The pep rally was held on a non-academic day. Maybe that's why the gymansium's stands were crowded to the brink with peppy and shouting female students. One student, who had barely found a butt cheek's amount of room on the stand, was Narissa, an african american student. The same one who had to constantly slide back onto her precarious perch whenever the cheerleaders did a particularly difficult flip or move, illiciting a more boisterous applause.

A roar of high pitched cheering exploded again, this time, pushing off the short blue-haired girl, falling to the glazed wooden floor. Luckilly, she was already on the lowest level, the five inche fall not harming her. Frowning, she picked herself up and lightly glared at the girl next to her, still watching the changing routine to the dance team, all wearing their glittering and skimpy outfits. Even the barely seatable space she was on had evaporated.

'I don't even know why I tried sitting.' Giving herself some space, she allowed herself to stand on the side, away from the attention and over zelous crowd. She found a nice place to stand near the back of the gym, where the double doors let students in. Ironically, there were no teachers present to this school function, ones who would normally stop any crazy antics made by the students.

"I wonder where all the teachers are . . ." With more room for herself, she brushed down her wrinkled oufit, simple khaki shorts that gave view of her curvy legs knee down and a simple white t-shirt, strained around the bust of her chest, just coming short of her khaki's a pinch, peeking her midrift. It was an off school day afterall.

"Well, I suppose it is a good rally. I should have just came earlier."

Pep rallies were a new phenomena for Pia. It was not a tradition ingenious to Norway. Possibly because Scandinavians are supposedly more quiet and reserved, but probably because winter sports are not generally compatible with cheer leading, thus rendering a lot of the whole thing pointless.

Pia had decided that this would be a good idea to get some cross-cultural input, and to meet some people, see a few new faces. As was so often the case, she had spent way too much time with her nose in a book lately. Not acting like a hermit seemed a good idea. Pia found that she had underestimated the turnout, and realized she should have been her earlier. Right now she was far out on the back, craning her neck to see the cheerleaders. They were quite good, and Pia found she was quite impressed with some of their acrobatics.

She tried scanning the crowd, looking for familiar face. She did not have many friends, but she hoped she might spot Cala (and even the possibility of that made her hearth beat a bit harder), or her friend Komiko, but she did not think either had planned on going.

While scanning the crowd, Pia accidentally bumped into someone with her elbow.
"Oh, sorry! I did not mean.. my apologies! S-sorry! I did not hurt you, did I?", she stammered.

Bumped on the side, Narissa temporarilly lost her balance before refooting herself. On the side, another student who had not been seated (or maybe even de-seated as she was.) It took her a second to decifer what she was saying, the roar of the audience making her have to strain to hear the blonde standing right next to her.

"No! I'm okay! You!?" she shouted towards her, taking in the foreign girl. She seemed European of sorts, as much as Narissa could tell and wore cute round glasses that sat upon her small nose. Her figure was very blessed with an hourglass figure with long blonde hair that could have made her a little envious, compared to her own shoulder length hair. She seemed nice enough and if Narissa swung that way, may have considered her cute.

Turning back the the rally, she commented, "They're really good! The noise kinda makes it hard to enjoy!"

The shadowy being known only to those in the physical world as The Nightbringer sat concealed within the few deep shadows produced by bright morning sun as it flooded through the windows and into the gym. It wasn't often he chose to move about during the day, he hated the cursed star that gave warmth, light and life to this planet but at the same time he did certainly enjoy the fruits to which bloomed from it. His goal was simple here, to find a new plaything to entertain him by taking part in his dark games. Hidden as he was his smile went unseen as he wondered just how many other monsters and creature that dwelled here on the island were doing the exact same thing at this very moment. He didn't bother extending his senses to see or even look, he had little interest in many of the monsters on the island.

Then he saw her...he saw Pia, the young woman he had met when they had both gotten caught up in that business at the labs. He had meant to keep his word to the little blonde and now it seemed fate had brought her to him. His unblinking eyes followed her every step as she made her way forward and further into the gym, the wheels turning in his mind as he planned and plotted how to enact all the things he had in store for her.

It wasn't until she had bumped into another student that the living shadow gave pause to his thoughts. He wanted to laugh as he gazed upon the two of them, it was just to perfect. Light and dark stood before and neither of them were going to escape him.

"Yeah! I am fine. Thanks!", Pia yelled back. The girl she had bumped into was dark skinned and dark eyed. Pia liked dark skin and dark eyes. She was enviably tall, with well-shaped legs. The kind of woman who stood out from the crowd here at Shokushu. Had she seen her before? No, Pia was pretty sure she did not know her.

It sure was loud and crowded here Pia could feel the heat from the exited crowd. She pulled down the zipper on her hooded jacket. Underneath she had a pink top. Otherwise she was wearing a denim skirt and red sneakers.

"It is quite loud!" she agreed. "But the cheerleaders are quite good, are they not!"

