I ran my hands down my skirt, straightening it along my long legs. It only came down halfway along my thighs. I scowled as I was reminded again of the under-sized school uniforms. I mumbled softly as I straightened my ridiculously tight top, also a part of the uniform. I slipped on my shoes and grabbed a nearby basked. I smiled at myself and headed out the door, shutting it beside me with a swift kick from my foot. I started to make my way down the stairs.

This beautiful Saturday, I decided, was just perfect for a picnic. I hadn't had one since years ago. It had been with my family and ridiculously awkward, as I was still getting over... It. I shook the thought out of my mind, as it had become nearly commonplace now. But it still wasn't as devastating as it had been all those years ago. After passing the second story door I heard a crash and something shatter, followed by a loud scream. Quickly throwing down my basket near the corner of the room, I got the urge to run. But either stupidity, curiosity or a combination of the two made me stay. I peeked through the window, looking inside to get an appraisal of the situation before jolting in.

Emi had emerged from her bathroom post-shower Friday evening to find the brief, handwritten note sitting on the floor just inside her dormitory door. She was perplexed. She couldn’t recognize the round, bubbly handwriting as belonging to any of her friends, and no one really struck her as “secret admirer” potential. In fact, between her general social awkwardness and how easily she became frightened when upperclassmen joked about the islands “monsters” she had quickly gained a reputation for being...well, odd, to put it nicely. She wasn’t normally the type to scare so easily, but she’d been having terribly vivid nightmares since her very first night on the island. The whole thing was probably a prank. Still, if she didn’t go she knew she’d always wonder.

She made her way downstairs at the specified time the next day, apprehensive but a bit excited. The pale blue gingham sundress she wore swished around her knees as she entered the empty common room. Emi sighed, running a hand through her hair as she double checked her watch. As far as practical jokes went, this was rather anticlimactic.

The sudden hiss from behind her elicited a high-pitched squeak from the petite girl. She spun around to face the direction the sound had originated from, and found herself face to face with a woman - a woman with pale blue skin and a dozen writhing tentacles looming up behind her.

“Oooooooh, you’re so cute when you’re scared!” the creature chirped, but Emi had already turned and tried to make a run for it. The tentacles shot towards her, making grabs for her limbs, but the girl was faster than she looked. When she reached the door she paused for a moment, snatching a large lamp off an end table and hurling it at the monstrous woman. She fled into the hallway without waiting to see if her projectile would connect, though she heard the ceramic base shatter a few heartbeats later. Without thinking she bolted towards the stairwell, the blue-skinned woman charging after her moments later.

My eyes widened when I saw a lithe young woman run towards me. I swore under my breath and stepped back, hurling the door open swiftly. I stepped into the doorway to show her that its safe. "Come on, this way!" Moments later my eyes focused on the strange creature behind her. It had the physique of a woman up to her back, tendrils writhing behind her back like odd eels. My eye was then caught by a glistening tendril, slyly writhing and making its way around the perimeter of the hallway towards the door. I swore softly again, stepping out of the door way and into the open to make it easier for the girl to get inside. I reached my hand behind me and grasped for something, anything, and found myself clutching a painting's frame.

I took a quick glance and couldn't see the girl any more. She must of escaped. I stepped in front of the door, backing into it as I held up the painting in a defensive manner. Just as I was through it a large, phallic-like tendril shot at my feet. I gasped and instinctively kicked at it. The tendril twitched and then wrapped around my leg. I yelped loudly and felt my leg pulled out from beneath me and felt myself fall to the ground. "Close the door, CLOSE THE DOOR!" I shouted as I fought against the tendril, trying to halt its attempt at pulling me through the door to certain rape.

“No! R-run!” Emi cried out, the sight of the blond-haired girl throwing open the door shocking her out of her blind panic. The fleeing freshman looked over her shoulder, if only to be sure that the creature with the serpentine tentacles was still pursuing her - there she was quickly gaining ground, her manic smile full of fangs. And yet when she looked ahead again the Blonde was still there. Why someone would risk themselves for a total stranger Emi didn’t know, but she sprinted forward and through the doorway with a last burst of adrenalin, oblivious to the tentacle that would have nabbed her had Diana not distracted the creature.

She stumbled down the first few stairs, nearly tripping as her momentum got the better of her. Even as every nerve in her body screamed for her to keep fleeing, she forced herself to stop and turn around. It was completely illogical, and chances are they would both end up caught, but she couldn’t go on after that girl had just saved her. Emi scrambled back up the stairs just in time to see the tentacle snake around the Blonde’s bare leg. She was knocked to the ground, and Emi rushed forward as the tentacle began to drag her back into the hall. The delicate, dark-haired girl let out an almost animalistic cry as she threw all of her weight against the open door, slamming it closed with a loud crash. From the other side of the barrier the azure-skinned woman let out a howl of pain and rage, and the tentacle around Diana’s leg suddenly went limp.

