"Grim? What's up?" She asks, moving towards the table.

"Hello," he purred, regarding Ash through half-lidded eyes. "Nice to see you are not evil...well...you know. I assume you are here for the scepter, as well?"

"Among other things." Ashs voice was cold; fury rippled below the surface, and the air around him turned chilly. He didnt just want the scepter; he was out for revenge.

She looked at the ceiling, bored.

"Did you find anything, Grim?"

Grimalkin sneezed once and stood, waving his tail. His gold eyes were suddenly serious.

"I think you had best see this for yourself," he replied. Leaping off the table, he slipped through the crowds and out the door.

She followed him out, taking one last look at the dance as she leaves.

Outside, it was bitingly cold. And it seemed Ashs mood could spread to the entire district. Ahead of them, Grimalkin slipped around a corner like a furry ghost, barely visible in the shadows. They followed him down the corridors, past numerous classrooms, and into the parking lot, where he stopped at the edge of the sidewalk, gazing out over the blacktop.

She follows him, despising the cold.

The entire lot--pavement, cars, the old yellow bus in the distance--was covered with a fine sheeting of white powder that sparkled under the moonlight.

She looked around the parking lot, "Why are we here Grim? Its freezing."

"The balance is off," Ash said grimly, gazing around the alien landscape. "Winter is supposed to hold the power right now, but with the scepter gone, the natural cycle is thrown off. So you get events like this." He gestured to the snowy parking lot. "It will only get worse, unfortunately."