A small kangaroo joey hurriedly hopped across the grass, dodging pieces of ice and swerving around the tall trees, laughing. "Can't catch me, can't catch me!" she called over her shoulder.

Another, this time much older, in her early teens, was about five feet behind her. "Oh yeah? Wouldn't be so sure lil' sis!" they both spoke with a strong Australian accent.

"Don't call me that!" she yelled back. "I am not little!" she paused for a moment, her teasing, cheerful tone returning. "And you can't catch me!"

This was right before she was snatched off the ground. She looked up at the smirking face of her older sister. "You were saying?"

"Hey! Kayla! Put me down!"

"No way sis, I think 'm just gonna hold onto ya'."

She squirmed. "Let go'a me!"

"Ok, if you insist." She placed her on a nearby, low tree branch.

"Hey! Not like this!"

She shrugged innocently and gave her a smug grin. "You said put you down. Ya didn't say where." She turned and began to hop away. "Be back at the cave by noon. We're having fruit salad!"

"W-Wait, Kayla!" she exclaimed. "Don't leave me here! Please!"

"You said to put you down. So I did." Fearful tears began to gather in the five year olds golden eyes.

"K-Kayla!" she called to her retreating older sister. Unknown to her, there was a smug, teasing grin on her face. She may have loved her younger sister, and she did, more than anything, but, like any big sister, enjoyed teasing and picking on her, often trying to scare her. Usually she didn't succeed, her little sister, despite being only five years old, feared practically nothing. But if there was one thing her younger sibling hated, it was being alone.

"P-Please." A drop of water trickled down her cheek, and her long ears drooped as her sister rounded the path's corner and disappeared from sight. "Help me. I don't wanna be alone." She whimpered and put her head in her hands, sobbing quietly.

Her sister froze and pressed her back up against the tree. She hadn't meant to make her cry! Just to frighten her a little bit. Peeking out at the small joey still sitting on the tree branch, she silently approached. "Hey, hey, shh…" she picked her up for a hug. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to…" she trailed off.

"Don't worry about it." The joey spoke, putting a paw on her shoulder. Then, she held out her hand and made a half a heart shape. Her sister did the same, and they joined them, making a heart. A very unproportionally sized heart, but still.

"Sisters are forever, and so is their love." They said together, hugging again.

The little one suddenly leapt out of her arms. "Ha! Sucker! Soft moments work every time on you!" meaning: all she had to do was put on the 'sweet little girl' act, they'd have a small little moment, and then she'd get away with something. Whether it be out of trouble, or just getting another game of tag. She had meant the whole 'sisters and heart' thing though. They did it at least once a day.

Her eyes widened, before she narrowed her crystal blue eyes and shook her head, crossing her arms, but she couldn't help but smile. Her sister was cunning and crafty, and highly intelligent for someone her age. She could outsmart almost anyone if she was given time to figure out how.

The little purple one turned and hopped away. "Still can't catch me!"

She rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head. "I'm not chasing you again!" she called. "I've still gotta make lunch." She turned to leave, expecting the little one to follow, until… the earth suddenly jerked violently, nearly sending the fourteen year old pinkish-red (bust mostly pink) kangaroo off her feet.

"Well that was-" a shrill scream echoed through the air. Her eyes got wide. She knew that scream, despite having rarely heard it. Her sister was in trouble.

Turning and hopping after her, she found her at the edge of the sea cliffs near their home, desperately hanging onto the edge. "Raz!"

Her fearful eyes landed on her big sister, and current guardian, their parents having died a few months ago. "K-Kayla!" she yelled. "Help me!"

"I'm coming, hold on!"

"I'm trying!" her grip involuntarily began to loosen and the earth jolted violently once more. "Hurry! I'm slipping!"

She was less than a foot away when the earth she was clinging to gave way, and she fell, screaming. "Oh my-" she couldn't finish and rushed to the edge. Where was she? Her sister suddenly appeared, struggling in the waves. She would've come in after her, but that wouldn't have done her much good. Kangaroo's were meant for speed and strength, but they weren't swimmers. They'd both die.

Glancing around desperately, she threw a generous sized piece of wood down into the water, telling her to grab on.

She did, and thankfully, it stayed afloat. Unfortunately, the current quickly began to pull it out. "Kayla!" she called to her quickly disappearing sister.

"Raz! No!" tears stung her eyes as she watched her sister drift away. She clamped her hands over her mouth. Her sister… she'd never see her again.

