Hex-Star Palette
Prologue
Written by: CS-Masyet

"Aw, you caught me again!" A girl said to one of her two friends, who were playing tag in the park. "No fair!"

"Don't complain, Reduna. If you weren't so slow, maybe you could outrun me." One of her friends said to her. "Then again, I am super fast..."

"And you stop bragging all the time, Areta!" Reduna angrily retorted.

"Please stop fighting, you two!" The third girl pleaded. "Isn't having fun what really matters?"

"See, Reduna? Wendy's not whining, and she's slower than you are."

"Wendy's only acting mature now because I told her my cousin is coming here soon."

"Ah... Reefay~..." Wendy uttered, covering her face with her hands and blushing.

"If you like Rife so much, why do you always pronounce his name wrong?" Areta asked her deadpan.

Suddenly, an older girl wearing frilly clothes walked up to them, with a younger girl and two bodyguards in tow.

"You three! Leave this place at once!" The older girl exclaimed.

"Huh? Why?" Reduna asked them.

"This area now belongs to the Izce family! This is no place for filthy little peasant girls like you three!"

"What did you just say!?" Areta said furiously. "And what makes you think you can just take this park?!"

"Because I said so, that's why." She turned to the younger girl. "Little sis, do you like your birthday present?"

"Zena, I already told you! I don't want this stupid park!" The young girl responded, flailing her arms. "I just want to go home!"

"Lady Esiclia, please behave yourself..." One of the guards said quietly, trying to calm her down.

"This park is now only for my little sis. So leave." Zena told the three again. "Now."

"But we don't want to leave!" Reduna responded. "This place is special to us!"

"You've left me no choice..." She snapped her fingers. "Men, dispose of them."

"Yes, ma'am." The guards obeyed without hesistation. One of them grabbed Areta, and the other grabbed Reduna and Wendy.

"Let go of me!" Areta yelled, kicking and waving her arms.

"Someone help!" Wendy cried.

"Let go of them!" A boy who had just entered the park exclaimed.

"Who..." Zena started.

"Reefay~!" Wendy cut in.

"Please stop calling me that..." Rife told her, in a weaker tone than before.

"Oh, are you some little hero?" One of the guards said jokingly.

Rife took out a wooden sword.

"Oh no, he's got a weapon! We're toast!" The other guard said mockingly. "Heheh... OW!!!"

Areta bit the guard that was holding her, causing him to let go.

"You little brat!"

"Stop it, you two." Esiclia said to them. "Or you're fired."

"W-what?!" The guards exclaimed in shock. "Lady Esi-..."

"Little sis, what're you..."

"Zena, you've caused too much trouble. Papa's gonna get mad."

"Tch..." Zena snapped her fingers again. "Men, let us depart."

"Um, yes ma'am." The guards released them and left with the two girls.

"Get back here! I'm not done with you yet!" Areta yelled in the direction they had gone.

"That's enough." Rife put his hand on her shoulder. "It's good enough that you're all okay."

"Reefay!" Wendy cried, hugging Rife suddenly. "I was so scared!"

"I-it's Rife..."

"Ergh..."

"What's wrong, Areta?" Reduna asked her.

"I hate how there are people who can just push others around like that... It's just not right..."

"It's for reasons like this that I've learned to use this." Rife held up his sword. "For the people who cannot fend for themselves, I will lend them my aid."

"Yeah, if anyone can do it, it's you Reefay!"

"I'll get stronger, too! I don't want to be pushed around like that again!" Areta exclaimed, clenching her fists.

"I don't want to see other people treated badly, either..." Reduna said.

"Me neither." Wendy added.

"Someday, we'll find a way to stop those kind of people and protect everyone else!" Areta put out her fist. "All three of us."

"It's a promise!" Reduna put her hand on top of Areta's, Wendy following suit. "Let's make this world a place where everyone can be happy!"

To Be Continued