In the not-so-distant past, the world plummets into war as the nation's greatest leaders conspire to betray their homeland.
Following years of conflict, Alice from the Ninja clan appears, and vows to bring down the leaders in her Goal to restore lif...
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The optimism that favored the newly formed group just quickly faded as they continued out of the Oracle's walkway. The unrelenting gray day persisted from above and was only blocked occasionally by the thick greenery of the trees overhead. The air felt a little colder than before and the weight of the challenges ahead sat upon each girl's shoulders. For Julie, the reality of death became all the more apparent and in her mind, traveling with companions only meant she had more to lose rather than if she went by herself.
"I can't believe the city ended up like this, it's so sad," she lamented and glanced at the ruins and disheveled buildings."
"Don't worry, by the time we make it back here I'm sure Axel will have it as good as new," Alice said.
Julie didn't respond and the three continued walking further into the outskirts where their destination was located. It was reconfirmed that the group would spend no more than 30 minutes at Julie's residence before heading out - just enough time to gather supplies and scout the next path they would take.
After an otherwise quiet walk, with only the sounds of nature and a few grumbles from villagers directed at Julie, the three arrived and entered through the welcoming doorway. Despite the grayness of the day, Julie's house remained just as inviting outside as it was inside.
"Oh! This is a lovely spot for a dwelling, Julie. I like what you did with the outside with the flowers lined around the building structure, very cute." D'Milo complimented Julie, trying to lighten up the mood.
"You mean the wildflowers? Thanks, but I didn't plant them. They just grew on their own." She remarked.
"Oh, I see. Well, they're still lovely. Same goes for inside. Everything is all neat and orderly."
"Yeah it's so neat, she won't let you inside without changing your clothes, ha," Alice recollected to her.
"We don't really have a lot of time so I would prefer it if you didn't come in past the threshold. I'll only be a few minutes," she asserted and made her way to the bathroom. Even in this overwhelmed state of mind, Julie still took care of removing the bands from around her legs and feet before entering.
After the door shut, Alice crossed her arms and leaned up against the left wall to relax. D'Milo sat on the raised area of the floor just over the threshold.
"Do you think Julie's okay? She got really sad all of a sudden," D'Milo noticed.
"I have to admit I've never seen her so down. But then again, I'm sure I'd feel the same way if I came back to find one of my relatives had died." Alice closed her eyes, "Gramps is the one who sent both of us to Aquales. Without him, we never would have formed this little team."
"Yeah, I can imagine when you're not around death or illness often, it can affect you much more profoundly....Oh by the way, now would probably be a good time to map out where we're headed. Do you have any idea?"
