[ This is a really old a** solo I never got around to finishing until now. Nothing spectacular, move along! > A>; ]


Darkness.

Colette looked around her. Utter and complete black. Nothing but the floor with which she stood on was visible, and only several feet of that around her could be made out. She wasn't sure if there was even land to walk on beyond this, and in consideration of the strange environment, she only asked herself one question:

"Where am I?"

Within seconds of her only thought, a light shined down like a spotlight onto something several yards away. A large, humming object just sitting -- waiting. But it wasn't any random object. It was a portal. The portal. The very portal of that dreaded island. Colette didn't hesitate as she began walking towards it and quickly broke into a run, panic beginning to creep up.

I have to get to it, she told herself anxiously. I must be back at that island. I have to hurry. It made enough sense. Where else would she find such a portal? Probably nowhere else other than that island. It just had to be the case, which meant she had to get back home. She was alone -- she could feel, somehow just knew it. Colette didn't want to be utterly alone on that island.

Within mere feet of her goal, Colette heard a rumbling. She felt the ground begin to shake and froze, taking a look around. Still nothing more than the ground of her proximity was visible. That, and the portal: her escape. A sinking feeling started in her stomach, and as her panic quickly escalated, the ground under her began to consume her, crumbling away.

"No, no, no!" Colette pleaded as she tried to gain leverage on anything she could. Her arms reached for the portal, but it was no use. Soon everything was gone, and Colette had nothing left to do but fall into the black abyss.

Thump!

"Auuuuuugh," Colette groaned. The Grim Reaper awoke on the floor of her dorm, tangled in the sheets of her bed. Or, she would be on the floor completely if it weren't for the hard object she landed on. It was just a bad dream.. and what is this? She didn't know what was on her own floor. With the field trip consuming so much of her energy, she had gone right to bed without looking at anything else.

Colette rolled off whatever she had landed on and untangled herself from her sheets before throwing them on her bed. She first addressed her weapons and, upon not seeing them, realized they must have dismissed themselves. Just like her weapons, Dasher was no where in sight, and Colette wasn't particularly worried. He was safe in the closet, she was sure. He had traveled in on his own so many times.

"Now what did I land on?" she asked herself while massaging her aching side. Colette looked to see a box. A package, and from home to be more specific!

"Oh, shoot!" Colette grabbed the box and took it to her desk, cursing her own stupidity. She knew she was supposed to write home every now and again, how could she have forgotten? More importantly, was she in trouble? Colette knew her father was probably annoyed, but she didn't even bother to worry about her mother. She was probably telling him everything's fine and not worrying at all. Oh stop, she's fine! Just let her be. The ghoul needs to be loose to learn on her own. I wonder if she met a fine boil. Blah blah. Colette could hear that woman now.

With a flick of her wrists, she summoned her two swords and sent them to work, not even bothering to try and pry the tape off the package herself. The weapons easily hacked the tape away, and she thanked them before sending them off again. Benefits: being a Reaper had them. Colette lifted the flaps to find a letter on top of another box, this one radiating with magic and much more sturdier than the cardboard box that protected it. Instead of digging into the box right away for any potential gifts, she opened the letter.

"Ip must have written this.." She could tell from the handwriting. The demoness did a lot for the family, including cooking and cleaning, but to Colette she was more of a friend than a simple handmaid. Suddenly, Colette felt a twinge of homesickness. How could she have forgotten to write?

Quote:
Dearest Colette,

____How are you finding your time at the academy? No matter what you're doing, we're sure you're excelling and becoming a fine young Grim Reaper. Unfortunately, your mother and I haven't received any letters from you. We're very disappointed that you haven't written us like we asked and hope it's just because you're so engrossed in your studies, you can't find the time. Furthermore, we would like you to come home for a visit after your yearly exam. There is no doubt in our mind that you will pass and we eagerly await your visit for celebration. If you need anything, just let us know.

