(This is a story I was writing mainly for my friends, but I thought it might be fun putting it up on The word processor I use is strange, so I'm not sure if the punctuation will be correct on the internet… I don't know how to fix it if it's wrong ;;; sorry, so if there's quotation marks or ellipses missing, blame the internet…. -.- Most of the characters in this have been based off real people… :D Hopefully you might meet them someday.)

Chapter 1

She usually felt as she was waking: a strange misty feeling enveloping the world. In those trembling moments between dreams and reality, she could feel it. She knew it was there; it was palpable. She could almost see it. A great door with millions of diamonds behind it, all shining in a great foggy dew, dim light surrounding it there. That place… that was the place where they had to go…. To find… to find what they had lost…. A memory of laughter, somewhere distant, like the land just beyond the horizon. That place was where they belonged. But just as the map had been revealed in the twilight of consciousness, the sallow paper was burnt away leaving ashes and awakening. The mystery and magic would grow unclear and out of focus, reality would flow towards like the water in a dam overtaking a small boat. In the last moment of drowsiness, a familiar face swam in her mind. "Don't cry…" A soothing voice echoed from the depths. A comforting smile appeared to her along with a strange warmth, outlined by bitter cold rain. Suddenly, this kind visage was stolen by the gloom. She was falling. Faster and faster she plummeted until….

Ryokou Mitsumi opened her eyes. The lavender ceiling came into focus as her heart remained pounding in her chest. Another bizarre dream. She sat up with a sigh and rubbed her temple. Waking up feeling tired was just part of the routine of a student. She gazed wearily around at her room, taking in the familiar colors. She stared for a moment at the treasures she'd taken her time collecting. A Seashell, a doll or two, a big yellow lamp shaped like a star. As she lay back down to take a moment to rest before her mother's shrill voice roused her, a loud ringing beside her ear made her jump. She scooped up her cell-phone and answered it promptly, hopping out from under the fluffy, powder-blue comforter and over to the dresser where she began to slip into her school uniform.

"Sukane-Chan?"

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Ishikawa Sukane thundered down her stairs, dragging a heavy schoolbag behind her. She nearly tumbled over a misplaced stack of books and practically flew towards the front door.

"BYE MOM!" She bellowed into the depths of her home. A faint noise answered back as she wrenched the door open and slammed it behind her. Her wild, spiky hair came to life in the late summer breeze as Sukane dashed madly off her front porch and down the path to school. Darting between pedestrians and shooting through alleyways, she weeded her way through the quiet residential sleepiness. She gasped almost as she burst out of a dark back street into the blazing, island sunshine. The white light glimmered off the cerulean blue sea. The overpowering scent of the ocean, and the sound of the gulls through the swaying of palm trees washed over her. Wiping her forehead exasperatedly at the approaching heat, Sukane sped down the paved road following the shoreline. The school was a mere speck in the distance, could she even hope to get there on time. Gasping for air, she willed her legs to move faster. All at once Sukane collided with another force with a tremendous Thunk.

The other 'something' went careening backwards with a great yell. Sukane caught her balance deftly and stared forward at the person on the ground. She gritted her teeth and moaned when she saw who it was.

"Oh my…" She giggled. "Did I hurt you, A-" She stopped at once. For a moment, she felt ice cold and paralyzed. As a wave of confusion swept over her, a single image of the boy's face flashed in her mind. But he was different somehow, he was….

She shook her head violently and the feeling disappeared as suddenly as it had washed over her.

"Sorry," She extended a hand to the skinny boy on the floor who was fixing his glasses as he lurched forward. "Kazune-kun, are you all right?"

Aomori Kazune opened his eyes wide, staring up at his friend. He put his hand in hers and hoisted himself back onto his feet.

"Man, Sukane. You should watch where you're going when you go tearing around like a wild animal." He grinned at her tough expression.

"Stupid Kazune, let's hurry, we're already late!" She yanked his wrist forward as he tried to smooth his spiky hair.

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Yamamoto Ran stood impatiently against the crème colored school building, rhythmically tapping her foot on the cobbled ground. She stood sentential at the entrance of the school building, waiting for her friends to arrive; late as usual. She still didn't know why she bothered to wait for them every morning. Peeking at her wristwatch, she clicked her tongue heatedly.

