A figure walked the halls of a grand building, lighting the lanterns and sweeping the floor. The sun hasn't even risen, but soon wizards would be awakening, eager for their first day at the Academy.
They drew an image of the building in the air, resetting the spell that kept the floating island aloft - they can't have the Academy falling on a day like this, no matter how badly they wanted to be relieved of their duties. The figure sighed, continued to the doorway, and brought out their keyring. With a click, a thud, and a mighty heave, they opened the heavy doors of the Academy, letting in sunlight and a peaceful warm breeze.
The light revealed a blue-gray fairy standing at the doorway, the breeze tugging at their clothes as amber eyes surveyed the island.
"Another first day... Now what am I to do with it?"
Part One[]
Aly[]
It was a regular day. Snoots chirped, the sun shone, snow fell, and a tired wizard was sleeping in. A timekeeper set off, and the beep of a digital alarm clock filled the house.
The wizard turned over and pressed their pillow over their ears, trying to muffle the sound. Yet it was too loud. Groaning in irritation, they stretched out their arm and reached for the dresser, feeling around for the device. To their relief, they located it but were unable to find the button. Moving their arm to reach for the button, they instead knocked it off the dresser, causing it to fall on the button and turning it off.
"Well, that works." They muttered tiredly before going back to sleep... only to be awakened by a knock at the door.
"Aly! Wake up, you're going to be late to the Academy."
That did it. The wizard jolted awake, their bright blue eyes snapping open. "I'm coming!" They ran to their dresser and grabbed the first robes they found - they couldn't go in their jammies. Glad that students weren't required to wear uniforms on their first day, the wizard put them on as fast as possible, threw their books into a beat-up leather satchel, and snatched a sleeping Timberwolf from their bed as they sheathed their staff. They were about to run out the door when they realized they forgot to buy a pet. Sighing, they opened the door, knowing they'll have to pick out one of the starter pets on the way there, Just my luck, I have to take a lame pet to class every day.
Swinging open the door, the wizard looked up at a tall yeti, who blinked in surprise. "Are you really going to go... like that-"
The wizard had disastrous light blue hair tied up in a savage-looking ponytail, bangs falling over her baby blue eyes. She was wearing a strange version of leather apparel, which was baggy at the back as if they put the robes on over a backpack. She had a staff in a sheath across their back, with a purple crystal heart tied onto the tip with a weathered piece of string. A tired Timberwolf peaked out from her satchel and the wizard had dark circles under her eyes, looking sleep-deprived.
"Obviously." She responded with a yawn.
"Well then, I guess we'll be going." The yeti responded, uncertainty in her gaze, but pulling out her Academy Amulet regardless. With a swirl of elemental energy, they teleported away.
Storm[]
A door creaked open revealing a shaggy kid with messy gray bangs, covering up half his face. He had a metal brace on his left arm and wore a slate t-shirt with a cog symbol on it, and he had a backpack slung over his shoulder. "Well, I'm ready... I guess."
"Took you long enough." Snapped an irritable fire wizard, who was standing out on the dirt road.
A half-Merling facepalmed, "Ignis, to be fair, we're an hour early, must you always be so grouchy?"
"You try being an endling," he grumbled under his breath.
The boy looked between the two of them, "Are you guys going to be stormy all day or are we going to go?"
Ignis groaned in irritation at the pun, but followed regardless as the group walked down the road. Houses were lined up down the street, providing housing for newer students that didn't live nearby the Academy, though the group's case was a bit different. Ignis, a fiery ill-tempered wizard, was pretty much an orphan as of the genocide at Bonfire. Nobody quite knew who Storm was, or where he was from, just that he was partially paralyzed and that you're better off not seeing what's under those bangs. Meanwhile, Sea, the half-Merling, was "rich as the sea" as the pirates at Shipwreck put it. She was the daughter of Athena and the Water Warden himself, and had it off better than the lot of them. Sea was definitely able to get to the Academy quickly thanks to her father, she just wanted to do things "normally" and get to know people.
They soon arrived at the stables where students were allowed to keep their pets. Storm lingered behind as the other two wizards retrieved their Fathom and Infernewt, he would have to pick out a starter when they meet Noot at Pallet Pass. I just hope I learn the ropes of things quickly...
Aly[]
"So... have you given any thought to what you want your starter to be?" Asked the yeti in an attempt to start a conversation.
