Define Victory: An Aftermath Tale by David Ross (Part 1/2)

I opened my eyes to a black and orange sky. I picked myself up and saw a desolate place. I could see the wreckage of buildings, they looked like they could be from a city. The ground was brown and the air was very arid.

I took my stuffed bunny from my belt and held him to my chest, "This certainly isn't our room Bunnie."

I walked towards the ruble, it looked scary, and quite bleak. I felt as if there was no one around for miles.

"Is that crying, I hear?"I stood and listened, it sure was. I ran towards it only to see an unsightly setting.

I saw a girl with green skin and spikes coming out of her shoulders and legs. Her head was in a beastly shape, her eyes were at the top, one on either side. Her mouth had sharp teeth hanging out of it, hanging down towards her neck. The girl had a human-like figure with dragon-like proportions. The dragon girl was crying, with another body of a girl in front of her. I couldn't imagine the state the other girl was in.

I said to Bunnie, "That dragon girl looks upset, I wonder why. I have to cheer her up, even a dragon girl doesn't deserve to be sad, like that."

I ran to hug the dragon girl, I tried my best to navigate my arms around the spike on her body. When my hands graced her I could see her skin start to evaporate. Her green, dense, skin devolved into soft white human skin. Her body transformed from the dragon-like form she had, to a more human form. Her spikes receded into her body, and she grew long, straggly hair, coming from her now human head.

"Huh…woah, Dragon girl turned human!" I exclaimed.

She got up and looked at her new body. I heard her say: "How am I… is this what a human is like?" Her voice was fierce, almost like a monster's growl.

She then turned to look at me, then to the other girl laying on the ground. Tears started to run down her cheeks and she huddled down again. I ran to hug her, once more.

"Don't be upset, I didn't mean to scare you, I'm sorry. You just looked so strange and Knave-like, Dragon Girl!"

The Dragon girl looked up, bewildered at me and her new figure. She said, "Dragon Girl? Wait hold on. How can an average girl end up in a place so devoid of life.

"Oh, sorry. My name's Katrina, I'm 8 years old and this is Bunnie. I don't really know how I got here, do you know why you're here? Also, do you have a name?” I answered

"Well, 12 years ago I was Mya, a normal human girl, just like you. I impulsively put myself in harm's way and got stabbed with a serum, made by a mad scientist, that made me into this." Mya Transformed into her dragon form and quickly came back. She said it was an accident, I thought it was quite a lucky accident. She said to me,

"I don't know how you did this, but thank you. I haven't been human in years."

"Sure, I can't say I know how. I guess I'm magic, That's so cool!" I said.

Mya explained that she was part of a group called the Exaction Federation Force (EEF) which was made up of her friends, Cristal, David, Michel, Gabby, and herself. This world was ruled by a god named Purple Shade, who eliminated all life. Purple Shade's real name was Arcane, and she fought another being, Eminence, in the first Eclipse Emotion, deciding the fate of the world upon its creation. Mya did not know how long the battle lasted, but it had been Menlenia since then. Eminence was victorious and allowed our world to breed life, in peace. Eminence spread out its power among 10 Cristals, each centering on a different element of the soul, Mya mentioned things like Continuity, Independence, and being pure of heart. Purple Shade got sealed away and dissolved as the world formed. I found it so cool that this is how our world was formed, despite that, this story sounded familiar to me, especially the mention of Arcane.

Mya continued, "I don't know how, but Purple Shade was re-summoned into this world by The Arcadians, A branch of man who worshiped her like a god. They are a branch of the Eminence Society, who wanted to preserve Eminence in this world. My friend Justin was the chosen one of that society, and was given one of the Cristals, The Cristal of Organization. Justin interested the cristal to us, just moments before he was taken over by Purple Shade. Purple Shade Sucked all life out of this world aside from me and my friends. We collected the Cristals of Eminence over these last 10 years and David used them to take on Purple Shade, in a second Eclipse Emulsion. It was quite the spectacle, I think.

I asked "So who is this?" pointing to the body on the ground.

Mya said that it was Gabby, who saved her from getting killed by Purple Shade, and was Cristal's girlfriend. I thought, well that explains her crying, I still felt really sorry. This Purple Shade was not there, so I guess they defeated her, but that made me wonder, Are David, Cristal and Michel okay?! I asked Mya and she said,

"I'm not sure, but I need to find them, fast!"