The sky was a clear blue, dotted here and there with a few enormous clouds. The humid air hung around her and the heat was already getting intense. The greenery that grew around the school's entrance was lush and wild. As Ran squinted she spotted a few figures along the distance. She hoped that the ambling group would hurry up so she could get out of this heat and into the cool classroom. Suddenly, the world became dark. A voice then chorused "Guess who?" into her ear. She testily removed the hands from her face and spun on her heel, finding herself face to face with Asakura Jin.

"Aww, that's not how you play the game." Jin smiled wryly back at her. She shook her head and had to smile back.

"Have you seen Mitsumi or Sukane yet?" She asked politely. Jin's thin eyes became even smaller and his fine hair shifted slightly.

"I don't think they're here yet." She pondered, running his long fingers through his hair.

"Who's not here?"

They both turned and saw the speaker, Hirasawa Norito, a good looking, popular boy with his best friend, the shy and quiet Matakura Shinta, and behind him Mitsumi.

"Cousin!" Ran. exclaimed She grabbed Mitsumi by the shoulders and shook her playfully, Mitsumi's short brown hair becoming even messier. "Why do you always get here so late?" Mitsumi giggled a bit.

"Well, I found Shinta along the way and I had to stop and say hi!" She blinked and smiled, looking pale in the bright sunlight. Shinta frowned silently and adjusted the black frames of his glasses, staring at his feet. "Come on! We're late!" She gasped, pulling Shinta and Norito forward by their ties. The large group barged through the deep-colored oak doors and into the entrance hall.

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"Aggh, I lost again!" Matsuo Yukiko shouted, grasping her blonde hair between her fingers. Saeta Riri laughed out loud, slapping the piece of paper between them.

"Told you!" Riri held a joyful expression. Her dark ponytail swung behind the pink bow in her hair. "I'm the tic-tac-toe champion." Yukiko groaned and slumped back in her chair, her full-formed chest bouncing from the movement. At once, the near empty classroom burst into a catastrophe of noise as a number of students slammed the door opened and rushed inside.

"How could you guys just leave us!" Wailed Sukane at her two closest friends, Kazune trailing behind her, looking stony faced as Mitsumi and Ran tried for an excuse. Shinta had retreated to his desk and astutely readied himself for the approaching lesson. Norito sat beside him and jovially pestered Shinta about being such a 'rule-follower'. Jin waved a greeting to everyone in the room, making his way around busily, eager to be seen by all. In the dusty corner a boy named Kato Kouji sat in dead silence, scribbling something to himself on a piece of parchment. The classroom was alive and bustling, the cheerful morning light pouring in from the crystal clear windows. The salty sea air made everything sticky and fragrant. Outside the waves crashed merrily against the shore and children played in the crush. Loud voices were heard throughout the crowded room, pierced by an occasional shriek of laughter or the pounding of rushing feet. Through the noise of the bustling actives of all the students in the room, not one head turned when a stranger slid open the door and swept inside.

This stranger was clothed in heavy black coat which covered every inch of himself. His face was shrouded with a thick black scarf and the top part of his face was clouded with his wispy, ebony hair. She smiled behind his scarf and looked almost scathingly at the carefree bunch. A cold laugh seeped from his thin, smiling lips as he stepped in even intervals towards the front of the classroom, his leather boots thumping on the hollow wooden floor. An odd hush began to cloud across as the man ambled past the battered wooden desk, grazing his gloved hand over their worn tops. By the time he stood facing the assembly of now-alert teenagers an icy silence had fallen over the room, chilling the tropical heat.

"Are you a substitute teacher?" Jin blurted out, everyone glancing at him. Several nervous smiles cracked onto faces. Mitsumi's heart pounded in her chest. Something wasn't right. This didn't feel normal.

"You've all been asleep for much, much too long…." The stranger's voice cut through the air like the crack of a whip. Mitsumi felt even stranger. A red flag went p inside of her. She stood up and backed towards the wall, grabbing Sukane's hand.

"Something's about to happen…" She hissed in Sukane's ear. Sukane turned a white face to her and nodded in approval. The understanding between them allowed the knowledge that they were both experiencing the same abnormalities.