"No, since I didn't plan on a starter to begin with." The wizard said in response, cranky from getting up so early.
The two walked down the dirt road towards Pallet Pass, as that was where you had to meet Noot to obtain a starter. The yeti was tall, white-furred, and had some of that fur in a ponytail just as disastrous as Aly's. She wore a belt made of dark blue fabric, had an ancient relic ring around her wrist, and a stone piece of shoulder armor on her right arm. They resembled each other surprisingly well - for those of two different species. The main difference was the bright blue streak running through the yeti's "hair", potentially branding her as the Ice Warden and making it hard for her to go by unnoticed.
"What's with the attitude? You were pretty excited the other day."
Aly stopped and glared, "That was before I found out you'll be dumping me in Lamplight Town."
The yeti grimaced, "I wouldn't call it dumping-"
"That's what Cyro would say," she snapped, her gaze cold as ice, "didn't you say that you were better than him?"
For a minute the stood there quietly, neither having anything to add. Eventually, the Ice Warden broke the silence, "Let's just get to Noot." They continued on, but not a word flew between them.
Storm[]
"You know, it would've been nice if you TOLD ME FATHOMS WERE F**KING WHALES." Shouted Storm, drenched. Ignis was laughing, clearly enjoying Storm's dilemma.
The tech wizard didn't mind the Fathom, or the water - his brace did. As he was paralyzed in the entirety of his left side, the brace helped him move his arm, but he had forgotten to waterproof it, meaning his left arm was currently hanging limply by his side. Ticked off that he was unable to move until it dried off, since he could risk overloading the circuitry, he stormed down the path not wanting Sea to catch up and baby him. He absolutely hated being treated differently because of his disability, he was just a regular kid who needed to do some things differently, that's it.
Sea walked over to Ignis, slapped him, then ran after Storm. "WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"
"You deserve it!" She yelled over her shoulder in response.
Ignis scowled at that but followed them, leading his Infernewt.
Storm had already made it halfway to Pallet Pass when Sea caught up to him, "Hey, Storm, wait!"
He stopped and glanced over her shoulder, something under his bangs catching the light, "What?"
"Sorry about you getting wet earlier. Fathoms normally do that when they like someone."
"Well then, I guess I'm a bit wet behind the ears, because it seemed like it was on purpose."
She placed her hands on her hips, "How in Astral are you able to crack a pun while sounding mad at me?"
He one-shoulderly shrugged at that, "No clue."
"Look, I really am sorry, I wasn't trying to make fun of you, and I would never do that intentionally."
The tech wizard sighed, pulling out his visor - something he forgot to put on earlier, "It's fine. I guess I overreacted a little." At that very moment, Ignis burst in on the two, huffing and panting from having to run the whole way.
"Are... we... going to go... or not?" He said between breaths - doubled over and exhausted. Sea and Storm glanced at each other before helping him up, and the three continued to Pallet Pass.
Aly[]
The wizard crossed her arms as the yeti and Noot were deep in conversation. She couldn't blame them - the two were good friends and haven't seen each other for a while. No one else had reached the pass yet, but a few starters played around in the swaying grass. There was a fiery pony, fluffy snow creature, an energetic bat, a mermaid-like animal, and a beaked creature with a leaf resembling hair padding around, each having wide adorable eyes and everlasting curiosity.
Charfoal, Snowfluff, Wott, Mermina, and Sproot. She listed in her head, Ugh, why couldn't I have joined last year? A Peeko or Soral would've done me good - even a Creela is better than this!
"I guess I'll go with a Charfoal, best to be strong against 5 elements than just two, I suppose." Aly then muttered out loud, which the yeti overheard.
"Oh, so you made your choice?"
The wizard stared at her, eyes icy as before, "Clearly, or can you not hear me either?"
Noot glanced at the warden, "Rough morning?" She nodded in response.
Since no one else had arrived yet, and since she was still mad at the yeti, Aly took the time to make a mental note of Noot, so she won't embarrass herself by not remembering his name.
He was a dwarfish fairy wearing a jingling cap tipped with a cotton ball. He had chaotic brown hair, a furry squirrel-like tail, and wore blue and white robes. His wide sapphire eyes occasionally glanced in her direction as he conversed with his friend.
Noot wasn't exactly someone one forgot easily, especially because of his shockingly high-pitched voice and childish demeanor. Yet regardless, she noted his appearance for later... as well as anything he made the mistake of mentioning about himself.