“A-are you okay?! Can you run??” Emi gasped, her hands shaking with fear as she reached down to help her rescuer up.

I felt a strange numbness swallow up my leg from where the tendril's grasp found purchase and down. I seethed under my breathe as I fought against it and breathed out in relief when the thing finally lessened its grip. I pulled away from it, breathing hard and trying my best to catch my breathe. "Y-yes, I th-think so." I inhaled again, unaware of the hormone now rushing through my veins. To my lack of knowledge, the tentacle had been coated in microscopic barbs, coated in a hormone that made a woman's inner-most cravings, the ones she denies, become more prominent and feel more acceptable. I looked to the girl I had just rescued and felt a certain sense of pride fill my chest. Me. A hero...

The idea quickly led to my head, feeding the hormone's already strong grasp. I suddenly noticed just how beautiful and... Familiar... the girl seemed. Where had I seen her face before? My memories then rekindled and went back to a weekend that was thought as irrelevent and pointless up until now.

I had been watching the news, sitting down on the velvet couch that my parents had purchased for the living room. I had finished my studies for the night and watched the news, as I always did when I was finished. I had nowhere else to be and it gave me something to talk to my teachers about. As I watched a program on the stock market end, a breaking news bulletin began. A girl had been kidnapped, on the cusp of adulthood, and was being held ransom by a gang of malicious rapists. Curiosity had gotten the better of me and I went to see the website on which they were broadcasting the girl, and was heartbroken when I saw her being abused the way she was. I had forgotten about the incident, as it reminded me far too much of my own. But her name had burned into my mind. Emmeline...

"Emmeline.." I whispered the girl's name as realization came over my mind. Then I returned to Earth. I grabbed her hand and the basket in my other. If the creature caught up with us, it would provide as a weapon to throw at it. "Come on, down the stairs! If we go to the mess room, the thing wouldn't dare attack a roomfull of 20 or so girls!" Before waiting for her response, I pulled her with me down the stairs.

"Y-yes, I th-think so."

A relieved smile broke through Emmeline’s frightened expression, the tension in her entire body abating somewhat despite the fact that the creature was still just beyond the doors. The guilt would have been overwhelming if the girl had been hurt while trying to protect her.

Relief then shifted to curiosity when the Blonde whispered her name. She didn’t recognize the girl - now that she’d gotten a good look at her Emi was sure she would have remembered her if they’d had a class together or something, the girl was stunningly beautiful - and was pretty sure she hadn’t been around long enough to be recognized by random members of the student body.

Of course this wasn’t really the ideal time to contemplate one’s celebrity. Emi snapped out of her momentary contemplation when Diana finally took her hand and got to her feet. She allowed herself to be pulled down the stairs, skipping one occasionally in order to keep up with the longer-legged girl. She tilted her head but by the time they made it to the ground floor and out of the stairwell she hadn’t heard the second-floor door open again.

When they finally made it to the relative safety of the cafeteria Emmeline suddenly rounded on Diana, gratitude and admiration and a hundred other emotions playing across her face. “T-thank you! If you...If you hadn’t been there I...” she stammered, clearly at a loss for what to say to a girl who’d just saved her from being mercilessly raped by some lascivious alien horror. “Please, you...you have to let me do something to repay you!”

I sighed a breath of relief when we finally came to the cafeteria. I turned about and looked at Emmeline. There was no question in my mind. I remembered seeing the poor girl's tormented expression, her confused eyes and hearing her forced moans. I felt understanding and compassion for the girl. Then she spoke in gratitude. I didn't know where it came from, but I suddenly like I was owed something. Like I deserved some sort of prize. Suddenly Emmeline asked me if she could do just that. "Well..."

I thought for a few moments. What could I ask of the beauty? I shifted slightly and suddenly realized that I was still holding my basket. I giggled softly as I began to feel like little red riding hood. "How would you like to accompany me on a picnic?" I grinned at the implications. "Sound like a date?"

Emmeline blinked, wide-eyed and a bit confused. A date? She’d never been on a real date before. It didn’t really seem like sufficient payment for what the lovely blonde girl had just done for her. Was there some slang usage of the word that the sheltered young girl wasn’t familiar with? Was she even talking about a romantic-type date? Either way, she couldn’t exactly say no even if she’d wanted to. And truth be told, she didn’t.

“S-sure!” the timid little heiress chirped, blushing slightly but giving Diana a warm smile. She tucked a few locks of her black hair behind her ear, suddenly quite concerned about her appearance. She hoped she hadn’t gotten too mussed during their little escape. “Um, were you heading anywhere in particular?” she asked.