______With love,
__________Mom & Dad

P.S. I ordered you a little something! I haven't opened the box myself, but the picture I saw of it made me think of you. The key should open the box! - Mom


Taking off the key taped to the bottom, she let out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, it didn't sound like she was in trouble; and a welcoming trip home sounded amazing after all the stress she knew would come of exams. Colette opened the envelope again so she could put the letter back, but instead found another smaller paper. "Huh.." Taking it out, she unfolded it to find another letter written by Ip actually signed from her. "She must have added it into the envelope..." Colette could feel her lips curl into a smile. Of course Ip would write her something too.

Quote:
Dear Colette,

____I hope your stay at the academy is going well. Everything is fine at home and we can't wait for you to come and visit. Your room is just as you left it! I'll be sure to make some pumpkin spice cupcakes for the day of your visit too.

______Best wishes,
__________Ip


Pumpkin. Spice. Cupcakes. The desire to go home and visit increased tenfold. Ip's cooking was always to die for, but the cupcakes? She knew just what Colette would want. Folding everything, she placed the letters back in the envelope and set it to the side of the desk. It was time to open her gift.

Colette lifted the sturdy box and placed it on the floor. The magic she could sense coming from it was alluring. What magnificent gift could it be that it required a bit of magic? Shoving the key into its lock, she turned the key and unlocked the box. Colette could feel the magic fade away from the container as the lid flew open, and her eyes grew wide like a Floresce's at what she saw.

A black hole.

An honest to Jack black hole.

The feeling of being drawn towards it came instantly after that, and Colette scrambled back as the little black hole consumed its former container. Books were sliding out of the case and clothes flew from the slow moving dresser -- just about everything in her room started sliding towards it as she clung to the biggest thing she had: the bed.

"What the Jack do I do what the jack do I do?!" Colette could feel the bed begin to slide towards the hole and was at a complete loss. If she let go, she would probably get sucked in faster; but if she sat here there was no doubt she'd go with the bed. Colette huffed and looked at the door. She needed to get to it. What she was going to do afterwards wasn't yet in her mind, but that would come after actually escaping the all-consuming mini black hole. Clinging to the wooden frame of the bed, she began a strenuous crawl to the door.

She would have made it too if it weren't for five books slamming into her.

Her grip on the bed slipped, and Colette began flying towards the black hole. "Aarhgsdfgsl damn it!" What kind of present was this? She watched the black hole suck up all the Fear Candy she had collected for Dasher and braced herself as the headband flew right off her head. She was next.

Colette -- and everything flying in her room -- suddenly fell down with a thud. The sucking feeling was gone, and the Grim Reaper watched with her nose a mere foot away as the black hole begin to morph.

Dear Jack, what was it doing now?

Without hesitation, she sprang up and ran for the door. Colette's hand reached the knob and as she fumbled to unlock it, she heard a very loud, unexpected burp.

"....?" Colette slowly turned her head and looked at the black hole to see a furry animal in its place. A little maid-like creature smack dab in the middle of the chaos of her room. The creature simply looked around and picked up nearby a book in its mouth before moving towards the bookcase to place it there. Colette let go of the door and watched it without a word as it repeated the process with another book. Was the thing cleaning? Hesitantly, she inched towards the mini. As it placed another book down, it turned to look at Colette and she froze. Oh Jack, please don't turn back into that thing. It simply turned away from Colette and she watched it nervously as it picked up her headband in its mouth. Without any hesitation, the Black Hole strode up to its new owner and dropped the headband.

"Uh.." Well this was peculiar. Colette bent down and picked up the headband, still not taking her eyes off the creature. "T-thank you," she said. It didn't seem dangerous. As she put the headband back in its rightful place on her head, the Black Hole weaved through her legs and purred.

It looks like Colette has a new friend.

Despite the new pet giving its affection, Colette looked around her room at the mess and sighed. Pillows, books, pens, papers, clothes, and all her other possessions littered the once clean and organized room. Her laptop was broken in two for Jack's sake! How much would that cost? She didn't even want to think about how much her mother paid for this animal to ultimately mess up her room.

"Augh... Thanks, Mom." This was going to take awhile.