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"My God Maya.." Bloom nearly toppled over as Maya kept giggling with her arms around the redhead's shoulders while Bloom was attempting to steady her. Maya playfully booped her nose, continuing to laugh at Bloom's frown as Aisha eventually sailed towards them.

"I would have never expected sweet Maya to get hammered before any of us would," Aisha guffawed whilst Maya rested her head on Bloom's shoulder and toyed with her fur.

Maya had somewhat overdone it, but the knock-on effects were definitely going to be seen in the morning; she couldn't even fathom what her parents would think of seeing her with a hangover, her hair looking hideous and reeking of barfed-up booze, let alone Lark, who if he knew about his sister's status would have gone absolutely bat-shit mad regardless of his own plight.

Maya certainly couldn't handle the alcohol, and it wasn't really surprising to her friends that after only a few drinks she had already degenerated into a giggling mess. They would have found it more amusing if it wasn't for the fact that it was all down to the shitload of liquor, so they took it upon themselves to stick with her in the morning, when the horrible ravages of the preceding night would kick in.

Aisha and Bloom both endorsed her, drawing closer to the beer pong table from which they had been braved by the well-known Sky and Riven, "Wow! That's so cool! Can I play, can i play?" Maya cackled in delight at the sight of the cups on the table where they would be pitching the marbles, which was replaced with a grumble at the prompt rebuff from both girls, who ushered her into a chair at the side of the slab.

"But..you can still be our secret weapon." Bloom hinted in her ear, Maya grinning again and commencing to giggle anew, wringing her tummy with her hands from the vigour with which she was gleefully snickering, whereas Aisha gave Bloom a diffident look.

"Bloom, look at her state," Aisha indicated to the blonde, who was ecrrying to grab onto one of the shots with her arm but instantly hauled away by the same girl, "She's already struggling to control them when she's sober, let alone when she's like this."

Bloom understood what she meant, already struggling with her own, so she nodded in understanding as Riven and Sky, whose gaze tarried longer on the redhead, stepped outside the throng of boisterous students. The very first thing that caught Riven's notice was the blonde whom he had been teasing earlier, grinding like a craze and shuffling back and forth at haphazard, surely lacking in self-control.

It was peculiar to watch her in that sort of mood, as he himself was used to seeing her all controlled, which was not the same right now, albeit Riven was still going to tease her the next morning. By comparison, he was more able to master the liquor than she was, having spent the entire summer getting intoxicated and thus becoming adjusted to its sway.

The game between Bloom and Aisha against Riven and Sky soon kicked off with both girls downing drinks, and the match dragged on with members of both teams drinking increasingly more and Maya still encouraged her team and screamed for her friends.

Sometimes Riven would be drinking while maintaining eye contact with Maya's delightful baby blue colored ones, ultimately sending her a wry wink and failing to grasp whether the crimsoning that draped Maya's face was due to his conduct or the booze.

Then it all went to shit when Aisha, using her powers, made a blunder and sent the beer to drench Riven altogether, Maya bustling out in a round of derision at the whole ordeal and Riven's peeved look, "The fuck?" 

Aisha was startled but mainly bummed that she had again erred with her use of her powers, so she immediately excused herself, "I'm so sorry, really. I'll go get some towels."

As Riven proceeded to scowl at the people who had stopped to watch what had happened, Maya got up to join Bloom, hugging her immediately upon feeling dizzy, Bloom looking at her worriedly, despite the fact that she too was slightly drunk, "I think I'm going to throw up..." Maya whispered, squeezing her eyes together as she felt like her gut was being repeatedly pummeled.

"A little help?" Bloom called out to the two guys, barely managing to keep the girl on her feet, Sky casting Riven a knowing look and Riven rolling his eyes, grunting something like 'what a friend' and waddling towards the girl, while Sky grinned in pride at his matchmaking capabilities.

"I don't trust you." Bloom spat unflinchingly, upon finding out who had come to her assistance, "How do I know you won't do stuff to her?"

"Please," Riven snorted, as Maya grew steadily more nauseous, unwittingly tightening her grip on Bloom's arms, "I'm not that awful. The fact that I even bothered has to count something." He smirked slyly, "Now, do you want my help, or would you rather have your friend's bloody puke all over your jacket?"

Shattered bones, hideous, sickening shrieks, blood spurted, rendering the customary lush verdant meadow a fiery paint of inferno. A disembodied head lay on the gory turf, its face flipped back, but the golden strands were already rattling her.

Her hand was tremoring, her hand that used to appear neat and dainty now seemed to be the culprit behind the mislocated head that lay beside her feet; she wanted to throw up, but hadn't she already done so? It was pitch dead all around, the only trace of life was in her own physique as the one ahead of her was now bereft of anything.

Was it real?

The frosted breeze rushing over her flesh made it appear real.

It must be a dream.

The decaying stink that filled her nostrils suggested otherwise, however.

No...

The restraint she was able to have over her body kept acknowledging that this was the reality.

It's not...

The sweeping, homely blend of blond mane among her fingertips revealed something else; all that was left to do was to roll that head over.

It's just my mind playing tricks on me....

Yet the more she admitted it, the more she felt her resolve sink as her body did, to revert the head.

She screamed.

She screamed, cupping her head sharply, chewing her lips until the fluid gushed out, until she could taste its metallic flavour. She recoiled as fast as she could, feeling the salt water of her tears add to the curdling of her lips. She cried out, but no one listened, it was all obscure, as if she had been thrown into the pit of the abyss.

She shouted till she sensed her soul unfold and emerge amidst the shimmering woodland, the abode of perils and precariousness. It had all been a nightmare, a mirage that still landed her in the spooky reality.

All alone

Again.

And meanwhile, people were on edge, seeking the weak faerie's footprints; or at least, they thought she was dim. For they had not yet tested, Maya neither, the full breadth of her potential.