"Be careful down there!" Cassandra shouted down at the Bulbasaur holding the ladder in place. She stood on tiptoe to hang another brightly coloured heart amongst the dozens that covered the walls already. The art classes had been busy, cutting love hearts from cardboard and the shapes of bluebirds and doves.

Cassandra, not been particularly artistic with her clawed hands, had been given hanging duties. The hall had taken on a transformation. The walls were hung with a ghastly array of pinks and reds hung from strings of silver and there was a throne at one end surrounded by petals. This was where happy couples were going to have their photos taken.

And someone had hung a disco ball in the middle of the dancefloor. Cassandra could not help feeling a little bit sad that she would have no one to spend this apparently happy occasion with. But no one had asked, not a single person. She had not even seen Nothing since the day in the sun porch, although, truth be told, she had been too scared to go back there and had not even returned his book yet. What could she say to him? She could barely talk to Jakob, how would she manage to talk to the beautiful Ninetails?

She clambered carefully down the stepladder, reflecting how height was something she did not necessarily get along well with.

"So, huh-who are yuh-you going wuh-wuh-with?" Jakob asked her, she doubted he cared for an answer, merely was trying to fill in dead air.

Cassandra shrugged. "Brooke I guess," she replied.

"You cah-can’t go with a-a girl!" The Bulbasaur laughed. "You-ou shuh-should go with muh-my room muh-mate, he’s too chuh-chicken to ask anyone."

"I don’t mind," Cassandra replied, "I’ll be fine by myself."

"Wuh-whatever." Jakob grinned at something across the other side of the room, and suddenly darted off. The Delibird chef had brought in refreshments. Instantly Jakob’s vine whips short out, surreptiously grabbing handfuls of crackers and cake and pocketing them.

And she had thought he was going to ask her to the dance. It was probably a relief he hadn’t. I mean, really…

*

"Are you really taking the potplant?" Cassandra asked, staring almost stupidly at Brooke.

"Mr Leafy wants to go," she insisted, trying to make a bowtie stay on the stem of the potplant. "He’ll look oh-so-pretty just like a skip-e-loom."

"I don’t think I’m gonna go," Cassandra sat on the bed and buried her head in the pillow. "No one’ll miss me, no one’ll even notice for goodness sake."

She felt the movement as Brooke sat beside her and started to stroke her hair.

"But you got yourself a pretty dress!" She exclaimed, "you got to go and daze the lights, dazzling the brightness, the men, you know, will fall over their feet to get to your beacon." She paused, "I bet they’ll have cookies too!"

"I don’t think so."

"Mr Leafy says you can come with us, he don’t mind if I like share him with you, you’re my bestest friend and I want you to be all happy and smily-nice, not all frowny and wet-cheeked."

Cassandra gave in, sometimes there was no arguing with Brooke.

"Very well." She said, rolling over. "Let’s get dressed."

After much fiddling around and unjamming of zippers, the two girls were ready for the party. Brooke had chosen a long shirt with puffy sleeves and a long skirt, from beneath the hem her delicate blue feet peeked, the Vaporeon girl would never wear shoes if she could at all avoid it. Cassandra stared at herself in the mirror, brushing her waist length hair. Sure, she was still short and stocky, with a body that was plump where it should be small and small where it should be plump, but the dress had some effect. It seemed to hide her chubby hips and waistline, whilst accentuating her bosom. She would not be winning any prizes however, unlike Brooke. There was just something about Brooke, with her flowing shirt, long skirt and bared feet that seemed somehow right.

Cassandra began the awkward effort of forcing her ugly feet into the knee high leather boots her roommate had convinced her to purchase. They were as uncomfortable as binding your foot and leg up in leather, but at least they hid her ugly, horny toes. There was not much she could do about her tail though.

Brooke knelt behind her. She began gently brushing the Sandshrew-girl’s hair, so that it was smooth and glistened in the light.

"You’re gonna look all pretty, just like rainbows and cotton candy," the vaporeon exclaimed. "The boy’s eyes will go all rumble-tumble down to the ground and then they’ll have to, you know, bend over and pick them up and put them back in again or they won’t be able to look at anything ever again."

"Thanks," Cassandra replied, unsure of what more to add.

It was some time before the two girls made it into the dance hall. Brooke immediately squeezed Cassandra’s hand and jumped joyously into the air, clapping her hands and shrieking happily.

"Ooh, this is so pretty bright, look at the colours, all sparkly and the shiny spinny sphere. Someone caught the moon? I wonder how they managed that. It’s all so pretty nice!"

