"Destiny... fate... dreams... These unstoppable ideals are held deep in the heart of man. As long as there are people who seek freedom in this life, these things will not vanish from the earth..."

Gol D. Roger

OUR RESOLUTION

Chapter 1: From the Beginning
The Shells Town Arc (January 1st)

You don't stop learning things once you've reached adulthood, there's always a chance to discover more about yourself and the world around you. But sometimes, those lessons can come at a hard cost and make you question things about life you've never thought you'd have to. And that, in and of itself, is a lesson I never thought I'd learn in my life.

But I suppose that's what happens when you cross dimensions and end up in a world you never thought was real.

Whenever I look back at what happened, I still catch myself believing it was nothing more than a strange dream. But could you really blame me considering everything that happened during those long yet plentiful months in a place we didn't believe existed? It was the sort of experience that was far too strange and bizarre to have simply made up. It felt all too real and at times, all too painfully scary. But whether it was real or simply a figment of my imagination, it was an experience that I could never forget (and not for a lack of trying), not after everything we'd been through. The friendships we forged that were stronger than steel and hardships that left scars I knew would never heal right.

Ah, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me begin on the night it all started...

Five...

I still remember it well, the memory of watching TV with my little brother in our parent's living room. It was the night of New Year's Eve - a time celebrated among family and friends, the chance for a fresh start on an otherwise bad year. But there was something that changed from our usual warm interactions we held every year. When the long day had dwindled down and it was just us two, a stubborn and cold atmosphere hung in the air - instead of one full of anxious excitement and childish murmurs as we'd decide upon what we could do to improve our next year - the tension so heavy that it could be cut with a spoon.

Four...

It left us in cold silence as we watched reruns of old cartoons, doing the same thing we did every time we couldn't settle the matter that bothered us. But like an open sore, we left it be to fester and now years of the same struggle was beginning to finally infect our tightly knitted relationship.

Despite the ten years difference between us, we were still siblings and every sibling had their arguments. It was like second nature to bicker over the petty things. Who's turn it was with the TV remote, specific spots on the couch we'd claim were comfier than others (despite the fact they're all the same), the last morsel of coffee caramel cheesecake.

Three...

No family was perfect.

Everyone had arguments from time to time so it should have been no big deal when the (bitter, lousy, stupid) words were over and done with. Yet there are times much like that day where things so hateful are said that they leave everyone feeling all too much like shards of (broken, useless, shattered) glass.

I'm sorry, I'm so very sorry, I didn't mean any of it...

I thought far too often of apologizing to him, to finally rip off the bandage we kept covering the same problem with over and over again, yet I stubbornly refused to utter a single word. I knew perfectly well he was just as stubborn as me and would neither accept nor return what I would offer. And why should he be the one to apologize for hurting someone when that person hurt him all the same? It wasn't fair and it wasn't right, it all felt just too wrong. And the truth of that strung so bitterly that my chest would tighten uncomfortably and I felt only hot anger bubble in the pit of my stomach.

That idiot...

I had been so angry at him for not trusting in me yet again...and myself for becoming lost in my temper.

I wanted nothing more than to simply cry out in useless frustration. I remember thinking to myself that things would be better the next day, that we would make up and spend our last day together in the familiar comfort of peace. But just as quickly as my hopes would soar, they'd plummet with the knowledge that it would never happen. Nothing would change between us because we knew each other far too well. I believed that I was a fool for thinking my brother would change and he probably thought the same about me. That only added more fuel to our (burning, bright, hot) fires.

We stayed silent out of mutual respect for our parents' wish that we would get along. At the very least, that was one course of action we agreed to do. Whatever our issues were, they weren't something we'd make our loving parents deal with. Even if they wanted to help us. We weren't children anymore, we had to figure things out ourselves like every other adult should.

It was disappointing to see how our childish disputes carried over into our adult years.

Two...

The hours turned into minutes and the minutes into seconds. I remember how bright the TV seemed within the darkness of the living room, as shadows stretched and danced away from the flickering lights. The sounds of static and ticking clock seemed louder than usual but I paid no attention with my eyes glued to the screen, watching as the neon letters counted down the final moments of that year - how I was desperately wishing the next would be better despite how hollow that dream felt.

An all too familiar feeling for me.

One...

But then I woke up (when had I fallen asleep?) to the high-pitched whistling of wind deafening my ears as I felt the air around slip by like silk. It was as if I blinked and missed something in-between that moment and the last. I felt a certain daze clinging to me, like waking up from a good dream I knew I wouldn't remember.

Was I falling?

