Light rays shined through the trees. The wind blew east. All was perfect with the picture, an island- a resort. But there lay a boy who- by many reasons- was not supposed to be there. He was still, neither contributing or taking away from the island.

As if he had been holding his breath, Mal gasped for air. He awoke, stunned. He sat up immediately scanning the area around him.

A girl stood before him, one eye brow cocked.

"That was quite weird," she said.

Those words, he thought. They're not English, yet I understand them completely.

"I- Where am I?" Mal said, surprised at the language that he was suddenly speaking.

"The nameless Island," she said as though it were common knowledge to the entire world. She seemed to be studying him, he thought.

He decided to do the same.

She was about five foot. Quite short. She was slim and she had a pretty face. Her eye lashes seemed large and thick, yet she wore no mascara.

Her short hair was purple, only coming past her chin. There was a single, small braid on the left side of her hair. Her skin was near the color gray. Her eyes were the color of a darker green.

She wore a white, loose dress that barely came past her knees. She was barefoot.

Mal suddenly felt self-conscious. She was about his age- odd. How did he know his age? Suddenly all that happened the night before came rushing into his mind.

"Please," Mal sighed. "Don't tell me you're Agredon."

The girl wrinkled her nose, bringing her eyebrows down. "Agredon? By the skies. What sort of name is that?"

Mal looked down at his chest, expecting to see blood and a gash. But he saw nothing. Even more surprising, his whole left side was normal, including his entire arm. He touched his face, yet to his dismay he still felt the large burn scars.

"What happened to your face?" The girl inquired.

Mal thought it to be a rude question. Yet, he couldn't answer, for he knew not.

"I'm not sure." He responded.

"What's your name?" She asked smiling.

Ma- He thought, then thought harder. Ma- Malachi!

"Malachi," He responded. He felt a grin form at his lips. He remembered!

He stood up and looked around. He heard the steady crashing of the waves upon the beach. The wind blew the palms, pines, whatever they were.

"The elders have been praying," she said, her voice monotone. "They were praying for someone to come."

Malachi knew what prayer meant. He wondered if he at one point had prayed.

"I wish I knew what was what," he said. Then he turned around to face her. He was about half a foot taller than her.

She looked him up and down, her eyes stopping once they made contact with his.

Malachi felt a bit embarrassed that he didn't have a shirt on, his cheeks somehow burning. He remembered then. In his knowledgeable mind came up the word "blushing." He believed himself to be blushing.

"The elders will be sorely disappointed," she said, shaking her head. "They were hoping for a warrior, not a boy who has barely eaten. You seem as though you have not had proper nourishment since your birth."

Malachi brought his arms up. They were thin. He barely had any muscle to show off. His wrists look like a brittle branch he thought.

"To tell you the truth," he began. "You don't seem all that surprised. Were you expecting me? Do you know anything about me?"

"Apparently not anymore than you do," she replied.

Malachi nodded. "How long were you staring at me before I woke up?"

She scowled. "I wasn't staring. I was watching over you until you awoke. I can see where ever you are from, they don't know what gratitude means."

He grinned. This girl was already entertaining, and not even five minutes in.

"Thank you," he said.

The girl nodded, not wearing an annoyed face anymore. "I should bring you to the village. The elders will be waiting. The villagers doubted you would come. But they have come before, they always have."

Malachi felt a bit of relief. "So there have been others? Did the same thing that happened to me, happen to them? Did they not hold their memories either?"

"You have only questions," she sighed. "I grow weary of hearing them. I shall let the elders answer them all for you."

She turned and walked.

Malachi hesitated. Why follow her? I know nothing about this island. But that in itself is a valid reason to do so.

Malachi moved forward, catching up to her.

"You never did tell me your name," he said.

"Hope," she replied.

"Do you believe the elders will be able to tell me about myself?"

"Did I not just say to reserve your questions for them?" She said irritated.

"Elders," he said. "For some reason I feel like I should say something like a phrase... like that's cliché."

That's so Cliché... Suddenly he remembered. But like it had come, had it been taken away.

"I used to say that with somebody..." He murmured.

Hope stopped. She let out a few words. "That cliché moment where..."

Malachi felt his heart calm. His ears responded, sending a smile to his lips. His body seemed to react to that group of words, remembering what he could not.

Then a pain shot into his brain. It made his vision go haywire; a flash followed by an image of an outstretched hand underwater reaching for the surface. A flash came again, then an image of two arms outstretched in dark water, some creature rushing in.

Malachi held his head. This pain. Were those my arms?

"Are you feeling ill?" Hope asked, her voice showing an ounce of concern, but her face still emotionless.

Malachi felt an anger grow within his heart.
"No, not at all." He said. "I'm fine."