Narissa nodded to her looking back at the new routine of dancers, stepping and swirving their hips to the beat of a new song. For awhile, she was fine until she began feeling a tension in her bladder. It was no problem really, she'd just look for a bathroom. Most gyms that she knew had one connected to the interior locker rooms. This gym was no different.

'Uh-oh.' Right across from her, was the locker room where there'd be a toilet. But it was right in the path of the dance routine that everyone was getting so hyped up about. The only way she'd be able to get there was to go right in the middle of the performance and that was the only one she knew that was nearby!

Turning to the other girl she, waved at her, trying to get her attention.

"Do you know where a bathroom is!?" Being as new as she was, Narissa couldn't risk wandering in circles until she found one and, hopfully, this girl was here long enough to point her in the right direction.

"What?", Pia shouted, a particularly intense cheer drowning out what the other girl had said.
"Oh! Bathroom!"
Lets see, where is it?
"Over there!" Pia pointed, before realizing how stupid she was. That way was blocked by the cheerleaders.
Oh. But where there not another bathroom? Pia was sure there was. She tried pointing, but describing the way was not easy in the noise, expecially as she was not 100% sure she had got it right herself.
[b]"That way.. I think"[/b], she said, pointing towards another, less used exit. "Let us go together. I'll help you find it!"

Truth to be told, it would be nice geting away for a bit. Pia was not really used to large crowds.

Narissa bobbed her head in a nod, quick to get away from the noise herself. Going further behind the side of the bleachers, where the exit of the gym was easilly found. Holding the door open for the her, Narissa lead herself to an adjacent, and noticably, quieter hallway connected the academic building to the gym.

She felt kinda bad for taking the girl away from the show, but natured called and, by that, screamed. So she tried to pick up a conversation with her, once they began to travel.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean for you to miss it," she said in a her normal voice, now not drowned by the cheering inside the gym.

"My name's Narissa. And thanks for helping me out. I'm still kinda new around here."

"N-no problem!" Pia answered. "Truth to be told, it feels good to be away from the noise a bit."

The cheering and the chants could still be heard, but now more muffled.
"I am a freshman myself.", Pia smiled at the taller girl. "And my name is Pia. Pleased to meet you, Narissa!"

"I think the bathroom is over there, at the end of the corridor", she said.

Narissa smiled, glad that she wasn't doing a disservice to her fellow student. Knowing that Pia was a Freshman, like herself, the anxiety she felt dimming. She was just the same as herself, new and just trying to get a passing grade in Shoku'.

After walking down the corridor for about a minute and, a self-discipline jittering from doing the bathroom dance, a few turns and she saw the door that would lead her to Nirvana in front of her.

"Here it is! Thanks!" she smiled, pushing open the door and slipping inside. Locking it, a light bulb of forsight hit her. Calling through the door, she meekly asked.

"Could you wait a minute though? . . .I don't think I can find my way back." A heated blush found its way to her cheeks. She should have memorized the way as she travlled and a pang of guilt hit her, knowing the Pia didn't much like the rally to begin with.

If the dark creature had been in another of his forms his smile would have been nearly from ear to ear as he watched to the girls turn and depart the gym. He hadn't been listening to their conversation but it seemed that Pia had been giving the other girl directions to somewhere. He had been working on a way to snag the two of them from the gym without anyone noticing and here they had unwittingly provided him that way. Disappearing from one shadow and jumping into the next, The Nightbringer followed to the two of them unseen as they departed the Gymnasium and into the hallway.

His dark eyes followed their movements as he stayed to even the smallest of shadows as he crept closer and closer to the two of them. Being the morning he didn't wish to give his presense away and end up having to try and chase the two of them through half the damn school and probably even still would only end up with one of them. That would be unacceptable. As the dark skinned girl went into the restroom the creature slipped into Pia's shadow, his shape and form matching her own. He could have attacked the two of them right here and now but he had plans for the two of them and now that he had managed to slip inside the young unsuspecting woman's shadow, he would better be able to work his dark games.

The air in the hallway around Pia would grow cold and the shadows would darken as the creature began to work his will. From behind Pia her own shadow pulled and stepped free from the wall, the black tar taking solid form as it wrapped a hand quickly around her mouth and her waist. The shadowy copy of the girl was unnaturally strong as it pulled her backwards as they shadows enveloped the two of them. An odd darkness surrounded Pia as every direction all that could be seen was just an empty dark, yet Pia would be able to clearly see herself. The dark shadowy copy that had grabbed her simply had disappeared, leaving her alone in this odd and slightly cold place.

Back at the bathroom the shadowy copy had re-emerged at its Master's beckon and fueled by his will, changed shape into a mirror of Pia as she now just waiting for her new friend to depart the restroom and show her the way back. The living shadow knowing his puppet would not fail him turned his attentions back to the young girl already well in his trap.

The deafening silence was broken by a familar voice that echoed across the void from all directions, "Good morning Pia, long time no see." A dark chuckle followed his words, a small joke as doubtlessly all the girl had been seeing was the endless darkness of the realm between their two worlds.

