The sky was a dull grey, the rays of sunlight pierce the thick cloud as if trying to illuminate the dim world below. It was late in the afternoon, around 3:30 and the bell of a High school signalled its end of its activities. The children in uniforms of blue jumpers, and black pants all darted out chatting and chuckling as they went home. A girl with ginger frizzy hair down to her shoulder and brown eyes waited outside the door.
She waited for a familiar friend, presented as mid-teen boy of dull orange-leaning to brown – scruffy hair and brown eyes "Haru!" I jumped sharply, nearly dropping my bag "Easy, it's just me. I swear you fall for this every time"
"I've told you not to do that" he moaned to her "you know what my nerves are like"
"Yeah jittery we get it" a boy of much more tidy light blonde hair, somewhat spiked slightly "Jeez you do need to a grow pair don't you?"
"We can't all be as cool as you Ewan" replied the girl with hands on hips
"Don't give me that Sara, well then shall we be ready to go?"
As the trio left together, and turn the corner the boy heard a fierce shout "Robbers! Hand us your Money!" the shock knocked him away to the floor, to be followed by a mocking laugh of a boy and his cronies
"Oh...I swear it gets better every time" it was a boy with a raggy like shirt on and jumper tied round his waist with dull dark chin length hair
"Seriously Varly" said Sara helping me up "One of these days he's going to have an heart attack"
"Not my fault he's the easiest to scare...my sister has more balls than him, and she's four years old"
"Have you tried being in his position?" asked Ewan who confronted Varley "Maybe you could talk big if you could relate. Now haven't you got somewhere to go" it was a brief stand-off, Varley smirking as he stepped away
"We do indeed...come on guys" the boys followed behind laughing and high-fiving one another
"Haru...don't you think it's going long enough? It's been six months now"
"I know but...I can't forget what happened. If forgetting painful memories was that easy...many issues of the world would be over"
"You...make a point"
Ewan made a heavy sigh, as the rumble of thunder echoed it's pending arrival "well come on let's get back...before instead of the bus, we have to rent a boat"
"Oh yeah...it's supposed to be proper stormy tonight isn't it?" asked Sara as the hum of a red bus passed her by "And here it is"
"Come on let's go" running down the pathed road, they all alighted the red bus, sitting at the back as normal. Haru looked looked out the back window...to see Varley simply talking to his mates, but as he looked down...I had to blink.
Haru witnessed Varley's shadow – which followed the motions of it's owner – but it appeared...thicker or longer than the others. Haru continued to look...to see what he thought was a third arm extrude, red dots coming from it "Hey, hey what are you looking at?" a pat to Haru's shoulder - by Sara - broke his concentration to which Haru looked back to see the shadow now normal
"Hmm...nothing. Just people watching" Haru replied putting it to his nerves at the sight I saw. Despite the words trying to more convince Haru himself he was not able to shed the thought, as what was left of the sunlight became smothered in darkness.
The darkness, or the dim light, coated the land and with the rain soon followed. The rain though for now was light, as Haru got off the bus "I'll see you tomorrow Sara, Ewan" Icalled "Have a good night" knowing his trip to home, Haru ran down the pathway, passing detached housing, as cars went down the smooth dark road.
Though Haru was only halfway I needed to slow down, my breath rapid, using the tall labyrinth of buildings as shade from the rain but as he went "The light...light...light is here" strange whispers echoed round me "Light...there's light? Where is light?" he shivered from both the event and the cold, as the whispers glided around me like an unpleasant breeze, more so from the scurry of footsteps I hoped were merely rats. Uncomfortable he moved on forward, going back to a run, his eyes constantly glancing behind him.
Haru house was starting to come into view as he went down a familiar cobbled road, passing by semi-detached houses, the rainfall having quickened dramatically. He was only mere minutes from his house went "Meww...Mewww" a soft miaow hits his ears. Haru paused and stopped for a minute, the fear clouding my sense of reason until he jumped to the sound repeated...and calmed upon seeing the source.
I could see small dark cat, with blue eyes, with it's leg caught on some string which had tangled around the root of a tree. Unable to ignore it, the knowledge of the animal trapped, he went over to the cat, which did react at first with a hiss "Easy...easy" he said gently to ease to which it strangely and immediately softened "I'm just here to help" he slowly undid the rope, and freed the leg "there we go...all free" the cat seemed happier, as it rubbed along his legs and purred "You see, that wasn't so bad. Sorry to leave you...but I'll catch cold if I stay here"
He darted the last couple minutes home, the rain soaking him through, while the small feline jumped into a knothole of the tree, taking shelter inside. With it's eyes it watched me vanished into the distance...before a strange human like smile appeared on its face "I've found him" a voice spoke, but the lips remained close "An heir to the light"
Haru was now within the warmth and safety of home, dressed in cool dry pyjama's as his former clothes drip-dried downstairs upon a simple radiator. He was simply was playing his video game, posters of anime upon the wall, pictures of family hung by the nails. As time passed, a deafening boom struck, forcing Haru to jump harshly to the thunder, then again to the almost blinding flash of the lightning "What kind of storm is this? I haven't seen ought like it"
"Haru...Haru dinner's ready come on down" called his Mom in the background "and help me set the dinner"
"Coming!" I called "Just finishing up" as I finished and put away his game, a small creature eyed me from his in-built wardrobe, small whispers escaping which made him turn around.
