The (Meta)physics of Falling Up, by eloquence and entropy.

Chapter I, in which we meet the gang.

Fyanna Archos walked along the brick streets of Magix City. The world was bathed in dusty orange light as the fiery sun slowly slipped beneath the horizon, and people on the streets were starting to pull on jackets and walk a bit quicker, eager to get to their homes before night fell. Fyanna was in no such hurry, and strolled along leisurely, glancing into the windows of the quaint boutiques intermingled with modern high rises that lined both sides of the street. The air was musty and sticky; summer still reluctantly holding on and fall not yet escorted in by languid breezes. Her fluttering white dress was designed for sunny escapades, and as she walked, she clutched a messenger bag, her red hair falling in thick waves to her waist. She paused at one of the larger buildings, gazing at a glittering blue sateen dress on display in the window. Quickly, she turned to check if the store was still open. A buzz of idle annoyance came over her as she glared at the closed sign, but she swatted it away and moved on down the street. Honestly, the shops here close too early. It makes me miss Sparx.

Out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly spotted a head of jet-black hair. Immediately, her pulse ratcheted up. Instinctively, she turned to examine the man sitting on a bench across the street, checking to see if it was River. The man, as if feeling her gaze, looked up, and stared right back at her. Startled by his strange, pale gaze, Fyanna quickly dropped her eyes, her thoughts racing through her head. His eyes…They were like quicksilver, a powerful, strong steel color that she could see even from across the road. And his hair… It was cut close to his head, a strong difference from the shaggy locks River sported. She wondered who the stranger was. He looked to be about seventeen, around her age. Did he go to Red Fountain?

Something about him intrigued her.

Quickly deciding, she crossed the street, and walked past the man, not once looking at him. She stopped at the window display in the store behind him. Pretending to look at the clothes littered here and there in the display, she examined him more closely in the glass reflection.

Jesse tensed as the girl walked past him, debating whether or not to stop her. He'd spotted her staring at him from across the way, and had been intrigued by her. There was something about the intensity of her expression, the way her features aligned in perfect concentration. She had an air about her too, in the confident sway of her hips and the set of her slender shoulders.

Just a few hours ago, he'd arrived at Red Fountains, and, like every other first year student, been assigned a dorm. He was the first one there of the six students that were to share the austere, military style suite of rooms. Dumping his bags onto the closest bed, he'd immediately set out to explore his surroundings, giving in to the need to know where he was now, where he'd be for the next four years. Wandering through the spacious, high-tech city, he'd felt cowed. Back home on Sherbuea, the cities were quieter and relatively close-knit, always a place where everybody knew everybody else's business. He missed the warmth and security of his home a bit, but the sense of adventure was still new in him, and he was happy to take in the new scenery and the eclectic assortment of magical citizens wearing every manner of clothing...not to mention the variety of skin colors, hairstyles, and limbs.

Now he studied the girl, and realized with a jolt that she was looking at him too, using the reflection in a shop window. Smart…He was amused. This was like something out of a detective novel. Hesitantly, he stood up, and headed towards her. She spun around quickly, and he had the impression that he was being carefully deconstructed.

"I…er…my name's Jesse," he said, his voice jamming a bit in his throat when she glanced up at him from under a fringe of full, thick lashes, and he was struck by the impossible pale blue of her eyes. He awkwardly stuck out one hand, stuffing the other into this jeans pocket.

After a moment, she cautiously shook his proffered hand, and gave him a small smile, her eyes crinkling slightly at the corners and her lips tilting crookedly. "My name is Fyanna. I was wondering…do you go to Red Fountain?"

Taken aback, he nodded dumbly. She cocked her head to the side.

"By any chance, do you know a guy named River or a guy named Syrus?" she asked, her brow furrowing as if she was trying to figure something out. Absentmindedly, she stroked back a lock of red hair that was fluttering over her face.

"Uh, can't say that I do. I'm only a freshman, though." He offered the tidbit with a self-deprecating grin.

She seemed to be digesting the information. "Interesting." Suddenly glancing at the watch she wore loosely on her wrist, she swore under her breath, and he only just stopped his brow from rising in amusement. "Look, it was nice meeting you. I guess I'll see you around…? I'm sure I'll be hanging around Red Fountain quite a bit." She gave him another brilliant smile.

"Definitely," Jesse said, a warm feeling washing through him as she smiled. She wanted to see him again? Girls that looked like Fyanna did had never paid him much attention back home.