Anxiously, Pia let her eyes roam the empty corridor. Suddenly she felt weird. Was the light dimming? Why was it cold?
Pia, now you are paranoid!

Sound from the rally drifted along the corridor. A few minutes ago, she had found the noise to loud, and had been anxious to get outside for a few seconds. Now she suddenly longed to get back there, to be safe in the middle of the happy people.

Suddenly realized it was getting darker. Pia reached out to find something to support herself, thinking the might be fainting. Her hands found nothing but darkness.
She screamed, but somehow, she knew Narissa could not hear her.

"Good morning Pia, long time no see."

Simple words triggered an avalanche of emotions. Pia's mind had almost filtered out the confused memories of their last meeting, but her body remembered. Her mind and body suddenly overflowed with strong sensations. Base fear and savage lust all mingled together.

Inside the little locked public bathroom, a flush could be heard. A second later a click sounded on one of the plasic stalls and Narissa came out.

"Heheh, hope I didn't keep you waiting," she said sheepishly, seeing Pia standing off to the side near one of the bathroom sinks. Not waiting for a response, Narissa headed to the sink and twisted one of the knobs for heat.

When a freezing cold spray hit her hands, a squeak escaped her. "Wow! These pipes must be old or something," she said to herself, looking over to Pia. When she didn't respond again, Narissa looked down with embarassment.

'I guess she's not a talker. . .'

Silently adding some soap and lathering it between her hands. She had to keep her arms particularly close in the small sink and, in turn, pressing her arms towards the peripherals of her breast, pressing them up and down with her hand washing. Finished, she went to the hand dryer and stuck the wet apendages under its scanner. What should have been a warm blow became cold winds.

"Wow! Still cold-- it's like the school wants us to freeze or something!" Silence pervaded the bathroom and Narissa grimace, wondering why she was still attempting a conversation. Pia must have been annoyed with her all her talking.

"Sorry. Well . . . You don't have to show me back to the rally, I can just . . . Go on my own," she rambled, turning to her. A sudden click came to her when she saw the girls skin, suddenly contrasting with her blonde hair more.

"Are you cold, too? You look pale." No longer concerned if she was talking too much, she looked to Pia's sudden tanless skin.

In the dark space between the worlds of light and darkness, The Nightbringer had created a small void realm from within the girls very own shadow. Within this realm she would not be able to find any escape or exit, within this realm she was his prisoner. Unlike their brief encounter at the labs where they had both been part of a rather interesting science experiment, he meant to savour his time here with her and enjoy the game as it unfolded. From within the endless depths of the ocean of darkness, a dark grey skinned man stepped free and came clearly into view before Pia. His features were angular, yet chisled from seemingly solid muscle as he strode forward with an easy confidence. Long, liquid black hair framed his cold, expressionless face while two blank unblinking pools of whitish grey stared out at his guest. Wearing only a pair of simple black pants, his chest and back were covered in ritualistic markings that coiled up to his neck. Coming to a stop, the dark adonis just smiled as he gazed upon the young blonde whom had found herself now in his clutches.

"You haven't forgotten me so soon, have you sunshine?" His voice swirled around her head as he spoke, as if he was perhaps much closer to her than he had appeared to be.

Back in the physical world where the other player was far less aware of the danger she was in, the shadowy mimic of Pia began to work her Masters will. "I...I just don't feel so good...suddenly..." The Nightbringer's shadow double was hardly a perfect copy as the skin itself would hold a gray tint explaining the girls new sickly appearance and her eyes would have the smallest flecks of red inside of them. "I think I just need to lay down...or something." The copy of Pia rested her hand against her forhead as she closed her eyes, as she looked like something had just drained the color out of her and seemed quite wobbly as she stood there looking at her own reflection. "I don't want to impose...are your dorms close?"

Even if everything didn't go as planned it would have bothered the dark creature, as perhaps the greatest part of the game itself was how differently it went each time it was played. Of course there we some parts that didn't change but those would come later.

Eyebrows lowered and concern built up in the russet skinned girl. When she saw the blond wobble a bit, her steps were quick to take to her side and secure the shorter girl by her elbows.

"Crap! You're freezing!" Narissa exlaimed while taking in her form more deeply. It didn't just look like she lost her tan, it looked like all the blood had been drained from her.

"My dorm? Yeah, it's near by."

With Pia's pale hand covering her eyes, Narissa frowned at this.

"Yeah, of course you can use my room." It was as helpful as she could be after being nice enough to help her. "Come on, I'll help you to it. I think . . . It's just outside this building near the next one."

Guiding the girl by her arm, Narissa helped her going out the bathroom and finding the closest exit to the building.

"Oh look, the weather's nice at least, that should warm you up." It was true, through the glass double doors, the sun was able to scatter a few clouds that was hovering in the sky.

"Maybe we should speak to the administration about this . . . At least say something about the Air conditioner, ya know?"