But… but at least she was alive, right? She supposed she'd rather have her sister alive and never get to see her again then watch her drown. And… someone might find her and help her, right? Keep her safe. She knew it was a narrow hope, but it was better than nothing. "I love you." She whispered as she took one last look at her sister. The only family she had left since their parents died.

Somehow, the little one heard it, seeming to have been carried on the wind straight to her. "I love you too." she murmured. She made the heart shape again, Kayla doing the same, and they repeated their little chant "Sisters are forever, and so is their love."

After they were separated from one another's gaze, Kayla sat at the edge of the sea cliffs and watched the water with a solemn expression, her mind completely blank, numb form the pain her heart was pumping, the devastation coursing through her veins.

The little purple kangaroo stared in what she thought was the direction of her old home. She couldn't be sure, everything looked the same now that she was farther out at sea. Water stung her eyes, but she wiped the tears away. She refused to cry. She was scared, she'd admit that, after all, how could she not be? But she wouldn't cry.

Crying was for babies, for the weak, and it certainly wouldn't help the situation if she had an emotional breakdown. She wouldn't cry, it would only make her lonely situation worse.

They sat in the same positions for hours, just watching the waves that had separated them. Until finally, Kayla slowly rose and turned away, water slipping down her cheeks as she slowly hopped home, back to the cave home she had once shared with her sister.

Raz laid down and stared up at the stars. She looked at all the different pictures, constellations, she believed, that her sister had shown her. They gave her comfort, she knew that was the one thing they could still share besides their love. The stars. They were always there, no matter what. Sometimes, on cloudy nights, you couldn't see them, but they were always there.

She watched them for about an hour before finally closing her eyes, sleep enveloping her. She dreamed of being back with her sister.

She drifted for days, hungry and scared and cold and alone. Until, on the fifth day, when she was sure she couldn't survive anymore without food, while she was napping, her small wooden raft smacked against something.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. She slowly glanced up, eyes growing wide at the huge slab of ice before her. "Wow…" she breathed in amazement. She'd never seen something so big, and definitely not ice. She came from the southern, tropical part of the world known as Australia, there was no ice or snow there, just sun and very, very hot weather.

Someone appeared at the top, a mean looking ape with dirty gray and black fur, smiling a smile full of yellow teeth. She swallowed nervously, he didn't look too friendly, but she knew better than to judge someone from what they looked like. He could've been very nice, and she was happy to see someone after five days of lonesome travel. "Well, well, well." He said to himself. "What do we have here?" he paused for a moment. "Ahoy down there!" he called out.

She waved shyly back, unsure, giving him a soft, slightly hesitant, smile. "'Ello mate." She greeted. "G t'see anotha' face, it is."

He studied her carefully. She looked strong and healthy, besides the fact that she was lacking nutritional nourishment. But that could easily be fixed; he had plenty of food aboard his ship. "Would y' like to come aboard?"

Her eyes lit up and she nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, yes please!" hoisting her up with some sort of contraption… thing, she was welcomed on the ship. She glanced around, it was a nice side, lots of room to move around, but there was one thing that bothered her. The weapons, thousands of them. Some in piles, some imbedded in the ice and lined up neatly, daggers, spears, swords, everything. She thought it was cool, an incredible sight, but she couldn't help but feel cautious. They looked (and probably were) sharp and deadly.

The ape studied her again. Still young, and a kangaroo, a species known to grow large and strong and fast, she could make a useful ally in the future, if trained right. Her pouch might also come in handy for storage, he figured. She stared back with those intense, intelligent golden eyes of hers. He could tell she was scared and shaken up, but she hid it well. She had an aura of great confidence for one so young, and he could tell she'd grow up to be a brave warrior of taught right.

You see, he was a pirate, in search of a crew. And although the idea of tolerating a young child wasn't exactly appealing, he knew the sacrifice would pay off. If he trained her correctly, to be obedient and respectful and violent, she could make a good pirate. Her young age could be used as an advantage. If he started teaching her the ways of the pirates early, she would grow into one naturally, if that was the environment she lived in. She would probably have some habits that would need breaking from her past life, but it was nothing he couldn't do.

"So kid." He began. "How'd you like to stay here?"

Her golden pools widened considerably. She glanced around, the place still gave her an uneasy feeling, but he was being friendly, and she didn't want to seem rude. And she didn't have any better options. She nodded slightly.

He chuckled. "Good."

She glanced around again. At her new home and thought 'Maybe it won't be so bad.'