A few thunder rolls were heard from afar as a few more clouds had jumbled together Remora continued to look through the door at the messy scene. She thought she could see a lightning strike up ahead in the black sky. Everything just seemed colorless.

"Fang, we might have to leave early. "

"I thought they might be closing early because of this storm anyway. " Fang said, not surprised.

Remora walked over to the librarian in the other room, the charm still clutched in her fist.

"Is this library going to close early or stay open? "

"We don't know ourselves, dear. Closing would put everyone in here out in that dreadful storm, yet if we didn't close …well, I'm not sure. If you want to stay safe, I recommend you stay here till the storm clears just a little bit. "

Fang had her teal eyes on Remora's fist, seeing the lace hang out of the tight clutch. "Are you going to put that on? " She asked smiling.

Remora looked down at her fist, opening it slowly. She then nodded, grinning, and clipped the charm necklace around her neck. The charm glistened as it hung to her chest, and Remora suddenly felt at ease. But right when that happened the lights began to flicker on and off in the whole building. Everyone got startled by the lack of light for a few seconds.

"Well, if we stayed open, we wouldn't want to go through all that, now would we? Unfortunately ladies, we may have to close early. You may want to call your parents to pick you up though. "

Groaning a bit, Fang took out her cell and began to dial while Remora put the books on the counter deferentially. "Can we check these out? "

"Of course, dear. Let me see them and I'll sign them out. "

"I texted your mom, Rem. She'll be here, obviously not soon. "

Remora had heard Fang's slight concern in her voice, but it wasn't the only voice she fathomed.

'Remora…now's your chance. The beach…scavenge the beach'

"…I want to wait outside. "

"What?! Remora, are you crazy? Look at the condition the weather is out there, and its worse where your mom is right now. "

" Something's telling me… telling me to go to the beach. There might be something there. "

As Remora looked up hopefully, the librarian put the books back on the counter for Remora to reach. " There you go, dear. Now I'd take your friend's advice if I were you. In an hour or so, the sky'll be black as black can get. "

" I…need to go…and look for who's calling me. "

Remora then stood in front of the counter to get her books and put them in her bag. " You can wait here if you want to Fang, but someone…or something needs me. "

Fang stood speechless. She wanted to stop Remora but at the same time she wanted to let her choose her own way, even if it is just voices in her head. " …Please be careful. Don't want your mom bitching at me for letting you go out in the storm alone. "

Remora smiled, and then left the library. The air was extremely destitute and mortuary, yet she didn't care. Starting to sprint down the street, she felt a tiny drop of water hit her face, and then another - knowing it was going to make a tiny sprinkle then and would be raining in a few minutes. As much as she wanted to use the train, she figured the station would be closed due to the future outbreak in horrific weather. It wouldn't be very safe to run in sandals, so she slipped her sandals off her feet and ran barefoot. Luckily, the road wasn't too rocky or uncomfortable to stand on, and her eyesight didn't blur completely yet. So, she followed the voice that called her, soon to lead her in the windy sands of her favorite spot in the whole city.

3 hours later

Slowing down underneath the patio at the beach, she made her slow walk into a stop as she had slightly hard time breathing. It was then a heavy rain and she was completely drenched from the raining beating down on her head. As soon as she caught her breath, she looked up to face the beach. The waters were violent, just like in her dream, and the sand had blown from one place to another. But then Remora had looked up and her heart started to beat a mile a second, because up above the pensive sea was what looked like either a hole in the sky, or a void, making her spellbound.

' Remora...do not waste this opportunity...remember the book? This is a portal to another world. '

Remora still didn't know what the voice was coming from, or who it was talking to her, but the storm was getting worse and lightning hit the ground a couple of times, and there was some unstable winds up ahead where she would usually go home, possible to blow her off of her feet.

' This is what you wanted Remora. Think ahead. Learn new things, enjoy a new living. Meet new people, possibly just like you. All of that awaits right here, if you accept what your heart is currently begging you to do. '

" B-but...what about everyone here!? What about Fang, the librarian, and mom...?! "

' For now...they will be unaware of your sudden disappearance, but this is something you must do, yet something that's for you to decide as well. As you may see...this is a rare occasion. If you were to turn away now, it could be years, possibly decades before a new peril falls before your home, and this chance is given once again. '

Remora began to walk away from her protection, and the wind had sent her hair flying, nearly blowing her rose hair charm out of it, and the rain seemed to almost pierce through her skin, yet she didn't care. Stepping closer to the hole. She stopped to examine it, and examined a reflection of herself within the fog that was covering it. She wasn't in her best condition, but she knew it was true that it was an all or nothing opportunity.

" ...Will I see home again? "

' If you should be able to find a new portal. Then yes, you have a good chance. But don't expect the moment to happen so soon. Once you step through, you'll want to take in everything you see...smell...taste...hear...it's your choice. Forget about what the others tell you. It's your life...and you should be in charge of making it have the most special occasions in life. '

Remora had heard enough, and succumbed to the voice in her mind. She began to step into the raging waters, making it a little difficult to walk, yet it never slowed down her decision. As she paced on, the waters rose higher and higher as she got into the deeper parts of the ocean. The hard rocks and shells that were tranquil in the bottom of the sands were sharp and nearly stabbed through her feet as she kept on walking, not looking back as her eyes focused on getting to the abyss in the air. The small pace had gotten tedious, yet the water reached her upper waist line as soon as she stopped walking, and was underneath the hole. Looking up, the rain hit her seldom pale face and brought up a few tears in her reflective eyes from pain and her choice. I'm sorry Fang, mother, everyone. But this is my decision. She brought her arms up from out of the water. The air hit her skin and made her shiver, and some of the cuts she had gained on the way to the beach began to sting. She brought her arms up and reached towards the hole above her while looking up, and closed her eyes in deep prestige as the aura of her town began to recess behind her and a simper smile formed on her light pink lips. Take me away...to my paradise...let me experience...the ecstasy I longed for.