"Can you even remember your true names?"

His deep voice rang through the wooden room. That strong feeling of dreamlike déjà vu hit Mitsumi strong. Don't cry…

The soothing voice spoke to her again. This time she saw the visage clearer; a man's face… That was….

"His name was…" Sukane mumbled beside her. Mitsumi cast an urging glance in her direction, but the word has slipped from Sukane's mind already. All at once Ran stood up, her eyes wide as though she were focusing hard on something very far off.

"There was this place… And…" Her voice shook and the stranger nodded. A vein of uneasiness ran throughout the room now. Everyone was shooting wary looks in one another's directions. Mitsumi caught Shinta's eye and he shrugged. Norito backed up towards the wall and clumsily jarred Sukane, catching her apologetically by the shoulders.

"What's going on…?" Yukiko whispered to Kazune with a sideways glance. Riri shifted her gaze from Yukiko to Kouji in the corner, who was sitting bolt upright in his chair, grasping the sides. Jin, who was still looking about the room madly suddenly stared directly at the tall stranger. He squealed suddenly and retreated to the back of the class, holding Ran in front of him like a shield.

"The time has come for you all…." The stranger spoke darkly as he reached into a small pouch on his side. He grasped a handful of something and held it out before them. It was a powder that looked at if it were wrought from ground diamonds and crystals. "To open your eyes!" He cut the air with his outstretched arm and flung the powder towards the ceiling.

"RUN!" Norito commanded the students. He leapt forth and fiercely grasped the door handle, but it would not budge. As Norito tugged at it ferociously, the others began to stir from their positions and react. The air was buzzing with an urgency to escape. The powder hung suspended in the air, diffusing around the room and hanging in the air like miniature stars. Mitsumi choked as she peered outside. The playful scene that had once been visible through the window was now dark and hazy. All the children had disappeared and an ominously ugly eclipse had taken the place of the bright sun. She watched wide-eyed as streaks of light flashed along the sky, like wild meteors and rain from the heavens. A crash through the jumble of voices shook her back to reality. The door swung open and Norito roared victoriously.

"Hurry up!" He shouted at the rest of them, waving his hand towards the door and charging out. Sukane made for the door. She swung around to alert Mitsumi and Ran.

"Come on! Let's get out of here!" She waved to them as she charged out into the hall. Mitsumi seemed to be in a daze. Dreamily she turned towards the front, seeing Ran and Jin escape through the open door out of the corner of her eye. What chiefly grasped her attention was that the stranger who had started the commotion had completely disappeared without a sound. As Yukiko and Riri ran towards the door way the beam behind it jarringly came loose and crashed behind it, blocking the exit. Kouji cursed darkly to himself and Kazune rushed up to the destruction, feeling for a way out. Shinta stood abruptly and grasped a nearby chair. Seeming unsure of himself he hurried up to the window.

"Stand back." He uttered, looking pale. He leaned back slowly and hurled the chair through the window, a shower of tinkling glass raining down outside. Kazune, Shinta and Kouji helped the three girls out of the window then climbed down themselves.

The school was situated on a high ledge overlooking the ocean. The craggy cliff the stood on was a dizzying height from the sparkling sand. The high wind, violent waves and apocalyptic sky all combined were enough to strike terror into anyone's heart.

"What's happening?" Yukiko gasped as they all inched along the feeble, grassy ledge, backs pressed flat against the mild colored school building. Kazune shook his head at her and shot a nervous look at the darkening sky. His expression changed a bit and his glasses slumped down his nose.

"Look at that…" He nearly whispered, gesturing forebodingly towards the sky. Pools of black matter were plummeting from the sky. The debris that crashed into the churning sea transformed the water into a dirty soup of thick liquid. It landed on roads and trees, sapping the color and life out of everything. Riri noticed a heap of the stuff nearby. She squinted into it and noticed what looked like a small galaxy of stars buried deep within the blackness, which seemed to become a part of whatever it touched. She reached out with a shaking hand to touch it and Kouji caught her by the wrist.

