Destiny's Marked: Chosen (Book 1)

"Welcome to Planet Earth"

     Aria walked off the bus, returning a goodbye wave to the eccentric Kora. The high school and middle school campus was slowly filling with people as the other buses opened their doors and students filed out. Aria readjusted the backpack on her back as she approached the gates, walking faster when she saw a familiar ravenette, "Ryoko!" Ryoko turned to the sound of her voice, though it was a little difficult with the black headphones around her neck. She grinned and replied, "Aria! What's up?" She wore a black hoodie over a violet tank top button-up shirt that revealed black undershirt though the see-through material. Her black skinny jeans were tucked into black ankle boots and her black and deep purple backpack rested on her back.

     Aria had caught up to her by now and they continued to walk into the school as she replied, "Eh, nothing much. Had this crazy dream this morning though." Ryoko furrowed her brows in curiosity as they approached the tech building, "Really, what kind of dream?" Aria explained the entirety of what she could remember of the dream, and she was shocked to realize that she remembered every single part of it, which did not help the feeling of uneasiness in her stomach. Ryoko had a confused gaze, "The other five lights were locked in the other worlds? A portal of light? Those things... are a little out there. Even for Disney." Aria nodded as she opened the door to the Video Game Club room, "I know. And it's odd because--" Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her as she directed her gaze to the far wall of the room.

     Ryoko let out a breathless mutter, "No way... Is it--?" Aria nodded slowly. On the far wall, what seemed to be like a puddle of light rippled like water but shone white in an almost blinding way that faded to a purple and then to a darker tone of blue. Columns of white swayed next to the circular puddle and the glowing white base completed its mirror-like appearance. Kai approached them from ahead, gazing at the light, "Luxus and I were going through the playstation games when it appeared out of nowhere." Luxus was near it, hand out as he whispered, "I wanna poke it." Kai was at his side immediately and pulled him away to flip him onto the nearest couch. Luxus groaned as his face hit the pillow and Kai yelled at him, "Are you crazy?!" Luxus's reply was muffled by the pillow his face was in so all the others heard was a distorted whine.

     Aria approached it slowly, studying its every dimension to see that if her theory could possibly be true. Kai gave her a confused look, "Aria...?" Ryoko stood next to Kai, still looking at the light, "She had a weird dream last night. In that dream, was a portal of light." Kai raised a brow and turned his gaze to Ryoko, "A portal... of light?" Ryoko gave him a nod and Kai returned to looking at the mesmerising vertical pool of light. Aria stared at it with glazed eyes, face portraying her confusion and frustration at the impossibility of what was currently happening.

     The entire group jumped as two beings fell through the puddle, both falling with a yell. Aria stiffened at the sight of them both as Ryoko's, Luxus's, and Kai's jaws dropped. The one with auburn hair groaned as he was the one who landed first thus being squished by his companion who fell after him, "Ugh." He tried sitting up with his hand on his head, but noticed that he was underneath his friend and struggled to free himself as he whined, "Riku! Get off me!" The other teen with white hair that could easily be mistaken for silver hair groaned in response, rolling off of him and a hand gripping his own head. Each of them held bruises and cuts and were covered in dust, as if they were in a battle. The dispersed dust soon floated over to the shocked quartet, causing Luxus to sneeze loudly and gathering the duo's attention.

     Riku and Sora froze a moment before finally taking in their surroundings and the other people in the room. Sora then grinned goofily and waved, "Hiya! I'm Sora! And this is Riku!" Riku stood up slowly as he regarded the group of younger teens carefully. Sora soon followed him, dusting the dirt off of his being, before approaching Aria. It was then that the two keyblade wielders sensed the presence of light but an equal amount of dark coming from each of the teens, who were still in shock of the current events.

