Somehow, a girl such as herself did not gain a whole lot of attention despite the fact she wasn't like anyone else. Out in the daylight and running about, she didn't seem to be in anyone's sight. The girl was not even wearing any clothes that were flashy, tacky, or fashionable, it was just a regular uniform with a cape, but all of her clothes were exactly the same as all the others.
Anytime she would pass someone, the words out of the girl's mouth would usually be "Hello" or "Good Afternoon." When at school, the girl would usually receive the same amount of homework as every student, the same cafeteria food, and the same professors.
The girl would usually sit alone in the cafeteria if there was a chance, she would feel like a stranger to anybody and she didn't want to give off any warning signs to them. Her seat would usually be located near the windows, the perfect privacy the girl would have from anybody.
Sometimes, she wondered what it was like to be one of the men or women she'd see, explore things from their own point of view for one minute or even one hour. But unfortunately, she could not transfer her soul to anyone else's', she was stuck in her own body, continuing her daily routine as an unknown person to the eyes of regular people.
Outside, the girl would occasionally lie down on the soft grass floor and look up at the blue ceiling that was the sky, an endless void of space that remained untouched by human hands. When she saw it, her hand would reach out to touch one of the clouds in an effort to pass the time.
In her own dorm room, one that was like everyone else's', she'd stare at the mirror of the bathroom. As her hand touched the reflection, the girl would always look into the person behind it, and it'd always be a girl cloaked in the darkness.
She already knew about her, the day she went through, the classes she attended, and the life she lived, because she was her. Just a girl covered in shadow.
On Friday afternoon, the girl laid on the grass hill just like any other day of the week, feeling alone as usual. Feeling quite lost, she closed her eyes, begging for a dream, something to keep her mind off her own self.
As she tried to drift into a deep slumber, something felt wrong. Somebody else was with her. Her eyes opened and she looked at the person who was only staring at her. A black haired girl with red highlights, her eyes were silver and her expression showed a sign of happiness.
"Hello there," she said to her. "How are you doing?"
The shadow girl could not believe what she just heard; she was actually being the center of someone's attention. "Um...Hi?" Of course, given that this was the first time she was in a conversation with anyone, she just waved awkwardly.
The other girl was a bit concerned, "Uh, are you okay miss?"
"Yes...Yes I'm okay." She stood up from the grass and looked at her eyes, "I just...this is actually the first time I've been spoken to."
"Well, there's a first time for everything I suppose." The girl agreed, "Anyway, I noticed you've been alone up here so I thought I'd drop by and have a nice little chat with you."
"Oh, well that's really generous of you." The nervous shadow girl twiddled her thumbs, looking down at the girl's feet, "It does get lonely around here."
"Well, here at Beacon, you're never alone!"
"Right… I guess so." She nodded slowly.
"Well, before I forget, I'd like to introduce myself." She took out her hand to shake, "My name is Ruby Rose, and I'm the leader of Team RWBY."
"Pleased to meet you Ruby." She noticed that Ruby looked nearly similar to her own self, but she questioned if that was what she would actually look like.
"Um, may I ask what your name is?"
"Oh uh...my name is...um…"
Ruby raised an eyebrow, "Wait, you mean you don't know your own name? Do you have amnesia or something?"
"No, I was never given an actual name… I was just someone in the background." A sigh came from the shadow girl. "A nobody."
"No, you're not a nobody, you're somebody." Two hands gripped the girl's arms and it forced her to look at Ruby, "I know this. Everyone has something special inside of them, and that includes you."
"I'm special… how am I special?"
"You may not see it but you are capable of doing amazing feats. You're not just someone that can be ignored in the background. You have a purpose to be here." The words ushering out of the huntress' mouth were inspiring. "I know you are a special person, I know you can do something that can motivate others. You are special, trust me!"
"I'm… special?" Now looking at her dark hands, she could feel something deep inside her; Hope. A tear began to float down her eyes, before it became a stream. "T-T-Thank you…"
"Oh, I'm so sorry if it was a bit emotional-"
"No, it's okay… it's just… thanks." The shadow girl had wrapped her arms around Ruby and pulled her into a hug, "You should be proud for helping someone like me."
"Hey, it's what we do." Ruby patted her shoulders, "I have to get going to class now, so hopefully we'll see each other again Shade." She turned to leave.
"Wha?" The girl's voice had halted her new friend quickly. "Shade?"
"It's your name. I think it sounds perfect for a special girl like you. Bye!" She waved and ran to regroup with her allies. The Shadow girl waved goodbye as well, and now there was a grin on her face.
For the first time, Shade felt like she wasn't just a girl covered in shadow. She felt like she was someone special.