The Story After Briberg

3: A Star Falls; A Seed is Planted

July 3rd, 2031

Rampo is awoken by frantic whispers and a sore crick in their neck.

"What the hell...?" They slur, voice thick with sleep. Rampo blearily rubs at their eyes and almost hits their head on the porch step when they roll over.

They're met with the sight of Hatsuki and Hanako, frozen in place, having been interrupted by Rampo while they attempted to wake their mother, who was fast asleep in a position that hardly seemed comfortable.

"Why are you both awake? It's-" Rampo looks at the rising sun in the distance, "-an ambiguous time in the morning." They ask, standing up to groggily stretch their aching limbs, and rub at the dried pomegranate juice on their skin, which had picked up dirt and dust while they slept.

The girls didn't respond- instead looking at Rampo with concern. They shared a look before nodding to the other with an expression of determination.

"Um- we heard something- a big, big, noise," Hatsuki explained, gesturing dramatically with her hands. Rampo stared on with blank eyes, so Hanako piped up to support her sister's claims.

"Yeah! There was a yellow line in the sky, and we saw something fall! It hit the ground and there was a big noise, and a bunch of sparks that were all like shhk, and ka-pow!" Hanako mimicked the noises.

Rampo just blinked tiredly, took another look at the pink and orange sky, and grumbled.

"It's too early for this." They whined, sending the girls inside to get a cup of water, they were confused for a moment, but mischievous grins stretched across their faces.

They brought the cup out quickly, giggling all the while. Rampo stuck their hand into the glass of cold water, gently rubbing the sticky grime from Anantya's face and hands, then stood up and casually splashed the rest on her.

The girls burst into laughter as their mother awoke, her wings raised and (the feathered one) ruffled in alarm. Anantya's bewildered expression pulled a tired chuckle from Rampo. 

"Your kids wanted you awake, said they saw something," Rampo explained before Anantya could get a word out, and the girls nodded. 

"But it's-" 

"-an ambiguous time in the morning, I know."

Anantya huffed in mild annoyance and shook the water from her wings like a bird. Sighing, she turned to her family. "Let me go get dressed, then we'll go check it out." She stated, going inside- the little fox coming out onto the porch.

"Your mom sure likes to take home strays, huh?" Rampo asked rhetorically.

"You should know-" Hanako started before Hatsuki elbowed her and hissed something in her ear through clenched teeth.

Rampo side-eyed them both as Hanako rubbed her sore spot, deciding to ignore whatever comment the girl was about to make. Rampo picked up the tiny beast under its arms, allowing it to hang limp in their hands. "What's its name?"

"Berry, mama named him."

"Heh, kinda ironic," Rampo noted the faint pomegranate smell coming from the tiny fox.

Anantya came back through the door, now dressed in clean clothing. She wore a simple button-up, flowers hand embroidered along the round collar, and simple pants with heeled boots. "You ready?"

The girls nodded and Rampo gently sat Berry in the grass.

"Then let's go."

Anantya took the girl's hands in hers; Hatsuki on her left and Hanako on her right. Walking down the beaten path while getting directions from the kids as Rampo trailed close behind.

They admired the way the sun rays peeked through the forest canopy, spreading pale shadows along the ground. Rampo lost themself in the intermittent light and dark, and the gentle sway of the figures before them.

Rampo is snapped out of their daze when they collide with Anantya's back. The sky is no longer painted in the hues of sunrise, and they stare at Anantya, confused at the sudden stop. The woman stares forward with eyes wide and mouth agape at the sight.

Her girls have already left her side, now standing at the edge of a giant crater. "This is the spot." The hole was located in a heavily forested area, and whatever shot through the sky came down at an angle, based on the line of trees that seemed to get increasingly more broken the closer they were.

"Why didn't we hear this happen...?" Anantya asked no one in particular, her voice barely above a whisper.

Instead of responding, Hanako points t something in the crater, beckoning her mother closer. "Mom! Come look!"

Spots of something bright glitter at the bottom, and Rampo doesn't hesitate to slide down to get a closer look as Anantya follows.

Crouching on their haunches, RJ inspects whatever the material may be - oblivious to Anantya, who stands stock-still and breathless.

"It looks kinda like gold." Hatsuki shouts from her ledge, straining her eyes to see.

It's not gold.

Rampo shakes their head. "Gold doesn't smell like this."
It stunk of copper, something sulfur-like.

The 'gold' was spread thin over the dirt and stone, dried and flaky.

"We should go." Anantya didn't wait, grabbing RJ by their collar and dragging them out of the ditch.

"Mom-"

"We're leaving. Now."

With racing thoughts and a cold pit in her stomach, Anantya rushes the group out of the woods.