[Year 536 - December 3rd]
Aspra runs restlessly, the days that passed long forgotten.
The forest seems neverending, her search for the nearby town having gone no where. Collapsing and landing on her back, she looks up at the shadowy sky, looking disgustingly detached.
Twitch, twitch...
Her ears perk up and she shoots up, having heard footsteps. Instinctively, she starts condensing her black flames on the tip of her finger.
["I know someone's there!"] She shouts, maniacally aiming her magic all around her.
Tsk, tsk...
A young girl with light pinkish hair pops out from behind a tree, curiously approaching Aspra.
["Dont come any closer!"] Aspra shouts, her finger pointed directly at the young girl, ready to unleash her magic.
The young girl snaps her finger, a giant bolt of pink lightning striking infront of Aspra. When she regains her vision, the young girl is standing within inches of her.
["Hiya! Im Rouge."] The young girl says, giggling as if she just pulled off a prank.
["W-what do you want from me?! How did you get so close!?"] She asks, her magic slipping away from her finger.
["Hey hey! Calm down, i'm not gonna hurt ya!"] Rouge says with a bright smile, beginning to walk away.
["Ya should follow me if you wanna eat anytime soon!"] She shouts.
Aspra quickly jumps up and starts skeptically following her.
Step step...
Drip, drip, drip...
Rouge begins leading Aspra back to her village, a small and quiet community situated between dense woodlands and an enormous river heading south.
["Why are you helping me...?"] Asks Aspra, looking around confused.
["You looked hurt!"] Rouge replies.
Aspra takes a good look at the back of Rouge's neck, noticing a long, darkened scar running down her spine.
["What's this scar? It looks infected!"] Aspra asks worryingly.
["Oh... dont worry. Its nothing to worry about. I was struck by... nevermind..."] Rouge cuts herself off, trying to move on from the converstation.
Aspra doesn't attempt to push her further, sensing that the topic is sensitive.
Arriving at Rouge's village, she finds it abandoned, burnt to a crisp and devoid of life.
Looking back at Rouge, the smile on her face hasnt been moved.
["W-What the hell happend here?"] Aspra asks fearfully, seemingly worried of Rouge now.
The young Rouge lets out a big sigh.
["We were attacked... they are all... gone..."] she admits, but the smile still somewhat remains on her face, but it looks more melancholic now.
Aspra continues exploring hastily.
["By who?!"] She asks.
["I never saw them. None of us did."] Rouge replies.
["Black lightning started blasting us from the sky, with incredible accuracy..."]
Aspra stiffens up.
["Black lightning..."] She repeats warily, that type of magic is familiar to her.
Rouge's ears perk up.
["Yeah... similiar to your black flames."]
Aspra steps back, worried that rouge is catching on.
Rouge looks up at the sky, finger pointed upwards and a hint of her pink lightning sparking outwards.
["I'll find whoever did this! And hit them back ten...- No! Twenty times harder!"] She promises to herself more than to Aspra.
Afterwards, she turns her attention back to Aspra.
["By the way, you never told me your name."]
Aspra starts panicking on the inside, knowing that revealing her true name will cause a ruckus.
["My name...my name is Aspra.. Skura."] She says in mendacity.
Rouge's tone quickly loses all of its depth.
["What a pretty name!"] She says.
["Well then Aspra, what now? Are we friends?"] She asks.
["F-friends..."] She says in a hushed, confused voice.
["Sure. Why not?"] She says, willing to give it a shot.
Aspra looks around at the decaying, dead town around them once more.
["Um... where do we go from here?"] She questions worryingly.
["Lets see... i have a cousin that lives in Kokino! We could go there!"] She exclaims, seemingly eager.
["Thats great to hear! But... how do we get there?"] She asks.
["No clue!"] Rouge replies hastily, but the smile on her face gives Aspra the feeling that despite everything, they'll make it there.