Other World

Kibo?

The small, maybe four foot tall dragon-thing, walked up the grassy hill, holding a staff in his left hand and looking at his feet. Just before bumping into Lexi -who is ready to fight- the dragon stops, looking up. He gasps slightly, jumping back and holding his staff in front of him, defending himself. His eyes were shut tightly and he clenched his jaw, still holding his staff firmly in front of him. Lexi blinked. 

"Wow, okay, now we know  we're in Japan or something, right?", Lexi had her arms out, a counfused look on her face as she looked around. 

"But that would mean we'd have to have teleportation, and I don't think that's possible...", Ariel looks at Lexi, and the girl looks over to Ariel. 

"Well-"

"Telepor...tation?", the little red dragon had lowered his staff, now holding it at his side, "What do you mean you "don't think that's possible" ?", the dragon looks up at Ariel. Poor thing, his height always made things difficult. 

"Well, it isn't. So, I mean....", Ariel twiddled her fingers, still confused and slightly shocked about the whole situation. Where was she? Or... when was she? She didn't even know what questions to ask. She couldn't ask, more like, because Lexi wouldn't shut her mouth about asking the dragon what he was. He was obviously a dragon! Or... some kid in a really detailed costume...

"Oh c'mon, where'd you get the costume! Quit playing games, kid, drop the role-play and tell me where we are!", finally, Lexi asked the question Ariel had been itching to ask. 

"Pff! Roseshade, duh!", the dragon laughed, leaning over and gripping his stomach, as if that was the funniest thing he'd heard in a year. 

"Roseshade? Seriously?! I told you to drop it! Tell us where we actually are.", Lexi stood in front of the small dragon, a threatening look on her face, her arms crossed. The dragon looked around awkwardly, then shrugged, walking passed Lexi. Lexi grumbled, stepping on the tail of the dragon, stopping him. He whipped his head around, an annoyed look on him now. 

"Fine, you want answers, go through the woods down there, there's these two kids named Noah and Z, they know their stuff. Hopefully you'll believe them sense they're more human looking!", the dragon had pointed to the woods before stomping off, heading the other way, down the hill. Lexi and Ariel exchanged looks, then glanced down at the woods at the same time. The trees were deep green, navy blue and bright pink. Not a pale, lively pink like a Pink Trumpet tree, but like a bright, modern doll dress. Strange. Ariel shook her head, walking forward and down the hill, Lexi following behind. She was still slightly upset about the dragon incident, but she calmed down enough to stay silent and not rant about it. She did that normally, but hadn't done it to Ariel yet, so she decided not to. 

"Noah and Z, huh? You think they'll know where we are? For real this time?", Ariel glanced back at Lexi, reaching flat ground. Lexi clicked her tongue, shrugging, even though Ariel didn't see her reaction. They reached the forest, both stepping into the greenwood without a word. They walked in silence for at least five minutes, wandering mindlessly in the woods before reaching a small, wooden cabin with a cobblestone chimney peaking out of the top, emitting smoke out of it. Ariel walked up to the wooden door, it had a small, circular window in the middle of, letting her take a peak in. She looked through the window, but another eye met her through the glass of the window, the door suddenly slammed open, knocking Ariel back on her behind. Lexi laughed a moment before seeing a girl with white, long, braided hair and blue, glowing eyes. She had freckles dusting her cheeks and a small smiled plastered on her face. 

    Her brown dress was decorated with pretty patterned rags, one big, pancho-like patterned rag hung on her shoulders, small tastles hanging on it. Lexi waved silently, anxiously. The girl walked out, not bothering to close the door and helped Ariel up without a word. 

"Who're you?", Lexi asked in a sharp, demanding tone. The girl with white hair nodded, waving her hand, signaling the two girls to come inside her cabin. She walked inside, Ariel and Lexi followed her in, Ariel slowly closing the door behind her. 

"Are you Z? Or Noah?", Ariel asked and the girl nodded. Ariel sighed.

"Ugh, which one?!", Lexi was annoyed, mostly just with her situation, not with anyone imparticular. Z shook her head, waving her hands in front of her, as if to say sorry. Footsteps were heard from above them, then from beside them. Ariel noticed the stares in the far right corner, then saw a boy come down them. He had fluffy, brown hair and was wearing clothing similar to the freckled girl's. 

"Are you yelling at her?", he questioned, probably upset. He was upset. Ariel noticed it in his eyes, though not in his expression, it was blank. Lexi nodded, as if it wasn't offensive at all.

"Yeah, she won't respond to us at all-", she was suddenly pinned to the door by the boy, held by her arms above her head, the boy using his wooden "cane" to hold her in place.  

"She's mute. Her name is Z, she's my sister.", the boy let her go, "I'm Noah.", he lowered his staff and stepped back, letting Lexi straighten herself out. She blushed, embarrassed.

"Oh! Sorry.", Lexi waves to Z, who smiles and waves back in a friendly manner. Lexi suddenly looks to the staff -or cane- Noah was holding. She couldn't tell what it was, so she questioned him, naturally. "So... why do you have a cane? Not to- intrude on anything.", Lexi pointed to what Noah was holding. He looked at her as if she was stupid.

"It isn't a cane, it's a lantern holder!", Noah rolled his eyes, grabbing a small lantern off the table in the middle of the room and sliding the hook of it onto the small curve of the holder. He took out a match and lit it, lighting the candle and showing it to Lexi. "You do  know what a lantern is, right?", he said in a joking demeanor and Lexi huffed, crossing her arms. She nodded. Ariel breaks the slight silence by tapping Noah on his shoulder.

"So, uhm, some dragon kid pointed us in this direction, do you mind telling us where we are?", Ariel smiled sheepishly. Noah nodded, smiling back.

"Mhm. Roseshade."

"Seriously? Like- like that's where we are? Like- the town we're in, area, country-"

"Kingdom. Yes.", Noah, again, looked at Lexi as if she were completely out of her mind. 

"Ha! It's like we're in another world or something... that'd be... funny...", Lexi trailed off as she looked down at the floor, to her right. What if they were ? What if they were  in another dimension or something? Lexi gripped at her face, dragging her hands down, trying to calm herself down. "That dragon kid... was he real?", Lexi asked genuinely. Noah nearly thought she was joking, and he coughed.

"You're serious?", Lexi nodded, "Yeah. 'Course he was. His name's Kibo, he's an old friend. His parents disowned him, he was always thieving and getting into trouble, so we took him in. Now he basically roams free... we aren't cut out to be parents.", Noah laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head and running his fingers through his hair. 

    Lexi and Ariel looked at each other, Ariel's head going light. 

    Kibo?

        Real... dragon? 

                 Were they in some Other world? 

                                  Where were they?!