Cassandra smiled meekly. It was nice, and the same thing that occurred in High School dances the world over had happened here. On one side of the room (the room nearest the table), the boys had gathered and were pretending to be interested desperately in the punch and small plates of crackers with cheese, whereas the girls stood in a group on the other side, all giggling and whispering amongst themselves. Brooke carefully repositioned Mr Leafy in the crook made by her elbow.

"This is going to be so much fun," Cassandra muttered sarcastically as old rock music pumped over the loudspeakers;

"… I gave you all a boy could give you and that’s just how it has to be…"

She sat down by herself. Brooke stood beside her, glancing at the gaggle of girls as if wondering whether or not she dared venture towards them. Immediately Ray swaggered over. His general posture and behaviour implied that he had found himself some of the "illegal" substances. Alcohol was banned in Seaview, although it was still manufactured in the village. He seemed a little unstable on his feet.

"Hey there miladies!" He said, slurring a little, "how’s about a bit of the ol’ tail shaking."

Cassandra was amused to see her roommate give him such a look of disgust that it almost made her burst out laughing. She had to disguise it behind a cough.

"I’d rather just stay here in the corner with my pretty friend and my date with his pretty little leaves." She began fondling one of Mr Leafy’s leaves.

Ray stared at the Vaporeon in disgust, "you’re one sick lil’ gal!" He muttered and then turned his eyes to Cassandra, "but you on the other hand…" Cassandra turned a stunning shade.

Suddenly Brooke stomped on his foot, "stop making my friend all embarrassed and red like!" She shrieked, although her bare foot would have had little impression on the Electric Pokemorph’s boots. "You can’t talk to her like that."

The Jolteon shook his head, almost sadly. "Oh for goodness sake, can’t you take a little praise for once in your life?"

"Nope!" Brooke replied proudly.

He sighed and stalked back to his side of the room, occasionally casting a dark glare in their direction.

"Brooke," Cassandra hissed, "what did you scare him away for?" She was somewhat peeved. An attractive young man had just shown her attention, her, and Brooke had gone and directed him elsewhere. It just wasn’t fair! Was her roommate jealous? But that didn’t make sense because Brooke could have any man she wanted! And Cassandra. Well, Cassandra had no one. And never would.

"He smelt bad, like something that would be crazy mad and do stuff you really wouldn’t want done to you, all nasty and evil and…" words escaped her here and she merely shuddered. "You’d have to be crazy to want a guy like that!"

"Are you living for love, are you living forever." A deep voiced man and a woman crooned over the PA.

Brooke glanced at the empty dance floor. "Mr Leafy and I are going to dance, you wanna join us, Cassandi?"

Cassandra frowned. She did not really want to be seen on the dance floor with a woman dancing with a potplant, but on the other hand, she could hardly stand in the corner, could she just? Not all alone.

She followed Brooke onto the dance floor. And then out of the corner of her eye she saw him.

The Ninetails who had said he was Nothing.

He was reading a book. He did not even glance her way. She glanced away and stared at her feet. The shoes were uncomfortable, they were choking her feet. She wanted to take them off, but beneath them her feet were ugly and deformed, covered in plates of hardened skin. Better to leave them covered. She watched Brooke instead.

The vaporeon was holding the pot plant in both hands and spinning around on the dance floor. Her tail and her skirt swished around with her making her look so graceful and beautiful.

Cassandra almost wanted to strangle her. She hobbled onto the floor and made a few awkward twirls, stepping on the hem of her skirt, she stumbled and tried to catch her balance, but her heels were too high and she slipped over. The floor hurt her and she could not hold back the tears. She clambered to her feet and staggered blindly away. Behind her she heard snickers and knew they came from Ray and his friends.

Sometimes she hated life. Saffire would never look at her now.

She ducked around a corner and sat down, unable to hold back the tears. Brooke came after her and crouched beside her.

"Mr Leafy will make you feel better," she said, handing over the pot plant. "You hurt yourself in nasty bad fall with those high but pretty shoes?"

"Only my pride," Cassandra replied.

Brooke patted her on the knee, "you want me to stay, keep you happy and help you back to your room?"

Cassandra shook her head. "Nah, go have fun, I’ll be alright in a while."

The Vaporeon-girl still looked doubtful. Cassandra forced a smile at her, "honest."

"Well, keep Mr Leafy there," she replied, patting the pot affectionately. "I’ll return when the moon spins full circle and my legs hurt."

"That’s fine," Cassandra replied. She wanted to be left alone, at least for now. This dance was the nightmare she had known it would be, the nightmare she had been waiting for all along.

