Phantasy Star: Fringes of Algo

Chapter 2: Fancy-Dress!

Both girls were sitting in the sand at the beach where the motavian desert met the water. The ocean was calm and very gentle looking and glittered beautifully as the suns rays poured down on it.

“...and that's what happened” Autumn replied having explained to Elisa her somewhat real dream.

Elisa was no doubt worried. She turned and looked at Autumn her blue eyes seemed as though they were holding back tears. Elisa then raised her hand and gently put it on Autumn's face and replied “Sar.” A brilliant white glow surrounded Elisa's hand. She removed it from Autumn's face and her bruised cheek was now back to normal. It was as though it was never hurt to begin with.

“Thanks” Autumn replied tracing the tips of her fingers down her face. “You'll have to teach me these healing techniques sometime”

Elisa never responded to Autumn's gratitude, she was clearly upset at what she had just been told. “Autumn I fear for you” she said “It sounds as though you've had an out of body experience with a Saccubus”

Autumn turned to Elisa “A Saccubus!?” she repeated confused.
“When I was possessed by the Profound Darkness, I heard a lot about them. The creatures themselves don't work directly under the Profound Darkness herself, but rather share ties with Dark Force.”

Autumn never responded instead she just glanced out at the never ending ocean. She was indeed worried now. Her long green hair gently blew back and forth in the sea breeze. She wriggled her toes in between the soft beach sand. Trying to remember her peaceful childhood on Palma before she was pulled into a battle with dark beings and became a hunter. She thought of the days when her and Elisa would go exploring new undiscovered areas with each other. But things were different now, the world which they lived in was a dangerous one.

“Autumn” Elisa replied she had tears rolling down her face. “The gods of Rykros they will protect you. I don’t want you to experience anything that I had to.”

“Don't cry Elisa, come on lets go get some ice-cream or something. I need to clear my head for a moment.” Autumn replied standing up then slipping her feet back into her running shoes.

---------------

After eating both girls were making there way over to the Hunter's Guild where Will, Hank and Autumn all worked as hunters. However it was Autumn’s day off today so she was only going there because Will wanted to talk to her.

“Feeling a little better Elisa?” Autumn asked
“Kind of” she replied.
“I don't want you to worry about me okay, it's my job to worry about you.”
Elisa smiled. She slightly adjusted the flower in her orange coloured hair.

Both girls made their way into the Guild where they both noticed the large Alis Landale statue standing above a wonderful looking water fountain. It was the centre piece inside the building and similar statues of the brave heroine could be found all over the Algol Solar System.

Will suddenly came running over to the girls he now had silver light armour on his body and a hand gun attached to his belt, it wasn't loaded however. “Good to see you two, Autumn your face cleared up nicely”

“Yeah that's Elisa's craftsmanship there” she said pointing a finger at the delicate girl next to her.
Elisa blushed and let out a bit of a giggle.

“Will, you wanted to see me?”
“I did!” he replied placing both hands on his hips. “All the hunters in Aiedo are going out to a huge fancy dinner this evening, and you are going to be there okay. So go have the afternoon off, buy some new fancy clothing and I’ll meet you back here around seven-o'clock this evening. We'll be going to the restaurant via teleporters” he said pointing to the machines way over the far side of the Guild. “Well that's all take care of yourself till then.” he said running back to what ever he was doing before.

Autumn never really had a chance to answer. She was trying to take everything in, she had never been to a restaurant before or worn fancy clothing. Heck she couldn't even wear high-heeled shoes properly. She'd always fallen oven after taking more then two steps.

“Oh congratulations” Elisa replied happily “I'm so excited for you Autumn. You'll have a wonderful evening. Lets go to the shops and pick you out a dress.”

Autumn gulped “Dress!”
“Yes, Autumn dress.”
Autumn was glad Elisa had forgotten about the Saccubus but Autumn surely hadn’t. “I'm no good with those long sparkly looking dresses and high-heel shoes, what if I just borrow one of your normal dresses?” She asked.
“No way, we're going to buy you something worth-wearing this is a once in a lifetime dinner you need to looking stunning. Come on!” Elisa said pushing Autumn out of the Guild in excitement.

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“What about this?” Elisa asked holding a bright pink glittery dress before Autumn.
Autumn raised an eyebrow. “Elisa that's pink, I’m not a girly-girl”
“Okay then this” she said putting a yellow dress in her face.
“It's too long...”
“But you haven’t even tried it on how can you tell?”
Autumn let out a sigh in mild frustration.