Just when she was on the edge of her patience, a group of misfit wizards burst in.
Storm[]
"Sorry that we're late!" Sea apologized for the group, since both boys were completely out of breath.
The fairy blinked in surprise, "What are you doing here? Don't you two already have a pet?"
At that, Sea and Ignis simultaneously pointed at Storm, who waved shyly.
"I see." Noot said after a bit, "And who's this?"
Sea was about to introduce him when the tech wizard glared at her, "I may be paralyzed but I can talk, y'know."
"Sorry." She quickly muttered, looking at the ground embarrassedly.
"I'm Storm, well, Storm Dreamchaser, to be specific."
He arched an eyebrow, "I never meet a student with a name like that."
The gray-haired boy ruffled his hair nervously, "I get that a lot."
From across the field, a blue-haired wizard watched, being sided by a yeti. Sea, at noticing, waved, "Hi Ada!" The yeti waved back and the wizard stared at them with an expression that clearly read: "You know her?"
Ignis grouchily straightened and stared at Storm, "Are you going to pick a starter or not?"
"...how am I supposed to pick one if I don't even know what they are...?"
"Who in the name of Astral doesn't know what a starter is?"
Both boys spun around to see the wizard, who had somehow walked behind them unnoticed.
"How did you-" The tech wizard began, bewildered.
"Unlike you, I actually know a thing or two about this place. You're not from around here, are you?"
"Nope," Ignis responded for him, crossing his arms.
"Hmph. Well, I already picked the Charfoal, which leaves you with the other four."
"Charfoal...?" Storm asked, visibly confused.
She sighed, "It's the pony-like thing over there. They're fire elemented, and most people keep them since they're the equivalent of a fireplace on a cold day."
"Is that why you picked it? You do seem pretty cold."
"No," she glared, "It's because this good for nothing school doesn't allow me to bring Lucy."
He blinked, "Lucy?"
"Yeah, you have a problem with it?" The wizard said while elemental energy sparked at her fingertips.
"N-no."
"Then pick your starter."
"I still don't know what they are..." Storm responded, looking downcast. Five minutes with another wizard and he already managed to act like a foreigner, beginner, and idiot - not to mention he got on their bad side.
She crossed her arms, grouchily responding, "That fluffy thing is a Snowfluff, resembles a Dyno when it evolves, in other words, grow up. The bat is a Wott, they love storms. The green creature is a Sproot, they're a bit shy and also resemble a Dyno when it evolves. Finally, the mermaid creature is a Mermina. It looks cute, but I have to warn you, when those two other horns fall out, it'll be like dealing with an angry unicorn." Without warning, she walked away, picking up the horse-like creature and allowing it to nestle in her arms.
He glanced at Ignis, and gestured to the Wott thoughtfully, "If they like storms then what's not to like about someone like me?"
The fire wizard stared at him with slitted eyes, "Shut. Up."
"Okay, okay, I'll stop with the jokes, just don't get tempestuous on me." At that, Ignis silently raised a fist, and Storm backed away, holding up his hands in defense. Walking over to the Wott, he laid his hand in the grass, allowing the bat-like creature to curiously climb on. He gently pet it on the head and smiled, as it let out a happy sound and sparked. I guess I can get used to this.
Aly[]
First day... She thought as the group shuffled after Ada and Noot. First day away from home, first day at school, first day living alone... Am I really ready for this?
Yet the wizard could only wonder, it's not as if she had a choice on this. How she wished she could go back and make everything happen the right way, but time travel was a thing of fantasy, and things might even get worse if they changed.
I can't believe she had the nerve to act like... him. Disgusted with the yeti's actions, she didn't even dare think his name.
"Hey... uh, you okay? You look pretty upset." She turned to face the owner of the voice, which was that weird kid from earlier. A Wott was now perched on his shoulder, but unlike earlier, this time she noticed what was off about him - his left arm hung limply, and an odd, advanced brace supported it, plus he had a visor pushed up onto his head. She had overheard him mention he was paralyzed, but the wizard had paid no mind to it... until now.
Pity and guilt wormed their way into her thoughts, instantly feeling a bit bad for the way she talked to him earlier, "Yeah, but I should be asking you that. What happened to your arm?"
"I don't like to talk about it."
"Oh, sorry."
