Starchaser

Chapter 1 (Part 1)

Rain poured down from the sky. It hit the hard cobblestone floor, causing it to be more slippery than usual. Nothing could be heard besides from the pitter-patter the rain made. Slosh. Slosh. Slosh. Through the mist, a figure appeared. 

"I'm c-cold..." a soft voice mumbled. 

"We're nearly there, Winter. I think..." a voice replied.

"Rose, I think we're lost...!" the voice became panicked. 

"No, no, we're not lost... The bartender told us to head in this direction." 

"B-But he didn't explain where to go clearly enough!!!"

"He did. "From where we stand, walk straight ahead, turn left, through the alley, and you'll find yourself in the town square. From there you'll see the Onibus theater, and go past that. Keep going, and you'll see a bunch of stairs that lead to a building. That's what you're looking for.""

"The fog makes it harder to see...so we might be lost still!!!" 

"Stop worrying, Winter. It'll be okay. Look, there are the stairs!"

"Huh...?"

The pair looked up, and saw a massive flight of stairs. A shadow could be seen at the top. "Looks like we have to go all the way up there... Hold on tight, Winter. It looks like the rain made each step more slippery." "Don't drop me Rosabella!!!" Winter exclaimed. 

Rosabella held her Exceed friend closer to her chest, and she slowly walked up the stairs. Slosh. Slosh. Slosh. Slosh. The flight of stairs seemed endless, even though they could see a building at the top. Slosh. "How many more stairs...?" Winter asked.  Rosabella sighed. She quickened her pace, but was careful not to slip. 

After a couple of minutes, the shadow grew closer, and Rose could make out the shape of the building. "Winter. Do you think you can fly now?" she asked. "Yeah..." he replied. Rosabella let go of him, and he spread his wings. "Let's go." she said. 

Rosabella dashed up the stairs, still trying not to slip. Winter glided through the air with ease, even with the rain. The building grew closer, and closer, until the two reached the front. "...Starshine Guild." Rosabella read the sign over the large double-doors. "Let's go in! I'm freezing..." Winter complained. 

Rosabella put her hands on the double-doors, and Winter put his paws against it too. The two grunted, and the door budged a little bit. "Come on!" Rosabella said through gritted teeth. The two kept pushing the doors. "You'd think that with the rain, it would be a little easier to mo-" Winter was cut off. The doors swung open, and the two could feel the warmth from inside. 

Heads turned in their direction, and locked their gaze. Rosabella and Winter just stood there, unable to move. Nobody stirred, or made sound. Suddenly, something flew into Winter and Rosabella's faces. "Hey! Who are ya and what are ya doing here?!" It said. The creature had ginger fur, and wore a lavender jacket with a white shirt underneath. It also wore a denim skirt, but no shoes. Wings extended from it's back.

"...You're...and Exceed!" Rosabella exclaimed. 

"Yeah, I am. But that doesn't have to do with anything. Answer my question!!! WHO ARE YA AND WHAT ARE YA DOING HERE??!!" 

Winter flew behind Rose. "I'm scared..."

"Uh..Umm..." Rosabella stuttered. 

"Well?!"

"That's enough, Nadia," a voice ordered.

Nadia turned around and gasped. "Sorry Master!" She flew back to her place in the crowd. The man Nadia had just talked to approached Rosabella and Winter. He wore a black fedora, and black shoulder-length hair. Most of his body was covered with a large red jacket, and he had large black boots. His hair covered his left eye, (HIS left not your left if you're looking at him.) but you could see his other eye, which was brown. A long dark gray cape was attached to his coat.