Neon lights flare out in the midnight sky from enormous buildings and skyscrapers as radiant as rainbows. Down to the crowded streets there were people in every direction. Remora, however, walked on the sidewalk where she could stay close to Fang, who was her childhood friend, for they were both out in an extravagant night for drinking, shopping, and possibly gambling. For down in Siren City, almost anything is legal at a young age.
"Remora, you slowpoke. Better catch up; I'm looking forward to this night! "Fang shouted energetically. Remora was nearly walking sluggishly 5 feet away from her.
"Damn, Fang. We do this every night. I feel like checking out a new place. "At this point, Remora and Fang were finally neck and neck to each other.
"Well, where else is there to go?"
Remora didn't have to think for too long, since she was told stories of one special place her mother - Vera - would tell her about since she was a wee lad. Someplace she wanted to visit for a while.
"...You think someday...we can find Spira?"
"Remora, from what your mom told us, don't you think it'd be difficult to reach there? She said it was another world; not a city or state. How're we supposed to get to another world? "Fang questioned half seriously.
Remora silently began looking around, and stopped turning her head once her vision landed on the library. It was dark in the area, yet it had to be open. You'd see a very dim lamp light inside at a distance from outside.
"Someway. Until then, I want to learn more about it. "
With that said, Remora changed the direction she was walking, Fang being unaware until she heard a bell chime.
"C'mon. Let's look for some answers " Remora said with a grin.
"Aw, Remora! This isn't what we agreed on! "Fang yelled from behind, running to Remora who was politely holding the door for her. They both went in as the wooden door shut behind them, letting the bell ring once more. No one seemed to be around from what they saw (or visualized.), and there was metronomic piano music playing that suited well for a calm rainy night. Fang was twirling the spiky blonde ends of her hair in curiosity while looking at a few city articles with a blank look on her tanned face. Remora took a few steps forward as she looked at the juggernaut isles and halls of literature and imagery.
"So what is it here that you want?" Fang asked, sounding interested for the first time in her life whenever in a library.
"Where do you suppose they keep books of other worlds?
"Science Fiction. Astrology. Durr; or the planetarium. Couldn't we have just asked your mom where she got her book of this ' Spira '? "
Remora at the moment was in the history isle around the myths/legends corner. Her radiant eyes skimmed the titles at the sides of the frontal books.
"Because I want to learn more about Spira. There has to be different books on it somewhere. "Remora explained. Fang reached into her pocket pulling out her cell phone and eyeing it warily.
"Can't we just call her and ask if there's anymore?" Fang asked impatiently. Remora's eyes didn't change their position.
"Go ahead. But i'ma keep looking. "
Without a second thought, Fang punched the buttons on her phone to call Remora's house. Remora didn't see anything until she started to walk to another isle, and her eyes oddly caught a glimpse of a book with no title.
"Ah! Sorry Rem; someone texted me while it was dialing...oh wait a minute...- " Fang said in fading background. Remora picked up the white tattered book curiously. Skimming through the pages, she found out a page would be blank every two pages, and photos of familiar regions would be shown every 10 pages.
"It was actually your mom that texted me, Rem. Odd coincidence. She wanted to know where we were. "Fang exclaimed.
"Text her back what you wanted to ask her." At this point, Remora was reading a few pages to herself.
"People would believe there would only be one way to make it into another world. Whether it may be by vehicle, or by beliefs themselves. A thousand years ago, the only possible way to go into another world would be by finding the connecting dimension. It wouldn't be so simple though. The dimension openings would only open during an extremely perilous situation, and once someone or something goes through, they'll have to realize it's a one way portal, and once they reach a different location, they could not return to the other unless they were to find another portal at the right time. It could take weeks, months, maybe a year, possibly decades. Such places today people would most likely have no interest. Yet, whoever is reading this now, it makes me feel delighted to know you find interest in these tales. Someday you may find these legends to be true; however, I have reached the end of my journey. Do me a bold favor and continue the journey for me and learn the unthinkable..."
The rest of the writing was faded. Perhaps the book was a diary or a documentary. Who knew how old this book could be?
"Uhm...Rem? Your mom says she got her book from a bookstore that's four hours away from here. Now what? "
Remora held the book tight against her chest yet she looked at Fang with quiet awe.