I didn't know if I was or if it was my imagination, it was hard for me to tell what was the truth. I was only aware of what laid in front of me; the afternoon sun shined bright against clear blue skies, warm rays of sunlight kissed my skin and yet the cold wind folded in all around like a blanket to leave me feeling numb.

Was I dreaming?

I couldn't quite tell. I've never fallen in a dream before to know the sensation. Or have I? I felt the mild sensation of confusion but I also felt like I was trudging through slug to collect my thoughts. One question stood out the strongest amongst the many which floated around my sleepy mind as it slowly began to clear itself of the heavy haziness.

But as quickly as the question came, it left, leaving a familiar bitterness that I had trouble placing.

Slowly, I woke from my dreamless state to finally realize what was going on and I thought I felt my heart stop for a brief moment. My eyes were wide with horror and my heart hammer painfully against my chest as if it were about to burst from fear. I remember the panic that clenched at every part of my body as I twisted to see the ground approaching at alarming speeds. I wanted to cry and scream but I couldn't find the functions to do so, left only to witness what I thought was going to be my death. At least I had enough control over myself to cover my face, squeezing my eyes so tightly that I saw stars.

I kept telling myself it wasn't real, it was just a dream, but a voice in the back of my mind was laughing at me for refusing to admit this was real. Then my thoughts went to my parents, my brother, my friends, and the all regrets of not telling them so many things that I probably should have when I had the chance.

I love you…

I'll miss you...

I'm sorry…

Good-bye…

I don't remember hitting the ground before everything turned black.

Arlana Durand felt surprised to find out she was still alive.

Not that she was about to complain, it definitely was better than the alternative. But that's now twice in the span of a few minutes she's fallen unconscious which was mildly distressing once she really thought about it. The woman can't help the mild snort as laughter bubbles in her chest in dark humor. What was that saying again? Third time's the charm? She certainly hoped that wasn't going to be the case.

At the moment, her world was nothing more than a distorting and nauseating sensation as she laid face first in the dirt, trying hard to piece together what just happened because nothing was making much sense right now. She didn't know where she was or how she got there or even why she survived falling from the sky because that should be fucking impossi-

Arlana quickly squashes her sudden spike of panic, forcing down the strong urge to vomit as painful screaming echos in the corners of her mind. Her heart is still hammering hard against her chest, it left her feeling breathless like there wasn't enough air to breath and her lungs were starving for more. Tears swelled at the corners of her eyes but she ignores it, forcing herself to collect her wits before she lost control of her emotions. Even if this wasn't the most regular situation someone would find themselves in, that was still no reason to blindly start panicking.

Right?

Her ears rang painfully with a high pitched whistle, like the noise the TV made during an emergency broadcast, which didn't help her already pounding headache. Her muscles were sore and her joints stiff, her nerves prickled under her skin. In general, Arlana felt awful but was very much alive. She never thought she'd find herself welcoming the pain of reality after experiencing something so terrifying.

At the very least, Arlana ruled out the possibility that this was a dream.

...But if not a dream then what is this?

Arlana hasn't felt so sore in years, where her limbs refused to move and her muscles burned with every contraction. It reminded her vaguely of high school, when she first tried out for soccer and overdid the training regime. Even though she managed to get on the team, the pain afterwards was burnt into her memories. Arlana's at least thankful that nothing seemed broken - although it wouldn't surprise her if she was left terribly bruised - as she tries out each limb in order to get herself up. It was hard considering the jolts of fear that would course through her, threatening to take hold if she wasn't so stubborn at trying to stay calm.

Panicking now would only cause her more trouble.

Remember your breathing exercises: breath in through your nose, hold, breath out through your mouth, hold, repeat...

After what felt like hours of struggling - which in reality, had only been just a few seconds - Arlana managed to at least sit up with her legs out, hands propped behind her and her head tilted skywards. Even with her eyes closed, Arlana still felt the ground tilt and slide but relieved as things slowly began to calm down.

Breath in, breath out, repeat...

As the dizziness passed and the world began to clear, the white noise turned into a voice she hadn't noticed before and there was some slight comfort in knowing she wasn't somewhere alone. But the realization that someone's been there the entire time and was currently panicking hits her which made her feel a little guilty. Arlana's not quite sure what she would do in their situation but it probably wouldn't be much different from their's.

Because really, who would stay calm after seeing someone fall from the sky?

Nevertheless, this is embarrassing...I feel like I'm taking this all a little too well...

Maybe she was going into shock? Or maybe she was still in denial about what was going on?

"Hey, lady! I'm asking if you're alright?"

Geez, ain't he kinda rude?

