Parts one and two- The Beginning.

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It was the first Saturday evening in the month of August.The sky was fading into a dark persian indigo, as the clouds shone a brilliant light Cinnabar, breaking halfway into an electrifying thulian pink. Stars sparkled way up high, blinking in and out of existance. The rising moon glistened as if covered with a glossy wax, not casting light but rather imitating an illumination.

Down in the smoky hillside, the weekly circus was about to begin. Small tents of venition red and tokyo purple were set up all around the largest tent- an ebony black, ultramarine blue, and myrtle green spindle of colors swirling up to a brass calla lily figurette. The base of the lily, the stem, was golden- untouched by paint. The petal was divided into black and white, whereas the pistle was a vibrant scarlet.

Massive crowds of people were pouring into the tent, falling over one another in the lap to their seats before it all kicked off. There were no young children here- only dark-minded adolescents and thousands of shady adults and teenagers. A huge area was entirely clear, surrounded by fencing, with a wide pathway towards the tent opening on the opposite side of the main one. Things were calming down considerably as the minutes wore on, and finally, the lamps were darkening...

Inside the tent, near the front row in the middle range of seats, sat four companions of ranging ages. Kendra, Will, Cimmaron, and Jo all were there, waiting intently for the show to finally start.

Johanna found her hopes taking off, rising, for the sunrise as the lamps fell. This was to be her first trip to the circus since that fateful day the war started when she was three years old. She still had a slight, sickening feeling in her gut, as if she was falling two dozen feet each moment she looked around or moved. Her ears were ringing, and now she was having second thoughts about coming with her comerades. But, deep inside, she was telling herself that nothing bad would happen.

Her hand hit her small novelty stuffed toy pig that resided in her pocket as strobelights fell onto three performers at the center. Her heart lept and she looked down at them, as they bent into odd shapes and sizes. They started simple, of course, but then... they put on the strait jackets, getting harder and harder in their attempts. Then on came some acrobats, of course- pretty costumes flying soundlessly in the air. More and more things happening, yet she felt extremely detatched as she watched them all.

Then, something clicked as a young man from Shanghai walked out on stage- saying his name was Renshu, and that he needed an audience member for his act. Her hand peirced the air before he was even done speaking. As his eyes began to scan the audience, his eyes went all around before finally stopping on her. He smiled lightly.

"You!" He said, pointing at her. She hopped up and ruched herself down to the place he was at. She didn't even know his act or anything, not even what she'd be doing. Then, she knew, as they brought on a wooden spinning circle- as well as a wall, and several knives... and a blindfold. She blinked, but walked over to the wheel as they motioned to her. She stopped gingerly onto the platform-stairs, And leaned back against the wheel. Metallic braces grasped both of her wrists, and one-by-one they also clasped onto her ankles. She thought that this would be all, but no- soon after, she felt more fall across her waist, her knees, and her elbows- so she could only move her head.

Renshu put on the blindfold, and got behind the wall- so as to show everybody that he indeed was not watching. This was when Jo's gut started sinking to her feet. She looked around, not daring to move her head, as it all began. Silver daggers -poisoned from what they'd said- began flying out at her, narrowly missing her body as they hit the wood.

She saw him pause, hesitating, and then- a flash of gleaming silver, a mere glance of the hilt... She heard her name yelled out -Will, no doubt- and the crowd gasp in unision... Cold, like ice, fading into a burning sensation, something warm pacing down her. She blinked a few times, unaware what was going on, and looked down at her torso. Bearing down into her left breast was one of the blades, buried to the hilt in her skin. She blinked a few times, before darkness set upon her vision.

A feeling of summer heat covered Johanna's body. She gave a small groan, and opened her eyes. Light, pure, warm light from a midday sun, streamed into her eyes. She was lying on grasses, near the edge of an expanding forest- at least, expanding from what she saw. Wincing slightly, She pushed herself to her feet, looking around as she dusted herself off. She wore a simple, short-sleeved white dress, that fell to just below her knees. The blue sky was beaming a light brandeis, the sun straight in the middle, yet it seemed to be fixed upon her. Likewise, as she started her trek foreward to where the trees cut out entirely, the flowers that lined her path began to turn towards her as if SHE was the sun.

The area illuminated fully once out of all range of trees. In front of her expanded a huge lake that stretched to the horizon like an ocean. Small islands were scattered around everywhere, each different in it's own unique way. The one nearest by, for instance, was pure white, like her dress.

Johanna smoothed her hair out a bit,and walked up to the lake. She stared at it as the water hit the shore every few seconds. Then, finally, she started to tread into it, coldness peircing at her legs as she went on. She shut her eyes tight when it came to her naval... and dove into the water.

The chills becme excruciatingly painful, like ice-tipped spears were peircing her body, forcing the air from her lungs. She pulled herself towards the surface, and began spluttering as she hit it. After a few moments, she started proceding towards the island again, determined to get there.

It seemed like hours when her feet finally touched the ground. She fell back against the shore, staring at the sky while panting. The sun might have moved to stare down upon her again, as if intent upon looking at only her. Soon, she was dry once more. Shaking, she stood up and looked out into the island.

A white spider crawled nearby. Upon seeing her movement, it launched itself into a defend position and charged into the trees to gaze at her in the safety of the shadows. She shuddered, she'd always been afraid of spiders. Those and snakes...