He shrugged, it was kind of weird to see someone do it with one shoulder, "It's fine, really. To be fair, it's a bit hard not to ask."
"So where are you from anyway?"
"I prefer to keep that secret too."
She arched an eyebrow, "Is there anything about you that isn't secret?"
"Is there anything about you that isn't icy?" He responded with a grin.
Despite him playing around, she was mildly offended, "Hey! I'm not that bad, just... bad with people, I guess."
"Well, I guess you'll get better at it soon, we are headed to a school after all. Besides, you might make some friends while you're at it." He ran to catch up with his friends, and the wizard looked thoughtful. Turns out he's not as bad as I thought. Maybe this might be worth it after all...
Storm[]
"Where were you?" Asked Sea, puzzled by his odd disappearances as usual.
"Talking with the other kid, turns out she's not as bad as Ignis."
Ignis grumbled something unintelligible in response to his comment, but Storm ignored him.
"No one's as bad as they look, otherwise we would still be avoiding Ignis," the half-Merling responded. "Anyhow, the Academy's just ahead."
And she was right. By the time they reached the end of the path, the Academy loomed above the treetops, built atop of an airborne island. It was a majestic castle-like structure, decorated to match the 6 elements taught there - Fire, Ice, Earth, Water, Storm, and Astral.
Ignis blinked, "How the heck are we supposed to get up there? Last time I checked we don't have wings." Storm noticed the icy wizard stiffen at that, while Noot looked irritated.
The yeti pulled out an amulet, "Easy, we teleport there. If we had to fly that would make my life difficult, now won't it?"
"Then why for the love of the Astral Warden did you make us walk here?"
"Maybe that's because teleportation is an advanced spell and we need to know how to get here by foot." The wizard muttered under breath, causing Ignis to glance at her.
"Oh."
Ada sighed before whispering the spell, teleporting the group into the building.
"Whoa, this place is huge." Storm remarked, eyes widening.
The wizard had known plenty about the Academy, but it was definitely still a sight to behold. The towering structure was decorated with banners, and the carpeting was elaborately embroidered with the Astral symbol. Fairy dust was scattered all over the place - expected seeing how brutal spellcasting can sometimes be, but what was it doing in the hall?
What caught her eye was a small emblem chipped into the stone wall, clearly made with violent knife slashes. She ran her hand over it, recognizing it instantly.
Storm noticed, walked over, and peaked over her shoulder, "What does that mean?"
She didn't mind answering him, but looked as confused as the tech wizard, "It's the Faen Wind, or at least, the mark that represents it. I wonder who made it, this definitely wasn't made by whoever built the rest of this place."
"Fay-in wind?" He asked, struggling to pronounce it.
Sea came over, "Faen, meaning fairy or faerie. Odd, the only fairies here are teachers, and I can't picture any of them vandalizing the school like this-"
Noot and Ada exchanged a glance, seeming to know who was responsible. Yet neither answered any questions and simply led all of them to class. They soon forgot about the mark, except for one of them...
?[]
An unknown figure sat on the rafters, leg hanging in the air and a long thin tail wrapped around the beam. They watched as the wizard excused herself from the group of budding friends and walked to the wall, tracing their fingers along the marking chipped into the wall. They glanced around, looking at the pattern of fairy dust and realizing it was in the exact same pattern.
Every year they did the exact same thing. Every year a group of students noticed. Every year that group became the best of friends. Every year they forgot... except this year. This year, someone noticed, someone remembered, and someone... looked up.
Blue eyes met amber at that moment, and a memory was fresh on their mind.
The same figure sat on the rafters, watching the Puppet Master blast the keystones and ruining the balance of the island. He had noticed the mark, created by the anger of the figure earlier on, but said nothing, did nothing, and completely ignored the figure - fully aware they were there.
Now someone else saw it, said nothing, did nothing... but they didn't ignore them.
"Who are you?" She finally asked.
"Most call me Gale."
Sometime in the future, once again sitting in those rafters, they made the mistake of ignoring the presence of a shadow... which will eventually lead to the death of the wardens, the girl who stood before them manipulating the keystones, and reincarnations running on the loose.
Yet it was only the first day, was it not? Could anything done on this day affect the future? One person knew the answer, but even they haven't made that decision yet...
Part Two[]
Aly[]
The wizard watched as the figure flicked their hand, using Earth magic to repair the wall and a sweep of telekinesis to clean up the fairy dust. They clearly knew what they were doing... that or they've done this before.
