The restless clouds sail across the blackened sky as the stars shimmer brightly in its obscurity. In the light of the moon, strands of raven hair waft in the presence of the wind. Her hands gently grasp the flying strands and pin them to her body, tucked safely behind her ear so as not to obscure her vision. Her translucent hand wraps itself around the metal railing atop the building as her crimson eyes explore the heavens above.

I hate the night.

Shifting her view to the courtyard, the moon's rays illuminate the lush grass residing below. Her eyes skim the area below, passing over the image of the Sakura tree before stopping at the gate to the academy. Searing pain shoots its way through the young woman's leg at that very moment, causing her teeth to grit as she strangles the rail.

Here we go again.

Her hand massages her burning limb while her breathing becomes labored. Beads of sweat trickle down the female's face with each passing moment. The throbbing sensation only intensifies, ripping through the girl's leg and forcing her to lean her full weight on the rail. Enduring the pain for many moments, her breathing-rate reduces itself until the inflation of her lungs is slow and steady once again. Gliding her fingers across her face, she flings the collection of sweat from her skin before casting her eyes back on the ground.

How long will it take before I can get used to that?

Within the girl's moment of recovery, a shadow appears, walking along the courtyard. Her red eyes follow the object's movement until the being comes to a halt.

"After sixty year I can finally end this nightmare."

Pushing herself from her aiding structure, she progresses along the rooftop and enters the building. With each silent step within the dark halls, the patter of light steps echoes through her ear. The young woman's heartbeat quickens considerably, causing her to increase her stride. Proceeding to the entrance of the building, the doors open wide, granting her access to the courtyard. Ascending the steps in front her, her eyes remain on the being as it stares up at the moon. Upon the ground, the girl's legs buckle, sending her flying towards the ground.

Damn it.

The girl's face contorts in agony as razors graze against the inside of her chest. Gritting her teeth, she forces herself to stand upright with her hand grasping her chest. Pushing herself onward, she brings herself within yards of her target's position. She observes the pale skin, straight, raven locks, and mature build of the individual standing before her. The moon's rays shine down on the female, giving her a ethereal aura that sparks a fire from within her observer.

Calm down… calm down… calm… down, she tells herself, shifting her vision towards the ground.

"Why does everything have to remind me of him?" The female voice of the being hits the observing girl, causing her to stiffen. "Why did he have to lie to me?"

Breaking her gaze away from the moon, she turns around and progresses back towards the building. Bringing her vision forward, she follows the girl's motions, waiting until the saddened girl is in front of her before opening her mouth.

"Why are you surprised that he lied to you? People lie all the time. It's in their nature."

The girl's movements stop as she stares into a pair of murderous, red eyes. Her body trembles in fear as the young woman's stare pierces her to the core.

"I-It's you."

"I've always been here, just like you, Yuuko."

Yuuko quivering legs slowly take a step backwards to distance herself from the girl. In reaction to her retreat, Yuuko's enemy takes a step forward. A sudden temperature increase in the female's body causes her to shut her eyes.

Don't blow this. This may be your one and only chance, she tells herself.

Opening her eyes, she notices something shoot past her in a flash. Turning her head to get a better look, she watches as Yuuko runs towards the entrance of the building as fast as she is physically able. Pressing her body against the door, she frantically looks back and sees the figure walking towards her.

"Stay away from me!" she shouts, pushing the door open and bolting inside.

The pursuing female's feet touch down on the steps quietly, as if walking on air. Reaching the door, she places her translucent hand on the knob and pushes it open. Staring into the dark hallway, she watches as Yuuko's hair waves in the air before disappearing behind a turn.

You can't run all you want, but you can't run from yourself.

Traversing the hall, Yuuko's purser calmly follows her target's trail. Turning a corner, her scarlet eyes examine the hallway as she treads lightly through it. Within moments her body brings itself to the classroom door of 1-C. Placing her hand on the knob, she applies a small amount of pressure before she stops. The image of Teiichi, with Yuuko's beaming face and her hands around his neck, invades the girl's mind like a disease. The sudden feel of something bearing down on her chest causes her to press against the door for leverage, feeling herself becoming short of breath. Resting upon the door, tears make their way down the teenager's face, resulting in her wiping them away.

She's doing it again. I've got to hurry. I wish Teiichi were here.

Within moments, the strangling sensation fades as a sigh of relief leaves the girl's mouth. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she opens the door and makes her way in. Closing the door behind her, she sees Yuuko's body hiding behind a desk. Noticing that she's no longer hidden, the scared girl presses her back against the wall.