"You don't know what could happen." His low voice seemed to shake her. She stared with some fear into the dark eyes behind his sunglasses. Underneath Yukiko's feet a heart-stopping sound erupted. The feeble ground broke away and she slipped down, a rock cutting an angry gash in her leg. As she slid, the earth coming loose beneath her, her fingers gripped the sides of the ledge. She gave a loud wail as more earth began to give way. Kazune leapt forward and grabbed her hand, but it was too late. The two of them went dropping off the edge at an alarming rate, the breath lost from everyone's chest. Yukiko grasped Kazune's arm as the slid down the long hill, rocks and dust flying everywhere. At the ravine, Yukiko flew off and went shooting into a long dark hole at the bottom of the ledge. Kazune then rolled right beside it, trying to grasp the earth which gave way under his fingers. He finally reached the sand and rolled straight into the ocean on the built up momentum. The dark pools in the ocean began to spread around him as he swum frantically away. He gritted his teeth. As it closed in around him. The only thing the others could do was watch as their friend was swallowed by the sea.

"Yukiko!" He uttered, looking up with a strained countenance at the deep, dark hole in which she had vanished. Soon the ocean rose and Kazune was lost underneath the raging waves. The other four stared at one another, crazed with fear.

"Let's get a move on…" Kouji finally spoke, pushing his glasses up to hide his eyes.

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Sukane and Ran sped along the island trial with Jin and Norito leading the way. Ran grasped Sukane's hand, pulling her along quickly both of them out of breath.

"Where are we going?" Ran gasped.

"It doesn't matter, we've got to get away!" Norito commanded, sounding desperate. Jin whined with nervousness, his hair flowing behind him. The ran up the familiar path, not even stopping to take in the strange surroundings. Something strange was happening to Sukane as she followed along the path, grasping Ran's hand. All the memories this place had held were suddenly slipping away from her. IT was as if they were being drained slowly. She couldn't remember the town's name, she couldn't remember where her house was or when she had come to this place.

"Ran, do you remember anything about this place?" She panted, her eyes revealing a dull fear. Ran pursed her lips and stopped running. The other two screeched to a halt in front of her, asking what had happened.

"Of course I remember…. It's…." She suddenly looked dumbfounded.

"What are you talking about?" Jin said slowly, his voice sounding foreign.

"All our memories…" Norito breathed heavily, gazing at the chaotic sky. "Their… gone…"

"No!" Ran exclaimed. "I remember something about a hill! Something… someone was there….and…" Her voice dropped off with a whine. Jin suddenly faced the cobbled pathway and sighed. Then at once he raced off towards the forest with unnatural speed. "Jin, wait!" Ran called after her, following close behind. Sukane prepared to tear off after them, but felt a hand on her shoulder, holding her back with a strong force.

"What's wrong with you, don't touch me!" She raged at Norito, yanking his heavy hand from her shoulder. As she turned to confront him, her ire suddenly dripped away to crimson panic.

Out of the colorless gloom which had come from the angry moon, dark creatures rose twitching and shaking. They had two empty glowing eyes below a pair of ragged antennas. Their hands were malformed and clawed and they crawled lithely on all fours. They were completely black with the two moon-like eyes glowering out of their round heads.

Sukane gasped and made to back up, but saw more of the strange creatures had surrounded them. She balled up her fists, not wanting to go out of this world without a fight. Norito seemed to have the same reaction. As the first creature lunged at Sukane, its jagged claws poised for an attack, a glowing warmth flared up across the inside of Sukane's palm. With a shocked cry, she shut her eyes tight, preparing herself for the pain. Then, with a surge of even greater surprise, her eyelids snapped open and she stumbled back, her heart racing at a phenomenal speed. She now was grasping a long weapon in her hands. It had an ornate handle and was scarlet and white. The long handle ended off at a blade-like knife at the very end. Without taking a moment longer, Sukane swung it at the nearest creature and it disintegrated in a cloud of dirty smoke. The sounds behind her made Sukane turn around. Another weapon had arose into Norito's hand and he was also fighting with valor. He glanced over his shoulder at Sukane's confused expression and gave a playful grin and he hewed off another's head which vanished in a cloud. Sukane was just about to give him a smile in return when, with a ground-shaking boom, a heap of dark matter exploded onto the earth, splattering Norito. The gallant joy fleeted from his face and he became pale.