Eventually, after spending a minute or two observing her, they jumped down - to her dismay. Heart in her throat, she expected them to crash to the ground since the rafters were so high up. Instead, a pair of tattered wings opened, allowing them to glide safely to the ground. Aly let out a sigh of relief... before scolding herself for being so stupid. Of course they were going to be fine, otherwise, they wouldn't have jumped.
They set foot a distance away from her, allowing the wizard to see them clearly. The figure in question had large unforgettable amber eyes, white wings bordered with gold and blue - tattered in multiple places, wore red and gold robes adorned to represent the Academy, and a long thin, ribbon-like tail, which was gold and became lighter as it reached the tip. An amulet with a star-shaped crystal hung from their neck, and they had disastrously spiked platinum hair, of which two pointed ears peeked out of. They seemed to be a boy around her age, but what was most notable was his gray skin tone, presumably why she wasn't able to see him clearly while he was on the rafters.
What caught her interest most was the sense of familiarity he gave off, yet she couldn't quite recall why... maybe she saw him the last time she was here?
As he stood on his toes like a digitigrade, she decided to see if she heard him correctly, "You said your name is Gale... right?"
"That's just what people call me."
"..then what is your name?"
He shrugged, "My last name's Starheart and that's as much as you're going to get."
The wizard harrumphed before responding, "Well then, I might as well tell you my name. I'm Aly, short for Alyss, that is."
"Aly..." He trailed off in thought, "You're Ada's sister, right?"
"Well, an adoptive sister. Have I met you before...?"
The fairy flicked his tail, "Guess you can say that. yet it's mostly because it's hard not to overhear the Wardens talk, my bedroom's rather close to the common room."
She took a surprised step back, "You live... here?"
"Of course, how else am I supposed to keep this place aloft all the time?"
The wizard was officially impressed, levitating a floating island was no mere task, and was enough to knock the most experienced wizard out. That's why Keepers working at the Academy have to be granted an ability, since most of the spells they have to cast to keep the building in order were that powerful. But that would mean... why for the love of the Astral Warden would anyone put a kid in that position?
Gale[]
He watched as realization dawned upon her face - expected. He had become Academy Keeper a bit young but didn't mind... much. Yet it meant most people didn't believe him until he proved it - which usually involved causing the Academy to fall out of the sky before stopping precisely a mile above Lamplight Town, an utter flex of his ability.
"Wait... so you're Keeper-"
"Of the Academy? Yes." He responded, resisting the urge to fool around with his Vorplad Blade - Abner would surely tell him off he scared a new student, especially on their first day.
"The first to stand is the first to fall, the last to stand is the strongest of them all." He muttered under his breath subconsciously, his voice scarcely a whisper.
"What does that mean?"
He blinked in surprise, "You heard that?" His eyes then narrowed, "Wait a minute-" Now he figured out what was wrong. Surely Bok would never take in a human, and the fact she recognized the Faen Wind without education...
Pieces fell into place as he cycled through everything he observed. Nothing, absolutely nothing slipped past him - especially not this. Yet what he was going to do about it, however, was a whole other story.
Aly[]
She tensed, waiting for him to finish what he was staying, but instead, he shrugged it off.
"Nevermind, where are my manners?" He folded his wings against his back, making him look slightly less intimidating, "You should be heading back to class by now, I'm just keeping you here, now aren't I?"
"N-no, I don't mind, really." She stuttered, startled by his change of heart. He's clearly hiding something, I'm not stupid.
"Even so, I have to go to the Archives. Have a good one."
The wizard watched him go before heading toward the Astral Tower, not sure what to make of the situation. Deep in her thoughts, she scarcely noticed Storm, who was waiting outside the tower.
"Hey, where were you?" His tone was light, but his eyes darkened - she had been gone for a while.
Aly shrugged half-heartedly, "Just checking something out. I ran into the Academy Keeper and lost track of time, sorry."
"Academy Keeper?"
"He's the one who takes care of this place-" She paused as a familiar silhouette slipped into the Astral Tower. Wait, didn't he say he was going to the Archives? That's downstairs... right?
Storm noticed her abrupt pause and gazed in the direction she was looking at, "Is that him?"
"Yes but-" She sighed, "Nevermind, we should be heading to class. We don't want to be late on our first day." The two walked to the entrance of the tower, its doors wide open.