She took off, heading down the street, walking much faster than he would've expected her to. Recalling the details of their encounter, he frowned. That watch she wore…it was a guy's watch. It was obviously not made for the girl's slim wrist, and it had been an unpolished silver color, nothing shining. A man's watch. I shouldn't be surprised…she's too pretty to not have a boyfriend…he thought rather glumly. Combine that with the fact that she expected to be near Red Fountain a lot…More disappointed at this revelation than he cared to admit to himself, he walked slowly back to school, thinking about girls with red hair and pretty cherry lips.

"…and so, she walked along the cold, deserted corridors. An icy breeze blew through the hallway, chilling her. Clutching her cloak ever tighter, she suddenly heard a hollow, rapping sound—,"

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"AHHHH!" The room erupted in rather hysteric screams as Tatiana paused in her tale, the blood draining from her face. All five girls swiveled around to stare in panic at the huge French doors that opened out to the balcony. They could hear the rain smattering the castle walls outside, and the whistle of the wind through the trees.

"I-I swear I just heard a noise. Someone rapping on the doors." Lorelei whispered tremblingly. "T-The balcony doors."

"Y-You don't think it's the m-murderer from the story, d-do you? I-I mean, that would be completely illogical, and—," LaLaine tried to steady her voice, but she was interrupted as the French doors suddenly burst open with a roaring noise. The girls froze, none gathering enough courage to scream. Drawing closer together unconsciously, they stared as tall, shadowy figures jumped onto the balcony, the pouring rain outlining their figures. One drew forward, stepping into the dorm room…

"SYRUS YOU LITTLE BOOGER!" Fyanna screamed, leaping to her feet, recognizing the golden hair of the boy who'd entered. "HOW DARE YOU BURST IN LIKE THAT! THIS IS A GIRL'S DORM ROOM!"

Conveniently pushing away the fact that she'd been scared witless five minutes ago, she swung determinedly at the boy's stomach. He blocked her instinctively, his face surprised and amused in equal proportions.

"Well, I'm ecstatic to see you too," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm and a smirk growing at the corner of his lips.

Lorelei, better known as Lori, and the other three girls were on their feet now, glaring rather menacingly at the six boys crowding into the common room of the Alfea dorm.

Stalking up to a boy who quite resembled her, with the addition of about four inches or so, Lori jabbed a finger at his chest.

"You guys are such dillholes," Lori spat without further ado, tactful as always. She grabbed a lamp off a nearby table without thinking and threw it at the blonde boy Fyanna had been reprimanding. He caught it, the smirk now becoming epic in size.

"Now, now, Lori, that wasn't very polite."

"Polite?" Fyanna said incredulously. "I'll show you polite!"

Syrus leapt out of the way as Fyanna lunged at him. She regrouped quickly, and began chasing him around the expansive foyer.

Tatiana stepped towards the boys, only a hint of annoyance on her face. She saw a few new (cute) faces, and she wanted to be introduced.

"So, Dominic," she said, talking to the boy Lori had jabbed at earlier, "who're your friends?"

"Oh!" Dominic blinked once, as if he'd forgotten there'd been other people in the room besides him and Tia. Clearing his throat, he said, "Jesse—," a dark-haired guy looked up, "Wes—," a blonde taller than any of the boys waved, "and Brett," a brunette man nodded, "this is Tatiana, Princess of Solaria. The girl on the left with the long brown hair is Aurora Rose, River's sister, the girl on the right is my sister, Lorelei, Princess of the Harmonic Nebula, and the girl with the pink hair is LaLaine. The one chasing Sy around the room is Fyanna, his sister, Princess of Sparx and Eraklyon."

Aurora Rose, or Rory, as she was known, harrumphed rather disapprovingly.

"That was way rude, y'know," she grumbled to Dominic. He cocked his head and looked at her, glaring rather, well…rudely. She glared right back, which caused most of the people in the room to stop what they were doing—that is, ogling the opposite sex as only hormone-addled teenagers could—and stare in surprise. Rory was normally sweet, mild-tempered, and had an easy disposition. She didn't glare. It just wasn't right. Dominic, just as surprised as everyone else, stopped glaring immediately.

Jesse wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to these events. Instead, he was focused on one girl in particular, the girl he'd met downtown. Fyanna, with her blazing red hair and icy eyes, who chased her brother around the room. He studied the two. They seemed very much alike, with similar dispositions, though he had to admit that Syrus was much more easy-going and laid back. Fyanna seemed to have a raging temper, to put it mildly. They both had an easy attractiveness to their features (Jesse was secure enough to admit that Syrus didn't resemble a troll, though his habits were certainly another thing entirely), and shared the same pale, electrifying blue eyes.