“Autumn compromise with me here” Elisa commanded. “If it was up to you, you'd wear a a paper bag there. You're a young lady remember, I'd love to be in your position at the moment.”
“Okay Elisa, how about we look at the one's over there then” Autumn said walking across to another rack of fancy looking dresses.

After nearly two-hours Autumn was somewhat satisfied with a brilliant sky-blue dress. It had short-blue sleeves and a white middle in her chest area. The bottom of the dress had sparkles in the material. She was also wearing matching sky-blue high-heeled shoes.

“You look so pretty, now all I have to do is your hair and put on lipstick” Elisa happily said.
“Hey wait you didn't say anything about me putting on lipstick or changing my hair!” Autumn said taking a few steps forward then falling on her face. “...I can't walk in these shoes?” she said talking into the ground.
“We'll have to work on that before tonight” Elisa said rubbing the back of her head. Followed by a nervous laugh.

---------------

Back at their home Autumn made her way out of the room dressed completely how she was going to the hunter's dinner. She was still wearing her new blue dress and shoes. But her long green hair was now twirled into fine neat locks of hair. She also had light blue lipstick on to match her colour scheme. Blue make-up presented itself on her eye lids and her eye lashes now looked longer thanks to Elisa giving her a make over.

“Wow you look stunning” Isa replied with twinkles of excitement in her red motavian eyes.
“I think I did a pretty good job myself” Elisa said praising her skills “Autumn looks like a real lady now”
“You best be off then Autumn it's nearly six thirty, doesn't the dinner start at seven?” Isa asked

“Yeah, okay then you two take it easy while I’m gone.” Autumn replied holding her dress slightly off the ground as she walked out the door, trying not to trip on it.
“I'll be waiting for you at the Guild after it's over!” Elisa shouted.

Autumn reached the Hunter's Guild, and inside, several other well-dressed hunters of all races, were all lined up waiting patiently to use the telepoters to go to what ever special location it was for this fancy-thank-you-dinner-party. Autumn was actually the only numan in the Aiedo Hunter's Guild. Most numans were found on the emerald planet Palma, where Autumn was born.

“Hey!” a familiar voice shouted.
She turned to see Will wearing a full black suit with fine white pinstripes down it. He had a maroon tie on, and his blue scruffy hair was straight and tied back into a small pony tail. He had both hands in his pockets as he walked toward Autumn.
“Hi Will” Autumn said now somewhat cheerful that she found someone here she knew. She also began to walk toward the hunter when she stopped all of a sudden. She looked down at her feet and seen a very long pinkish coloured sandworm wriggling on the floor it turned it's head and had a mouthful of fangs. “Whoa!” she said stepping back quickly, losing balance. She was about to fall when two strong hands filmy gripped her shoulders.
“Careful” Will said helping her stand properly.
“The worm” she shouted
“What worm?”

“Just th...” Autumn stopped and realised nothing was on the floor. It was after all the Hunter's Guild there was no way a single biomonster could make it into the place. (“I feel sick again, what's wrong with me all of a sudden? There's no sandworm here!”) she thought to herself.

“Hey you okay”
“Oh uh, I'm fine Will, thanks, I could have been a mess just then if you didn't catch me; it's these shoes.” She said slightly lifting her dress showing him her high-heeled shoes.
Will smiled “You look good kiddo”
Autumn blushed “Um thanks” it no doubt felt strange hearing her instructor say that to her.

Will held out his hand. “Shall we join the line?
Autumn placed her hand into his palm. Her fingers were quite slender and delicate looking when compared to Will's.
“Just so you know this is a friend to friend thing okay, I don’t want people getting any strange ideas of us doing anything else I mean you're like eighty-five years older than me? Autumn joked.
“Eighty-five?, try seven” Will shot back at the cheeky numan. There was fair height difference between the two as well, Will was just over six-feet tall and the top of Autumn's head was inline with his shoulders.

Autumn turned back and looked behind her just as the two were about to teleport. She squinted her scarlet red eyes trying to see the figure before her. It looked like a floating face, a face very similar to the one in her dream. She blink and then realised it was gone.
“Huh...?” she said out loud, “Will did you just see...” she stopped of course he didn't see it. (“There is something really strange going on here”) Autumn thought to herself as she climbed into the teleporter before her.