Sukane battered some attackers out of her way before rushing to Norito's side. He seemed to be sinking into the ground, frantically trying to wipe the growing blackness on his body. When he saw there was no hope, his expression became one of rage.

"I refuse to go down like this!" He bellowed, sinking farther underground, the darkness covering nearly all his chest. His face suddenly relaxed and he looked Sukane directly in the eye. She choked at his look. "If you see Shinta, tell him I said goodbye…" He muttered limply. He gave a last pathetic smile to Sukane and waved a sort of goodbye and disappeared entirely into the darkness. Sukane looked around wildly, trying to find a method of escape. The darkness was growing around her and the creatures were rising faster than she could hope to push them back. She felt the sharp prickles on her legs and sunk to her knees, angry tears running hot on her cheek. As the needle sharp claws and feet pressed into her, she heard that name echoed in the back of her mind. It seemed pointless to say it now, but as soon as she remembered, the darkness and heat was too overpowering to remember for good. At once a white flash of light cleared Sukane's mind and she fell into a dream.

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Mitsumi and Shinta watched helpless as a group of malevolent hands and claws pulled a flailing Kouji and Riri into a mound of gloom, swirling with bright dots. Mitsumi sunk to her knees, about to cry out, but Shinta slapped a hand over her mouth preventing the sound's escape.

"They'll find us too.." His whisper was harsh, but his hand relaxed and fell to his side. His eyes were scared behind his glasses. She nodded, still shaking and rose from behind the trees. They both slunk silently away from the seething group of ebony soldiers and into the building darkness of the evening.

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Jin tore through the dense forest trees, batting the thick tendrils and plant life from his uncontrolled path. He heard footsteps behind him thundering and an occasional rustling in the underbrush around him, but he never stopped to look.

"Jin! Jin, you idiot! Stop!" Ran called after him, her voice growing harsh. She dug her heels into the soft earth beneath and came to a sudden halt. A yelp from Jin ahead left her standing in high strung silence, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. She swallowed, her eyes darting about the forest for signs of danger.

"Jin?" She spoke out warily, her feet sliding carefully amongst the weeds and tall grass. She shivered from anxiety and cold. "Jin, say something..!" Something red was visible through the tall grass. She crouched low and picked it up between her index finger and thumb. It was Jin's school tie. A spatter of something dark was dotted across the satin and the tie was torn across the side. Ran grasped it in her hands and suppressed the wave of panic within her. A heavy crunching noise ripped through the thick silence. Ran didn't have the heart to face the source of the disturbance. She forced herself to move her head to see what lurked behind her. When the crunching intensified to a great, uncontrolled crashing, she whipped around and caught a glimpse of something silver and black coming at her with a tremendous power. Before anything else could happen a shrill sounds was heard and Ran was lost in white light.

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Shinta ran without showing any signs of stopping, his face had a stony expression upon it. Mitsumi could only watch him and feel empty. Something was wrong. She was forgetting everything that had happened to her on this warm, cheerful island. It was that same Déjà vu, that darkness between waking and reality. Shinta led her to the shore. The ocean was still crashing and struggling with itself. The reddish moon hadn't moved from its position in front of the sun, the halo behind it was pulsing. The comets rained down and spilled into the vast darkness that was the sea. Shinta stood, peering out limply into oblivion.

"I can't remember anything at all…" Mitsumi mumbled, turning her scared face towards Shinta. He wouldn't look back at her. This moment of calm sickness lasted but a second longer. When Shinta was wrenched into the water by a dark hand, all the sounds seemed to vanish from earth, As she was being tugged into the water, the only thing imaginable was the deep pounding of blood in her ears. He stretched his hand out towards her.

"Shinta!" She screamed at him, panic seeping through her veins. "Shinta, don't leave me here alone!" He merely contorted his face and choked from the dark water soaking around his body. Everything seemed to hang suspended in vertigo and terror.

"Mitsu… mi.."

"SHINTA! I'LL FIND YOU! I… I PROMISE!"

And he was gone. Mitsumi sank into the warm sand and the silence. The waves crashed angrily near her. She felt as though she were the only person left in this dying world. She rolled over, facing the fury of the sky, closed her eyes and let herself be taken into enchanted whiteness.