands!” Mom nods, giving Dad a look to hear Teresa out. “Do you know these lines?” she asked. Again Teresa nods. Sari and I exchange each other glances. The fumbling in my fingers start to pick up its pace. Teresa takes a deep breath. “Within the Seven Guardians, sets of twins will be born,” she begins. “Of noble blood and royalty- one for good, one for evil. The Mark of the Light, and the Mark of the Night. One with the power to purify, the other with the power to destroy...” Teresa takes another deep breath to get herself to recover from the shock. “Of noble blood- these twins could very well be our own Parissa and Sariella.” My eyes widen, and now my fingers start to seed sweat as they slip and fumble with another more than ever, and my feet shift uneasily. Sari has a different reaction. Instead, she’s merely curious, just like Mom. She seems completely relaxed about the situation- maybe even a little smug. “But… what makes you think, Teresa, that we could be these twins?” Sari asks, innocently batting long eyelashes. The question is inquiring as if she’s merely wondering, as if she can’t believe it. But I can see her tone of voice- Sari can’t hide her excitement, her anticipation… the hunger that gleams faintly in her eyes. In response, an almost strangled cry struggles out of Teresa’s throat. “Your... birthmarks…” Teresa points a plump, shivering finger at me, than at Sari. My face is drained of its color, and I’m so shocked that I even let my tense arms fall to my side. Teresa’s right… Without thinking, my hand jets to my sleeve- mine is on my left shoulder. I’m pretty sure that Sari has one, but I haven’t seen it in a long time. The mark on my shoulder is intricate, to say the very least. In thick black ink, a broad, five pointed star is surrounded by seemingly thousands of curlicues and swirls. These fancy borders that surround the star wrap around my shoulder, reaching to the other side. From time to time if I look hard enough, it glows in a fading, yellow-white light. I look over to Sari, who has followed my lead and pulled down her sleeve to unveil her shoulder. Her mark is unlike mine- there is no star- instead, there is a kind of mist that swirls entirely- like mine, it wraps around my shoulder. It glows a dark blue very faintly. Teresa gasps at our marks. “So… it’s… prophecy… Sariella… Parissa…” “The Marks of Light and Night,” Dad breathes. He blinks a few times, as if he’s hallucinating. Then finally his eyes adjust to the sight. And when it does, it lingers menacingly on Sari. A lump begins to grow on my neck as Dad stares at Sari hard, as if he were trying to turn her into something. My fingers twitch uneasily. Despite the glare she’s given, Sari acts calm. Acts. Finally Dad breaks the looming silence, in which its presence still lingers somewhat. “No risks can be taken,” he says. “Sariella- I’m afraid that you must leave.” Sari’s eyes widen, as do mine in coronation. For the first time in my life, I see Sari shift her feet uneasily. “What do… you mean?” she asks cautiously. Dad’s gaze doesn’t soften, and Mom begins to look concerned. “I mean, you will leave this castle, and never come back. Bearing the Mark of the Night, you are a threat to our country, as well as a shame and burden to the Isamar House, like a weed in a field of flowers.” Mom finally summons the courage to speak up. “Pryor, are you so sure about this?” she asks. “Banishing Sari? I’m sure that there are other twins out there that are candidates for this- after all, there are the-“ Dad shook his head rapidly, as if that alone would disperse of the problem. “No. Again, we must take no risks. And did you see those Marks?” The Queen of Marvyn opens her mouth to say something and fight back, but after a few seconds’ time she closes it. Her eyes refuse to meet her husband’s. Dad nods again and looks to me, and suddenly his eyes change into a new costume. Instead of the hostile glare he presented to Sari, he gives me a warm look, one that could only be translated as kindness. “Parissa, my darling- I