Disclaimer: Yes, yes, the same old boring phrase.. see my bio.
Rating: PG-13 for languages.
Pairing: None planned.. yet.
Category: General
Summary: Meet students of New Helic High; they are friendly, they are athletic, they are creative, they are crazy... they are teenagers. A story of adjusting to new life, new friends, and just simply enjoying life¡¯s sweets. But sometimes, you just got to endure some bitter tidbits that life hands out.
Authoress¡¯ note: This is an AU fic! AU is Alternate Universe, meaning that the Zoid characters are in completely different surroundings from the Chaotic Century and the Guardian Force-episodes.
Authoress¡¯ note number two: I solemnly swear that this is my original idea and if it sounds a bit similar to many of the High-school stories out there, it is not my fault. It¡¯s just that this idea is becoming a bit of a cliché. I know many people have done this AU high-school thing, but this has been nagging at my brain for some months now and I just had to write this down. I swear this by my whole career as a fan fiction writer [although it isn¡¯t much], my Draco Malfoy doll [which still remains as one of my prized possessions], my Raven pictures [on which my life may depend, providing the situation], and finally my whole collection of story idea notebooks, countless pages of refills, and A4 pages.
Anyway, enjoy!
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Life¡¯s Sweet
By. Firemoon
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Chapter 1: New school, new life
It was raining heavily that day.
Thick gray fog surrounded the city of New Helic, completely covering what little remains of blue it had left amongst the dark, brooding black clouds. Thanks to that, the city, already remarked by some people as dull and boring as it could be, looked drably than ever before; shabby-looking and old fashioned houses mostly lined the cracked streets, and there were almost none of those high buildings that you usually see in a city to show its head for miles around.
And because of the pouring rain, no people dared to venture outside their warm and cozy homes. The streets were empty, and no sounds were heard except for the swooshing of rain as the wind swept it. All this made the city looking more forlorn and unattractive.
A black limousine sped across the street, splashing water on some elderly man walking by the sidewalk. Ignoring his loud but incoherent cursing and much fist shaking over his tightly-wrapped grocery, it turned around a bend and disappeared from the old man¡¯s view.
If one had looked closely, they would have noticed that one of the tinted windows was wide open despite the pouring rain. But there was no one out on the practically flooding street except for the old man, and so nobody noticed it except for the occupants of the limo.
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Inside, a dark-gray haired boy of about 15 or 16 was sitting directly next to the open window, firmly keeping his eyes outside towards the gray and dull surroundings and barely glancing at the other person inside the limo. In fact, he did not even give a slightest notice of the other occupant since they first got into the vehicle. The boy ignored the droplets of rain constantly falling in, spattering his face and his black button-up designer shirt.
His whole clothing were black – he didn¡¯t seem to have much of colour sense, that was for sure – and so if it wasn¡¯t for his remarkably pale skin for one with such dark hair, he would have appeared as a very sinister and, if this could be said, satanic figure.
He frowned, one slender finger unnoticingly creeping up to twirl at his rather-long-for-a-boy gray hair as he – with barely concealed displeasure - surveyed the city. That was when the other occupant of the vehicle moved.
Prozen gently but firmly took the boy¡¯s hand away from the gray tresses, and the gray-haired boy frowned slightly. When he spoke, he did not turn his head, so it was more like that he spoke out to the street than to the man who was sitting directly opposite him.
¡°What is it, Prozen?¡±
¡°Tsk, tsk.. Raven, it¡¯s Father.¡±
¡°Foster-father, you mean.¡±
The ashen-haired man sighed at the boy¡¯s rather acid remark, and tiredly rubbed his temple, lowering his scarlet eyes onto the other hand on his lap. The boy continued looking outside the window.
¡°Raven, Raven.. It has been nearly 11 years. You should be going over that whole ¡®foster¡¯ business.¡±
The boy, Raven as the man called him, did not even glance at the man. Still continuing to stare idly at the not-so-remarkable streets, he asked.
¡°Are we there yet?¡±
At this remark, the man leant forward from his luxuriously padded leather seat, his scarlet eyes examining the boy¡¯s face. His eyes held worry and anxiousness.
¡°Are you feeling alright?¡±
Raven made an exasperated noise, and his gray-violet eyes flicked for a moment to Prozen before gluing their gaze to outside once more.
¡°...I¡¯m alright.¡±
¡°Just tell me if you don¡¯t feel that good, and—¡±
¡°For God¡¯s sake leave me alone for a single fucking minute!¡±
The boy shouted angrily, momentarily looking straight at the man inside the car. His violet eyes were narrowed with anger.
¡°Just stop asking questions and stop worrying about me, damn it!¡±
Prozen flinched; it showed that the boy was more stressed then usual. He was usually quite in the car. It was unusual for Prozen to see Raven losing control of his emotions. He did not say anything, and the gray-haired boy sighed, closing his violet depth and leaning back on his seat as if he was tired. A short silence reigned while each of them did not say anything, and suddenly the driver¡¯s voice was heard from a small speaker beside Prozen¡¯s left elbow.
¡°We have arrived, sir.¡±
¡°Good.¡±
Raven muttered as he grabbed his umbrella – as always, it was black – and quickly stepped outside the limo. By this time the rain had subsided a little, and Raven straightened up, smoothing out his shirt with his hand and looking curiously at the grand white building that loomed above him.