I watched Emmeline's face as she contemplated by question. I had to admit that I found a small bit of contempt in making her, for lack of a better word, squirm a bit. When I saw her undeniably sincere smile, I gave one in return. I noted the pinkish hue of her cheeks and laughed softly. This girl was absolutely adorable, I concluded. I held out my hand towards her, waiting for her to take it. I wasn't overly concerned about my blonde hair, as its length lent it weight, allowing gravity to pull it down and keep it straight. It happened to be falling down my back at this moment, the locks at the bottom curling up slightly as they reached the small of my back.

"During the summer and spring, there's a lot of girls on the beach. And it's within easy walking distance of the school, not to mention there's a cliff nearby with a gorgeous view of the island. I was hoping to go there, take a dip, have some lunch, enjoy the sun. Typical Saturday at the beach stuff." I looked into her eyes, watching her beautiful face. This girl was gorgeous and I almost felt glad that I'd gotten to her before any other girl had.

"That sounds absolutely lovely." Emi said, reaching out and taking Diana's outstretched hand. "I haven't had a chance to go down to the beaches yet, but I saw them when I first arrived. They looked gorgeous."
Emi had always loved to swim, but beaches were a rare treat reserved for vacations. There had been a huge pool on her family's estate, but it just wasn't the same. There was something special about the feel of the sand beneath your feet and the salty sea air. It was strange to think that there were beaches within walking distance of where she slept, that she could go there any time she wished.

Still, she wasn't particularly disappointed that she hadn't found the time to go down yet. It didn't seem like there was any scenario more appealing that taking a dip with a gorgeous, golden-haired savior.

Suddenly she laughed, running her fingers through her dark hair and grinning sheepishly. "Oh gosh I...I didn't even get your name! Mine's Emmeline. Emmeline Whitaker. You can call me Emi though, if you'd like."

I felt Emmi's warm skin on my own as she took my hand. I could feel my heart beat speed up a bit and my cheeks warm slightly. I then nod my head at her first statement. The beaches truly were gorgeous. They were also the breeding grounds for sadistic, rapist aliens, but that was another subject to be moped about later.

I turned my head to the side and saw her run her fingers through her dark locks, a small smile forming on my lips again. Her beauty was breathtaking. After a few moments, we were outdoors, the bright yellow sun glowing pleasantly over us. I felt myself stand straighter, my eyes widen, as I stood in the sunlight. It was a marvelous day and I felt that much more awake, much more like myself, the attack from earlier forgotten.

After several more minutes of walking hand-in-hand with Emmeline, we made it to the beach. The sea itself shimmered in the light of the bright star above. The sky was clear and devoid of large clouds, most of them small and insignificant. There were many girls scattered about the beaches, but my eyes were on none of them. Rather, they were concentrated on a cliff to the left of the beach, rising up a good 20 feet at its tallest peak. Its surface was flat and covered in grass, a tree growing near the top of it. I counted my blessings once more as I saw that no one had taken the spot. I made my way with Emi there pretty quickly, to insure that no one took the spot before us.\

After a few quick minutes of jogging, we'd reached the tree. It was a fairly young oak tree, its leaves providing ample shade but they were not raised terribly high above the ground and the tree itself was fairly short. Laying down my blanket, I sat on my knees and began to pull out the beverages within the basket. I'd brought along a small ice pack and put the beverages around it. There were doubles of everything, the drinks varying from lemonade, coke, ginger ale, sprite, water and finally a fruit cocktail, minus the alcohol. I'd never been fond of drinking in that sense.

As I set up the picnic, I spoke to Emmeline about her stay at the school. My questions ranged from her major, if she'd chosen one, what classes she took, which teachers she'd had, if she'd made many friends and if she had whom they were, in case I knew them too, and so on. I hadn't touched on her pre-Shokushu life yet, but I was content keeping a conversation going about the near-present.

Emi grinned as the pair stepped out into the bright midday sunshine, interlacing her slender fingers with Diana’s as she led her away from campus. The pale girl practically glowed under the bright sun, her china-white skin contrasting starkly with her coal-black hair.

The petite girl’s attention was locked on to her companion. She followed Diana like a puppy on a leash, trailing half a step or so behind her, but never falling back far enough that their hands would be forced to part. As they strolled through the semi-tropical paradise that surrounded the strange school, Emmeline was oblivious to the lush vegetation and acrobatic birds surrounding them. Rather, her deep blue eyes seemed transfixed by her savior’s long, flowing golden locks and the shapely legs that carried her across the grass at a brisk pace.

When Diana finally stopped beneath the comforting shade of the young oak tree Emi nearly stumbled into her, surprised that they had made it to the beach in what had seemed like such a short stroll. She gasped when she finally lifted gaze and took in the vast expanse of glittery blue-green water and pale yellow sand. A crooked, bedazzled grin crossed her face as she stared out, soaking up the scenery for a few moments.