She could not remember her time before the Change, and she could not remember her days before meeting Brooke, it was as if the meeting with the Vaporeon had released something in her, released the life, so to speak. She had not even seen it necessary to give herself a name – Brooke had done so, there had been no one to call her by it. She remembered pain, and loneliness, and being chased by humans and Pokemon alike. There had always just been her. No one else. It seemed she had always been lonely.

The song had finished now and a new one was playing, another slow one, one that made her think of long summer afternoons, although she could not work out why.

"As we walk through fields of gold…."

She began sobbing to herself. Behind her, she could hear joyous sounds of laughter and imagined that someone was dancing with someone else. She leaned over the back of the table and saw Brooke was dancing with Jakob, he was spinning her around with his vine whips.

And in the corner Ray was quietly throwing up whilst his brother held his hair back, and muttered to himself.

Well, Brooke didn’t need her anymore, that much was obvious, so she might as well just head off. Going back to the room would be fine, then she could read this new book she had found in the library. Her friend probably wouldn’t even notice.

She had just slipped through the doors, when she walked into someone, staggering madly. Strong hands reached out and supported her.

"I’m dreadfully sorry," she muttered to he whom she had bumped into.

"Oh, it is entirely my fault, madam," said an almost upper-class voice, "I must apologise for colliding with you, you see, I was in too much of a hurry."

She looked up for the first time and their eyes met. She almost swooned in surprise. For, not only was he desperately handsome, but he was also a Sandslash!

She found her voice escaping her.

He smiled. "And why would you be leaving the celebration so soon?" He asked. "Are you not enjoying yourself?"

"Nuh-not really." Her voice was betraying her. She found herself focusing on the ground.

"That is not good," the Sandslash said shaking his head. "For such a young lady to not be having a good time, perhaps you might like to dance with me?"

Cassandra barely had the courage to nod, as he linked his arm in hers and led her onto the dance floor. She staggered in her new shoes.

He shook his head and tutted. "No, those are pointless, why do you not show off your lovely feet? One cannot be expected to dance in such ridiculous footwear."

Almost as if unable to disobey, Cassandra removed her boots and put them in the corner.

"Much better!" he said, bowing before her. "By the way, my name is Phineaus , but you may call me Phin."

Cassandra chuckled. "I’m Cassandra," she whispered.

"A lovely name for a lovely lady!" He took her hand and gently kissed it. "Now, let us dance!"

He swept her onto the dance floor, putting one arm around her waist and spinning her around. She felt light in the head.

"Would you be my pale empress, my haven in the gale, would you be my shelter strong?"

The music washed over her senses and the feeling of man pressed so close to her made her giddy with joy. She had never been this close to anyone, and she did not even know who he was. And, oddly enough, she didn’t care.

Nothing mattered. She was floating in clouds.

The song ended and another began, but she barely noticed. It felt as though there were noone in the world but her and Phin. So when he drew his muzzle close to her and kissed her, it took a moment for her to pull back in surprise. She had never kissed anyone before, certainly not like this! It made her brain feel like jelly and caused a pleasant warm sensation down in her stomach.

"Are you okay, milady?" He asked, concern on his fine features.

She nodded mutely, grinning like a maniac. "Need air," she managed to gasp after a while.

He grinned. "As you wish my dear, I shall even lead you to the door."

She tried to object, but he would have none of it, and escorted her to the door. It was dark outside, the air pleasantly cool against her plates.

"How about we take a seat under this tree here," Phin said smoothly, "it is a pleasant night, is it not?" He stood beneath the tree and leaned against it.

Cassandra was about to agree with him, when something happened that scared the hades out of her.

Suddenly out of nowhere hands grabbed her, hands that were hot against her skin.

"Nice one there Phin!" Said a sly voice that literally dripped with evil and sarcasm.

"Always a pleasure boss," Phin said, his voice losing some of its charm.

"What are you doing!" Cassandra kicked and struggled, but a large hand, the skin hard like a hoof, was placed over her mouth.

"Making a new acquisition," said the sly voice again, "come along boys."

Cassandra fought, but her captor was strong and quickly she was dragged away from campus.

"Why are you doing this?" She asked, panic rising in her voice.

The sly voiced man, whom she could see in the darkness was a Vulpix, but completely unlike Nothing. His eyes were amber, a flat, lifeless amber and a scar ran almost right across one of them. He had a cruel set to his features. She disliked him immensely already. He grinned, showing his fangs, "because we have been paid to," he replied. "It appears you, my dear, are of great interest to the Master." The smile flickered coldly, "Pierce, render her uncommunicable."

And then there was blackness.