~ Hope City, Teleportation Site
"Sergeant Damars, explain what happened here… In detail." General Stratus ordered, as he peered through the monitors at Hope City's Portal Station.
A petite woman in field uniform responded, "Sir, Yes, Sir. What we have here is a portal rupture, the cause is unknown. Roughly 72 are reported missing, with 5 injured, and 1 confirmed dead. The incident was recorded to have happened at fifteen hundred on the dot, on Saturday, when the 5 that are injured and the 1 that is dead were in contact with the portal. We've been unable to extract any data as the machines are also missing. Bystanders report that portal number 3 seemed to expand from two-dimensional to three-dimensional becoming spheroid, but cameras weren't able to confirm that, though our scientists agree with that statement. The other side of the portal is reported to have a much larger radius. I accessed all available information on the missing persons, and the 5 injured. I was able to access most of them, except for one, Azur Khepri, sir"
"Hmm, I'll look into him myself soldier, thank you for the report." Walking over to the tech, General Stratus, began looking through the footage, narrowing in on the mentioned time. Ordering the tech to slow the footage down frame by frame, he was unable to see the point at which the portal changed shape, but on the screen itself in one single frame, he saw the scene of the Pacific Isles change to something red. "Sergeant, what do you reckon that is?"
"It appears that the end point of the portal changed at the moment of contact, sir."
"To where? Hmm, Corporal Davis, analyze the frame."
"Sir, Yes, Sir" Corporal Davis, the tech, started a comprehensive analysis, of the footage. "Sir, it will take roughly 2 days to complete."
"Send me a report when it's done."
"Sir, Yes, Sir."
"Sergeant Damars, what do you think of this situation?"
"It seems similar to the portal bombings during the war." Sergeant Damars replied.
Thinking to himself, General Stratus had his doubts. "Inform the hospital to report when the victims wake up."
"Sir, Yes, Sir."
~ Hope Advanced Health Hospital, Emergency Room 707
Bridget Martin, stood still remembering that moment, staring at the person laying in a gurney. What was left of his right arm wrapped in gauze and a tourniquet. Scrapes and bruises all over his face. She didn't know what to do, she was just talking to him yesterday, updating him about his mother. She wasn't a trauma specialist, but at this moment she wished she was. Walking, towards his mother's room, to inform her, every step felt like lead.
*Why is this different, I've done this numerous times? You know why it's different, stop stalling.* Gripping her clipboard, she opened the door. "Miss Khepri, no Rayla" her voice cracked, tears already coming down her face. Memories of their interactions, of finally coming to grips that she liked him, and gathering the courage to confess. "It's Azur.." She tried her best.
Rayla's head shot up from her book, noticing Bridgets expression, the blood drained from her face. Forcefully calming herself, "Calm down honey, and tell me what happened?"
The tone of her voice, caused Bridget to collapse into the seat next to the bed, breaking down, telling her everything through the tears. "He hasn't woken up since we admitted him."
In a soft voice Rayla asked, "When does he get out of surgery?"
"In roughly an hour. He was just so pale." Bridget said as she hugged her legs in the chair.
"Is it possible for us to share a room?"
With a teary face, and red eyes, Bridget said "I'll make sure that you can."
~ Unknown location
Clear blue skies stretched past purple mountains, in a small valley at the base of those mountains, a village of 50 people settled. A small wooden hut is home to a pregnant couple, having their first child.
"You're almost there, keep going hun" the old midwife comforted.
With one final push, a baby was born into this world, silent. "Where's my child?" The woman said through ragged breaths. Looking at the old lady with crows feet around her eyes.
"Something's wrong?" Julia turns the baby around and gives it a hard smack on the bottom. The pain forces the baby to open up its lungs, and the first sound to come out of its mouth, is an agonized scream. "There we go, it's a wonderful baby boy, Iris" Julia says, handing the baby over to the mother, where it slowly stopped quivering.
*Where am I?* Azur thought. Opening his eyes, and looking around, the only thought on his mind was the pain in his ass. Looking up, a beautiful woman with silver blue hair, stared down at him. *Who the hell is this?*
Feeling the slightest bit of emotion, caused him to cry again. *Why am I crying so easily, what's going on, it's like I don't have any control over my emotions. Get yourself together Azur, what happened before this?* Pain racked his mind, as the memories slowly started to come together, and with each surge of emotion, he cried more and more.
Slow and gentle rocking, caused his cries to slow. *Stop, stop, stop, get control of yourself, deep breaths, deep breaths*.
"It's okay honey, shh, shh." Iris comforted her baby.
*What is she saying?* Azur slowly started to close his eyes, the memory of his hand disappearing popped into his mind again, quickly raising it, he saw a small pink palm with pudgy fingers opening and closing. The gentle swaying made his eyelids feel heavy, and before he could have another thought they shut.
"He's sleeping now, and you should too, you've lost a lot of blood, hun."
"I can wait till Cal gets back from his hunt." She slowly handed the baby back to Julia, who put him into the wooden cradle, beside the bed.
"What a useless man, can't even get here on time." Julia said under her breath.
With a loud burst, the door broke open. "Where's my wife? Did she give birth yet?" A ragged man with a thin cloth shirt cut up and covered in blood, made his way in frantically.
His eyes went from wild, to caring at the sight of his wife in bed, and the baby already in the cradle. "Always late, but never absent" Iris said lovingly.
"I'm sorry Iris. It took longer to subjugate the beast than I thought." He walked over, purposefully ignoring the old bat standing there with her arms crossed. "He's beautiful." he said, peering at the child, and in the middle of reaching for him, the old crones hand slapped his away.
"He's sleeping, I'm not sure why but waking him now gives me a bad feeling." Julia said, staring intensely at Calen. Interrupting him before he could reply, "Comfort your wife, and tell her to sleep, otherwise you might lose her."
Pausing and turning to look at Iris. He made his way over, and kissed her and rested his forehead against hers, whispering, "I love you, please get some rest." Slowly caressing her cheek and staring into her azure eyes. "What's his name?" Iris asked.
"Let's call him Aurion, after your deep eyes, and the first light of the morning."
"Aurion, what a beautiful name" she said as she fell asleep.
Julia looked out the window, where there once was a clear sky, now clouds blanketed the village.