The tower was elegantly decorated with stars on its outer blue walls and the doors made of blue and yellow crystal, resembling a Falling Star Smash striking the red and blue carpeted floor. Towering gold pillars and two topiary trees sided the door frame, and the base of the tower was bordered in gold. As the two walked onto the carpet at the very entrance of the tower, they could see a familiar detailly embroidered star on it.
Fairy and stardust were scattered absolutely everywhere, the signs of previous battle catching the light and causing the tower to sparkle. Upon entering the classroom, Storm immediately joined his friends, while Aly glanced around a bit while sitting in the back, slightly disappointed that the first floor of the tower had no windows.
Their teacher, an aged professor, finally walked in, only for her to zone out... until he said her name.
"...and Alyss, would you come to the front of the classroom please?"
Gale[]
He had known Alas would call on the wizard, as newer students were to spar so one could know their current ability, but he was not expecting to be called on. Usually, first years were sparred against each other, and did not spar against older students until later into the year. He raised his hand, "Excuse me, but why did you call on me...?"
The professor didn't give a single indication towards his intent, "Just come over here, Gale." As the fairy got up and walked towards the front, Alas explained to the group what they'll be doing, "Every student spars on their first day to test their magical ability, but I've been told that you four seem to excel at your chosen elements. So I've decided you'll be sparring as a group against the Academy Keeper."
Storm blinked at seeing the scrawny gray fairy, "Isn't that a bit... unfair for him?"
He chuckled, "If it's unfair for anyone, it'll be unfair towards you. Don't judge him by his looks." He looked at Gale, "As for you, hand it over." He outstretched his hand, and the Keeper reluctantly took off his amulet and dropped it in his palm.
His amber eyes burned with uncertainty, Hmph, so you're making it easier for them now. What's the point of that?
The professor signaled for them to start and a ball of astral energy charged at his fingertips. As soon as Sea used Torrent, a barrier of Astral Magic crashed between him and the group, taking hit after hit. With a sweep of his hand, the barrier shattered, allowing a Super Nova to crash down on the group.
Two Falling Star Smashes were cast in unison, which he quickly dodged before summoning an icy spear, jumping up and throwing it into the ground before them - Spearicle Crush. Storm darted out of the way and took the opportunity to cast Ion Cannon, which hit its mark.
The fairy gritted his teeth in irritation moved his arm through the air, causing a ray of light to blast Storm, knocking him to the ground and forcing the wizard to surrender.
"Gale," Alas said in a warning tone, reminding him not to use relic spells.
The Keeper rolled his eyes at that, before realizing Sea, Ignis, and Aly still weren't down. He harrumphed before closing his eyes, allowing him to "see" the magical aura of everything nearby - including the Academy itself. He moved his finger through the air, drawing the Academy with lines of light, then with a sweep of his hand the image was thrust down, the whole floating island dipped a foot below its usual height off the ground, causing his opponents to lose their balance.
To his demise, Aly quickly got back to her feet and used Chill Out. He cracked the ice and used Super Nova once more, leading to Sea's surrender. As the half-Merling walked over to join Storm, he looked at his remaining foes.
Ignis, who hadn't cast a single spell so far, used Volcanon, which was surprisingly effective. Gale lost his footing for a minute before deciding to turn the tides. He concentrated for a few minutes causing a pure, elemental energy version of Ada's staff to appear in his grasp. He slammed it into the ground, causing the sparring hall to freeze over. The elemental weapon vanished and he used Falling Star Smash on Ignis.
The Fire wizard slipped on the ice, growled in annoyance, then melted the ice around him. He used Volcanon... only for the ice to melt and douse the flames before it could do anything - just as the fairy planned.
Gale restrained him with vines before blasting him with a continuous Ion Canon, causing the wizard to slump to the ground and surrender. He looked at Aly, elemental energy swirling around him - she was his final foe.
Aly[]
The ice wizard watched as the fairy took out the others one by one, using at least four elements while he was at it. He had also managed to cast spells one could only dream of - being Academy Keeper certainly had its advantages. How in Astral am I supposed to beat him?
However, the fairy did seem a bit tired as she cast a Falling Star Smash. Coming up with a plan, she once again used Chill Out, to see if she was right. As expected, the Keeper showed signs of exhaustion after breaking the ice, only to regain his composure. Maybe the trick is to tire him out, not to overpower him...