"Why do you keep running from me?"

Taking a step closer to the girl, an ominous feeling begins to wash over her, causing her dried lips to smile. Yuuko spots the sudden facial change and moves along the wall in an attempt to distance herself further.

"You're an evil spirit," she answers with her pursuer still advancing. "Why would I not run away from you?"

Narrowing her eyes at the girl involuntarily, she observes her trembling legs and fearful eyes.

"Cut from the same cloth. What would you expect?"

The dark figure before her takes a few steps forward, placing her before herself on the other side of the desk.

"I'm nothing like you."

The female's vision flashes red once again before she places her hand on the desk. This time, not taking her eyes off of the girl, she continues her conversation.

"You're nothing like me? How about you turn around and take a look in the window."

Yuuko's eyes remain fixated on the girl as she shakes her head and regains her composure.

"No. I don't trust you."

Shadow takes a step forward, causing Yuuko to move backwards. Finding herself pressed against the wall with her enemy standing in front of her, Yuuko's body remains in shock. Staring into Yuuko's eyes, the shadow's body temperature begins to soar, causing her to pause for a moment.

I'm not too sure how much longer I can last.

Her fingers press down on the girl's shoulders, causing her to jump. Digging her fingers into her skin, the shadow forcibly turns the girl around, making Yuuko shut her eyes in response. Staring at their reflection in the window pane, she notices Yuuko's current state. Balling her free hand into a fist, her other grasps down on Yuuko's shoulder firmly.

"Open your eyes," she commands in a stern voice.

Lacking much choice, Yuuko's eyes gradually open to see the illuminated glass in front of her. Her scarlet eyes dance between the heavenly body she possesses and the monstrous appearance beside her.

"How can you stand here and deny our similarities. We're the same height, have the same breast size, same eye color, same clothes, and we even sound sim-"

Yuuko hears the being's voice, but quickly interrupts.

"Look at yourself. Y-your hair is a mess, those fingernails are destroyed, all of those s-scrape and b-bruises aren't on me, and you look repulsive overall."

The fire inside of the dark being spreads itself past the boundaries of containment. Spinning Yuuko around, Yuuko once again stares into the cold, dead eyes of her stalker.

"You don't have the right to call me repulsive. You only look as pretty as you do because of me."

"W-what are you talking about?" Yuuko responds almost instantly, her voice shaking. "I've got nothing to do with you."

Oh no, Shadow Yuuko thinks, watching the girl tremble before her. It's so hard to keep myself in control, but she pisses me off so much.

Releasing her grip on Yuuko's shoulder, Shadow Yuuko takes a step away from her. Taking in a deep breath, she composes herself and cracks a smile on her face.

"I'm sorry for being so rough."

Yuuko straightens up her trembling body and stares at the girl again.

"What did you mean you're the reason I look pretty?"

The two stare off at each other.

"Have you ever wondered why you don't remember anything about your past? Why it is you're stuck here? Why you can't even leave these grounds?"

Yuuko's attention fixates on the girl before here. Watching as her wrinkly fingers grasp at her school uniform, she decides to take the bait.

"If you know, then tell me."

"That's because you took all of those painful, corrosive, and unwanted memories and gave them to me."

Yuuko's shifts her eyes away from the developing frown on the girl's face.

"How is that possible? Who would believe that wild story?"

Shadow Yuuko extends her hand towards her counterpart and holds it in place. Yuuko looks at her dried skin and then into her less-than-friendly eyes before stepping away from her.

"If it's such a wild story, give me your hand. I'll give you all the proof you need."

Yuuko looks sadly at the girl's hand before slowly rising her own upwards. Stopping mid-way, she quickly jerks her arm back, bringing confusion to Shadow Yuuko's face.

"I don't want to see your filthy memories, and even if they were mine, I got rid of them for a reason. Why would I take them back?"

The shadow's fingers curl like spider legs at the girl's disapproval. Staring at the cowering form of Yuuko, she forms a distorted smile.

"It's because you were raised to be a responsible person. So won't you continue to be that nice girl from before? Don't you want to be a person that Teiichi will like?"

Her face becomes downcast as an image of Teiichi sitting at his desk fills her mind.

"I hate Teiichi," she says, removing the image from her mind. "He's a liar. I don't have any room for liars in my life."

"I'm sure if you just-"

Her speech is interrupted by the sensation of something squeezing her lungs. Her eyes grow wide as she stares at Yuuko's nonchalant expression. Clawing at her chest, her hand collides with the top of a desk before hitting her knees.

