Margo really shouldn't have been out that late. She was so tired from work that day; being on her feet for so long, serving food and drinks to people left and right, was more than enough to tire her out. She was off the next couple of days, and her body was telling her that she really needed to rest. But, the fresh air felt so nice. Being in casual, comfortable clothes was a great luxury compared to the scratchy uniform she had to wear. Taking some time to herself, away from noisy people, their kids and their wants and complaints, was more than enough reason for her to stay out.

She shoved her hands in her hoodie pockets, listening to her baggy clothes move with each step she took. Her right sneaker was loose, probably close to coming untied, yet she ignored it, enjoying the quiet time to herself too much to stop just to tie her shoe. As she walked, she stretched her back and looked up at the stars, taking in another breath of glorious, cool air. She thought back to her apartment, which was a few blocks behind her, and wondered if she had remembered to lock the door. The key was in her pocket, so at least she had that. It was just a dinky, one bedroom apartment. A place she rushed to get into, no longer able to live with her mother, and grateful for her stingy spending and eager saving. She got the cheapest around and in the only building she could afford - who in their right mind would actually think that was a good place to rob?

After spending a few moments watching for traffic, then crossing the street, Margo began to realize just how much she needed to tie her sneaker. It was slipping off her heel with each step, and the laces were a damn tripping hazard. Sighing, she bent down to one knee, letting her hood fall from her head. The necklace around her neck fell from beneath her shirt, dangling in her face before it was unceremoniously shoved back into hiding. Once her shoe was on good and tight, Margo started to get back to her feet, when a sudden, heavy mass collided into her side. She felt hands grab her, nails digging into her skin, and drag her into the nearest alley.

She felt hot breath on her neck as she was forced to the very back of the alley, where the chances of being seen were even lower than the chances of someone actually walking by that alley that late. Her attacker's hand was clamped over her mouth, and a commanding hiss for her to stay quiet followed. She sucked in ragged, panicked breaths through her nostrils, unable to fight as she was pulled to the ground by her hair and pinned down on her back. There came a pressure against her neck, too low for her to risk looking down. Perhaps it was a knife, maybe a gun. She didn't know, and didn't want to know as she took the silent warning to keep quiet. Or else

'Oh God, please don't hurt me,' she desperately thought.

The man let out a chuckle, as though he had read her thoughts.

The air night was cool but still, strangely still and suddenly all noise seemed to disappear, the cars driving past seemed to slow to an unearthly stop, no noise, the lights seemed to dim and then street lights began to flicker. Suddenly the stillness of the night erupted into forceful wind, crashing around the pair violently, tearing at clothes. The man looked around, though it would be hard to see much, impossible after the next few seconds. The trees on the street side shook fiercely and suddenly a branch came loose, falling onto the power lines. Instant darkness of lost power was followed by a few sparks from the severed cable before it came to rest of the other side of the street.

The man’s grip on the girl loosened, not enough for her to escape though. The next thing he knew a bright, almost burning light began emitting from beneath her clothes clothes, near her chest. “What the-” suddenly the girl felt hot to the touch, burning hot and he withdrew from her with a pained scream. But it wasn’t over yet, the light grew brighter and brighter, to the point where there was nothing else to see, it began floating, all on its own and the next thing he knew he was flying backwards, as if someone with super strength had pushed him he flew half way across the street before landing with an ‘oof’, unconscious.

A few seconds later the wind died, returning to the strangely still and now very quiet night. With the light of the crystal extinguished after the blast and the power out on the street it was dark once more, the stars and new moon doing very little to provide light to see by. After a few seconds of silence more light entered the world, beside her a soft glowing surrounded an unearthly figure, whom seemed to be floating in mid air.

The figure was human in shape, but very slender, their body a bizarre white-ish blue, their hair seeming to defy gravity along with the rest of their body as it curled up over their head. The figure seemed tense for a moment, their eyes locked onto where the assailant lie, one golden, the other white. After a few seconds they seemed to decide that he was down for the count, and wasn’t getting back up and they relaxed, turning towards where Eve sat on the ground. “Rise.” He said, for the voice confirmed that it was a male. After a few seconds, he spoke again as he extended out a hand to her. “Rise up. You are safe now.”

Margo didn't quite know what to think. One moment, she was being forced to the ground and threatened to stay quiet, next she was just laying there with her attacker yards away, unconscious. She had felt a flash of heat, as though her whole body was burning, saw the bright light, and had heard the high wind. Now, everything was at peace, again. She could once again hear the heavy chirps of countless crickets, and the far off barks of a dog somewhere nearby. Slowly blinking, she sat up just enough to get a decent look at the figure who had so mysteriously appeared. Her savior, she presumed.