Haru looked directly at the wardrobe, standing up in his socks to look on it before groaning "Jeez...if I'm a wimp to my own room, I don't stand a chance do I?"
"The Light...The light is round here" the same shiver making whispers hit his ears made him freeze, his breathing as if stopped "where light? Light weak. Darkness powerful. Must take. Must find"
"Who's...Who's there?" as he looked to window, another lightning flash completely took him by surprise, making him fall to the floor as ALL the light vanished.
Haru was now in complete darkness, the temporary flash having completely blinded vision. As he picked himself up...tiny pitter patters hit my ears "What the...mice? No...this feels wrong. I can almost feel eyes glancing at me. What's going on!? Am I dreaming!? Who's there!? Show yourself!"
"Don't give up!" called a weak but strong sounding female voice "even in the deepest darkness...light can be found" a single light source turned him left...his wardrobe now aglow.
Haru bolted round to which he could clearly see the Wardrobe lit up by a light source behind it. Though nervously by his own need for the light – mixed with curiosity – he opened the wardrobe, parting the clothes on my rail, to see a sight that made me pause. A window of light was present at the back, shaped to be that of a heart.
"A...Heart of light? What's it doing here? Was it always here?" he crawled closer to it, reaching to the shape "It feels...really warm" it was then his hand then reached to the light...touching it...it was sharply pulled to it "Hey...Hey, let go! Let go...ahh...ahh...it's pulling me in ahh!" I was...to be swallowed and vanished from the world.
He called out in terror, his arms flailing as he rolled through the corridor of light...to see magical windows depicting figures and people all around him, some of which making him pause. One involved a princess in a yellow dress dancing with a hairy beast in a fancy blue suit. Another showed a young boy in light clothing, flying a carpet over a vast desert and another showed a woman warrior of bright pink hair, with sword in hand, aiding a young man with white hair, with an orange jumper armed with a boomerang.
The light grew stronger, the warmth lapping at my body...until I was soon consumed by it but as soon as the light consumed, darkness entered and consumed the world. With it...white words formed in the air "THIS WORLD...IS FRACTURED. LIGHT...AND DARK...MUST EXIST. BUT THOUGH DARKNESS IS EVIL...LIGHT ISN'T ALWAYS INNOCENT. USE YOUR GUIDING KEY...TO FIND WHAT YOU SEEK"
The next conscious feeling Haru felt, was him myself coming to on a floor soft and warm. His body weirdly felt sluggish and heavy "This is the new recruit" called a girl, mid-teen in age "He's not like the others is he?"
"This one...is from a world free from mana" said a more mature female voice "normally one we don't see people like this...but the shadows have taken in interest"
"Still for him to arrive him means he's special. I can sense his heart is not as clean as it seems...but not tainted either"
"Hey, hey he's waking up"
Haru sat up, his body feeling like a lead weight "Ahh...my head. Hmm...ahhh...where...huh?"
"Please relax" replied the teen-girl "you only just got here, you'll be feeling quite unsettled for this being your first time travelling" Haru opened his eyes to a simple but warm bedroom, or more of a inn by the three beds along each wall, the wooden floor shiny and new
"What happened?" he asked purely by instinct "Where...am I?"
"You were summoned by the Spirit Solus" replied the girl calming him down "you're in Luxerion, of Daybreak Town"
"Day...Break town?" he felt a calming hand to his shoulder, the hand soothing his nerves
"Are you okay? You're not dizzy are you?" he turned right to meet the owner of the voice
"I am a bit...why who are..." but upon seeing her face...I frankly stopped.
A cloaked girl, in a pinkish hood was present behind him with half of her face covered – Particularly her eyes and nose – by a silver or metal fox mask with its ears protruding through her hood. The girl seemed teenage, or young adult by her size and general demeanor. Shewore a sort of pink robe with a cape which danged down her her back, with dark gold (close to green) bands and with green stones hanging from the front.
Underneath the robe she wore a simple dark pink robe like dress, with a thick much darker pink sash – that had a yellow band – over a pinkish beige skirt that dangled right to her feet. The girl seemed to recognise my apparent worry "I assure you...I'm not here to hurt you. I'm here to help"
"Who...Wha...where?"
"Please calm down...I'll help you how I can. I am Master Vulpines but please call me Ava. From this point on...I'm to help look after you"
"Oh...okay"
"Jeez what a scaredy cat" the more mature voice spoke up "but then again I can sense his heart. Its stained black by tragedy's from before"
"Who's...where?" a round small creature came into view, which would've scared him...but oddly it made him curious.
A sort of cat like creature, stood on two legs, was before him with a blue cape and collar. It was silver furred with black strips all round the side of its back and had a red purse with a yellow star dangling down its neck. He felt in myself to be scared but weirdly he was more reassured seeing this weird cat like creature "Well...at least he didn't freak out" spoke the creature though it's lips didn't move "So that's one thing"
"Well you were born to be soothing to the visitors" said Ava "Look, I know you're confused but please...follow me" a hand was gestured to him "You needn't fear me...alright?" whether it was her tone or gesture, Haru took her hand to which she gently pulled him outside. The front door opened...the light engulfed him...to world not his own.