Sign of the Times

Chapter 1

(The picture is a prototype of Evan, drawn by my friend kidcorekyle on tumblr!)

Evan hissed as sharp thorns dug into their skin, drawing vivid red blood from their arm. It shone bright against their shimmery green skin, but they kept running, stumbling blindly through the dark and tangly thicket of vines. Leaves hit Evan's face, leaving an awful burning sensation, but they kept running. They had to. They had to reach Maya on time.

10 Minutes prior

Evan was playing a game in their room when a hazy, nulling blaze wrapped their neck. Shutting their eyes tightly, they let the precognitive powers of the Aries sign take over and whisper a single name into their ear:
Maya.

Evan fell as they hit a gate, marking the end of their journey. The chain-link fence rattled as they crashed into it, coughing up a storm and finding it harder to see by the minute. All Evan could use to to find their way was the moonlight that lit up the night. Fighting to get back to their feet, Evan swore profusely. Looking up and seeing that the fence was too high to jump or climb, they focused all of their remaining strength on their hands. After a moment, a bright flash of red and orange lit up the night like a lightbulb. The chilling air around them was replaced with a sweltering heat, knocking Evan on the ground again. The fire did nothing to the gate. Evan began crying heavily as a bright green field surrounded the yard. They gripped the fence till their knuckles were black and their hands were covered in their own blood. "Maya!" They screamed, hoping and praying that the plants could carry their weak message.

"Oh my god, you're awake!"
Evan yelped as they were pulled into a tight hug, the air rushing out of their lungs. They threw an arm around the person hugging them, and smiled. "Maya, are you crying?" The smaller girl nodded into Evan's shoulder, letting out a soft yet shaky sigh. Evan sighed too, a warm feeling bubbling up inside. "I'm glad you're okay." Evan spoke softly, knowing how sensitive their friend could be to loud sounds. Maya pulled back, giving Evan a confused look. "What do you mean? You were the one who turned up at my gate, covered in blood, and dirt, and ashes! I should be the one that's relieved." Evan laughed, taking in the bright but slightly worried smile that radiated off of Maya's tanned face. The two sat there for a moment, embracing their closeness and the silence between them, before Maya reluctantly moved off of Evan and removed the sheet. "You tore up your limbs pretty badly, but I think your legs got the brunt of it. I tried to bandage them all up." Evan nodded. They hadn't thought much about how badly they had been torn up, but now a faint burning sensation flooded their body. "You did good. I'm proud of you." Evan had to hold back both a grimace and a smile as Maya's face lit up, showing her bright green eyes and her small cat fangs. "Really? You've only been out for an hour or so, so I didn't get much time to work..." Maya bashfully averted her eyes, making Evan laugh. "You did just fine, Maya." During the nice quiet that came after this statement, a question begged for attention in the back of Maya's mind before leaving her lips and shattering the comfortable atmosphere of the room.

"Why are you here?"