[A/N] A huge hello and thanks to everyone that's decided to click on this story! I've had the idea for this story stuck in my head for a while now but sadly never found the spare time to sit down and write it until recently.
I hope you find yourselves enjoying this story and if you could kindly leave a review of your thoughts that'd be more than great!
All I could recall was feeling as if I was falling down a never ending pit of cold darkness.
I began to rub my eyes drowsily as I steadily began sitting up, blinking in pure confusion when I perceived the fact that I was oddly placed outside against a towering tree. I could hear birds in the distance chirping gleefully and feel the suns warm, bright rays beating down on me. The wind blew in my direction ever so slightly and I couldn't be even more puzzled. My mind was completely scrambled at the moment and I couldn't remember what I had last been doing before waking up outside.
I felt a soft yawn push itself past my lips and I stretched my long arms out, but instantly froze when I suddenly realized something. I then began to briskly push myself up with my hands and stood up.
I gazed around at my surroundings, taking in the dark green trees and the shining sun with alarm beginning to make its way across my pale features. I frantically patted my pockets, searching desperately for my phone but luck wasn't on my side. I could hear my heart pounding heavily against my chest and my breathing quickening when I realized that I truely had no idea where I was. I took a small step back, bumping into the tree I had previously found myself on, and felt a small rush of panic strike through myself.
"Okay Evelyn - calm yourself," I muttered, placing a hand softly over my chest and taking deep breaths in an attempt to ease my rising panic. "You haven't looked around that much yet. Surely there's got to be a town nearby or hell, maybe you're even close to your own house..."
Thankfully, my attempt wasn't futile. I felt my breathing become even again and I couldn't help but let out a deep sigh of relief. Freaking out in a situation such as this would do no good for anyone. I knew that I needed to think reasonably and logically in order to get myself through this mess. I shouldn't be like those idiotic protagonists that you almost constantly found in horror films.
I hesitantly took a step forward and began making my way through the thick forest. I stepped on a couple of twigs that were hidden within the tall grass every now and then creating a seemily eerie feeling as the snap echoed throughout the forest. The feeling disappeared as soon as it came since the euphoric birds were still merrily chirping away. Still, it didn't change the fact that I was scared shitless and had little to no idea where I was.
Now, I don't necessarily see myself as the type to give up easily but wondering around a forest for hours on end with only birds for company tends to deflate one's optimism.
"A civilian all the way out here?"
I spun around at the sound of a quiet voice and was greeted with the sight of a boy that appeared to be about a few years younger than me.
The boy had smooth, dark purple (dyed perhaps?) hair with unnaturally bright emerald eyes that seemed to pierce right through me. He was pretty short for a guy, only reaching to my shoulders. His face held no emotion as he thoroughly observe me with wary clear in his sharp eyes. He was simply clad in a white shirt with black shorts that had bandages wrapped around them. He wore a brown jacket over the plain white shirt and the jacket had strange symbols placed over them. His outfit also consisted of navy blue sandals and a weird metal thing that was wrapped around his arm. It had a swirl with an arrow placed upon it. Same symbol that was on his jacket.
What an odd choice of clothes. I couldn't help but be slightly confused by his outfit but I shrugged it off.
"Uh - who are you?" I questioned with a perplexed expression etched upon my face.
"My name is Kaede Mamoru. Introduce yourself now." The boy now known as Kaede demanded with a cold voice that held no room for arguments. Rude much?
"I'm Evelyn Reise. I woke up here in this forest a few hours ago and I have no idea how I got here." I cautiously explained, hoping that he would be able to help me. "And um, I may have gotten lost along the way." I admitted with a sheepish smile.
"..." Kaede gazed at me with untrusting eyes but he seemed to be in deep thought. I could practically see the gears turning in his head as he thought over what I had told him.
"Here, this may help my case a little bit." I offered after a few moments of silence with a small wave my hand. "What's the nearest town?"
"We are outside the premises of Konoha." He stated bluntly with a raised eyebrow. God this kid had so much sass in hi- wait a second. Why did that name sound so familiar? I suppose that it was a good thing that I recognized it but something else was tugging at my mind, something that I forgot, something important...
Eh, oh well. I'll deal with that later. For now I need to be focusing on the more important matter at hand - finding my way back home.
"Do you think you could lead me the way to Konhaha - I mean Konoha?" I automatically corrected myself when I seen him scowl at my mispronunciation but I still held hopeful eyes. Maybe I could figure out my way home from there. Call my brother and explain to him what all happened to me during this eventful day. He'd get a laugh out of this situation I got myself stuck in.
Kaede didn't even bother to reply. The kid just gave me a half assed shrug and turned around, beginning to walk towards the town I assume. Taking this as a signal to follow him, I followed closely behind. The journey was rather quiet and awkward but I honestly welcomed the silence with open arms.
I was deep in thought about my brother and how he must have been worried sick about me. I guess my fearfulness started to show on my face because Kaede gave me a questioning glance but said nothing. I decided to answer the unspoken question that was running through his head. At least I hope it was otherwise it'd make things more awkward than they already are.
"I.. I'm thinking about my brother," I explained feeling rather weird telling a stranger this. Despite that, Kaede slowly shifted his hard gaze towards me and even slowed down his pace some so we could be side to side together as we walked. Huh. Guess this guy wasn't as much of a jerk as I first made him out to be.
"I have a younger sister." Kaede softly spoke with a tone that I could barely make out to be caring. "I pray that you manage to find your way home soon. I could not bear to imagine how my sister would react if I were to be placed in your situation."
I merely blinked in surprise at his sudden kindness and opened my mouth to thank him but I was cut off.
"We've arrived." He stated, his tone immediately reversing back to cold and hard. There was a pair of immense green gates with two guards situated right beside them. The guards were also wearing those weird metal things with the swirl symbol placed upon them.
It took me a while but it all finally clicked together.
"Oh, you've got to be shitting me."
[A/N] I really do hope you all liked this chapter seeing as it's the very first. Please leave reviews if you enjoy this so far and I'll be more than happy to respond to them in the next chapter!
See you guys next week!