Oh no.

A hiss was heard behind her. She froze in her place, not daring to move. But she didn't need to. An albino snake slithered from behind her, up to her front, red eyes gleaming. It circled her for a few moments, then sinuated back into the water. Her tension relieved itself and she continued on slowly, cautiously, looking all around.

It was then that she came to a dead end- a thin line of bushes. Instead of wimping out and trning back like she was supposed to, of course, she pressed the bushes sideways and looked in.

A mognolia-colored lynx, small in build but easily strong-looking, sat there, focusing it's steady gaze on her. It's head was tilted sideways, in a puppy-like look of confusion.

Johanna couldn't help herself. Smiling serenely, she pulled the bushes apart further and stepped through. The lynx's head rose up straight, and he got on all fours. Johanna stopped in front of it.

"Hello," She said, after several moments of her light blue eyes gazing into his amber ones. "Who are you, pretty little cat?"

"My name is Garnett. I, princess, am your protector."

She wasn't expecting an answer. She fell back, her eyes wide.

"WHOA! You just talked! What the hell?!"

Garnett seemed to become haughty at this.

"Well it seemed like you wanted an answer!"

Both fell silent for a few moments.

"Are you really a protector?" Johanna asked.

He nodded.

"Well... where are we anyways?"

"Your kingdom, princess. The Oblivion."

Johanna blinked a few times and looked around.

"Just this island, right?"

Garnett seemed to laugh a little.

"No, no, no. This ENTIRE place. The dream world. The world of the forgotten, of death."

Johanna looked even more puzzled than before.

"Then, does that mean that I'm dead?"

"Oh, no! This for you is the dream world. You're not dead yet, and certainly not forgotten. Now, come." He stood up on all fours once more, his front right paw lifted into the air and his ears perked straight up. "We must head to Isadonia, to alert the others of your presence. Though, I might ask- where is the queen, mi'lady?"

She blinked.

"The queen?"

"Yes, yes- your, um, half-sister I believe?"

She began thinking.

"Oh, Kendra?" She asked innocently. Garnett nodded. "Well, I suppose she's still conscious, of course!" She gave a small laugh at that, and stopped immediately. "Wow, I'm acting really naive since I came here..."

"Yeah. This place does that to you. Now come on, the passageways out of the forest might already be sealed."

He paused for a moment, and shut his eyes. Suddenly, his features become more human, gradually yet quickly... and before she could beleive her eyes, He was pushing himself to his feet.

The little lynx she'd been looking at moments before was now a tall, deeply-tanned young male with long silver-blond hair that reached his waist. Fierce blue tattoos marked his skin in various areas. He wore brown pants, that reached below his knees.

Johanna couldn't help but stare at him in astonishment, her eyes wide. He flipped his hair back a little.

"Now, come on, quickly." He told her, before starting off. Johanna followed close by, not daring to leave his side.

White faded to green immediately as the two walked on. Whenever there was a part of the path that was a dead end, they changed their direction. It felt like hours until the green faded back to cool, white sand being washed away by the lake. The water on this side was a carolina blue color, and looked like powder. In the distant horizon, an ebony shore loomed at them. She turned to Garnett.

"How on Earth are we going to cross?" SHe questioned. Just as she did, he walked up to one of the trees and popped off a thin twig. He walked over to her.

"What instruments are you able to play?" He inquired to her. Johanna blushed.

"Well, I can play the aulochrome..." She replied. Garnett handed her the stick. She took it, and instantly it turned into an aulochrome! In her surprise, she nearly dropped it- but she caught it in time. "Wh-what am I supposed to do with it?"

"Well play it of course!" Garnett said. His voice sounded rather disapproving. Her blush grew, but she lifted the instrument up to her mouth.

A warm, deep, soothing sensation filled her, numbness engulfing her body like waves. Music of varying tones, notes, everything, raced through her mind. She began to play it.

"Magnificent!" Garnett's voice came to her head. She stopped playing and opened her eyes. A stone bridge had built all the way to the ebony shore. "Let's continue. Quickly now."

As she started walking down the path with him, her numbness faded into tingling, like tiny needles poking at her skin. She just followed on, because she was used to the after-numbness tinglings. But soon, at about halfway, she began getting dizzy as well. The feelings were escalating, and suddenly, when they were near the shore, she felt a humungous pain in her chest. She cried out, swerving a bit, and would have fallen off the bridge- but Garnett caught her immediately. Just as rapidly as they had come her feelings washed away again.

"What was that all about?!" Garnett exclaimed, helping her to her feet again. She shook her head, and let go of him.

"I'm not so sure myself..." She replied. She sighed lightly, ad the two began on again.

Soon, they reached the shores. A black and red gate appeared in front of them. Jo looked up at Garnett, and then down as he turned back into a lynx.

"We're going into Creark, the land of the night. Nightmarish things happen here, and mind you- they're not so friendly to creatures of the day, like us. We have to get in and out as soon as possible with little detection. Promise you'll stay beside me?" Jo nodded in response. "Then come on. Get on my back, and hold on tight."

She gingerly got onto him, and held onto his neck. For a rather small cat, he was amazingly strong and large compared to her. The gates swung open.. and they entered.