The Gateway

Five students were convinced that it was just a regular day at Crystal Heights College. They would be going to their History class, the one they all had together, any minute now. And then the rest of their day would just go on and on until they were to rest in their dorms.

Shouhei, a transfer student from a school in Asia, had arrived early. He, along with Belle, the very studious American who never missed a due date, not once. She'd always been sure to arrive early, claiming that it gave her more "credibility in the classroom." (It was common at this point that everyone knew it did nothing. It was merely accepted as routine, and also had gotten her in trouble at a few points...)

The others began to file in, including the last three students in the friend group: Cosette, a student from France who had come to America to study robotics and technology; Olli, the goofy class-clown of the Class of 2022; and the ever-frightened Sabine, who would always try her best not to be noticed despite being the go-to for questions and answers. (Belle, while smart, wasn't exactly the friendly type.)

"So, today..." began Professor Callahan, otherwise known as Dave (which he insisted on) "we're going to be continuing our notes on the Native American tribes. There is plenty to learn about--of course if you want to try to get really in-depth about those, I suggest speaking to your advisor about taking Native American Histories with Professor Gable. But that doesn't matter right now, you're in my class, here to learn what we've got. So, notebooks out everybody." Everyone got out their notebooks. The poor professor was having trouble getting the projector and the screen ready. "...Uh...Give me a few minutes..."

"Can I use the restroom...?" asked Sabine quietly.

"Go ahead, but if I manage to get this going while you're gone you need to get notes from your friends." Sabine hurried outside. Her friends heard her trip, and Shouhei went to help her up.

But he didn't come back from that.

"...Uh..." Belle looked outside. "...Someone should go check on them."

"They can't be all that far away! Sabine just went to the bathroom..." Olli stood up. He walked outside. "W-what?! Th-they're gone!"

"What do you mean gone?" Belle sighed. "Is this another one of your stupid jokes?"

"N-no look!" Olli urged, fixing his curly brown hair a little as he gestured for the others to come out.

He disappeared as they did.

"...Olli?!" Cosette called. "Olli, this is not funny! Come here!"

"...Uh, Cosette, I don't want to scare you but there's a blue...thing..." Belle looked down at Cosette's feet as a blue, glowing thing began to grow underneath them.

"Qu'est-ce qui se passe ici?!" Cosette squeaked as she could do nothing but stare at whatever was unfolding underneath her. "I-it's on you too! Look down!"

"Cosette, none of us can understand you when you're--wait--huh?!" Belle looked down at herself, seeing the blue thing growing and growing...and eventually the two were blinded by white, swirling light...

When Belle and Cosette could see again, the first thing Cosette noticed was Belle's hair. "...Y...your hair..." she began, "it's...c'est beau!"

"Cosette, again, I can't understa--what...what are you wearing?! What's with your hair?!" Belle looked at Cosette's new outfit and new hair and new...everything. Cosette's normally braided, hazelnut brown hair was in a large puffball behind her head, and she wore a yellow headband that resembled a lightning bolt in shape. She had on an orange shirt and a white coat (which was a bit more like a robe than a coat, given its length), some orange pants, yellow, strappy sandals, small gold hoop earrings, and the makeup she had put on that day.