Chapter 1
The Beginning
My story began eight years ago on Destiny Island, that day was like any other, having adventures on the island an end our day on the beach. My name is Sara, and this is the story about me, my twin brother Sora and our best friend Riku. today we were making sand castles just to see who could make a better one, but something was off. I could see it in Sora's eyes.
"You saw them fighting again, didn't you?" I asked Sora, our parents have been fighting for months now I lost track how many. I knew how much seeing them fight upset Sora.
"Why can't they be happy? I don't understand." Sora said throwing his sand bucket and shovel into the water. I held his hand and leaned against his shoulder, I grew a tolerance towards Mom and Dad fighting. the only thing I could do for Sora now was comfort him.
"It's because their adults," Riku said running over to Sora's sand bucket and shovel and grabbing them before they were pulled out into the ocean. "that's why we come to this island," he said walking up to us and sits down, placing the bucket and shovel on the other side or Sora. "to escape adults!" he proclaimed. I never understood why Riku hated adults but that didn't matter. we weren't allowed to stay on the island after sundown anyway. It was time to go home and like always, after we got to the main land Sora would hold my hand all the way home.
"Jezz Sora, no is going to think you're the oldest of us if you're crying all the time." I said as we stop on our front porch as I wipe the tears away from his eyes. Sora and I might be twins, but Sora was still born first and he loved to boast about it.
"S...sorry Sara," Sora said to me, "I wish we could live on the island." he said looking at our front door.
"I know," I said grabbing his hand, "but it's going to get better. I just know it." We both work together to push the door open. we slowly enter, nothing could be farther from the truth.
"Sora, Sara, come to the kitchen." we could hear our father yell from the kitchen. I began to shake if fear, I could tell when Father was angry, but this was different. it was almost as if he was sad to yell at us. Sora grabbed my hand to knock me out of the fear I was feeling. I turned over and looked into his blue eyes, it was that distinct factor that told us apart. Sora has blue eyes, while I was born with brown. He nods at me and we slowly make are way silently to the kitchen. We both see mom and dad sitting at opposite ends of the dinner both looking at us.
"Please come and sit down." Mom said with her kind hearted voice which was very contrast to fathers voice. I looked at the table, but didn't want to let go of Sora's hand. We nod to each other ads sit in the two spots of the table opposite of each other. "we have something to tell you," mom grabs onto both of our hands.
"I'm sorry to tell you this but your mom and I are separating." Dad said, I look over at Sora whose eyes become dark from shock.
"Why?" was the only thing that could come out of my mouth.
"It's for the best," Mom said as dad nodded in agreement.
"I know this is all a lot to process but over time you two will move on," dad said," I will be going back to my homeland, while your mom will be staying here." he then turns his gaze at me, "Sara," he said as I jolted at the sound of my name.
"yes?"
"you will be coming with me, while your brother will be staying here with your mother." my face went white. the one thing I had nightmares about are coming true, not only were mom and dad separating, but their splitting me and Sora up in the process.
"No!" Sora screamed, jumping out of his chair and running around the table and climbed onto my chair. "You can't! I won't let you!" he continued to yell as he wrapped his arms around me tightly. I was so shocked that I couldn't even move.
"I'm sorry, but this is for the best." mom said trying to calm Sora down, at this point he was just at the verge of crying.
"Best for you!" he yelled back, "How is separating us better for me and Sara?" He asked as father quickly stood up from his chair.
"Sora!" he yelled causing Sora to squeeze me tighter. "This is for the best for you and your sister. Were doing this to protect both of you." he said, "I'm sorry but it's already decided, Sara and I will be leaving tomorrow." All I could do at this point was start crying it wasn't long after that Sora began to cry with me. He loosened his grip enough so I could slightly turn and hug Sora back. Why? why was this happening? I've barely been away from Sora for a day and now were being separated for who knows how long. I don't remember how long we cried like this but I remember that we cried ourselves to sleep.
I woke up the next morning with Sora sleeping in my bed, this would be the last day we would be together. I remembered my present that I was going to give Sora on our birthday since it was coming up soon. A crown shaped pendant with a thick metal chain. I hid the necklace in mom's old music box on top of the fireplace so Sora wouldn't find it, looks like I'm giving him his present early. I could see the leftover tears in Sora's closed eyes from the night before. I didn't want to wake him so I slowly slipped out of bed and went downstairs to the living room to grab the necklace.
"What are you doing up so early Sara?" I heard my dad's voice from behind me. I turn around to see him sitting in one of the living room chairs wearing his reading glasses, holding a book with no words on the front.
"Well since were leaving I'm going to give Sora his birthday present." I told him as I reach for the jewelry box and pull out the necklace.
