New Destiny
Okay, Okay… in truth, how many stories is this that I'm working on presently? Don't answer that one…
This is my current project, "New Destiny". It's about… and why would I tell you that?
FYA- Timeline: The first two parts are more of a background for my made up character. It's just to let you know what happened to make her this way, etc. and all that good stuff. It takes place up to about a year after 01. From part three on, it will take place in the present (actually, the summer after 02).
Right now, it's PG, but may become PG13 for darker themes as the tale goes on.
Also, some of the settings are real towns; some are not, just for clarification.
And I am setting up relationships the way I think they happen!!!
I own those who I make up make up and don't who I don't. Got it? Good!
~Skay J~
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Part 1: The Story of a Girl…
"Cold hearted orb that rules the night,
Release the colors from our sight.
Red is grey;
And yellow, white.
But we decide which is right-
And which is an illusion."
~The Moody Blues,
Nights in White Satin~
If the story has to start anywhere- I guess it better start with me.
You don't know me, but I am a major part of this tale. Some would come to know me as the Guardian of the Wind. Others, the protector of Harmony. And others, much later, as Aeoleamon.
But I am really Layla. My name is Layla Neromishi; to my family, Layla Westings.
My mother was from the U.S. –The city of Worcester Massachusetts. She was the middle child of three girls, one about 4 years older, one 4 years younger. The oldest, Holden, was the musician and the smartest. The younger, Harmony, was the "cute " one. And she, Sophia, was considered to be "youthfully exuberant"- and the active daughter- always in trouble.
I grew up not knowing my father- not even his name. All I knew was that he was a handsome Japanese man with the last name of Neromishi who abandoned my mother and myself before I could remember him. Mother never spoke about him. There were no pictures of him around the house. It's almost like mother was trying to hide him away from me. The fact that I had no father became a daily part of life.
My life was always somewhat secluded away from the rest of the world. I remember only having a few friends, but one real good best friend- Jyou.
My mother said that the story went as she had just moved into the Hightonview Terrace apartments with me, while his mother, with him in tow, came to greet and welcome us to the neighborhood.
Realizing that the two women were neighbors, they decided to sit down and have one of those "Woman Talks"- when a group of women (usually mothers) sit down and have one of those long conversations about life- it was one of those.
Mom and his mom dropped us off in the playpen and after a brief introduction ("Layla, meet Jyou Kido." "Jyou, this is Layla Neromishi- our new neighbor."), they walked off into the kitchen.
*** (Two little kids sitting in playpen)
The two little kids watched their mothers walk off into the kitchen.
The boy turned to the girl, and said the best he could, "Hewo Lala!"
She just turned, smiled, and whacked Jyou with a small inflatable ball that she had in her hands. Jyou just sat there, staring blankly. Layla laughed.
"Hi dare!!" she giggled, amidst the laughter. Instead of crying, Jyou started to laugh himself.
At the moment, the two mothers walked in to see what the noise the two children were causing. The duo were laughing together, as if they had known each other for a long time.
***
For the next 6-½ years, the two of us were inseparable. We shared birthday parties, Ice Cream Cones, rainy days, all the things that best friends would do. But one night could change all that.
And it would.
***
"But… I just don't know Layla. You're pretty good at guessing these things. But…" The eight-year-old pushed up his glasses.
"And…" The blonde replied to her friend's comment, "I was right about the bike accident, and I can tell when a storm's coming. Somethin' big's gonna happen, and it's gonna be soon."
Jyou paused for a moment, regaining his thought (and rubbing the arm that he hurt in the accident…) the best that a kid his age could do.
"Well, your aunt's coming from America for a visit tonight. That's kinda a big thing 'cause you've only seen your aunt before as a baby- I mean you as a baby."
"True, but usually my feelings mean somethin' bad, not good." Layla responded to the comment. "Just… keep you guard up. Okay?"
"Sure Layla."
At that point, there was a bit of an awkward pause, and then Jyou changed the subject somewhat.
"I heard a funny story from Mimi about this kid Tai throwing up in this girl Sora's hat…"
"Jyou, you talk about Mimi a lot. Do you like her or somethin'?"
Jyou blushed profusely at the suggestion.
"No, she's a girl."
"But I'm a girl, Jyou Kido."
"There's some sorta difference between you and her. I dunno what, but there's somethin'." "Thanks." Layla responded, rather sarcastically.
(LATER THAT DAY…)
"Huh?" The lights had just flickered on and off in the apartment.
"Mama, what just happened?" Questioned Layla to her mother.