Arlana notes the tone with distaste, figuring the guy would cut her some slack considering all things...but that could just be her irritation talking. She always did have a lousy temper whenever she became too emotional, a trait that's only caused more trouble than what it's worth in the past. Countless of times, her mother would scold her whenever she began to lose her temper, mostly for the fact her language would become more crude the angrier she got. But right now, that anger felt more refreshing than anything, almost a familiar comfort she knew how to deal with instead of the binding fear that still clung to the edge of her mind. So Arlana bites back another urge to throw up and groans out reassurance, still not bothering to open her eyes in fear of losing what little control she currently had over her queasy stomach, "I'm...fine...more or less..."

She prefers not to lose it in front of a complete stranger, thank you very much!

"Can you walk?"

"I think so...kinda dizzy though."

"Good then hurry up and get out of here!"

Excuse me, what?

Arlana felt taken aback by his attitude towards her and her current predicament, like he didn't care about what he just witnessed. Did he NOT just see what happened a few seconds ago? Or was common for people to simply get up and walk away after falling from God knows how high?

…What the ever-loving hell happened again?!

Nevertheless, her temper flares so strongly as Arlana decides to give this asshole a piece of her mind.

"Ye fuckin' brat! Where the hell do ye get off on tellin' me-" Arlana's accent thickens as she begins to spit out what would have been some very colorful words, flipping her head forward to open her eyes into a tired glare when the strange sight in front of her halts her sentence with stunned silence. She blinks, mouth still open, before rubbing her eyes to try and clear them up enough to see.

Everything a bit too blurry for her to make out the details but could still see what was generally in front of her. Arlana was sitting in front of a person - a man, if the deep bass of their voice was anything to go by - who stood there in the most peculiar way. His arms were spread out at shoulder height while his legs loosely stretched out in front of him, a wooden post stood behind him with what appeared to be a tall building off in the distance. The building itself looked like it had dark blue tiger stripes running along the dark gray walls.

Am I sure I'm not dreaming? Because this is starting to seem like a dream...can I please wake up now?

"That's a sharp mouth you got there…" The man growls out to draw her attention back to him, Arlana felt goosebumps crawl along her skin at the dangerous tone, "Now get out of here now before I kick your ass."

As confused as she was, Arlana couldn't help but to feel her annoyance flush through her. And as immature as it might be for someone who was nearly thirty years old (twenty-seven, to be exact), the woman shoots back a stubborn glare before huffing irritably when her eyes began to itch again. Arlana roughly digs her hands in to rub at them again, hoping to clear up her vision despite knowing the fact things wouldn't be as clear as they should be.

Working as a graphic designer calls for hours of staring at her computer screen, thus ruining her eyesight. But her vision wasn't so bad that she needed to wear glasses all the time, a cheap pair of reading glasses were an easy fix to her farsighted issues.

Because why pay for a prescription when she could just be partially blind sometimes?

Arlana is mournfully reminded that her glasses weren't on her person and were most likely on the coffee table in her parent's living room, having taken them off before laying on the couch. "Can you just shut it for a moment? Geez, where am I even?" Arlana sighs, suddenly feeling worn out as her anger dies down. At least her headache was beginning to fade as well, her thoughts now a little more clear.

"You're in the courtyard so get lost!" He snaps at her irritably, ringing with a mild tone of panic she hadn't quite noticed at first but it was enough to send off alarms. Arlana froze with her thumb and index finger hovering above the bridge of her nose. Gray eyes wide and a new wave of panic, much stronger than the last, hits her hard, "What kind of idiot sneaks into a Marine base?"

Did...did he just say Marine?!

If Arlana had been calm before, she was sure as hell wasn't now. Not only because she had somehow ended up in a military base but the fact she was currently sitting in front of a man who was either a prisoner or a marine.

Both not exactly more favourable than the other.

Standing up quicker than she should have, Arlana felt a new wave of nauseating dizziness wash over her again and settle in the pit of her stomach along with her anxiety. Her knees shook in an effort to keep her upright, hands clenching at her sides as her mind couldn't stop screaming at her. She felt like she couldn't breath, "Wh-What are ye even talkin' 'bout?" Arlana stumbles back a step, trying to put a bit more distance between her and her unwanted company. Her throat feels dry as she swallows, trying to calm herself again but it's getting harder and harder to do, "Who the hell are you?" Her eyes was squeezed shut as her hands press to the sides of her head, blocking out the sight of everything spinning around her.

The man was either ignorant to her distress or simply didn't care as he lets out a humorless snort, "Shouldn't I be asking you that, you're the one who fell right out of the sky. Also it's rude to ask for someone's name without giving your own..."

