Padriarch was strange world. It was world covered in beauty- flowers as far as the eye could see in every color imaginable, every day the sky burst with beautiful colors of oranges, pinks, violets, and blues and the sun was always bright. The weather was never cloudy, never too hot, and the grassy fields were always green. The people of Padriarch however, are a different story.
" I can't today Ito. I've got so much to do, and I have to find some way to pay for today's food. But I promise sometime soon I'll spend the day with you. Just you and me, kay?" Yumi said with a sweet smile.
"Okay Yumi, but only if you promise me that you won't spend all of your time working! You still owe me a trip to the cliffs for our diving contest," Ito said teasingly.
"Ha, of course. I'll see you tomorrow!" said Yumi.
Yumi was a lovely dark-skinned brown haired girl with eyes as green as the foamy sea. She was young, late teens, and wore a white dress with a starfish crest on it and silver sandals every day. She was poor, just had enough money for food and has lived alone ever since she can remember. She spends most of her time daydreaming and swimming, but she manages to take in odd jobs around town to make money for food. She lives in a secluded hut (as does everyone else) on the beach, a long walk from town but the most beautiful scene, by far of anything else on the island.
Ito was probably the only person that Yumi could trust. He was also the only kind-hearted person that Yumi knew in her town. The people of Padriarch in nearly every city were never friendly. Nobody knew quite how it happened, but the citizens had become completely cold, isolated people, only leaving their homes to buy necessary goods and to work. Nobody had friends; couples got married and had children out of force and obligation to keep their family going. Nobody got along. Ito and Yumi were special. They were the only friends in town. Somehow, they had not been consumed by the darkness and isolation of Padriarch. They had to keep their friendship and love for one another's company a secret, in fear that conspirators would suspect that they were plotting against the town.
Yumi walked the long, rocky road back to her small beach hut miles away from town. She carried her small basket, she made herself using reeds and palm leaves. Inside was a small loaf of bread and some extra coins. Every week, Yumi brings the exact same amount of money to the market, plus a little bit extra that she knows she can't afford to spend. And every week she gazes longingly at the same gemstone ring, the one she wishes she would have the courage to buy but knows it would be wasteful and she needs to save her money for food and necessities.
Yumi gazed along the horizon of the grassy field on her way to her beach hut. She again thought to herself the same question she had asked every day but never had the answer to; "For a world so beautiful on the outside, the hearts of its people are so cold. Why am I not the same? Why is Ito not the same?"
Yumi stopped in her tracks and listened. She had heard a loud rumble in the distance and thought it was just her stomach. But the rumble grew louder and louder.
"Wha…..What is that?" Yumi panicked.
As she looked behind her, Yumi began to see the ground cracking apart in the distant market. It was growing, faster and longer, and it was headed her way. Yumi's heart started beating faster and she froze.
"Yumi, run!" She heard a distant voice yell, but Yumi couldn't move.
Then she felt two strong hands pick her up and run.
As she went into shock, Yumi closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her. Screaming- in the distance. She was surprised that the seemingly emotionless people of Padriarch could scream. She could hear the loud cracking of the ground, into large crevices that split apart and grew. She could hear the breathing of her carrier, his swift movements and she could feel the strength of his arms carrying her- but also his tenderness in holding her.
Faster and faster he ran, until he reached the beach- the end of the road, they could go no further. The roaring earthquake stopped and Yumi felt the strong hands gently set her down outside of her hut. She regained her composure and rubbed her eyes. She looked up at her rescuer- it was Ito.
"Are you alright? I thought you were going to faint or something!" Ito asked.
"I…I got scared….Ito you saved me…..thank you." Yumi said, a bit awestruck.
"Hey, who am I to let my friend fall into a giant crevice? I'm just glad you're alright. I have no idea what just happened back there!"
"Neither do I……What could cause such a thing! The entire village must be destroyed…….. What are we going to do?" Yumi asked.
"I have no idea. I can't go back there, my hut is probably destroyed and I'm not trying to jump over one of those crevices to get there."
"Then I guess you're stuck with me Ito! We'll have to stay here until……well I don't really know. But it could still be dangerous in town." Yumi said.
"True. I guess I'll have to stay with you, then."
"Absolutely. I just bought food and I can make extra room and…….I'm just really glad you're here, Ito." Yumi blushed.
"Well thank you! And uh…..I'm glad I'm here too."
"Well then…..I insist that you take a nap while I make you something to eat. So you can go into my hut and nap while I go get some fish." Yumi stated.
"Well, if you insist, kind lady, I'll take you up on that," Ito said with a smile. He headed into the hut while Yumi grabbed her harpoon and headed for the shore.
The beach had luckily been unharmed, but Yumi hoped that the earthquake hadn't scared all the fish away. She walked along the tide and let it sweep her feet with its cool waves of foam and seawater. She saw something sparkle in the water- a fish gill most likely. She found one! She slowly prowled near it and leaned in for a quick stab. But when she lifted her harpoon from the water she had no fish. But instead she had….
"A ring?" Yumi questioned.
"No…..the ring! The ring that I've wanted for so long! But how did it get here? The earthquake?"
Yumi held the ring up to the light and basked in its simplistic beauty. It was an emerald green gemstone with a gold band. It was the ring she had always wanted.
"I can't believe my luck!" Yumi said, as she began to slip it onto her finger.
Suddenly, a blinding light came from the ring.
"Ahh! What's going on! Not this again!" Yumi shouted.
Hearing Yumi's cries, Ito rant out of the hut, towards her.
But before they knew it the flash was over, and standing before them was a catlike creature with long ears, orange eyes, and a big ring just like Yumi's.