Reality Hurts

Chapter One

*A/N: I feel like a terrible person because those past three chapters were only prolouges. EXCEPT YOU DIDN'T KNOW THIS! HA! Ok this is where the story actually starts. Kind of. You'll see. If I remember to write nowadays. I mean, I'm a very busy person. Deal with it... ( -■_■)*

You pull your jacket closer. Snow is drifting from clouded skies above and landing in your bright red hair. You look off to the side. Your brother is trekking through the snow beside you, his black hair swinging in front of his eyes. How long would it be before you would leave this godforsaken forest?

This was no place for someone south of the SilverGate Border. Ever since the Jennifer accident 67 years ago, the last surviving humans split the territory that wasn't radiated or blown to bits in half. Jennifer, she ended the war with the truth of the SilverGate.

You shiver just remembering what you were told when you turned 12 four years ago. That was the “perfect” age for telling the truth. Before that, it's just a fairytale.

A voice brings you back to the present. “Lilyan?” Your brother is calling your name. He's standing at the top of the hill you are climbing. You can see the break in the trees right behind him. “Come on, we have to hurry before we freeze to death out here.”

You nod in agreement, sprinting up the last stretch of land before skidding to a stop, snow spraying onto your brother.

“Thanks for that, Lilyan.”

“Sorry Riku,” You say as apologetic as you can. He ignores this comment.

You and Riku stare down the other side of the hill. There it is, the city of Silvonis, cut into Mountain Sivonik, spilling over and across the frozen plains below. Smog is rising from the hundreds of factories populating the large city, fighting the snow for dominance in the sky.

Riku looks at you with his ice-cold eyes. “Let's go.”

“Yea...”

Riku leads you down the small stone path that was carved into the hill obviously a long time ago. When you reach the gate, you're stopped by a guard whose eyes seem to be glazed over.

“Please state your business in the beautiful-” The guard stops to cough with a hint of sarcasm before continuing. “Silvonis. No drugs, alcohol, or “smoking” is allowed during first entrance for non-citizens. Take a look of the city laws at the town hall bulletin board for further information.” The guard is droning on with practice, obviously not wanting to be there.

“Uhhh... We're visiting a friend in the Merrowshore District. His name is Raynor Mallozzi, and he-” You stumble on your own lies before the guard cuts you off.

“I don't care.” The guard stares at you with a blank look. “Just go inside.”

You look at Riku, who shrugs upon eye-contact. Both of you walk as nonchalantly as you can into the city, trying not to attract attention to your hair by pulling a hood over your head. Last thing you need is a northerner making a scene about how you're hair is black.

Riku is already off down the snow-covered stretch of dirt the northerners call a road. You jog lightly after him, trying to keep your hood pulled over your head.

“First things first, we need to find Ray-ray,” You whisper, catching up with him after a few minutes.

“I like the last name you came up with him so suddenly. Mallozzi, what is that, a kind of Italian food?”

“Shut up. Not because I'm mad, but because of that word.”

“What, Italian?”

“You know it's illegal to speak of the before times!” You glance at him through the corner of your eye.

“I doubt anyone now a days even know what Italian means. Or anything about the before days. No one knows, no one cares.”

“That's the kind of attitude that gets you in trouble. Remember how that philosophy got you arrested in Wythorn. That's part of the reason we had to come up to the north.”

“I would have been fine...”

“No one would have helped you in there. No one would bail you out. I had to break you out. We're wanted criminals now because of you!” Your last sentence goes up in pitch and sound, attracting the attention of the city-goers around you. You smile nervously at them, falling silent. They take a few seconds to stare at you and your brother before forgetting what happened and going back about their daily lives.

“Guess who's the stupid one now.”

“I'm not stupid! I've never called you stupid. Let's just drop it and find Ray.”

“Yes Ma'am,” Riku says, sarcasm lacing his words.

You continue the walk in silenece.