Damn… you… you stupid girl.

Yuuko gazes down at the being before her, and noticing her chance, takes off towards the door. Disappearing into the darkened hallway, the sounds of her feet echo within the halls. As she stares through the threshold, the image of Teiichi and Momoe embracing each other runs through Shadow Yuuko's mind. Suddenly she feels something reach into her chest and squeeze tightly. Tears fall from the girl's eyes as her vision blurs due to a lack of oxygen. Enduring the symptoms for a bit longer, the choking feeling slowly subsides, causing her to fall to the floor. Using her hands, she struggles to catch her breath as her heart rate increases ferociously.

Calm down, Yuuko... CALM down... calm DOWN.

With her soothing words running through her head, the color of her eyes darken and her breath can be seen escaping her lips. Using the desk to prop herself up, she catches something out of the corner of her eye before walking towards the exit. Making it to the seat in the back of the room, the image of Teiichi sitting there with Yuuko's arms draped around his neck appears before her. Ripping her eyes from the scene, she makes her way out of the door before using the wall as a crutch.

I'm going to kill her.

The shadow's body seems to move on its own as she traverse through the hall, repressing the urge lie down. Pushing open the door that leads to the pool area, Shadow Yuuko ascends the stairs slowly, taking each step carefully. The sound of the metal door rings through the night in unison with the latch securing in place. Turning her attention towards the pool, Shadow Yuuko looks at the reflection of the moon dance off of the surface of the liquid. Casting her eyes in the direction of the changing rooms, she drags her body towards the door. Her view is blurred from the tears dancing in her eyes.

"I know you're behind the changing room building," she says, staring at the obstruction. "There's no point in hiding. I always know where you are."

The voice infiltrates Yuuko's ears as she lies huddling against the solid exterior of the changing room.

How does she keep finding me?

Silence engulfs the night as Yuuko sits patiently with her hands close to her chest. Shifting her vision from side to side, she sees no sign of her pursuer. Picking herself up from the ground, she stands against the wall as her heart-rate climbs.

At this point, if I blow past her, I'm sure I can make it to the gate, she thinks, sticking her head around the corner to see Shadow Yuuko missing. Yeah, I'm sure I can do this, but where can I go? She always seems to find me.

"Won't you reconsider taking responsibility?"

The sudden words make Yuuko's blood run cold. Moving her head slowly to the side, her eyes come in contact with those of her pursuer. Yuuko's body trembles as she stares at the unsightly smile before her. Her body collides with the ground as her legs give way to the stress. Staring up at the ominous being, tears begin to well up in the girl's eyes as she pushes herself out into the open. Pulling her vision away from the shadow, Yuuko quickly takes a look at the gate and then back in the direction of her doppelganger.

Where'd she go? she asks, staring now-empty space.

Picking her trembling body up from the ground, she quickly turns her attention towards the gate and is frozen in place. Staring into the friendly face of her shadow, Yuuko's mind begins to race as the color in her cheeks drains onto the ground. Watching the girl's hair sway in the moonlight, Yuuko takes a step back only to have her wrists taken a hold of.

"I'm asking you to reconsider your answer from earlier."

Yuuko attempts to pull away from the hot grip of her captor, but finds the task impossible. Within moments, Yuuko can feel the blood within her begin to boil and the air around her begin to thicken. Water forms in the girl's eyes as she attempts to break free of her captor once again. With each tug, the building sensation in the young woman begins to overwhelm her, making her exert more effort.

"Let… me… go!" Her voice rings out in a harsher tone.

"Not until you take back what's yours."

"You want me to buy into your nonsense and end up like you? An ugly beast that can't do anything but lurk in the shadows? I'll pass."

What the hell am I saying? she asks herself mentally. What's happening to me?

Rearing her foot back, she gives a quick kick to Shadow Yuuko's leg, causing her to releases her hold on the girl. A cry of pain erupts into the air before the shadow smashes to the ground like a rock, bringing Yuuko with her. Yuuko glances at the teenager's agonizing demeanor and quickly turns towards the gate.