With that, she cast Chill Out, him countering it with Forest Hurricane, causing the icy spell to swirl back at her.
Falling Star Smash...
Ion Cannon...
Chill Out...
Falling Star Smash...
Finally, he slowed down, his exhaustion catching up to him. She planted her feet in the ground and charged up a final spell... a Falling Star Smash three times as powerful as usual crashed down, and Gale reluctantly surrendered. The professor handed the amulet back to the Keeper, who muttered something under his breath, instantly losing all traces of exhaustion.
The Academy teacher showed no sign of being disappointed or impressed with the group's performance, "Gale, do you mind? I'm pretty sure they all took quite a hit."
The Keeper pulled out a bag of fairy dust and dusted each of them. However, he skipped over Aly, which the professor failed to notice.
They continued class until they were dismissed, thoughts were fresh on the wizard's mind...
Gale[]
The fairy leaned against the wall, twirling a Vorplad Blade thoughtfully.
He needed to sort things out, a lot was on his mind. The new students, what the professor mentioned, and that Ice Wizard... Or should I say Fairy?
"There you are-" The owner of the voice didn't get to finish before the fairy spun around and instinctively threw the blade. The wizard scarcely ducked in time, the weapon striking stone where his face was just a second ago. "That was close. Jumpy, eh?"
Gale sighed, "Sorry about that."
"No harm done," the blond-haired wizard inspected the blade, which was sticking out of the wall, "I've got to say, that went in pretty deep, I'm not sure you'll be able to get that out-" He watched as fairy walked over, flew a foot off the ground, and pulled the blade out like it was stuck in cheese. "...and of course you can get it out..."
"So, why were you looking for me?" He asked, resuming to twirl the knife between his fingers.
"You know, it makes me really uncomfortable when you do that-"
Gale let out another sigh before sheathing the Vorplad Blade, then crossed his arms. "Are you going to answer me or not?"
"Were you showing off again?"
"Showing off? You know I don't show off."
"Oh really? Explain the Academy falling out of the sky."
"If someone asks me to prove it, then I will. If you have a problem with it, why didn't you keep Austen from getting himself killed?"
The wizard grimaced, "Gale... that's a bit harsh-"
"Yet you deserve it, no?" He drummed his fingers on the desk. "Seeing you stayed behind knowing that he shouldn't risk it. Yet, what does it matter? Wouldn't have made a difference to me anyway."
"You know, telling yourself that won't make you feel any better." He informed the fairy after a bit.
"Conceal, don't feel. Ever heard the phrase?"
"Yes but-"
"I'm better off that way." The fairy walked out of the room, leaving the wizard at a loss for words...
Aly[]
"Alright, what's bothering you?"
"You know, you don't have to ask me, it's not like we're friends."
"Everyone needs a friend to ask them if something is wrong, whether or not they recognize them as a friend yet." Responded the techy wizard.
She put her hands on her hips, "Since when were you serious?"
"Since five minutes ago when I had a chat with Sea."
She laughed at that - the Ice Wizard only knew the half-Merling for a few hours and she had already proven to be a serious, wise, motherly person. It was hard not to pick up her aura of wisdom. "Well then, to answer your question... a lot of things."
"What kind of things?" He asked, his Wott nesting in his messy hair.
Aly sighed, "For starters... Ada, I guess. Since us first years don't get an Academy Amulet, and since I sleep in a lot, she and Bok agreed it'll be better for me to stay in Lamplight Town during the school year."
"That's a bit... rough." Sympathy filled his gaze.
"Then there's Gale. He acts weird around me then gets excessively polite around everyone else. And that spar? I've never seen anyone manipulate magic like that, it's a bit unnerving."
Storm frowned, "What do you mean by weird?"
"Well, he always seems on the verge of questioning me, he skipped me when using fairy dust, he's been watching me ever since I bumped into him, not to mention he keeps lying to me. It's almost as if-" She stopped, realization dawning upon her. "I got to go, see you later."
She dashed off, and the tech wizard looked at his Wott. "Strange, isn't she?"
Gale[]
The fairy watched as students began to leave for the day. Some headed to dorms at a separate floating Island, some headed to the dorms down at Lamplight Town, and the experienced students with Academy Amulets headed home to their elemental areas.
The thought of going home for the day was tempting, but he already made his choice - he was never going back, never. He whipped around as footsteps sounded behind him, immediately entering defensive stance, tense.
