Taking the coat she fled back towards the trash heap she called "home" to see its condition, with all sorts of feet from pedestrians stepping all over the coat as it dragged along the floor. It was miserable, and she instantly regretted her purchasing decision, but she bought some bread and water at the open market in the imperial square, one of the many cultural districts of the kingdom, and her hunger was quelled as well as her thirst. The day was still young, and she still had her garbage heap that she humbly called home to flock back to. It wasn't much, but she loved it for as long as she could remember. She recalled the mysterious food that kept dropping from the ceiling of the adjacent building every two days for as long as she could remember, always reaping the benefits of her mysterious giver. Not far from it now, out of the corner of her eye the silhouetted figures on the rooftops adjacent to her appeared yet again, plaguing her psyche, staring back at the girl's now fearful eyes. Not a moment went by as the girl rubbed her eyes and intently stared at the rooftops, only for the figures to have dissipated into the thick humid morning air, and the girl continued towards the heap.
. . .
The heap was cleaned free of all trash. All that remained glimmered in the midday sun, the floor free of any debris like it was flooded with soap. She winced, throwing down everything she had in her hand, her credits, her glass bottled water - everything - right at the alley. She yelled as loud as she could in frustration, but it only echoed into oblivion, bouncing off the drab brick walls.
As if on cue, the clouds crowded the once clear sky, overcasting into the kingdom as droplets hit her cheek at an increasing rate. She picked up her coat and used it to shield her head as she fled under a nearby catwalk hosting incoming travelers, sporting jet black umbrellas over their heads. With some minor shelter, the girl took some time to examine the coat, noticing enigmatic symbols that almost glowed on the inside of the thick fabric. It was not on the coat before. She didn't seem to care, slamming the coat on the ground as she threw her hands onto her face and bowled restlessly. The weakness and aches on her legs returned with ferocity and created a singeing feeling, collapsing her body into the dry dirt under the bridge, trapping her in a hopeless weep as a young girl found herself more lost than ever before.
A whir of familiar, wisp-like pink particles began to fill her eyes and rise from the dormant coat. The hapless girl curiously gazed at the coat, proceeding her attention to its base; the bottom was depleting itself, degrading into pink and black ashes that rose in the air. Thankfully, it was apparent that the crazy witch doctor issued honesty, not promiscuous lies for money. Simultaneously, the coat's black color began to subside as she panicked in observation. Small particles of pink emitted wildly from the coat, emerging into a primary color of navy blue, but caked with faded pink striped waves that alternated subtly in luminosity all while the pink ash heap rose in the air, collected, and formed a bright gray, which then proceeded to attack the coat, merging into it in a violent and linear swarm. Particles gathered slowly at the back of the coat and formed a strikingly familiar shape: the Midnight Crystal. The pattern then deleted the seam of fabric on the back, forming a hole in the precise shape of the crystal, temporarily leaving torch marks on the edges as if it was burned. The clearly new, elegant look of the coat proved the conclusion of its transformation, and its glistening pastel white collar folded against its navy blue base, complimented along the collar's edges by an amber seam. Immediately, the girl's fear became ecstatic wonder as she rushed to investigate it further. Now the coat looked like a perfect fit, with the luxurious and curvy seams elegantly contrasting her body as if it was tailored exclusively for her.
As she tried to touch the silky smooth cloth, angry, pink-tinted sparks zapped her fingers when they drew near. Retreating from the shock, she desperately yet cautiously tried it again, planning to touch it for real this time. As her finger drew nearer the sparks slowly approached the tips of her fingers, and a rising stinging pain through her fingers began to agitate the girl. Powering through the stinging, the girl picked up the coat and in an instant the sparks subsided with an ear-piercing boom that sent a shockwave around her in a 10 meter radius, alerting the commuters away from the catwalk in fear, hustling out in erratic fashion, some clinging to their loved ones and pulling them from the immediate danger. Strangely, the girl failed to react to the boom, nor seem to even perceive it at any capacity, but she did observe the wide circle of people surrounding her with shock, confusion, and fear. Holding the coat in her arms, she fled once more, and, with no one around brave enough to give chase, she pushed aside every last one of them and ran into the harsh rainstorm.