Crawling past her attacker, Yuuko uses her determination and adrenaline to spring forward and sprint towards the gate. Within a couple of steps, Yuuko feels her feet become frozen before plummeting to the ground. Turning on her back, she stares down at the black locks entangling her ankles, and following the material back to its owner, she notices her captor tossing and turning on the ground. As she brings her attention back to her feet, she pries at the constricting material with all her might. After moments of trying to separate herself, she notices the body at her feet begin to turn her way. Suddenly the shadow's head rears up, presenting her bloodshot eyes. The area surrounding her develops a dark glow, and her hands dig into the concrete. The strands of hair tighten considerably, preventing her from kicking her legs. As the mass advances towards Yuuko, she quickly focuses back on her ankles and struggles to remove her bindings.

"I tried to be as nice as I could to you. Considering what you've put me through, I've tried my best not to hurt you."

Yuuko's body begins to stiffen up as the girl's blazing touch caresses her legs.

"You're hurting me!"

Shadow Yuuko places her hand on the girl's chest, producing a burning sensation right where her heart would be.

"Trust me, this is nothing compared to what you've put me through."

Yuuko grits her teeth and shoves her hand in the shadow's face.

"If it was so bad then you should have gone and killed yourself, monster!"

Shadow Yuuko presses her fingers into the girl's chest, causing a shriek to escape from her mouth.

"Maybe I should kill you… you bitch. Why don't we see how you like being on the verge of death... afraid and angry because you're too weak to do anything about it."

Yuuko releases another scream as the girl's fingers plant themselves deeper into her bosom.

"Quit blaming me for your past. You're the reason you're in such a sta-"

Yuuko's speech is cut short by Shadow Yuuko's sending a wave of heat into her body.

"Shut the fuck up. Those feelings come second to my hatred for you," her voice harshens. "After all this time, I finally found someone that I could talk to. I finally found someone that I could love, and you mess it up. You drove him into the arms of that dim-witted bitch. The one person that could have given us what we wanted after so long." Tears begin to stream down the girl's face as he crosses her mind. "How can I fucking like a failure like y-"

Shadow Yuuko's vision blurs as her surroundings distort themselves. Feeling her balance begin to decrease, she pulls her hand from Yuuko's chest and plants it on the ground. The shadow's other hand forcefully ejects itself from Yuuko's body, as she topples toward the ground.

I… overexerted… myself.

Yuuko lies staring up at the sky as her chest burns from Shadow Yuuko's assault. Shifting her body slightly, pain shoots through her, causing tears to stream down her face like rain from the sky. The image of the radiant moon causes her to reposition herself as a memory of her and Teiichi enters her mind. The image of his face, after she'd placed a kiss on his cheek for saving over the summer, suffocates her heart. Shifting her glance towards her attacker, Yuuko sees her sway as she attempts to use her hands as crutches.

"You claim you were in love with Teiichi even though he did nothing but fear a monster like you," she says, venom in her words. "Maybe it's better this way. All you two have done is bring me pain and spark these horrible… these nasty feelings that I have right now. If you can, really do hold my memories... you can have every memory I have of him, because I don't nor will I ever want them."

Yuuko's words sends shivers up the shadow's spine as she tries to regain her bearings. The inside of her chest burns as razor wire cycles around her heart. Tears run rampant down the shadow's face as she abruptly hits the ground beside the bewildered Yuuko. In her mind, she perceives the sound of her teeth breaking as she clenches them together with all her might.

"St... op"

The words drift off into the night as Yuuko continues to stare off into nothingness.

"I was better off by myself. Though it was a miserable existence, at least I didn't have to feel this way."

The shadow's hand grips down on her chest as the pain starts to spread over her body. The image of Teiichi holding Momoe injects itself into her mind once more, causes the girl to bawl.

"Please… stop… I'm... begging… you. I don't want your memories," she pleads, all hints of anger missing from her voice.

The shadow's wailing increases as each new image flood into her brain. With each passing moment, the screams echoing in the night gradually vanish, almost as though it were all a dream. Staring up at the shimmering stars, Yuuko cracks as smile in delight. Her face suddenly hides the smile and replaces it with a look of depression and confusion.

"How did I get here?" she asks, surveying the pool area.

Darkness and silence accompany her as she wonders around the area. Completing her survey, Yuuko heads back down towards the school, never removing her downcast expression.

The shadow's body still lays trembling on the cold concrete, her eyes hidden by her unkempt hair. Her hands remain against her chest in an attempt to hold her sanity and feelings within herself. The girl's eyes sting from overflow of tears, and terror slowly escalates as her heart begins to liquefy within herself.

Someone… help me… Teiichi… father… mother… anyone.

"When will you ever stop being pathetic?" A child's voice whispers in her ear.

TO BE CONTINUED…

Next Chapter: Maiden of Desolation I