He noticed with a jolt that the room at large was suddenly staring at him, waiting for something.

"I…er…pardon?" he said weakly, a slight blush setting up camp high on his cheeks.

Fyanna blinked in surprise at the dark-haired boy. That was the same guy whom she'd seen downtown!

"Hey! Jesse, right?" she called out as she stopped in her tracks, letting Syrus slide away to hide behind Lori, who gave him a withering glare. The blonde responded by giving her a cheeky smile and a kiss on the forehead. Fyanna felt the familiar urge to gag at her best friend and her brothers' very public displays of affection, then switched her attention back to Jesse. He still hadn't answered her question, and was staring at her rather strangely. Suddenly, he seemed to snap out of it, and blushing, asked her to repeat the comment. The color in his cheeks brought a quick smile to her lips.

She repeated her question, and he smiled in response, his (awfully pretty) gray eyes lighting up. "Yeah, Fyanna, fancy bumping into you here."

River gazed at them, arms crossed across his chest, standing at the very back of the crowd and observing the unfolding tableau. He was a tall boy with a lithe, muscled body still gangly with the listless grace of youth, but developed from years and years of swimming and running competitively, not to mention Red Fountain training. With dark, shaggy black hair that tended to fall into his feline emerald green eyes, girls flew to him like flies to honey. His sister, Aurora, shared the same amazing green eyes, inherited from their mother, though hers were soft and kind. The two siblings were universally acknowledged—and teased—as the Good Looking Ones amongst their already reasonably attractive circle of childhood friends. Neither Tia, Fyanna, and Syrus' golden-child prettiness, nor LaLaine, Lori, and Dominics' unusual looks, could rival their ethereal, somewhat detached beauty.

The brother and sister were polar opposites; River was quiet and pensive, outwardly emotionless and disdainful; almost cold to everyone but a select few. Aurora, or Rory, was warm and loving, both sympathetic and empathetic to every living thing. Her smile was always ready to comfort, and though shy, she did love people.

River's gaze still followed Jesse and Fyanna, who were engaged in conversation. He watched her sweep up her long hair unconsciously, Jesse's eyes following the path of her hand. River recognized the dazed look on the boy's face. It didn't take LaLaine's levels of genius to recognize that Jesse had a crush on the redhead.

Reflexively, River pushed down the surge of anger and jealousy in the pit of his stomach. He knew that he should've let these feelings for Fyanna go long ago; after all, it'd been more than a year since they were together. By the look on her face as she gazed at Jesse, he could tell that she'd certainly moved on. They were ogling each other without the slightest notice of anyone else in the crowded dorm.

Sighing, he leant back against the French doors. Tia and Dominic were flirting and giggling like usual, and his sister and LaLaine—nicknamed Lane—were talking to Brett and Wes. He frowned slightly. Brett was openly gaping at Rory. That little…

Ugh. Well, he'd rather it be Brett, who seemed like a nice guy, than Aaron, the last guy Rory'd dated. He'd beaten that jerk to a pulp after he'd had the nerve to cheat on his sister. And Brett's eyes were, at least, fastened firmly to Rory's face.

That only left Syrus and Lori, who were whispering to each other on one of the couches. It seemed that only River was all alone tonight.

The ride back to Red Fountain was quiet and anxious. They'd stayed much too late at the girls' dorm; it was half past twelve already, an hour over curfew. River felt a small buzz of annoyance. He'd alerted the boys when it'd been time to go, but they'd told him to relax and get the stick he had up his ass out. He snorted derisively. If they were caught sneaking in, they'd be in detention forever, and he'd never let the other guys forget that girls had caused them a lapse in judgment that put them at the mercy of Codatorta, Head of Discipline at Red Fountain.

He glanced at Jesse, who hadn't uttered a word since they'd left and sat at the co-pilot's seat rigidly. The guy was new this year, a freshman, as were Brett and Wes. They all seemed to be pretty cool, and they already got along well with the girls. In a little while, they'd be part of the gang. Suddenly, Jesse broke his spell of silence and spoke up hesitantly.

"So, you guys are all…you know…nobles or something?"

Startled, most of the eyes turned to him. A chorus of retorts, denials, and stammering filled the ship as Dominic, Syrus, and River—childhood friends—shot quick glances at each other. Syrus wondered what the dark-haired new guy had been doing while Dominic had been making introductions. If his sister were a princess, then logically he'd be a prince. D'oh.