Hope raised an eyebrow. Had he just went from a childish and curious attitude to a serious one?

His face was set into a look determination, a look to get back at someone, a look of revenge.

What is the cause of all this anger? He thought. Why is my mind trying to remember what I gave away freely?

"For such a frail boy, you seemed determined about something," Hope said.

"It seems so," he replied.

Hope stared for a second more, searching for more signs of anger, but it was all gone.

"Well there is no point in staying here," she said, walking forward.
Malachi nodded and followed.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

She led him into a path deep into the forest. Malachi lost track after the tenth turn they took. There were many small bushes that were on the side of the path they took.

The bushes had vines- the color purple- growing out of them. Small, silver thorns were barely visible at the base of the bush.

Malachi was about to touch one of them, before Hope made a clicking noise with her tongue. "You shouldn't touch that bush."

"Wha-" Malachi started, but was interrupted. A vine sprung forward and wrapped itself around his forearm.

He yelped as a pain that felt like little needles began at his forearm. He attempted to rip the vine off, but three more attached themselves to his chest. They were trying to pull him into the bush. Nearby vines began to stir.

He grimaced. What in the world... Am I even in my own world?

Hope walked forward and put her hand on his chest, where the vines stuck. Malachi felt her ice, cold fingers, nearly flinching. The vines stopped moving forward, pulling back.

Hope grabbed the single vine with her fore finger and thumb, and gently placed it back among the others.

"Thank- Thank you," stuttered Malachi. He was a bit startled.

"They don't recognize you as a part of the island." She responded. "There is many more of that to come. Be prepared, and do as I instruct. I can't stop all the pain from coming, but I will do what I can."

He nodded. She was being kind. Willing to help a complete stranger... I must respond to that kindness best I can.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked.

Before Hope could reply, Malachi stuck his hand out.
"Wait... is this the cliché part where you say,'doing what?' and I counter with, 'helping me. Why are you being nice to me?' or something along the lines of that. And then later we find out you're a tsundere?"

Hope said nothing, leaving them in an awkward silence.

Malachi slowly put his hand down. He coughed, waiting for her reply. She remained silent, her eyes having a look of uninterest.

Seconds ticked by, and he felt himself began to redden.

"Did I say something wrong?" He asked.

"Not necessarily. You just asked a question after I specifically told you to keep them for the elders." She said. "Also, tsundere is a weird word. Doesn't sound like a language I've ever heard before."

Malachi smiled,"Well its a-"

Hope brought her hand up, and Malachi went silent.

"So it does work," she said. "This putting up of the hands intrigues me. It automatically silences one."

Mark felt embarrased. It was almost like saying he talked to much, but worse. He felt a tiny sting in his heart.

"Yeah... It does." Malachi felt an itch and looked down. His chest and forearm were red, puffing up. The vines had done something to his skin. Was it a rash? It was reacting terribly.

He began to scratch furiously.

"Do not do that. It'll make it much worse," Hope said. "Wait until we get to the village. I can come up with a remedy."

He stopped, feeling the burn afterwards. It was like embers on his skin.

"Agh!" He exclaimed. "You don't have swelling like I do. I assume vines don't do that to the Islanders."

"No," stated Hope. "Just the elders and me. The villagers don't mess with the bushes as you just did, though they do tend to them carefully."

The burn faded a bit, but Malachi was still careful not to touch the infected area.

A noise came from behind. Hope turned around, looking into the thicket they had steered clear of.

"Malachi," she whsipered. "Stick close to me."

It's probably a creature of some sort... Wait, he thought. If the green things on this island are weird, then the animals will be even weirder... more dangerous.

A noise cut his thoughts short. He looked up at the tree, something had been there.

Malachi rolled to the side, dodging an attack from behind.

He looked in time to see a figure cladded in all black. A ninja? How had he known that attack was coming?

The ninja bounded toward him.

Malachi was not so lucky the second time. He felt a blow come to his abdomen. He was immediately winded. He managed to block the second attack, then move back.

Hope! Where is she? He scanned the area. She was surrounded by three ninja, forming a triangle around her.

A second did he take his eyes off his attacker, and it cost him.

The ninja rammed, shoulder first, into Malachi. He flew back, hitting the tree. His sternum felt broken.

He lay there motionless. His breath was gone, and just after he had gained it back.

Malachi attempted to stand. His arms were suddenly twisted back behind him, his head pushed down. Somebody else had gotten him.

Blasted ninja, they were sneaky!

Malachi saw two feet stop in front of him. One foot reared back, then came at incredible speed towards his head.

Malachi in that instance had a remembrance; it was of his past. He knew what it meant to be weak. It was familiar. A memory was forming in his head, but he never had the chance.

The kick snapped his head to the side, sending him into the darkness he hated so much.

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