can see that you have a great destiny ahead of you.” His eyes shift slightly to take a look at my Mark. I wearily nod, unsure of what to say or how to respond. This makes almost no sense- Sari is being banished while I’m being praised. Suddenly a scream emits- I turn to see Sari, baring her teeth, frustrated and hands now balled into fists. There is an invisible aura around her, one of pure fury and it lights up her eyes in rage. “This is uncalled for!” Sari screams. “Are you kidding me? All of this just because of a stupid thing on my shoulder? Think you can throw me out just like that? Well, I’ve got news for you- you can’t!” Sari’s eyes light up and turn off again, as if there’s some switch that’s making it flicker. The darks of her eyes are beginning to become consumed by an untamable blue, working itself slowly into her irises, as if possessing her. After a few seconds of studying it, I can see that this is the same blue that her Mark glowed in. Sari then gasps, faltering to her knees and gripping herself tightly. “Wha-what’s happening?!” she yells. A few horrific moments more and her entire eyeballs are consumed by that glowing blue. Sari screams in rage as she stamps her feet on the ground- in turn the ground begins to shake uncontrollably. “Sari!” I call out, rushing up to her and careful not to trip over my white dress. I grip her harshly by the arm, which mellows the small earthquake a little. “You’ve got to stop!” I cry out. “You’re not going to be banished! If you are, than I’m being banished with you!” Sari slowly takes this into consideration, slowly seeping into her brain. The blue fades slowly, and the small earthquake is on the verge of being stopped. Did… did it… But her eyes begin to glow blue again, more radiant than ever. “Shut up, Parissa!” Sari snarled. “You’re a pathetic weakling! Why would I want your help?” Before I can get away, she takes me by the arm, her fingernails digging into my skin and on the verge of drawing blood. With a heavy burst of strength, Sari tosses me across the courtyard. For a brief moment, I’m weightless in the air. The next my back skids on the ground, tearing the back of my dress and my head crashes into the brick. I hear Teresa squeal in fright and Mom scold Sari, as if she isn’t in her… her… her state. My vision sinks, than it rises. Sink, rise. Sink, rise. Black begins to edge my vision, and my body is screaming to let my eyes drop as I feel a sort of liquid trickle slowly through my body. I let out a choked kind of cry when my eyelids finally drop and I hear a gruff voice shout my name desperately. It feels as if I’ve only just closed them when I find myself indoors, with many nurses and maids surrounding me. Dad hovers over me worriedly and Mom’s crying in a corner. They’re not who I want to see… I feel a stab in my stomach when I don’t see Sari anywhere. “She’s awake!” I vaguely hear someone announce, and just then I feel a warm, pink silk blanket draped over my body. I’m in my bedroom, apparently. “Good.” There’s my Dad again. “Queen Ricarda and I request to meet with her alone.” The King of Marvyn’s command isn’t taken lightly by the nurses and other caretakers. Hurriedly they scuttle out of the room, throwing me pitying looks over their shoulder as they leave. Quickly enough it’s just me and my parents. I feel a gruff hand settle on my legs. “Princess Parissa Isamar, are you all right?” Dad asks. “You’ve been out for a full twenty-four hours.” I don’t respond to Dad’s question- I can’t answer his question due to the burning feeling rooting deep inside my heart. If I’m right… if Sari… Sari and I are like two connecting pieces of a puzzle. We’d be incomplete without the other. “Where’s Sari?” I question. I had expected the question to be gentle, fragile, like a piece of paper withering. Instead it comes out sharply and as hard as stone. Dad just shakes his head after jutting it back somewhat, appalled by my question for some reason. “I thought that you knew- Sariella, that disgrace of a princess, is gone for good.”

