The Official Fanfiction University of Araluen (OFUA)
Authour's note: The Idea for this story was taken from the brilliant Camilla Sandman's Official Fanfiction University of Middle-Earth. I didn't see one for Ranger's Apprentice, and I decided that I'd try my own.
So, please enjoy it if it's good and tell me if it's cruddy. It most likely won't live up to the OFUM's status or fame, but I hope it's good enough!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ranger's Apprentice or the Official Fanfiction University concept. Ranger's Apprentice and anything related to it belongs to John Flanagan, and the OFU concept belongs to Miss Sandman. This story is for enjoyment and not for profit. I am not profiting in any way by it.
WARNING: Will contain spoilers. And a lot of violence. Sexual content should be limited to kissing and such.
Chapter One
Down the Rabbit Hole... Sort Of
In the land of Araluen there lived a beautiful princess. Her name was Caranalia. She was tall and elegant, poised and graceful. And she was an excellent archer. She could hit the target right in the middle with her eighty pound longbow from two hundred meters.
Suffice it to say, Caranalia was an expert. So when she was invited to join the Rangers, she accepted quickly.
Hannah smiled as she read over what she'd written so far. She sighed. She so wished that she could be like Caranalia.
She looked down at the keyboard and began to type again.
Caranalia was sixteen years old when she first came to join the rangers. Her skill with the bow and arrows was so good that Halt said she didn't even have to be an apprentice.
She went to her first gathering and looked for her boyfriend Will Treaty.
But it was not to be, for Will was already in love with Alyss.
Hannah stopped suddenly.
"What?" she asked herself as she read the last sentence, "Did I write that?"
She frowned.
She started to type again, but a message popped up on her screen.
"Access denied until you have passed."
She blinked. This was all very confusing. She'd just been ready to write about her self-insert's love for Will when this had happened.
Looking down, she spotted a paper on her desk.
"'Official Fanfiction University of Araluen,'" she read. "Sounds... interesting."
She shrugged, glancing over the paper. No doubt a trick from her younger siblings.
Dear Student,
You have been invited to enroll in the Official Fanfiction University of Araluen for a period of two semesters. During that time you will learn the basics of writing fanfiction based off of the Rangers and their friends. You will also learn from personal experience. We have many excellent teachers this year, including, but not limited to, Halt O'Carrick, Jenny Dalby, Will Treaty, Horace Altman, Alyss Mainwaring, and Erak Starfollower. You'll learn the basic skills of a ranger as well as many others from all over the world. Please expect, along with difficult academics, that you will be put through many, many physical tests and training, so be prepared to be a bit sore and tired. If you do well enough at the end of the year, you will receive a certification stating that you are permitted to write Ranger's Apprentice fanfiction. And you will return home.
We look forward to having you here this year at the OFUA, and we hope that this year shall be a good learning experience.
Sincerely,
Miss Tori and the OFUA Staff
Hannah rolled her eyes. This was definitely her brother and sister. Definitely. They knew about her ranger obsession, and made fun of it constantly.
She shrugged.
"Why not? I'll just humor them."
So she began to fill out the form.
Name: Hannah Embrey
Age: Sixteen
Gender: Female
Favorite Ranger: Will
The form was fairly basic. Until she got further down.
Describe your experience with archery:
Hannah shrugged. Why not match her self-insert?
I can hit the bullseye from two hundred meters with my eighty pound longbow.
After all, why would it matter if it was the truth or not? In real life, Hannah had very rarely shot a bow, only a few kids' compounds at summer camp. And she'd never hit the bulls eye.
She continued filling it out and set it back on the desk, not knowing what exactly her older brother would do with it when he found it.
She went to change into her pyjamas and brushed her teeth to get ready for bed.
As she slipped into the bed, she cast a glance at her desk. Much to her surprise, the paper had mysteriously vanished.
Carl couldn't have gotten in here while I was in the bathroom, right? she asked herself.
"Probably," she yawned, turning off her lamp and closing her eyes. She was tired. She'd just finished school and was ready for the summer break, but first she had some sleep to catch up on.
0o0o0o0
Hannah awoke slowly to an unfamiliar sound.
She frowned in her state of half-consciousness. She lived in New York City. Why on earth would she be hearing hoof beats?
Maybe she was still half inside her dream, she thought. She'd been dreaming, of course, about rangers, especially Will.
Then, she realized that the hoof beats were thumping in her head as well.
Somewhat afraid to look, she tentatively opened one eye. She realized that she was staring at the ground, an occasional hoof flashing across the field of her vision.
That explains why I feel like all my blood has rushed to my head... because it has.
Wait... what?
Hannah opened her other eye. Why on earth would she be on a horse?
Slowly, she began to sit up.
She found herself hanging over the saddle of a horse so that she wouldn't fall off, surrounded by various things along the lines of packs and bedrolls. Dully, she recognized her own suitcase.
She grunted as she levered herself up to a seated position. Ahead of her was another horse, attached to hers by a lead line, moving at a brisk trot.
She saw its rider and screamed. Loudly.
He was wearing a green-and-grey mottled Ranger cloak.
Then she realized that she was actually riding a horse.
She screamed again.
0o0o0o0
First chapter done. This was an introduction, just a trial to see how many people read it. It's my first OFU, and I hope it's not terrible.
Anyway, for all those who don't know how the OFU's work, any RA fans, male or female, can join it. Just fill out a form, yes, the same one Hannah did. Your OC will be fictionalized and added to the students. But, I must warn you, be careful what you wish for. The OFUA runs on the concept of 'Learning Through Pain.'
There will be much (literal) OC bashing.
THE OFFICIAL FANFICTION UNIVERSITY OF ARALUEN
Dear Student,
You have been invited to enroll in the Official Fanfiction University of Araluen for a period of two semesters. During that time you will learn the basics of writing fanfiction based off of the Rangers and their friends. You will also learn from personal experience. We have many excellent teachers this year, including, but not limited to, Halt O'Carrick, Jenny Dalby, Will Treaty, Horace Altman, Alyss Mainwaring, and Erak Starfollower. You'll learn the basic skills of a ranger as well as many others from all over the world. Please expect, along with difficult academics, that you will be put through many, many physical tests and training, so be prepared to be a bit sore and tired. If you do well enough at the end of the year, you will receive a certification stating that you are permitted to write Ranger's Apprentice fanfiction. And you will return home.
We look forward to having you here this year at the OFUA, and we hope that this year shall be a good learning experience.
Sincerely,
Miss Tori and the OFUA Staff
OFUA ENROLLMENT FORM:
~Please fill out the ENTIRE form~
BASIC INFORMATION
Name:
Age:
Gender:
Race:
Favorite Character:
Is he/she your Lust Object?
APPEARANCE
Hair:
Eyes:
Height:
Build:
PERSONALITY
General Personality:
Background:
Fears/Phobias:
REALISTIC strengths:
OTHER
What type of Fanfic do you usually write?
Do you write romance?
If yes, what Pairing do you usually write?
Experience in archery:
Experience in Horseback riding:
Experience with knives:
Silent movement skills?
Other skills:
I hereby authorize this content to be used and viewed by the staff, coordinator, and headmaster of the OFUA.
Signed:
0o0o0o0
Any and all enrollments accepted!
Also, if anyone has found and RA badfics, please tell me about them so I can use ideas from them later on in this story!
See you later,
Luthien