"Can I take a look?" he asked setting down the book and holding out his hand. I walked over to him and he pulled me up on his lap as I handed him the necklace. "wow!" he said looking closely at the necklace, "Where did you get this?" he asked, his eyes seemed as if he had seen that symbol before.
"I designed it, mom told me to think of a design that Sora can have on him always so I drew the shape and mom made it." I explained.
"I see..." He said as he pushes his reading glasses up his nose, "but what made you think of a crown?" he asked.
"I remember seeing it in a dream," I said as he hands me the necklace back. "Where are we going to move to?" I asked trying not to sound depressed.
"Were moving back to my home world," He said with a smile, I just stared at him as if he was crazy. "You see Sara, I'm actually from another world, called The Land of Dreams."
"There are other worlds out there?" I asked both confused and excited. "How many are there?"
"There are as many worlds as there are stars," He said, "you're going to love it there, but you have to promise me you won't tell Sora where were going,"
"On one condition." I said, My father was shocked at how forward I was, "you let me and Sora go to the island together one last time." that way I could see Riku. I quickly jump out of his lap and turn to face him, but all he could do is laugh.
"Alright," he agreed as he took off his reading glasses, "Mom and I will wait for the two of you on the beach at sundown." he said, I smiled and ran as fast as I could back to my room. I sneak back in to see Sora still sleeping, so I quickly get dressed and hide the necklace in my jacket pocket.
"Sara?" Sora slowly sat up on the bed rubbing his eyes, "what are you doing?" he asked me.
"dad said we can spend the day at the island together with Riku one last time." I said with a smile.
"Really?" He asked and I nodded. Sora jumped out of bed so fast it looked as if he was floating. I loved it when Sora was happy, I was as if I could physically feel the warmth of his heart. "I'll get ready, you wait by the front door." he said, I replied with another nod as I walked back downstairs and waited by the front door.
"You two going to the island?" Mom asked coming up to me.
"Yeah, dad said we could spend one more day together." I said to her with a smile. "I'm going to give Sora his birthday gift!" I said.
"That's great, I know he'll love it." she said kneeling down to see eye to eye. "I know that on the inside you're mad at us for separating you and Sora, but you must understand that this is for the best." She said with a sad face, I could tell she was upset about this entire situation as well.
"I understand," I said trying to calm her nerves, "Besides it's not like we will never see each other again." Mom quickly hugged me.
"that's right... we will see each other again," Mom let go of her grip just as Sora was coming down the stairs. He quickly runs over to me and rips me away from her.
"Sora?" He began to drag me out the front door.
"Come on Sara, Riku is already waiting for us." He said as we leave.
"S...Sora! what's wrong? your hurting me." I asked as he still dragged me along all the way to the beach.
"I will never forgive them." He said as we jump into the boat. my wrist still sore from being pulled all the way here.
"Sora... please don't hate them, you're too young to rebel against mom and dad." I say as I start to laugh. It took shorter than usual to get to the island, Riku was standing on the docs waiting for us.
"What took you so long?" He asked while Sora was quickly tying up the boat, Riku throws our wooden swords at us.
"Sora slept in again," I said trying to act as if today was like any other, Riku laughs.
"Well, come on!" Riku said holding out his hand to me. "Wakka said he saw a monster in the forest." Riku blurted out as I grab his hand and he pulls me onto the dock, While at the same time Sora roll onto the dock.
"Really?" Sora said jumping back up to his feet. I wonder it that word is the extent of his vocabulary.
"Yeah, lets hunt down the monster." he said, usually Riku arrives to the islands early so he could set up fake adventures to go on and today was no different. Sora was clueless as always but I knew to play along so Sora could get the most out of it, he gets cranky if he is bored for too long. Sora quickly runs ahead with Riku right behind him with me in the back walking with my hands pressed against the back of my head. We finally make it to the inside of the forest when Sora suddenly comes to a stop.
"What's wrong Sora?" Riku asked While Sora quickly turned around, ran up to me and grabbed my hand.
"Come on Sara," He said with a big smile. "You're the best at finding things." What he said was true, no matter if what we were looking for was fake or real I was always the one to find it, even if Sora was the one in front. I nodded at him as we begin to walk again with Riku right behind us.
"What did they say the monster looked like?" I asked Riku, The farther we went into the forest, the darker it got.
"Wakka said it was the creepiest thing he ever saw, a black shadowy thing with big yellow eyes." Riku explained. That's odd, Riku usually sees the monster personally.
"Wait," I said coming to a stop with Sora still holding my hand, "You haven't seen the monster?" I asked turning around to look at Riku.
"No," He replied, I could see the sparkle in his eyes. We were hunting down a real monster. The trees all of a sudden looked darker, I could feel a light chill in the air. Sora lets go of my hand real fast to point at a tree.