At his words, she hesitated. She eyed his hand, at first unwilling to take it for fear that it was a trick. But, something told her to trust him, at least enough to let him help her up. Nodding, as though to ease her nerves, she took his hand with hers. Her hand shook a bit, fingers trembling as they wrapped around his hand, and her legs buckled just a little as she stood. "Who are you?" She looked the figure up and down, trying to figure out what he was. For all she knew, this was a hallucination - her mind's way of coping with the attack. Or some kind of nightmare. With any luck, she'd soon wake up in her bed.

He slowly helped the uneasy girl to her feet, his face showing little, if any emotion at all before he turned his attention back to the man on the ground not too far away. He stood there for a few moments in silence, his eyes locked on the man before he eventually spoke without looking at her. His voice was soft, smooth and, like everything else about him, had this other-worldly feel to it. “Astral.” He said eventually, moving into a relaxed posture, crossing his arms over his chest. “My name is Astral… if I recall.” He seemed uncertain of this, though his voice didn’t waver.

“However I am afraid that is all I can offer in answer to your question.” He eventually looked away from the boy reluctantly, as if he kept expecting him to get back up miraculously and returned his attention back to the small girl before him. However he seemed unsure as to what he was supposed to do now. In truth he wasn’t. “Not only do I not recall who I am… but I do not recall much of anything. Other that I arrived here with a great purpose, which now escapes me.”

As soon as she was stable on her feet, Margo straightened her clothes. She dusted off some dirt, and flicked a small pebble out of her hoodie pocket. She looked up at the figure, nodding when she was told his name. She was eager to hear more, and was a little disappointed when there wasn't much else for her to be told. "A great purpose? And you can't remember what it is." Margo sighed, then sarcastically added, "That's very helpful." Her voice wasn't harsh, more soft and tired than anything else. If she could wake up soon, that would be just great.

"Do you know how you got here?" She again looked him up and down, trying to gain some sort of clue as to who and what he really was. Unfortunately, she again had no clue. Her gaze trailed down to her necklace, which was now above her clothes and laying comfortably against her chest. She lifted a hand, and for the first time in several years, ran a gentle finger over the crystal shard. She had been wearing it for so long, that it now felt like a part of her. Nothing more, nothing less. Oddly enough, it felt warm to the touch. Unnaturally warm compared to its normally cool texture.

Astral looked at the girl and tilted his head slightly. "Really? Then I am glad to have helped you." His voice contained no hint of sarcasm, and it was clearly something foreign to the being. He shook his head slowly when asked if he knew how he got there. "I could not say for certain..." He trailed off as her hand moved to the crystal around her neck and Astral tilted his head curiously, moving up close to her and reaching out hesitantly. The crystal began glowing again in response to his touch. "This... however seems strangely familiar..." He spoke softly, eventually withdrawing his hand.

"I feel a strange connection to that amulet you wear around your neck. Where did you get it?" As he moved away from her the crystal's light began to dim until it returned to its dormant state. Astral noted the change and decided that he would stick close to this girl. She, and the crystal she wore around her neck were the only things he had right now. If he were to stand any chance of discovering anything else about himself or his purpose it was with them. He would keep them close. Behind him, the man on the ground groaned in pain and began moving, albeit very slowly. Astral turned his attention back to him, but didn't seem too concerned.

Margo wasn't quite sure what to say when he didn't understand her sarcasm. Well, he did actually help her. A lot. If it wasn't for him, she would still be on the ground under that man, scared and terribly vulnerable. How could she have been jumped so easily? It was so quick - he could have killed her. It was all finally starting to sink in. The only thing that kept her from shaking and focusing on what might have happened was the sudden glow coming from her necklace. She looked down at it, hearing Astral say that it was familiar to him. She gave the crystal a questioning look, trying to figure out some rational excuse as to why it was giving off such a brilliant light.

"My dad gave it to me when I was younger." She glanced up from the crystal as he moved away, then gazed back down to see the light fade. "Before he disappeared," she added in a much softer tone. There were so many thoughts zigzagging in her head that she didn't notice her attacker slowly regaining consciousness. What was she to do now? Go home and act like nothing happened? Try to wake up? She didn't know.

"I should start heading home."

Astral nodded, thinking that was probably a good idea. “Then I shall accompany you.” He stated as he moved out of the alley out onto the street, looking down at the man. He still seemed dazed, not likely to present any danger in his current state, but it was uncertain how long it would take him to regain his senses. He was unsure if he would be able to down the assailant a second time, seeing as he was unsure as to how he’d done it the first time, if he had in fact done anything at all. He was still unsure. It was best they moved.

Hovering over the earth and floating instead of walking like she did. He followed the girl closely as she walked home, looking around and taking in this new world. A car turned down the street and began heading down the street, right towards Astral, who was still preoccupied looking around at the world. He turned his attention to the vehicle at the very last moment and moved out of the way casually, seeming unbothered by the near-death experience. The car not breaking or trying to avoid colliding with him at all, and once it had passed it just continued on its way as if nothing had ever happened. “Is it far to your home?” He asked eventually after a few minutes.