Meanwhile

Fang stood at the sidewalk outside of the library as the rain had just begun to pour down. The librarian walked out of the building and locked the door then closing the place. " Dear, I'm worried about your friend out there by herself. When is your mom coming? "

" It's a 3 hour drive from here to where we live. We knew that our mom wouldn't come anytime soon, but you do have a point. "

" Mmmm-mm dear. Her mother's going to be quite ticked with you if she were to find out you let her walk out there alone. "

" Not really. If something happens between us, her mother usually takes it out on Remora. Even she knows how strange she can be sometimes- "

Fang was slightly cut off when suddenly a very blinding flash beamed through the whole sky and everything below it. It lasted only for a second though it would catch anyone off guard and after a second or two a deafening roar-like sound had echoed through the sky almost loud enough to make Fang scream, yet she covered her ears in shock of the bang.

" That...didn't sound like ordinary thunder...or lightning! "

" You know, you are right about that. I might just have to bring us back inside. It's not safe outside anymore. " The librarian then took the keys back out of her pocket and unlocked the door, bringing Fang and her inside. She also took out a tiny handkerchief and handed it to Fang. " Here...to wipe off any wet spots on your face or elsewhere. "

" Thank you, miss. "

" Call me Rouge. "

" ...Miss Rouge? "

" No no. Just Rouge. It's fine by me. " She said chuckling a bit. Apparently she had just unlocked the door for just the two of them, since the open sign wasn't put up on their way in. Compared to the weather outside, the library seemed a little warmer than usual. " Hmm...someone can really get maladious if they stay outside too long. "

Fang groaned. " I feel kind of irresponsible letting her go off like that, but she always convinces me with her mellow words. "

Rouge had smiled as she turned on the hall lights. " Well she does have merit intelligence, I believe. She did pick out some rare books today on this world I never thought about before. "

" How rare are the books on it around here. "

" Ah, there aren't many copies left. The majority of them are documentaries, photo albums, diaries, or just regular history books. Yet they're very hard to find and your friend- this...Remora- must have an interesting life to pick some of them out. "

" I'm surprised she didn't take all of them. " Fang said, slightly laughing.

" Yes, well...if she did decide to take all of them, I'd probably have the urge to actually let her keep them for herself. Those are highly advanced books she picked out, and I'd figure she may have more at home; and one of those books had a charm in there that I never seen before. When I saw her wearing it earlier, I figure she wanted to learn something from those sources. "

Fang stayed quiet as Rouge talked on. She thought that learning about Spira was something that only her and her mom knew about personally, despite books on it could be found in libraries, but apparently other people knew about it too, and how intense the information in the books were. She no longer had to wonder on why Remora took it so seriously.

" You know...I kind of want to apologize to her. "

" Hmm? "

" Well...most of her days she spends learning more and more about a place called Spira. The books she checked out were based on it too by the way. Well, on days whenever we hang out, she sometimes gets envious of more info on it, and sometimes I can get a little frustrated because it's usually night time and it'd be a special night out. We'd go to parties, we might go to a restaurant, shop a lot, go to the casinos. Downtown Siren City is where we always like to hang out at night, and it's where we live around...so...it's not really a bad thing that she wants to learn so much, I just wish that sometimes she'd do so when she has time on her own hands, not both of ours. Yet, she's quite the omniscient girl; everyone says there's something waaay deep down that's unique about her, and...I can't believe I realized it just now, but I might get jealous from time to time. "

" You have yourself a very special friend, dear. Don't go and try to absorb what she is. "

Fang nodded slowly, knowing that Remora's way of life overshadowed her own. She then got started from a horn honk behind her. Turning about, the rain was very heavy, yet she could make out it was Remora's mom in a car in front of the library.

" Umm...I might be back some other time. " Fang said doubtfully.

" Remember dear, you have your uniqueness. If you feel you lost it, just go and find it, and if you don't approve of what you discover, change it. " Rouge urged.

Fang nodded with a blank expression yet she was put at ease. She then ran out the door and met the car Vera waited in. Vera lowered the window to see Fang's face clearly, and looked very dubious

" Where's Remora!? "

Fang panicked for a moment, yet she knew what she had to tell her. " Remora ran off! Everyone, even me, tried to convince her it was too dangerous to run around outside, but she wouldn't listen to us! "

" She what!? " Vera had a face of dissension, but didn't look angry at Fang. " She didn't even bother to call me and tell me where she was going...and she's out there ALONE? "

Fang nodded. Vera unlocked the car doors hesitantly. " Get in. I'll drop you off home. Then I'm going to look for her. "

Meanwhile

Fang was at home finally safe, yet Remora was nowhere to be found. Vera knew there was one place she hadn't looked yet. One place that had the probability of her being there out of anything else. Damn it, Remora. Of all of these f-...of all of these times. Why did you have to wander today!? Why, damn it, why!? The beach only around the corner, Vera peeked out of window as it lowered to distinction. Nobody was near or far into the beach. Vera's heart didn't care. She parked her car near the patio as she ran out from her door to explore the areas, despite she was getting a beat down from the rain. She then saw something small and red half under the sand. Filled with distress, she ran toward the object and fell to her knees as she picked it up. She brushed off the sand, seeing it was a rose charm that you could clip onto your hair. It sparkled even more in the rain, and you could see a single flaxen piece of hair tangled to the pin. The same colored hair that Remora has, the same charm that Vera had bought Remora when she was only 4. Vera's eyes burned from the high tension and sand that blown into her face as slow lines of tears ran down her face, knowing that Remora would be nearly impossible to find.