I really can't deal with this on so many levels, ye fuckin' prick!

Her temper starts to boil but she used that to reign in her panic, trying to focus on any sort of logic so that she didn't do or say anything stupid. Arlana questions why the guy was there to start with. He wasn't doing anything other than standing there, trying hard to get her to leave the area. He has yet to make a move to either attack or arrest her yet he had to be there for a reason.

Arlana holds a clammy hand to her forehead, the contrast in temperature helping just a little to ease her stress, as she mutters under her breath for a moment, "Look, I haven't the foggiest idea what's going on right now and I'm really freaked out." Arlana tries to keep her tone as neutral as possible, more for her own sake than his, "I'm sore, I'm confused, and you giving me lip ain't helping out much. So yes, I'm being rude but I don't see why you should care about that if you're some sort of criminal-"

"I'm not a criminal!" The man quickly protests as Arlana sighs again, feeling her dizzy spell finally pass and hoped the next time she opened her eyes that she could actually see a bit better. He sounded awfully offended that she labelled him a criminal, as if he were insulted, which made her even more confused when she really thought about it.

"If...you aren't a criminal then what are you?...A Marine?"

"Obviously not…."

"Well okay. Then why, again, are you here?"

"That's none of your business."

She decides it's better not to continue the conversation, seeings how it was going nowhere, as her eyes finally open to glance down at herself. Arlana checks herself over for any injuries, expecting to see some blood or bruises considering her impact but felt shocked to see she was fine. Even the earlier pain had left.

Arlana was relieved to see she was still wearing her white tank top under the pastel purple cardigan, a bit dirty but not worse for wear. Her black jeans were also still in good condition, the knees were scuffed from her earlier fall but remained intact. The only thing missing were her shoes, wiggling her grey socked feet in the dirt mournfully.

That's gonna make things harder if I can't find another pair of shoes...

"Will you just LEAVE already!"

Oh right, I almost forgot there's someone else here...

Arlana realizes that he's been concerned about her from the beginning and knowing where she was now, the reason was obvious. But it dawns on her that he probably saw her hit the ground and while she doesn't know how long she's been out, there's no doubt that he probably thought she was dead. There's a sudden pang of guilt, she feels bad for her earlier attitude but there's no way she was going to tell him that. If this really was a Marine base, he had to have done something bad enough to warrant his death.

He probably is a mass murderer or something...

But his tone was growing more frantic, his harsh words hissed through clenched teeth. Something wasn't adding up and it was only adding to the list of questions she had. Curious, Arlana finally takes a moment to look up at the man who has been there the entire time.

There's immediate alarm at the sight of bloody patches. Arlana feels her eyes widen as her mind zeros in on them, vivid red standing out against the white t-shirt. She couldn't quite tell if it was his or not but the speckles near the corners of his mouth makes her stomach twist. A black bandanna tied on the top of his head hid most of his hair but she swears her eyes are playing tricks on her when she spots minty green sideburns along his jaw. Arlana didn't know what the green band around his middle was for, considering how hot the day was, but it did provide some padding from the rope that was tightly around his middle. His legs were stretched out in front of him and black boots dug into the earth, leaving him to put most of his weight on his shoulders as the muscles along his arms and neck strained. Even so, it was clear he was a little taller than her by a few inches.

Beads of sweat dribbled down tan skin and across his sharp features. With such minimal effort, his glare was (cold, threatening, stern) and his eyes sharp from within the shadows on his face. It left her feeling chilled, despite the sweltering sun beating down on them. There's no doubt in her mind that this man was very dangerous merely by presence alone, the kind of person someone shouldn't ever mess with.

But she personally knew some people who found that attractive and it's not like she didn't find him to be-

Arlana Lee-Ann Durand! You get your head out of the gutter and focus, dammit!

"The fuck is with your hair?" She blurts out lamely with a straight face despite the embarrassment staining her cheeks red. She felt like she had to say something before the silence stretched on for too long. Definitely not what she had been thinking moments ago, it was inappropriate for a number of reasons.

But her bizarre statement threw him off enough as his glare disappeared and was replaced with a look of bewilderment. It only lasted for a minute before his face twists into a childish snarl as his cheeks mimicked her own, "What kind of question is that? That's my natural color, asshole!"

That...that's a straight up lie! I've never met anyone with mint colored hair!

But something about that statement tugged at a memory, too muddled to make any sense of but a feeling of familiarity settled in place. Why did she feel like she recognized this guy? He didn't seem like anyone she would bother to get to know and her memory wasn't that good that Arlana would remember someone she'd pass by on the streets.