Margo was silent as she walked, deep in thought. She only turned her head to acknowledge Astral when she heard the screech of tires. Her eyes widened just in time for her to see the lights, her heart pounding even after he stepped out of the way and avoided the danger. When the car was gone, she stopped right in her tracks. Ignoring his question, she cried, "You almost got hit by a car!" How could he just stand there and act so casual? If he hadn't stepped to the side in time, he...Well, she didn't exactly know what would have happened. He was clearly not human, so perhaps something other than him getting injured like a regular person would have happened. Either way, it wasn't exactly pleasant to think about.

Astral looked at the girl as she informed him he'd almost been hit by a car and he nodded slowly in acknowledgement. "But I did not." He then informed her, still seeming unbothered by this fact. Still, he did find it a little strange that the 'car' as it was called, hadn't seemed to notice him. If it was a danger as the girl seemed to think it was surely it would have tried to avoid him. Still, he wasn't earthbound as she was, so things like that car were less of a risk to him. It was interesting, seeing as most things here were firmly planted on the ground, whereas he was able to float around.

It made it very clear that, wherever he came from, it was not here. "There is no need to worry." He assured the girl, his voice calm and tranquil. "For now I cannot sense any danger." He did, however, move off the road and closer to the girl as they traveled along, if nothing else than to ease any further anxiety she may have.

Margo looked at him for another moment, then in the direction the car had gone. It brought up the question of whether others could see Astral or not. Had that been just a drunk jerk, or a person who honestly had no idea they almost hit someone? Her gaze again went to Astral, and she began to wonder if she was on some kind of drug, and if so how strong and how long would it last. She ran a hand through her hair.

And yet, his reassurances made her take in a breath and slowly nod. As strange as all this was for her, Astral did have a somewhat calming effect on her nerves, and seeing him step closer to her and closer to safety only made her feel better. Nodding again, instead of saying any words, she turned to continue on their path to her apartment, which was then not very far at all.

Her apartment was on the second level. It took Margo a couple extra seconds to climb the staircase up to the door, because of how dark it was and the lack of an actual light over the steps. Once at the top, she fished her key out and unlocked the door, realizing at the last second that she had forgotten to lock it in the first place. She stepped inside, then to the side to allow Astral to enter before closing the door. The apartment itself was very small, only one bedroom. The furniture consisted of an old sofa, recliner, and outdated television set. The tan carpet and parts of the walls held stains from past, unruly tenants.

What few dishes Margo had were mostly on the kitchen counter and in the sink, waiting to be cleaned. But the place held a comfortable feel, and that's all that mattered to Margo. "Make yourself at home," she said while peeling off her hoodie and throwing it over the back of the old recliner.

Astral followed along, taking a cue from the girl and remaining silent for the rest of the journey. He looked up at the building that the girl resided in, silently admiring the size of the structure. As they ascended the stairs he stayed close, his eyes searching out into the darkness. His first impression of this place hadn't been very good, and the girl before him had seemed very fearful of many things in it. It led him to believe that it was not an overly safe place, he was not sure where or when to expect danger, so he simply readied himself for anything that may present itself at any time.

As they entered a small room he looked around silently, still tense. It was only when she gave him permission to relax did he do so. It was a small place, compared to the size of the rest of the building, but it didn’t feel cramped, the space made him feel very at ease, comfortable. He could see he would be spending quite a bit of time here with this girl, so he decided he would take a small, calculated risk and ask her something on a more personal note. Astral was not the talkative kind, but there was something he would like to know.

“If I may ask… what is your name?” He said suddenly, looking over to her with his strange eyes, one golden and one white looking at the girl. They seemed… strangely innocent, as if he really was oblivious to most of the secrets this world held. All he knew was her, and what she told him. “Who are you?” He then rephrased, repeating her question from earlier. A name was one thing, but he knew from personal experience it did not tell you who one was. He knew his name, but he did not know who he was. And it was a strange feeling. But he could at least know who she was and it may hold some secret to who he was.

Margo tossed her set of keys on the small kitchen table, then turned to Astral. She noticed that he appeared more relaxed, or at least not as tense as he seemed the whole walk there. Then again, she was sure she looked more at ease, as well. It was always better to get off the dark, unsafe streets and into a place that was much more secure. Before he spoke, she came around to the recliner and took a seat, letting her fingers pick at a small hole in the fabric on the left armrest. Though, she quickly stopped when she heard his question, obviously caught off guard by it. "Oh! I didn't tell you my name? I'm sorry...I guess I was too caught up in this whole thing." She gave a brief, apologetic smile. "I'm Margo."

She had to pause. No one had really asked who she was before, at least not like that. She blinked, at a loss for words before shrugging and leaning back in her chair. "I'm no one special...Just an average girl, I guess. I think the most important thing here is to figure out who you are. Are you sure there's nothing else you can remember? Not even a tiny thing?"