     "No... way! Oh my gosh!" Luxus broke the silence as he bear-hugged Riku with a huge grin on his face and eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas. Riku's eyes widened at the sudden contact, "Hey! Get off me!" Riku then proceeded to try to pry the ecstatic teen off of him. Sora joined Luxus in hugging Riku and laughed at his struggling friend. Kai shook his head as Ryoko giggled at the scene with Aria grinning in amusement. After a few moments of Riku trying to fend off the two, Kai finally yelled at Luxus, "Luxus, enough already! Get off!" Kai then joined Riku in the effort of removing the two as Aria and Ryoko grinned. Aria continued to stare at the sight in amusement, "Think it's time to help them?" Ryoko sighed in exaggerated disappointment with a grin as she handed Aria an object, "I guess so." Aria took the object and walked over to the boys with a smirk, "Hey, Luxus! Sora!" She succeeded in gaining their attention as they had stopped fighting. Aria then pulled out the object teasingly, revealing it to be a chocolate bar, and it was silent for a few seconds.

     Both Sora and Luxus lunged at Aria quickly who threw the bar across the room. Riku sighed in relief at being released as the auburn brunette and blonde pulled at the chocolate bar, each yelling that the bar was his. Riku evaluated the room and the people that had occupied it before he and Sora had arrived. He saw some similarity between himself and Kai, at least with how he seemed like he held himself, and hoped that he wasn't exactly like him. He sensed a sort of balance of Aria's personality, being that she could be laid-back but also serious if the time called for it. Luxus was obviously the Sora of their group as he was fighting with said person over something as childish as a chocolate bar. Ryoko threw him off however, with how similar she looked to Xion. Ryoko gave him a confused look as he continued to stare at her with wide eyes. Kai cleared his throat and moved in the way of his line of sight when Riku didn't stop staring at her.

     He blinked several times, realizing his actions and scolding himself for even thinking she was Xion. Aria sighed in annoyance as the two continued to fight and it was only a matter of time before she would snap. The next second she did as she stomped over to the duo, causing Luxus to freeze and Sora hold up the chocolate bar in victory. Luxus eyes were wide as he didn't move as Aria was now right behind a cheering Sora, a glare on her features that made Luxus gulp in fear. Sora noticed his former opponent's fearful gaze directed behind him and slowly turned to only shrink a little, now understanding Luxus's fear. Aria grabbed the chocolate bar and swiftly ripped off the wrapper before breaking it in half, handing one to each of the boys who hesitantly took their half. Aria sighed, holding the bridge of her nose, "Your bickering was getting annoying." Luxus then nodded and ate his part of the chocolate bar, fear now gone as he sense the all-clear, but Sora remained wary as he ate his own half, "So... Where are we?" Aria was soon joined by Riku, Kai, and Ryoko as Aria replied, "Welcome to planet Earth."

     The door to the club room suddenly opened as Josh entered the room as usual. The group felt a sense of panic that soon turned to confusion as the grinning senior froze in place, leg up as he was about to step in through the doorway. Josh didn't look like he was even breathing as his leg was perfectly still, not shaking as a normal person would if they were faking being frozen in place. Riku and Sora looked at each other in panic. Riku spoke gravely, "Sora, we need to go. Now." Sora nodded and grabbed Aria's wrist who was now starting to panic, pulling her attention to him, cerulean blue eyes dead serious, "Ok, we need your help. All of our worlds are in danger, it was a miracle in itself that our friend was able to send us here..." Riku lifted Ryoko by the waist, causing a yelp from the ravenette, and placed her over his shoulder, holding her like one would describe holding a sack of potatoes, "No time, Sora! The portal's closing! We'll explain on the way!" Sora panicked, "No!" He copied Riku's action but was carrying Aria who yelled in protest at suddenly being lifted up. Riku grabbed Luxus and pushed him into the portal, the others faintly hearing his yells of alarm as Kai was pushed in next, reacting similarly to his friend. Sora then ran towards the portal that was halfway gone before jumping in, the light blinding Aria as she screamed, Riku and Ryoko right behind them. Aria's scream was soon caught in her throat as she felt herself be jerked around, nausea threatening to take over her. Her mind spun causing her grasp on what was up or down to disappear. The grip that was around her waist suddenly left and Aria let out one last scream as she was tossed left and right before hitting hard against solid ground, blacking out due to the impact.