When she turned back to present company, Diana had already spread out most of their picnic. Emi sank down to her knees and helped with her last few items. She fell into the conversation easily and comfortably, as if the two had known each other for years. Though neither spoke of the attack they had narrowly escaped, nor the others they both endured before, Emi found it comforting just to be with someone who wouldn’t think her mad if she spoke of them.

A smile was on my lips as we chatted and prepared the picnic. I looked down at the arrayed food and drinks and sighed contently. A job well done, I'd decided. The day was beautiful, company was beyond comparison and the weather was warm. I sat on my rump and looked up at the sky, lost in thought for a few seconds. Then I realized that I had been asked a question. "Oh, I'm sorry. My major is in chemistry." I smiled kindly as I said it. The conversation was very relaxed, simple pleasantries that seemed to just blow by. I'd rarely known a person that I'd gotten along with so well. There were a few, but the simple casual mood that was about us was refreshing.

After a few more moments, I held up my hand. "One quick moment, Em. We have a decision to make. We can eat now, wait an hour and go swimming or... We can go swimming now and eat right after." I watched her pleasantly featured face, the curves seeming to flow into each other to form a beautiful tapestry. I personally hadn't brought along a bathing suit. I wasn't expecting company and knew a spot near the cliff that few girls went to. It was very secluded and I had intended on enjoying some freedom. But if Emmeline was fine with it, I had absolutely nothing against her tagging along.

"A swim sounds lovely!" Emi chirped, clapping her hands together as she hopped up to her feet.

She followed Diana down from their shady picnic spot, looking curiously back at the other students splashing about in the water as the fair haired girl led her farther down the beach, back around the cliff that they had been previously atop. As they walked, the other young woman quickly became sparser and sparser until there was no one else to be seen. If she listened closely she could just hear laughter and splashing in the distance when they finally stopped at the secluded little cove.

Finally it hit Emmeline that she wasn't wearing a bathing suit beneath her dress. She bit her lip, wondering if she should run back to the dormitory to get her bikini, or just wade out in her sundress. Both options were quickly forgotten when Diana began to strip off her uniform.

Emi froze for a moment, blatantly staring in a combination of surprise and intrigue. She made up her mind quickly though, and as she usually did in unfamiliar social situations, she followed suit. She reached back and unzipped her dress, then shrugged the thin straps from her shoulders and let it fall to the ground. She took a deep breath, her heart beginning to beat faster as she reached behind her back once more to unfasten her bra, a strapless, lacey garment. It fell to the sand a moment later, and the dark-haired girl let out a soft, nervous laugh as her breasts spilled out. Aside from...an unpleasant encounter on her first night on the island, which Emi had buried deep in the back of her mind, she'd never been naked outdoors. It was both pleasant and a bit frightening to feel the warm rays of the sun and the soft breeze caressing her bare breasts. She glanced over at Diana and immediatly looked away again when she caught her lovely companion's eyes, blushing and smiling shyly. There was no going back now though, and Emmeline quickly slipped out of her matching blue panties and set them down with the rest of her clothes.

She was deeply tempted to look back at Diana but resisted the urge; after all, she didn't want to offend her new friend by gawking at her. Instead she focused on the waves. Slipping her sandals off first, she ran forward into the water, laughing with glee as soon as the warm ocean waters began lapping around her ankles. She plunged forward, surprised as the water cooled considerably by the time she was in up to her shoulders, and quickly ducked under to acclimate herself to the temperature.

She surfaced after a few moments and turned back to the shore as she brushed her dripping black locks away from her face, searching for her companion.

A smile blossomed on my lips when I heard Emmeline's reply. I walked at a brisk pace to the secluded spot, the air cooling as we stepped deeper into the long shadow created by the over hanging cliff. Finally, when we reached the bank, I undressed and laid my clothes aside. I saw Emmeline do the same thing rather more hesitantly then me. I was sort of glad that she wasn't freaked out or upset that I'd sort of pushed this on her. My eyes wondered over her petite body, resting on her perfect globes. When she slipped her undergarments off, my eyes followed the lovely outline of her body. The curves were gorgeous and I once more felt a hormonal rush.

When Emmeline stepped into the water, an idea flickered into my mind. I looked up and saw a rocky formation near the base of the cliff. I grinned and made my way slyly up onto the outcropping. I remembered from previous outings that the water around this outcropping was deep enough to dive into. When I saw that Emmeline was close enough, I giggled quietly to myself and dove gracefully into the water.

I swam beneath the waves, the water's shimmering surface hiding any sign of me except my silhouette. After a few quick moments of kicking from my toned legs, I was near Emmeline. I surfaced near her, shaking my head like a German Shepard. The water sprayed around us and I laughed loudly. Emmeline was now between me and the beach. I laughed again, my hair now draped in front of my face like a curtain.