Start-up

                                    

                                          
Kiara emerged from her ashes and stared at the sky again until her slight amnesia was gone. 
The field was now a desert land with plenty of weapons and even corpses laying around. Her only reason to stay there was the anticipation of a portal opening. 
It didn't happen instantly, but eventually, after waiting for almost an hour, a portal appeared. 
Kiara was excited for being able to see Calli in a different context, but felt anxious in an unexplainable way. 
                          
When the portal started shining with a purple light and making weird sounds, she rushed to its front, or at least what looked like the front. 
                          
The environment turned gray again, and from the portal came out a dark figure that was surprisingly petite. The figure dropped to the ground, and when the light cleared up, Kiara noticed that there was a black cloth covering Calli's body. 
                          
She approached the motionless bump and noticed how small it was.
                          
-"(Wait a second... If she's here for a lifetime, does that mean she starts out small?)"
                          
She ducked to look at it closely.
                          
"(Small Mori? A Mori that looks like a child?)" 
                          
She slowly drew her hand towards her while she imagined a tiny and cuter version of Calli.
                          
"(Small Mori-san... Small Mori-san!)" 
                          
She got the cape off her body to find out Calli's body from the waist up.
                          
"Uhh..." 
                          
She looked back at the portal, then back at Calli, who was still not moving. 
                          
She carefully pulled from her arms and dragged her away until her legs came out of the portal. When her whole body was out, the portal closed and went back to thin air.
                          
She was sort of disappointed, Calli's body looked almost exactly the same as her spectral look. But there was no space for bad feelings, because now Calli was alive just like her, and that got her excited again. 
                          
"Hey, Mori-san!"
                          
She was laying down silent as if she were a corpse. 
                          
"Mori-san?" 
                          
No straight answer, only displeased moans of fatigue.
                          
"Come on Mori-san, get up!" 
                          
She slightly turned her head in place to face Kiara with a disappointed look. 
                          
-"Just leave me already..." 
                          
-"no~pe"
                          
Kiara stood up again.
                          
"Since you know nothing about the surface and I've lived multiple times, I'll be the one to guide you!" 
                          
-"I lied" 
                          
Calli answered while keeping the same tired face and voice. 
                          
"I actually do know how to live here... I just didn't want to be with you..." 
                          
Kiara's enthusiasm left her face.
                          
-"oh..." 
                          
Calliope was a bit surprised by this since she had never seen Kiara bummed out.
                          
Kiara sat down on the ground next to her and looked away.
                          
"Mori-san, can I ask you something?" 
                          
-"Whatever" 
                          
She looked directly into her eyes.
                          
-"Why do you hate me?"
                          
-"Why do I..."