t had been a hot, sunny day. The heat had been quite oppressive earlier that day, but now the sun had started on its slow decent, and a mild, almost imperceptible breeze made conditions bearable again. On days like these, productivity amongst the students at Shokushu nosedived. Some afternoons just are not made for studying.

There is a gravel pathway that winds itself through the forest around Shokushu High. It is sometimes used by students out for a jog, or on the way to or from the beach. And on a branch hanging just above the pathway, two pixies were at their post. These two were lazing about while supposedly scouting for potential playmates. So far, a few students had passed, some headed for the beach, or on their way to a picnic maybe. But all of them had been groups too large for the pixies to take on. Even if they had managed to cause a couple of amusing wardrobe malfunctions.

"Bored now!"
"Yeah, this is no point. Let us go and steal some ice cream."
"Nah. Too much bother. There is a pool close by. Let us swim for a bit."

The conversation was interrupted by the buzzing of wings. A female pixie, with pink hair and wings, was flying towards the branch.
"Friends! Friends! I found a girl. Get the others! She is moving towards us right now!"
"That girl, does she look like she could be fun?"
Oh, I bet she is super fun!
"Well, lead the way then! Let us have a look at her!"

I groaned as I walked down the pathway of gravel. I had taken the head girl position to protect Sondra, and rather than have her given back to me, I got cryptic word that she was "kept someplace safe". What the hell did that mean? Someplace safe? Where was safe around here? Moreover, what was the administration's idea of safe? Nothing harmed, just being molested by machines somewhere, or raped in some secret alcove on the grounds? As long as she doesn't die, she might be 'safe' in their minds. What good were they? And what good was she to Sondra, if not even this helped?

This train of thought bothered me immensely, and did more than that. It took my attention away from where I knew full well it ought to be. On my surroundings. On the path beneath my feet. Because on this island, there was always someone watching.

And indeed, someone was watching. Darting between shadows, hidden by vegetation, the pixies followed Linnis.
They took note of her unusual hair, her slender figure and that she appeared lost in her own thoughts. She seemed troubled, somehow, and rather gloomy for such a fine day.
In whispers, nearly inaudible to human ears, the pixies decided they had to cheer her up somehow. That the pixie way of cheering people up sometimes caused more distress than it relieved did not bother them overmuch.

One pixie flew ahead along the path. They had two purposes. One was to fetch more of their friends. Another one was to divert the girl to somewhere more private, a task accomplished by moving vegetation and using a few minor illusions.

Meanwhile, another pixie decided to make contact.

"Say, you look pretty glum!", a voice right above Linnis head said. The voice belonged to a tiny girl, about 8 inches tall. She had pink hair, cut above her shoulders. She also had pink dragonfly wings. She had a somewhat girlish figure. Her concession to clothing consisted of nothing but a tiny skirt, seemingly made out of one leaf.
"Pity. I bet you are cute when you smile."

Finally, a creature on the island I didn't mind meeting. I even gave her a gentle smile. If she had been just a bit larger, I'd probably have hit on her, but I passed on that, at least for now. I looked down at the gravel and back at her. Then I thought about what she said, and how close it was to what I would say in her place. "Were you hitting on me?" I asked aloud before thinking.

"Maybe..", she said, making a slow pirouette in the air. "Yes. No. If I did, would that be a bad thing or a good thing? I would say good, but you humans can be awfully confusing when it comes to such things. If I did, would it make you smile? It does make you pretty, you know!"

She let her wings fall together for a second, and fell towards the ground, before flapping her wings and rising to the level of Linnis' face again.
"Say, what is your name? My name is..", the girl let out a series of high pitched sounds,".. but most biggies call me Pink."

I tried my best to imitate the squeals. After that, I laughed softly and said "Pink it is." I smiled for her, showing that I held affection for the small creature as she seemed to hold for me. Though my mind was still troubled, it was nice to find something sweet, innocent, on this island of the damned. It gave me hope.

Pink positively beamed when Linnis laughed. In many ways, she was an innocent and sweet creature. She could not bear to see anyone unhappy, and earnestly wanted to spread fun and joy. The pixie idea of fun and joy not always being compatible with all humans idea of the same, off course.

"You have unusual color for a human. Teak. That is pretty!", Pink said, circling Linnis' head a couple of times. "It could almost be pixie hair."

She landed on Linnis' shoulder. "So, Teak, where are you going? Are you doing anything fun?"

"Teal." I said, a soft gentle correction, though 'teak' sounded a little funny to me. And the compliment seemed high from someone so little. But it didn't change the facts of what I was doing. "I'm just..." I started before letting out a small sigh and shaking my head lightly, "No, I'm not doing anything fun."

"Why not?", Pink replied. "You big ones seems to be doing that a lot. Or not doing it. Not having fun, I mean."
Linnis seemed to be returning to her previous melancholy, something Pink found sad.
"Are you going to be glum again?", she added. "It is not my fault is it? `Cause if it is, I bet I can cheer you up again!"

"It's not your fault, but I'd like...." I paused, thinking over my answer carefully, but nodded nonetheless, "Yeah, I'd like you to cheer me up. I could use a good day after the last few weeks I've had."

"Yay!", Pink shouted. "Cheering up it is!"
She jumped off Linnis' shoulder, and did a wide arch in the air, before hovering mere inches in front of her face.
"Let's start with a game!", she said with a playful expression on her face.
"We will play..Tag! You are..", Pink leaned forward an planted a quick kiss on Linnis' nose. ".. tag! You are it!"

The diminutive girl quickly flew just out of arms reach, laughing. "See if you can catch me! If you can, you can have a reward!"

I blinked when she kissed my nose, but happily so. And then I smiled. I didn't know how fast pixies flew, but I was, before most other aspects of myself, a runner. One thing that never changed in my years at this odd, nighmatish school was that I ran, and ran fast. So, with earnest whole-heartedness, I laid in pursuit of my pixie-target, aiming to place a kiss on her.... well, due to size difference, on most of her.

Pink giggled with shrill delight as Linnis started chasing her. The giggles quickly morphed into a surprised "Whoa!" followed by an exited "WEEEEE!!" as Linnis almost caught her.
Pink, as most pixies, tended to think of just any land bound creature as slow, and had underestimated her Linnis' abilities as a runner.
Now only a series of quick, evasive moves kept her away from her pursuer.

Leading Linnis away from the path, she dodged behind the trunk of a tree, poking her head out from the other side to stick her tongue out at the head girl.

I darted off the path in pursuit. I didn't even think about it, which was odd, looking back on it now. But, then, I think I was just to happy with the event. Too happy to be distracted from the problems of life. "I see you~" I said and made my way to the tree I was lured to.

"You can see me, but can you catch me?"Pink giggled and ducked behind the trunk just as Linnis reached it.
"Now you can't see me!"
Pink, covered by the trunk, let her self drop to almost ground level, and peered out from the the other side of the trunk.