"Roxanne, are you ok," said Lilly, her chocolate eyes full of concern.
"I'm fine," I replied sitting up.
She looked at me for a moment. She knew.
"He doesn't exist. Stop spending time thinking about it."
"What," I said pretending to be clueless.
"You heard me. You have to address your people in an hour," she said as she left.
I shook my head as she exited my room. I picked up my tiara and looked at it. It had three heart shaped rubies, and two golden keys. I hated it. I hated having to dress up and, I hated what I was going to have to do. I wanted to look, and dress, like other people. I wanted them to feel like I could really understand their problems. But in this getup that just was not possible.
The dress was pink of all colors, gorgeous, and extremely girly. My father had it designed for me before he died. My mother had attempted to convince him to pick something even a little less frilly, but had failed miserably.
I shook my head in an attempt to shake off the memory of their faces. But they were still there.
I sighed. How was I supposed to get up and tell everyone that I was leaving so I could get married to some stuck up snotty prince, that I did not want to marry.
Mom, I need your help here, I said looking at the picture of her, and I had taped to the corner of my vanity mirror.
Her response came as soon as I looked down. The vanity table had an intricate design of my countries symbol. It was a heart made out from different pieces of wood from all around my country.
"I'll just refuse him. I don't care what Lilly tells me my heart tells me differently," I said aloud looking at my reflection in the mirror.
I looked down again. I guess it must have been my mother's second sign, because sitting there in the middle standing straight up was my mothers silver journal. The pages edged with a metallic blue that is only known in the twilight, and the same heart that was on my vanity had, was on the cover. Only the heart on the cover was metallic blue.
Besides, I thought with a smile, so does my mother's journal.
As I brushed my hair, I thought about everything that had happened. I had arrived back here from somewhere. I could not remember anything about the past couple of years. The only thing I could remember was the angry feelings I had towards Lilly, and Crystal. Crystal had taken something from me. Something special, but I did not know what. The past eight years were spent training me to fight, sing, and be a princess. I had to learn table manners, and what spoon to use, how to do my hair, what was appropriate, what was not, etcetera, etcetera. I loved my guardians very much, but there was something that they were hiding for me. What it was, I did not know for sure, but I knew it had something to do with the two years of missing memories.
After I brushed my hair, and put on my black and blue name necklace, I stared at my reflection in the icy glass mirror. I always wore two necklaces. Lilly disproved of them both. One that I wore was on a chain and was attached to a heart that broke in half; it was the same shape as the heart on my vanity. I was supposed to give the other half to my future husband. The thought made me laugh. Me? Get married?
"There is no one here for me," I said to myself slipping on my dress. At least not here, in Kingdom Heart. Maybe elsewhere, but not in my kingdom. Not in my world.
I walked over to the mirror. Everything gorgeous as normal, well except for me, myself, and I. I am rather plain looking, and the dress and tiara definitely made sure everyone knew that. It did not bother me though. It meant I could go into town and blend in with everyone. I did not have t worry about being recognized.
Suddenly, I remembered something my mother had taught me in front of this mirror. I closed my eyes tight and repeated a wish three times. It was something my mother taught me to do. She and my father had died in the last attack by them...
"I wish I could go find that boy."
"I wish I could go find that boy."
"I wish I could go find that boy."
I opened my eyes.
Now if only it would work, I thought, smiling at my foolishness.
Slowly I made my way down the marble halls and staircases of the castle until I reached the dining hall. All the hallways were made of marble. Pearly white perfect marble. The stairs were always glass with a silver lining, and a metallic blue rug with silver edging ran up and down both the hallways, and the stairs. The walls were painted with a barely blue coat of paint, and had the same heart evenly spaced every two yards.
When I finally reached the dining hall, every one of my guardians had already finished breakfast.
"Mornin'" said a girl as I entered.
"Morning. Where's Lilly?"
"She had to go meet with a new guest. I think it is King Mickey."
My heart skipped a beat. Perhaps this meant something, like an adventure. Mickey only came buy the kingdom if it meant an adventure for me. Otherwise, he just wrote me letters asking how I was doing, but lately there had not been any.
I was about halfway through breakfast when Lilly came in.
"Your speech is canceled. Go get changed, and meet us in the gummi garage."
"Where are we going," I asked excitedly.
"No where special. You've just been invited to do a concert that's all," she said trying to sound nonchalant.
Lilly hurried out of the room.
I hiked up your dress and headed for the stairs. In no time, I had changed into my concert clothes and was ready to go. I had a grey tank top, and blue jeans that angled from one hip to below the other hip. For some reason I found myself excited about this trip. I suppose that it was because I had not preformed out of Kingdom Heart in so long... But what to sing?
I charged straight towards the gummi garage.
"Hurry up" yelled Crystal from the ship.
"Coming" I said and noted that I would need to decide during the flight.
But as soon as I was on board Crystal and Lilly droned on about the rules of being in other worlds. It did not take long for their droning to put me to sleep.
I woke a couple of hours later, knowing exactly what song of mine I had to sing. It was titled "Yin and Yang". I pulled out the page from the song binder and read it to myself.
"Yin and Yang."
Verse 1:
Wake up to darkness
But do not lose the light
Open a window
Turn off the light
Soak up the rays
But stand in the shadows
Chorus:
Yin and yang.
Together as one.
Like salt and sugar
Black and white.
Together they are one.
Verse2:
Don't fear your shadow
Walk tall in the light
Accept both parts of your heart
Both light and dark
Chorus:
Yin and yang.
Together as one.
Like salt and sugar
Black and white.
Together they are one.
Verse3:
Accept the darkness
Don't turn down the light.
Open the window to possibilities.
Chorus:
Yin and yang.
Together as one.
Like salt and sugar
Black and white.
Together they are one.
Verse 4:
Don't fear your shadow
But don't let it lead
Work with it
And together become one.
Chorus2x
Together as one.
"We are going to sing this on," I said.
"Roxanne... Oh, forget it you never listen," said Lilly looking at the page in disgust.
"Hey can we start off with "This Ain't a Scene" and move on to "Hum Hallelujah"," asked Daina impatiently, her sea green eyes glittering at the thought.
"Sure," I said watching Daina plug in her guitar.
Her hair was bright blue, and it was short, and always parted to the side or zigzagged. The best way to describe Daina was to call her a punk rocker. Her hair was never a natural color, and she had always cut it short. Most people did not like it but I did. I thought it looked good on her. But most of the kingdom thought it was "inappropriate."
"Ok everyone ready," asked Rosaline pushing her strawberry blonde hair out of her blue eyes.
"Yup," I said beginning the countdown sequence. "1...2...3..."
It was perfect. Then again, everything we played came out perfect n my opinion.
Daina had just hit the last cord when suddenly the power was cut.
"We are here."
The monitor read Radiant Garden and had a man named Cid's face on it.
"Ready to land and give us a show Roxanne," he asked with a smile.
"Sure am!"
"Alright prepare to land everyone," said Mickey from the pilot seat.
When I got off, I was greeted by a group of total strangers. One of which I thought I recognized but could not remember for sure. He had silver hair that covered his eyes. I searched my memories trying to find him, but he was not there.
Perhaps, I thought, perhaps I am just thinking of someone else.
Suddenly I was taken from my thoughts by everyone screaming, and Lilly on the ground bleeding. She was clutching her stomach, and the other guardians were pulling out their weapons, and standing in fighting stance.
The End
Elizabeth R. Austin