Syrus, deciding to be truthful, nodded to Jesse, telling him that he was the prince of Eraklyon and Sparx, and that set the other boys off. Wes admitted to being prince of a realm called Gemini, Dominic to being the prince of the Harmonic Nebula, and River said that his parents were nobility—duke and duchess—in the realm of Linphea.

Jesse absorbed the information with a curious look on his face. "My realm doesn't have nobility," he said. "There's a standard of equality—,"

Dominic interrupted him with a rather unpleasant expression. "Don't start," he snarled, especially touchy about the subject. "We didn't choose—,"

Jesse, taken aback, shook his head fervently. "No, no," he said, shooting an apologetic grin at the glowering Specialist. "I was only curious. I didn't mean any offense at all."

Bloom sat at her great mahogany desk, staring off into space. Idly, she twirled a pen in her fingers, her electric blue eyes slightly troubled. The office where she sat was quiet, the thick walls and lush crimson carpet muffling the regular sounds of the palace outside the room. The furniture was the epitome of understated elegance, and bookshelves and glass cases displaying Sparxian artifacts lined two sides of the office. A third side was bare except for three large paintings; one showed Bloom's father, King Oritel, and Bloom's mother, Queen Miriam, along with a teenage Princess Daphne and a baby Bloom. Ms. Faragonda had kept it in safe keeping for many years, finally presenting it to Bloom on the eve of her graduation from Alfea. The next painting was a depiction of the Sparxian palace and seal melded into its Eraklyonite counterparts, a symbol of the unity and alliance of the two realms through their rulers. The last painting was a likeness of the current royal family of both Sparx and Eraklyon; Sky and Bloom stood tall and proud, Fyanna and Syrus by their sides, all garbed in midnight blue and gold. The fourth and final wall of the office, the one behind Bloom's desk, was made completely of clear, uncolored glass inlaid with gold at its corners, charmed so that Bloom could see out, but others could not see in. Presently, early morning sunlight streamed through the magnificent windows, bathing Bloom in a warm glow.

There was a knock on the door. Startled, Bloom dropped her pen and sat up straight in her chair, hurriedly rearranging her rather disorganized desk into a state of better presentation. Without her permission, the door flew open, and Bloom, angered, was about to protest the intruder when she saw that it was Sky. Breathing a sigh of relief, she flew into his open arms, breathing in his familiar scent. She didn't know he was coming to Sparx today—they hadn't seen each other in person for a week, each busy with the business of their own realms.

"Do you feel it too?" he murmured. She nodded, knowing exactly what he was talking about; there had been something bothering her all morning, distracting her from her work. Syrus and Fyannas' images had been floating before her mind's eye. Her imagination kept putting her two children in various situations, none of them kind.

"There's something wrong, Sky," she whispered. "Alfea and Red Fountain aren't their first times away from us, but there's something bothering me, something I can't let go. Do you really think they should've gone…?"

Sky released Bloom from his embrace, and grasped her shoulders, holding her body away from his so that he could look her in the eyes. "Bloom, you know it was best for them. Alfea and Red Fountain are unequivocally the best; you and I both know from personal experience. It's probably just us realizing that they're actually adults now. I definitely knew I'd grown out of being a kid when I started at Red Fountain."

Bloom nodded. His ice blue eyes, which both Fyanna and Syrus had inherited, were soft, smiling down at her. She smiled back at him genuinely. His explanation eased a significant part of her unease, but there was some left, some that refused to listen to logic. Sighing, she searched for his embrace again. His breath tickled her ear as he spoke in a merry voice.

"Say, what do you think about having another kid to liven up this place while the twins are gone?"

"SKY!"

Very Long Author's Note: So there it is, the first chapter. I realize it probably is a PAIN to keep all of the characters straight, not to mention guessing at who their parents are, so there's a handy-dandy guide in my profile, under "Bonus Features," as well as some pictures of how I imagine all my characters in my head.

As to the story itself—this is the first time I've ever written a "generation next" fic, something I've usually avoided because there are so many horrible clichés involves. However, this is something I've been working on for fun for a long time, so I decided, hey, why not share. In this fic, I'll try to pay homage to all the great tropes of the genre while simultaneously keeping it a little fresher. Please let me know in a review what you think of my efforts!

And I promise, next chapter I'll move away from the heavy-handed, obligatory introductions of the "gang."

Love, e&e.