A writing contest... interesting. I'll join.

Ah, love the writing in this. Keep going!

Aw, I've done it before, it's possible! Yeah, trust me, especially after that long time without any chapters, I will.

I know, right? This is one of the only things that have ever made me cry. T.T Aw, thank you! Anyways, I am SO sorry that I couldn't get this up sooner! RL has been a huge mess for me lately and I haven't been able to write as much. But now the next part's finally here! I hope it was worth the wait! Prologue (Part 2) A deep voice rumbled through the computer room. "Namine... this Replica, Xion," he started. "There are remains of her- faint, and very small- but perhaps enough for her to return physically." A pretty girl, fifteen, looked to the form cautiously, as if she were afraid of what would happen if she looked at it. Nervously, Namine fumbled with her platinum blonde hair, gazing at what was left of Number Fourteen. Shards reminiscent of ice, close together, floated unsteadily as if controlled by a puppeteer who was having trouble keeping them all up. They twinkled faintly, just enough to leave anyone breathless of the magnificent sight. Yes, Namine thought. It would be pretty, if not so sad. Namine realized that DiZ was waiting for her to answer. Her azure eyes bulged unearthly when she remembered what he said. "R-Return?" Namine asked in her melodic voice. "Physically? But how?" "Only Vexen knew exactly how Xion worked," DiZ continued, but all these shards, bits of her life form, remain. All others have gone to Sora- only half was needed. And to think of her willingness..." DiZ turned around so Namine could see his head, layered red bandages and crossing belts. "...I think she deserves more, don't you agree?" Namine looked down shyly. "I- I suppose. But Sora-" "The only memories Sora will accept are his own," DiZ said. "You said that yourself." Namine wanted to cry out loud. She really liked Xion in the short time she had gotten to talk with her, but she had to repair his memories. She promised him... "Maybe it was a mistake," Namine pondered. "Xion was made from Sora's memories of Kairi, and Sora needs those specific memories in order to wake up-" Namine trailed off. She had checked in on Sora- DiZ was right. Sora already had the memories needed from Xion. DiZ nodded, sensing that Namine was slowly understanding. "The rest is her life force- her memories. Xion was created from Sora's memories again- but this time, perhaps her own memories might be enough to recreate her. Despite this, she's weak and will slowly have to grow. Xion needs to be developed." "Are you... are you saying... we should put her in the digital Twilight Town with Roxas?" Namine asked. "It's exactly what I'm saying." With that, DiZ typed a few things on the monitor, then clicked a few times. Once he was done, the shards began to transform. A technological wave rippled over the shards, slowly reshaping them. In the process, the unmistakable form of Xion slowly overpowered it. Neon green numbers and waves cascaded over them, jumbled together as it gave Xion form. Finally the rippling wave dissolved, finishing Xion. At last, Namine walked to Xion, slowly at first, but gaining confidence with each new step. When she reached her, Namine delicately laid a hand on her chest. Namine's hopes quickly sank when she felt nothing inside Xion- a hope quickly renewed when she felt something lightly tapping against her hand. Her wide blue eyes lit up in happiness and relief. Smiling, Namine removed her hand from Xion's chest and nodded. DiZ raised his eyebrows under the bandages. "Well then, it's a success. Although she still needs to be developed, there is a chance. I'll have Riku put her in Twilight Town shortly." Namine played with her hands for a moment. "What will her story be?" DiZ thought for a moment, processing Namine's suggestion. He nodded to himself when he resolved on something. "Xion will be playing 'the new girl'," DiZ decided. "She'll think she just moved to Twilight Town, living with a single mom. Her dad will have died recently." Namine smiled, glad that this was all becoming a reality. "So everything's settled." "Right. Now, I must inform Riku of the situation." With that, DiZ walked off, leaving Namine alone. Namine stood still for a few seconds, then walked out of the computer room as well. To think, Sora would likely be able to wake up and Xion would be able to live. She sighed in pleasure upon arriving at her room, then turned to a blank sheet of paper and a crayon box. For the next half hour or so, Namine drew. She drew Roxas, than Xion, then added Hayner, Pence and Olette. Once she was done with that, Namine brought Twilight Town to life. Namine fingered the drawing, the one that had embodied exactly what DiZ and her were hoping for- a second chance.

A writing contest, you say? Count me in. I've been looking for something to motivate me to write Xion Incarnate.

I'm asking for this game for Christmas, and I really hope I get it- I've seen a walkthrough here or there to study the gameplay, and it looks amazing!

It is a really highly anticipated game of mine, but not THE most anticipated because I don't have a 3DS. Final Fantasy XIII-2 just barely ranks higher than Dream Drop Distance because I'll actually be able to play it, and I get to play as my favorite character in FFXIII.

Oh my gosh. XION. I know it only showed her for a brief instant, but... perhaps she'll make an appearance as well? :DDDDD

I like Sephiroth.

I've seen a lot of anime. I recommend- Naruto Fullmetal Alchemist Shaman King Bleach Shugo Chara! Fruits Basket (It's romance, which I hate, but funny at points)

Interesting, a Three Musketeers world. I was fond of that movie when I was little. And you get to fight Neku, Joshua and Beat? Cool! But... what about Shiki? I know that she gets separated from Neku, but I would like to fight her, too. Might be just me, though. And I really hope Rhyme makes an appearance in this as well...

Xion. Definitely Xion. Axel, Riku, Roxas and Namine all come pretty close, though.

The Infernal Machine I thought wasn't too hard- I mean, of course it's hard, it's a boss- but I found it easier to beat than other ones. I ended up beating it on my first try. BUT. There's the Leechgrave. Holy crap that took me a long time to beat- thank everything that is holy for Elixirs. After a two weeks of playing I finally beat it. Then we come to the Friggin' Ruler of the Freaking Sky. Oh. My. Gosh. That little thing flew around in circles for twenty straight minutes, then right when it was a half a life bar left to dying- it killed me suddenly with it's rage mode! I was stuck on that stupid Heartless from May till November. I was really mad when a friend of mine beat it after a bunch of tries, but he gave me a pointer or two, I played it- whaddya know? I beat it. You could hear me screaming in my room in triumph that day.