"I dunno, sweetie. Maybe just a power surge." She replied.
"Oh." Layla's cobalt eyes gazed over towards the glass door that led out onto the mini-balcony.
"Can I go out and see what's goin' on?"
"Not right now…" Just as her mother was speaking (a bit ironically) there were a few quick knocks on the door.
"Hold on Layla, I'll be right back." And her mother disappeared from sight.
Layla pressed her face to the glass and looked out, but could not see out quite right. Even her mother said 'not right now' about going out, she didn't say no. Yet, for some reason, she felt that she was supposed to be out there…
Suddenly, there was a bright flash of white light from outside.
'Whoa' she thought.
Almost as if her hands were working on their own accord, she slid the balcony door open and walked out onto the balcony.
And there were other children out on the other balconies, too. A few windows to her left, was Jyou standing there with a phone to his ear. To the right, a red-haired girl. Straight across the pathway, in another apartment, were two more boys- a little blonde, held still by another, which was probably his older brother. Somehow, the two managed to look directly at each other for a few seconds, before Layla managed to turn her head away, blushing…
"Layla, why are you out there? Get in here, pronto!"
"But ma…"
"No! NOW!" Mrs. Neromishi replied quickly
"But…" From out of nowhere, a creature that looked like a giant orange Dinosaur appeared. But before Layla could get a second look, her mother yanked her back inside.
"I told you not to go out there!"
"No, you just said not right now. I waited a few minutes."
Mrs. Neromishi groaned. "I don't want you out there right now, we're supposed to have company coming."
"Oh… Did you see it?" The blonde answered in a state of shock.
"See what?"
"There was a bright flash of light, and then a giant dinosaur monster appeared."
"Don't be silly, you must be imagining things. Dinosaurs are long gone, and monsters don't exist.
"Oh." An awkward silence followed the now-dead conversation. Layla's eyes went back to the glass door. She new she saw something- exactly what was the question.
"How 'bout some Macaroni and Cheese for dinner, Little Miss?"
"Okay, I guess…"
***
My aunt never came. It turns out that she was killed in the happenings of that night. But the explanation seemed somewhat phony. . She was killed when a footbridge collapsed on top of her rental car, with her still in it. Harmony Westings was only 26. Yet, somehow she was able to send me two gifts; a beautiful Gibson guitar in which I would soon learn to play on, and a pendant necklace with the pendant a turquoise stone engraved in what resembled a fragmented peace sign. Why would she send me that in advance unless something was up. What, I did not know. But it would soon come together for me in the future.
Because of the "attack", my mother decided that we should move back to where she grew up; half to help my grandmother cope with the loss of my aunt, and the other half because, on a joint decision between my mother and aunt Holden thinking that it might be better for me to live with my family where it was presumably more safe. And that is how Jyou and I were separated.
It's also when my dream started.
Nearly the same dream came to me every time- at least once a week. There would me myself standing behind a glass window-door- like back at Hightonview
Terrace. And, almost as if he was right there, would be the older blonde-haired boy, on the other side of the glass. He had the most beautiful cerulean eyes that I had ever seen. I would put my hand up on the glass, and he would put up his…
And then I would wake up. The only part of the dream that would change was the fact that we both seemed to age in the dream. If I had the dream at age nine- I was nine in the dream. Eleven- eleven. Twelve- twelve. And the thing that threw me for a loop is that he would age too.
It would be a very long four-and-a-half years. I would rarely make a friend. The only one I did make happened to be a second cousin about a year younger that me, so that somewhat didn't count. She was a four-eyed, mushroom cut, strawberry-blonde vocal prodigy in sweatpants- and I was the long-haired, guitar-playing hippy with self-esteem issues and an addiction to macaroni-and-cheese. Although she was my cousin and makeshift best friend, the void that missing Jyou left was a black hole that dragged my soul down with it.
I hated my life. I was abandoned by my father, ripped away by my best friend, and often outcasted and ridiculed by my peers. It was like I didn't belong in this world.
At this point I was thirteen; my birthday was just a few months behind me. The time was late fall, early winter. And I just didn't see the point of existing in a world that didn't give a damn about me. So I would kill myself.
And that's how I met them…
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Okay… that was a bit better than I expected…
As of right now, I am working on part two. More angst ahead, and you get to see what Layla actually has to do with the Digiworld (and all that crap).
At this point in time I wish there was such thing as a "Y10", or a "PG11"- Something like that, if you know what I mean- Slight swearing, situations that would be over some kids heads.
Until next time,
~Skay J~