"Well...we should probably finish the rest of the night with what we had planned before. But something tells me we should visit that shop one day. "
"Okay. But do I have to go? It's not in me to walk, OR drive there. I could take a train, but only if I wanted to. "
Remora slightly giggled at what Fang remarked. "Nobody's forcing you. Let's get out of here. "
They began to walk out while Fang caught a glimpse of the book in Remora's arms.
"Don't you have to check that out if you're going to borrow it?"
"Well, I don't see the library's label on it. And the sensors didn't beep when we went through them, so we're good. "
4 hours later
"Mom, read where we left off please?"
Remora and her mom were in the living room facing the fireplace with the book her mom always read to each other and kept safe.
"Remora, you're 18 now. I'm surprised you're not tired of this yet - not that I'm saying you should be. I'm glad you have a sweet interest in Spira. It should be a nice place for anyone to read about." Vera said. Remora's been listening to her mother read to her many articles and literature of the uncommon such as Spira since she was 3 years old. She would bring the book with her to school for something to do during her free time or recess. All other kids hated her for it, thinking the book was a mesmerizing bad omen that made her inhuman, which caused her a deal of grief in her childhood. Yet one girl didn't mind Remora at all and took an interest in her liking to other worlds. That girl's name was Fang. She was the energetic curious type at her acute age, yet if she didn't get what she wanted soon enough, she'd get hysterical. Remora was a girl that always wanted to visualize and memorize new things; she wasn't a nerd, yet she took her education more seriously than anything else.
"Well, I don't want you to stop reading these books to me, ever." Remora replied, snuggling in the blanket she was wrapped in.
"Mmhmm...let's see where we left off..." As Vera flipped pages, Remora stared at the moon from the balcony window. It was a crescent that night, and the two parallel stars above it made it look as though it were smiling down at the enormous city from the black sky.
"Oh here we are dear...we've made it to the next chapter; apparently about the different races and ethnicities of Spira. Let's see:
'Despite that it's a different world from ours, Spira has living species on it as well, and unexpectedly to other people, humans live there too. But besides humans, there are other races that were born on its land. They all live and move and breathe like we do. Some aren't to be taken too lightly and differ from the rest. Take the Ronso for instance: These creatures visually are a beastlike kind that are scattered all over Spira, yet their homeland is in more snowy mountainous areas. They speak humanly, yet it is not perfect speech. Most Ronso may speak a word more or less, and always talk in third person speech. Not all Ronso, however, are fond of humans, and some only despise them if in their territory. Guado, though, are a little more particular. Most humans never understood the Guado nature, yet they seem to act just like us technically as long as they have a leader in their home. Their heredities are more advanced than ours though. Their hair could come in any color or shape. Their facial features can either be narrow or thick, the body shape slender or baggy, the ears could be pointed upwards behind them, and their hands and feet are mostly larger than our own. The Guado have elflike qualities physically, and yet there is a very rare occasion of which a person of both human and Guado blood is born, and at first, the whole breeds would oppose the half breed child, yet they are a positive influence for they can set a way to bring Guado and humans together in friendship -'
Ah, Remora, can I stop for a moment? My throat isn't as strong as it used to be. "Vera said quietly.
Remora nodded a 'yes' to her mother, white getting up to stand on her balcony giving her mother a few minutes to give her blissful voice a rest. It was an unusually quiet night, the city a mile away, no crickets or birds chirping, no little kids playing outside unsupervised, it was almost too quiet. Her eyes glistened as her sights averted to the moon once more. It was nearly blinding from how colorless the night was. She turned towards the living room from hearing an eerie snoring sound. Remora walked back inside finding Vera soundly asleep on the couch. Remora went up to give her a gentle nudge to see how deep of a sleep she was in. Vera woke up immediately from the sudden motion to her shoulder.
"God, mom. If you want to sleep so badly, just go to your room. "Remora said chuckling a bit. Vera laughed a bit as she sluggishly rose herself from the couch.
"Ah, you heard enough for the night, dear?"
Remora's eyes stared at the book then. "I'll read the rest for myself tonight or the next morning."
"Alright, sweetheart. Goodnight. "
Walking up to kiss Remora on her cheek goodnight, Vera walked off while Remora took the book in the grasp and the book on the couch and went upstairs to her bedroom. She really did want to read more of her books, to take in more knowledge of the beautiful, mysterious big world, yet her body and mind begged for rest. That and there were black heavy circles under her luminescent eyes. Stripping herself of her night-out outfit, she had climbed in her bed and sunk deep in her mattress in ecstasy of feeling the soft comfort of her sheets against her, and slowly dosed off.