"I...feel like I should know who you are but...I can't recall having ever met you." Arlana looks off somewhere else, a hand pressing to her head, "Why can't I remember?" There was no mistaking the fact she should know who this stranger is, even her surroundings were tugging at sounds and images that fluttered by too quickly to catch.

A swell of terror begins to bloom, something's terribly wrong and Arlana had no clue what it was.

The man regards her for a moment, his weary sigh breaking her attention and bringing her lost expression back to him, "I don't know if it helps any but I don't know who you are either and trust me, I'm good at remembering people's faces." He says it like an inside joke but Arlana doesn't understand what he meant by it. But his reassurance doesn't help her much, it makes her want to cry because she's honestly scared right now. Arlana wants to refuse any of this was happening because it really should be impossible.

A voice inside her head mocks her, tears swelling in the corner of her eyes as his expression cooling off into a more serious matter, "I don't know what to do..."

"Can't say I know either...but you can't keep standing around here. This place to dangerous and if they find you here..." He stops himself, as if to consider what to tell her, "...If they catch you here, they'll kill you."

The words slam into her hard, screaming in her mind as her breath catches and her eyes widen with horror. For whatever reason, it hadn't caught up to her until now of how reckless it was she stayed for so long. Arlana knew she should have left as soon as she heard where she was but her curiosity got the better of her and now she didn't know how much time she had left until-

"If they catch you here, they'll kill you..."

Arlana feels her earlier panic hit her hard, her mind going blank as her self-preservation instincts finally kick in.

The woman suddenly turns on her heel, booking it towards the building in the distance as she ignores the man's startled shouting about going the wrong way. But she wasn't trying to find the exit, she didn't know what she was doing in her blind panic. All Arlana knew was that she had to find somewhere safe to hide, somewhere no one could find her and she could wake up from whatever freaky dream this was.

Because it had to be a dream, right? She just fell asleep on the couch, with the TV on and her brother curled up on the large chair their father usually sat on during family gatherings. She was going to wake up any moment and find herself in the quiet comfort of home with the chill of Winter biting her skin, the tickle of fur from the cats that seemed to constantly try and suffocate her.

This was starting to get too ridiculous to be real.

No one falls out of the sky and lives. No one ends up in a government military base without someone noticing. No one has minty colored hair and claims it's real.

Arlana's foot catches on something and she trips, finally giving her enough focus to see where she was before spotting a stack of crates near a wall. Without thinking, she dives behind it and presses her back against the solid wood. Her legs draw up to her chest and her arms tightly hug them close, resting her head on her knees as she bites her lip to keep from sobbing out loud. Her nose began to burn as hot tears spilling over and down her flushed cheeks. There's a quiver in her chest that travels up her throat but Arlana was too scared to make a sound.

The world felt large and vast and deafening, despite the soft sounds that settled outside her bubble. None of this was real, none of this was actually happening and it was all in her head. With every fibre of her being, Arlana desperately tried to stop her mind from telling her otherwise. Trying to find some sort of logic within the illogical.

Breath in, breath out, breath in, breath out, BREATH IN-

But Arlana was anything but stupid and knew that as impossible as it seemed, she ended up somewhere far away from home.

Arlana felt like she was going to pass out as her control slips further, lungs starving for air as her breaths come out in gasps. Trembling hands clutched at her shirt, feeling her heart hammering so painfully that it roared in her ears. Her vision blurred with tears that felt like it seared her skin and she couldn't stop the sudden sob which ripped from her throat. But she quickly stuffs the side of her hand into her mouth, teeth clenching hard into her flesh in an attempt to remain silent. The words continued to echo in her mind, mockery mingling with the truth.

She didn't know how long she sat behind the crates to hide away from the rest of the world, quietly crying to herself in utter despair of her situation. Nor did she notice herself slowly growing more exhausted from her emotions drained what little energy she had. Her body slumps a little more, her posture relaxed as her heavy lids slowly slipped close and the last of her cries muffled out from behind her knees.

Whatever happened and whatever situation she found herself in, Arlana was going to have to figure out what to do if she had any hope of finding her way back home.

This story is being brought back from the dead after almost 5 years of being unable to write after an incident with where I use to live. If my writing is rusty than please forgive me as I try to get back into my mojo. I'll update when I can which can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks but I hope you all like this story as much as I like writing it.

The story itself is rather simple, much simpler than you'd expect. It's not a teen out searching for love, it's not a young woman with a troubled and dark past.

This is a story of two siblings, one already past the threshold of adulthood and the other coming very close, who have lived normal lives and who wish for normal lives. They fight, like siblings do, it's just that this one fight was rather nasty and people who shouldn't be meddling in it are.