A tall, proud, wizard stood over him - one he recognized well. "So the little rat's still here, huh?" Their "friends" laughed at the joke, which was a way of making fun of the fairy's unusual gray skin tone... as well as the odd way he stood.
His eyes narrowed and his tail lashed, "What do you want?"
The wizard stared him down, "Isn't it obvious? We want you to leave, everyone knows about the Magiccatcher incident, first days mean nothing - anyone new will find out eventually."
He laughed a harsh laugh, "Is that so? Last time I checked it's your last year, and you're the one who tells everyone one." The wizard instantly moved to pin him, smashing the fairy against the wall. Yet they failed to stop him from getting a hand around their arm, grip tightening.
"I can and will break it."
"You're bluffing."
"What if I'm not?"
"Well if you do break my arm, then the Wardens will kick you out."
He slowly began to twist their arm, "And what makes you think that? It's not as if they can replace-"
"OW!" The wizard instinctively yanked their arm away, letting him go. They rubbed the spot where he held, trying to relieve the pain.
Gale looked momentarily smug before he felt someone stomp on his tail, pain filling his gaze. Alright, NOW I'm mad.
The older students were immediately blasted back by Astral Magic as he formed a barrier. I'm not going through this again.
The wizard gritted his teeth in irritation, concentrating elemental energy to break the barrier, "You little rat-" A Spearicle Crush smashed down on the group, and an angry-looking Ice Wizard stood at the entrance of the hall.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"This is none of your business-"
Gale had taken advantage of the situation, dropped the barrier, and blasted them back with an unspeakable amount of elemental energy. He used Forest Hurricane, causing the energy to swirl and make it impossible for his foes to avoid getting hit. When the spell faded, his amber eyes were cold, "Leave. Me. ALONE!"
The wizard threw up their hands in defense, backing away with his group, "Okay, okay, we're going." Gale instinctively lashed his tail, only to wince afterward.
As the group left, the Ice Wizard approached him, "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Gale responded, but didn't look okay.
"What was that all about?"
The fairy had sat on the floor, cradling his tail, "Something that happened years ago, no one ever believed it wasn't my fault. The downside of being a fairy, I suppose."
"Is this a bad time? I wanted to ask you about something." At that, he looked up at her in surprise.
"I don't mind."
She crossed her arms, "You know, don't you?"
"Know what?" He asked slyly, trying to trick her into admitting it out loud.
"No wonder they call you little rat, not only are you gray, but you have the right attitude too. Do you really think I'll fall for that?"
He glared at her, but sighed, "Fine, yes, I know. Didn't expect you to confront me about it though."
"So why don't you tell everyone and get me shunned? Aren't you the least bit jealous that I get accepted while you're bullied over being a fairy?" Her gaze was uncertain as she sought answers, wanting to figure him out. Yet no one can figure him out, not even himself.
"I'm not jealous, though I have to admit, I did consider spilling."
"And?"
"I decided not to."
Confusion filled her gaze, "Why? It's not like I've ever done anything for you, we just met."
"I know, which is why I didn't. What's the point of making an enemy of a person the first day you know them?" He then added reluctantly, "Plus... if I were in your position... and had a choice, I would've done the same thing. I would've been a total hypocrite if I spilled, now wouldn't I?"
"If you had a choice?"
"Well, I'm a bit on the gray side, literally." He joked, but there was a sadness in his gaze. What he would do to make things happen differently. Somethings just can't be changed...
"About there being no point in making an enemy..."
"Yes?"
"Does that happen to be because you wanted to get to know me?"
"Maybe." He gave no indication of wanting to form a friendship, but the Ice Wizard noticed the hidden smile... and smiled back.
End[]
A tech wizard leaned against the entrance to the hall, watching the two unnoticed. There's a first day for everything, including friendships.
His Wott hung upside-down from the rafters, and Storm called for it back, as he had promised he won't be late. Yet as the Wott flew down, it knocked down a timekeeper which smashed upon falling on the ground.
He walked over and picked it up, examining the instrument as the Wott perched on his head. He flipped it open and saw an odd power source, as well as gears that showed centuries of wear. "Igneous metal? But Igni said..."
Storm touched the power source, a spark jumping from the blue rod. He immediately took off his visor, opened the side, and saw the exact same power source.
"Yet that would mean... I'm not the only one who came from Alpha."