"Sometimes you meet someone, and it's so clear that the two of you, on some level belong together. As lovers, or as friends, or as family, or as something entirely different. You just work, whether you understand one another or you're in love or you're partners in crime. You meet these people throughout your life, out of nowhere, under the strangest circumstances, and they help you feel alive. I don't know if that makes me believe in coincidence, or fate, or sheer blind luck, but it definitely makes me believe in something." -Unknown
Smoky air rests, heavy and suffocating, in my lungs. The faint sound of sirens ring out in the distance. I stagger away, for I can no longer do anything but hope that I can escape. My eyes are blinded by ash, and a scorching heat lingers over me.
But what is this? This is a different kind of heat. It reminds me... Of something I have not thought of for a long time. I have but one question, before this burning pain consumes me.
Who are you?
Coughing, Elesis stumbled into a dimly lit hallway. She cursed quietly, rushing to the bathroom with a limp figure held gently in her arms. Carefully, the redhead placed it in the bathtub. A fox. Soot and blood covered its silky, white fur. The red headed girl turned on the water and slowly combed the grime from the fox's wounds. Immediately, the clear water clouded up. After washing the fox, the girl sighed and got up, opening a drawer and extracting a roll of gauze and burn medicine. A quiet whimper caused her to turn. The fox sat there, staring at Elesis, a curious glimmer in it's eyes. Surprisingly, it displayed no hostility, just a slight confusion. Elesis noticed that one eye was a deep red while the other was honey-gold. How strange...
The redhead cautiously approached the creature. She attempted to reach out a hand to bandage its burns, but the fox shied away, baring it's teeth and letting out a soft growl.
"Woah woah woah, I'm not going to hurt you," Elesis said, raising her hands placatingly. Seeming to understand, the fox relented, allowing the girl to bandage the wounds. Burns covered its paws, a trail of blisters and singed fur. The redhead's gaze hardened. Who had been stupid enough to leave an open flame unattended in the forest? The forest fire certainly couldn't have been started naturally, since the past few days had been cool and rainy. There hadn't been any thunderstorms, either. She made a mental note to check back for any injured animals nearby. The fire department probably would have put out the fire by now.
Under its wary, scrutinizing gaze, Elesis finished bandaging the fox and sat back, satisfied. Looking down at herself though, she realized that she was covered in dirt, blood, and ashes. She groaned, debating whether to spend the rest of the night filthy, or risk having a wild animal loose in her house.
"Man, I seriously reek of smoke..." Elesis sighed and stood up. She walked out of the bathroom slowly, looking back to make sure the fox was following her. Sure enough, there it was, flicking its tail back and forth, a few meters away. Elesis strode to her room quietly, until she remembered that she didn't have to. Her younger brother, Elsword, was sleeping over at a friend's house, and wouldn't be bothered if she was noisy. That was probably a good thing, considering that he probably couldn't be trusted around wild animals.
Once the two reached her bedroom, Elesis grabbed a set of clean clothes and sent a hard look at the fox. "Stay," she commanded, "Or once I'm back, you will regret it."
Two fluffy ears twitched, but there was no other response. Normally Elesis would feel weird talking to an animal, but she felt that the fox understood her words. Casting a final glance at the fox, she left the room to shower.
The redhead found no other animals that night. If there were any, they probably were rescued or had escaped already. Elesis turned over in bed. She had given the fox a cardboard box to sleep in. Looking over at the box in the corner of the room, she saw two half-lidded eyes peeking out at her. The girl closed her eyes and slowly eased into a deep sleep.
A/N:
Elesis is BH age 18
Ara is Asura age 19