The sky burned a deep orange as the sun was setting, casting long shadows over the world of Hollow Bastion. A young woman sat poised on the railing of a set of stone stairs, gazing out t the blue canyons below. All was quiet. The street was empty, and the shops had closed for the evening. A soft wind graced the girl's pale cheeks, and pushed her wavy brown hair about her face. She gave a sigh as her hazel eyes scanned the horizon, admiring its beauty. The girl stiffened as she heard someone ascending the stone steps, but relaxed when she recognized the familiar figure. It was a young man, with a broad sword over one shoulder. His blue eyes were downcast as he neared the top of the stairs.
"Hey, Cloud," the young woman said as he stopped in front of her.
"Lilondra," he greeted with a slight nod.
"Any heartless about?" she asked him. Cloud removed his large sword from his shoulder and set it down in front of him. He gave a sigh as he leaned against the wall beside the girl's railing, and rested his hands on the sword's handle.
"Not more than the usual," he said softly in his low voice. Lilondra had befriended Cloud shortly after moving to Hollow Bastion. Her older brother had been good friends with him, and Cloud had promised to watch over her after his death. The girl soon learned that the warrior was the quiet type, keeping to himself most often.
His blonde spiky hair swayed in the breeze, and his bright blue eyes gazed out at the sunset.
"I have to talk to Cid. Be careful walking home," the blonde instructed, lifting his sword, "Goodnight, Lily," he said, and started walking down the street.
"Night, Cloud," the girl called. She watched him go, and then returned her attention to the scenery. The sky grew darker with each passing moment, and soon the streetlights flickered on. The woman raised her arms above her head in a stretch, and leaped off of the railing. She looked up at the sky once more, and sighed before taking the same path down the street that Cloud had.
Lily stopped and tensed as she heard a low whooshing sound from behind her. The girl pivoted, to find a swirling mass of dark tendrils and smoke. Her hand flew to the old book resting in the bag at her side as she made out a dark figure among the cloudy purple and black mass. The smoke cleared to reveal a figure on their knees, leaned over. The person was clad in a black coat, torn and bloody. Long, flaming red hair spiked away from their face, which was contorted with pain. The figure's bright green eyes darted questioningly around, seeming to wonder if they were transported here by mistake. The figure, a man, scrambled to stand, clutching his stomach. He lurched forward with a shudder, attempting to gain control of his balance, but tumbled headlong down the flight of steps. Lily's hand slowly fell back to her side, and she stared in shock. The girl sprinted to the top of the stone stairs, and gaped at the path of blood leading to the crumpled form of the flame-haired man. A groan emitted from his body as he stirred. Lily ran down the steps, and stood hesitantly at his side. He lifted his head, and stared up at her with blazing green eyes. The man jerked away from her as she knelt down.
"Leave me alone," he snarled. Scrapes and cuts raked across his face as well as his body, and deep crimson blood seeped from them. The long black coat he wore was torn in multiple places, and the left sleeve barely hung from his arm. He pushed himself back, away from the girl.
"I said go!" he repeated. Lily frowned.
"Hmm. I'm just trying to give you some help. You look like you need it," she stated, extending her hand to him. He snarled, and a look of concentration came over him as a weak blast of flame erupted from his fingertips. The girl deflected it with an elemental spell of her own. The man gasped, and clutched his stomach, falling to the ground. Lily's frown deepened.
"Well, fine, if that's how you want to act." With that, she stood, and slowly started to walk up the stairs, avoiding the trail of spattered blood. "I don't think you'll be able to fend off the heartless in that state," the girl said, stopping halfway up the steps and turning to face him. A look of realization flashed momentarily from his features, and he gritted his teeth in pure stubborn frustration. Lily gave a snort of satisfaction. She dashed back down the steps and kneeled beside the man. He gave her a puzzled look, and she gently placed his arm around her shoulders.
"What?" she asked him, noticing his questioning look. With her help, the man stood, and shook his head.
"N-nothing. Thanks… for helping me," he told her, clutching his abdomen and leaning heavily on the girl's slight form.
"No problem, you stubborn thing," she said with a small chuckle. His knees shook unsteadily beneath him, and Lily led him to the stairs.
"So what's your name, Stubborn Thing?" she asked, helping him up the steps.
"Axel. Yours?"
"Lily," she said in reply. They continued their careful climb in silence.
"Sorry for going all 'cornered-animal' on you," Axel said, breaking the momentary silence, "I was just a bit pissed." Lily snorted in amusement.
"Don't worry about it. I'd probably be pissed if I were in your… predicament. So… what happened to you? If you don't mind the interrogation," she said. They reached the top of the steps.
"Naw, its fine. I just lost a fight, is all," he told her.
"Hmm," she hummed in reply, leading him down a street. Axel suddenly became alert, and then hurriedly led Lily toward an ally between shops. The girl gave him a curious look, but helped him over anyway.
"Axel, what-" He silenced her by covering her mouth with his free hand, and pressed her against the wall. The girl went stiff, and glared at him with mounting suspicion. A figure passed by the ally, calling her name.
"Lily! Lily!" It was Cloud. The girl struggled against Axel, who winced and held her fast.
"Shh, just trust me, please!" he pleaded in a hoarse whisper. Lily stopped struggling, breathing heavily through her nose, all the while eyeing the redhead darkly. Cloud soon continued his search, and Axel removed his hand from her mouth. He placed his hands on her shoulders and leaned unsteadily on her.
"I'm sorry," he told her, "but because of the leader I follow and the group I have joined, a lot of people would enjoy seeing me dead," he said to the girl. She raised her eyebrow in response, and put her arm around his back.
"Alright," she said, leading him out of the ally, "But I deserve some explanations once we get to my house." They walked on under the lamp and starlight.
"Sounds fair enough," Axel agreed.