"I... I think I just saw it." Sora said as all three of us Quickly run over towards the tree.
"I don't see it," Riku yelled as I tilt my head to look at the back side of the tree. I could see a small figure at the base of the tree It looked like the shadow of a small animal with long misshaped ears. Its eyes glowed a bright yellow in the dark. It quickly jumps at me, out of shock I scream and jump back away from the monster. It slowly crawls towards us
"What... what is that?" Sora said in a disgusted voice, Riku runs at it.
"Riku!" I yelled as he took a swing at it, but nothing happened. The creepy figure was still coming closer.
"R...Run!" Riku yelled as he grabbed my hand, I was still looking over at the monster when I notice that more of the same monster were popping out of the shadows of the trees. We all begin to run towards the beach not daring to look back. It wasn't until after we were on the beach did I notice that I dropped my sword in the forest.
"Is... everyone... alright?" Riku asked gasping for breath, I noticed he was still holding my hand.
"Yes," I said as I inch closer to Riku, "Um, Sora... " I notice he was looking at the sun going to set soon.
"Yeah?" Sora looked over at me.
"I'm going to go to the secret spot and explain to Riku what's going on," I said griping Riku's hand tighter. Sora nods at me, "Come on Riku," I said and we both walk together To our secret spot, Beside the water fall. We found this place together, and vowed to never let anyone else know about it. I thought It would be the perfect place to tell Riku everything. There was nowhere else I would rather be than here, with Riku.
"Sara, you've been acting different today." Riku said letting go of my hand.
"I'm leaving," I said quickly turning away from him.
"Like on a trip?" he asked, I looked at some of the carvings on the wall that we made when we were younger. I place my hand on the wall and shake my head in response. "Are you going on an adventure?" Riku sounded confused, "You know if your go..."
"It's not like that!" I yelled as tears stream down my face, "Mom and Dad are separating, dad is going back to his homeland," I turn back around to face him. "and I have to go with him tonight." I began to cry so hard it was difficult to breath. "I... I don't ... I don't want to go!" I manage to say in between breaths.
"Sara, it's going to be ok. Sora and I will come visit you." But when Riku said that all I could do is cry even harder.
"That's the problem," I said trying to rub some of the tears off my face. "I'm being taken to a different world, and I can't tell Sora where I'm going" I say falling to my knees. It didn't take Riku long to help me back up on my feet. He grabs a rock from the ground, "What...?" Riku quickly begins carving something into the stone wall, while I was trying to figure out what he was carving I started to calm down. Still with tears in my eyes Riku finishes his carving and slams his hand on top of it.
"This is where I will make you a promise!" he began to Proclaim. "I promise! by this mark that, no matter how long it takes, I will find you!" He said. I was so happy that I ran in to his open arms.
"Thank you Riku," I said letting go of him, I look over to see what Riku carved into the wall. It was a star with the letters R plus S inside it,"
"If only the Paopu fruit was in season, I wouldn't have to just promise." Riku said looking away with a flustered face, I shook my head.
"This is fine, this way I know I won't be forgotten." I said, "Come on, it's nearly sunset and time for me to leave." I started to walk out of our secret place. Right outside was Sora sitting over the ledge next to the waterfall. "It's time to go Sora," I said as he stands up and faces me.
"One thing first," Sora said pulling something out from his back pocket. "Since we can't spend our birthday together this year I wanted to give you your present before you go." he said handing me the present. It was a pendant shaped as a blue heart and at the top of the heart was a crown identical to my present to Sora.
"It's beautiful," I said pulling it over my head and putting it on. I pull Sora's present out of my jacket and hand it to him, "And this is your gift." I said laying my hand on top of my new necklace. "Now we will have a part of each other, always." Sora puts on his necklace and we hold hands. "Together, " I said holding my empty hand out to Riku and he immediately grabs hold. We all walk over to the boats but Riku didn't leave the island he said he had to do one more thing before going home. Sora and I left the island where mom and dad were waiting for us on the beach.
"Are you scared?" Sora asked me as we walk towards them holding hands again. I nod to him gripping his hand tighter. I finally let go of Sora's hand to give mom a hug good bye. I turn around to look at Sora Who was already crying, Tears filled my eyes as I open my arms and Sora flies into them. "I'm going to miss you," I said beginning to cry again.
"I'm going to miss you too." Sora said, right after he lets go dad walks over to my side and holds out his hand.
"Let's go," He said as we climb into his car. I quickly roll my window to look back at the island one last time.
"Good bye Sora!" I yell as I wave good bye. All I could hear was Sora's Voice echo my name. It took three days to get to The Land of Dreams, and it wasn't until we got there that I was told that I would never see Sora, or Riku ... ever again.