It was most quite unusual sight; a drably city, with this modern and expensive looking building in its midst. The gate they have just passed through was also elaborate with carefully wrought metal bars, and its two doors held the same symbol; a lightning and a globe surrounded by crown of laurels. It was actually quite remarkable because all that was made of metal bars, carefully spaced and skillfully thinned.
Raven looked again towards the grandly white building and the field that surrounded it. It was obviously a school – the field and the general mood all spoke of ¡®school¡¯ – and it was 4 storeys high, about twice higher than any of the buildings around it. Prozen stepped out of the car to stand beside Raven, and laid his hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder. He ignored the boy¡¯s flinching. After a while, Raven opened his mouth.
¡°So, this is it, right?¡±
¡°Yes Raven.¡±
Both the man and the boy looked towards the mainly visible white wall at the front of the building. The broad gold lettering was quite visible even without any sunlight.
New Helic High School
Prozen looked down at the boy.
¡°It¡¯s your new school.¡±
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¡°Ah, Gunther. How glad I am to see you.¡±
An elderly woman was waiting at the marble doorstep to greet them. She could be considered quite beautiful despite the age, and her elegant dress seemed to heighten that image. She kissed Prozen on both cheeks while Raven stood beside them, silently wondering but deciding not to say anything. The woman finally turned towards him, and stared down at Raven through her curiously shaped glasses. Her rings glittered in the electric light seeping out from inside the building through the open door.
¡°So, this young man is your adopted son that I wanted to see for so many years?¡±
¡°Yes, Aunt Jacqueline, this is Raven.¡±
¡°How do you do, Raven?¡±
Raven looked into the woman¡¯s – Prozen had an aunt? – light blue eyes.
¡°I¡¯m fine, thank you.¡±
¡°I¡¯m Jacqueline Camford, and I¡¯m the headmistress of this school. I¡¯m so glad that you¡¯ll be attending this school, since technically you¡¯re my grand nephew. But,¡±
She winked playfully while the rim of her glasses twinkled.
¡°Let¡¯s not tell that to people, shall we?¡±
Who would want to have you as a great aunt anyway? Raven thought as they were led into her comfortable office, and he sat in one of the armchairs that was closest to the door, which was open – there was this strong vanilla smell that could have been an essence or the woman¡¯s perfume – while the two adults sat in front of the desk, sorting out a document or two - ¡°I really don¡¯t want to bother you with this, Gunther, but the school rules—¡± – for a few but painfully slow minutes.
Finally the two adults stood up, and the headmistress – he will not call her his great aunt – handed him three or four booklets of differently assorted colours, complete with the school shield printed on the cover.
¡°Well, seeing as all the required documents are settled, I say that we go to the uniform shop to get the boy into our uniform.¡±
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¡°Perfect! Just perfect! My my, Gunther, I must say that your son looks quite charming in those uniform.¡±
Raven secretly rolled his eyes, ignoring his foster-father and the headmistress who were looking at him quite proudly. He turned around, silently inspecting himself in the mirror.
The uniform isn¡¯t much, he observed, his gray-violet eyes swiftly taking in the black tie and knit jersey, quite plain save from the silver line around the v-neckline. Under that, it was simply nothing more than a white button up shirt, and – again - black pants.
There was the school shield embroidered with silver threads on the jersey, and Raven mentally sighed at how more paler than normal he looked in all these blacks. He turned around to face the adults, saying the sentence that had been plaguing him since he first laid eyes on the uniform.
¡°I look like a vampire.¡±
¡°Oh, no, Raven. You are just...fairer than other people.¡±
Raven suppressed the urge to snort at his foster-father¡¯s rather lame reply, and picked up his thick winter coat, standing there for a moment looking at it. Well, he thought as he looked at himself again in the mirror, dark gray hair nearly blending with the uniform. I guess that it¡¯s a good thing that the uniform is so plain. The last one was so hard to put on. He was brought out of his musings by the ashen-haired man, who started talking to the headmistress.
¡°So tomorrow is the start of a school week, is it not, Aunt J?¡±
¡°Yes, it is. Is the boy staying here in the Hostel or—¡±
¡°Raven must stay here, I¡¯m afraid.¡±
Prozen turned to Raven, fixing him with a silent glare with his scarlet eyes before the gray-haired boy could open his mouth.
¡°As I¡¯ve got some important business matters to attend to in Gylos, I think it would be better for you to stay here, Raven.¡±
The headmistress clapped, her countless bracelets jingling merrily.
¡°Good! Now, get your school things, Raven, we¡¯re going to the Hostel now to show you to your room.¡±
Raven picked up the several bags containing uniform and his school books, feeling grouchier than ever before.
...I hate this school.
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Really, I¡¯m quite hopeless, aren¡¯t I? *nervous laughing* I¡¯m CONTINUEING my other fics.. [meaning Salva Beatos and Love or Hate] It¡¯s just that I had to somehow get rid of this before this idea consumed me and affected my other stories [for example, I would have made Raven really OOC and Prozen really compassionate and fatherly, etc etc – if he ever comes out - in Love or Hate than it ever was, if I had suppressed this idea.]
Ok, sorry about the deleting this fic-thing. I guess I kinda got freaked out a little by posting this clich story. I wanted to delete Salva Beatos too, when I first posted it up. Now it¡¯s my no. 1 priority to NOT TO FREAK OUT. Yeah, sorry about the weird formatting... I can¡¯t seem to fix this no matter what. SORRY. Thanks to any who might have reviewed.
Flames accepted with reasons and Reviews welcome!
Yours Faithfully Fanfictional,
Firemoon