This chapter and the next few ones will feature a couple of important OCs. They're going to be important in the future of this story and for any future instalments, so make sure to pay attention as they feature! In particular, the worldbuilding here will become important as well as we progress down through the story.
Disclaimer: Mae Lee was submitted by a Guest, Cassandra was submitted by MimzyWhimzy, Lilyana was submitted by SilverAuthor01, and Aurora was submitted by Michelle Loves Chocolate 99.
Enjoy the story.
"Welcome to our dorm, kiddos!" Mae cheered, pulling a party popper. Multicoloured confetti — foil cut into small, thin strips and circles — puffed into the air and fell over the heads of the trio of newcomers to the dorm, as well as all over the carpet.
Maho suppressed a little sigh at her closest friend's antics, but it didn't stop a smile from pulling at pink-glossed lips either. Over the past three years, Maho had grown incredibly fond of Mae, helped immensely by the fact that they were roommates, of course, and she wouldn't wish for her friend to be any other way.
Blue eyes went over the threesome of new, aspiring fairies that now stood, partially covered in a fine dusting of multicoloured confetti foil.
Standing on the far right was Cassandra, also from Zenith, and apparently, a girl Tiara knew from her childhood. Tall and skinny, with quite a straight figure, the girl had mousy brown hair in a low ponytail as well as dark brown eyes. She also wore glasses, but unlike Tiara's square-shaped frames, hers were rounded, and two music note stud earrings decorated her ears. The girl was already wincing as she tried to pick off confetti flakes off her grey and purple-striped cashmere blouse.
In the middle of the group was, of course, Tiara, who was using her magic to brush off the confetti from her blouse. Static electricity jumped from her fingers to the rest of the foil pieces, and they all glided off her clothes like water off a duck's back, cascading onto the floor. The ginger just smiled and brushed her hands off, a job well done.
On the left, however, was a familiar face. Aurora Borealis Lindana, her — what was their relation again? She believed it was cousin-once-removed? She was a relative from her mother's side of the family, either way, niece to Duchess Luna Lindana. Curly red ringlets cascaded down her back, and big brown doe-eyes looked around with a shy smile, even as Aurora brushed off the confetti from her pink and blue shirt and green shorts.
She'd been under the impression that Aurora was attending the Solarian College of Magic or even Beta Academy before she was transferred into Alfea, but what was she doing here now?
Behind her sunglasses, Maho squinted slightly as she considered what was going on. She knew, of course, that there were things going on in Solaria's higher nobility at the moment. After her maternal grandmother had divorced from High King Radius, House Lunaria, the house of her maternal grandmother, had been experiencing a decline in their once great political might — the entire reason that Luna and Radius had been betrothed to wed once long ago. It was even worse because House Lunaria did not have an heir as House Radiance did.
She was currently House Lunaria's designated heir thanks to her mother being the daughter of the Duchess, but the House was dwindling, and the branch family was the only one that had children… or rather, a child. Aurora, of course, was that child, even if she was ineligible to claim leadership over House Lunaria.
"Alright, girls, that's enough of a mess for now." There was a clap of the hands, and the confetti spiralled into the air before vanishing with a shower of sparkles, much to Tiara and Cassandra's awe. The golden sparks fizzled out long before they reached the trio of newcomers, allowing all the girls to turn their attention to the speaker.
Lilyana placed her hands on her hips, flaming orange hair pulled back into thick, puffy bubble braids. Alfea had piloted a mentorship programme the previous year, letting one of the graduate students remain in Alfea as a dormitory mentor, helping the current students out as their upperclassman and a person to which they could confide in, while they would occasionally join the professors in their research. Lily, as the woman insisted on being called, lived in a single room dorm with the rest of the girls, but otherwise, they shared the common room and everything inside.
"My name is Lilyana, and yes, I know that will get confusing, with our sophomore friend here as well," Lily indicated towards Lilliana, who was hiding behind a dark curtain of blue hair, "so please, just Lily will do, Miss Lily if you insist on honorifics. As you may know, Alfea piloted their mentorship programme last year…"
As Lily began to explain the new dorm layout and the dorm rules, Maho made to excuse herself and head back towards her room. She'd arrived a couple of days before the new crop of students entered and had fully moved her things back in, along with setting up her old study area once more. A set of notes for the new semester was downloaded to her study devices, and she needed to go over them before classes started in just three more days. As she was heading back to her room, the metal nameplate reading both her and Mae's names as it had for the previous three years, her wrist was caught by what could have only been Mae's strong grip.
"Where do you think you're going, sunshine?" Mae questioned, raising a brow. The rosewood-haired girl had her long, thick locks pulled back into a high ponytail, and her other hand was on her hip. Her green vest hung loosely over her pastel brown midriff top, and she tapped her brown ankle-booted feet, which barely showed under the flared ends of her green bell-bottom jeans. "Lily told us that we'd be going out a little after the newbies showed up, remember? We can't have a dorm bonding session if you're not going to be there with us."
Maho just grimaced at the reminder.
Lily had indeed promised the older duo that they would be going out after the new students moved their things into their dorm rooms, especially since class didn't begin until after the weekend. It was a bit of a routine for Lily to treat the girls at the start of every term, and while they had gone to other locations as the year progressed, the first trip had been to the general Magix area just in case the new students hadn't been there before.
"I can't," she said instead to her roommate. Maho raised up her sunglasses and gave the Fairy of Forests a pleading look. "Please, Mae, you know I need to maintain my perfect grades. If I just miss one perfect assignment, I'm going to get held back," she said in a hushed tone.
"Maho…"
"What's going on?" Lily cut in, and the older woman glanced between the silver-haired girl and her rosewood-haired roommate before she made a snap decision. The woman just nodded. "Okay, girls, go ahead and move into your new rooms," she directed promptly. "We're going to be meeting back here in about an hour and a half, so just go and get settled in first. We'll be heading out to Magix City and getting dinner and a bit of walking around, so be dressed for that if you intend to shower and change beforehand." She clapped her hands and ushered off the girls.
Tiara and Cassandra pulled their luggage into the empty room, while Aurora went with Lilliana into what used to be Naida and Lilliana's room. Once the two doors were shut, Lily clapped her hands together and set up a quick sound barrier around the remaining trio.
"Thanks, Lily," Mae said with a little sigh, though her grip on Maho's wrist didn't slacken too much upon to addition of the soundproofing magic, likely to ensure that the Fairy of the Moon didn't attempt to run back to her room before the talk was done.
Lily's mint green eyes scrutinised Maho for a few moments, and the graduate seemed to understand immediately what the senior was attempting almost immediately. Her eyes softened a little, and the curvy older woman placed a lightly manicured hand on Maho's shoulder. "Maho, we've been over this," she said gently, "but you don't need to push yourself this much, you know? Your grades are perfect; even if you don't have your Enchantix, you're sure to graduate."
Mae gently squeezed Maho's wrist. "She's right. Plenty of fairies don't get their Enchantix until after they graduate, after all. Your grades more than surpass the minimum requirement, and even so, you're on track to be at the top of the cohort. There's not much more to ask of you, you know?"
Maho just pursed her lips together and averted her eyes. "I really have to study," she protested. I can't worry about Enchantix when I haven't even been able to get my Charmix yet." She worried her pink lower lip with perfectly straight teeth, undoubtedly staining her teeth slightly with the translucent gloss. "In all their years in Alfea, the teachers had to make a special exception for me for my grades to even allow me to advance to my third year." She had to resist the urge to pace the carpeted floor; it was unladylike and frankly rude to not stand still in a conversation, but Maho felt the pressure and anxiety start to fray at her already tentative nerves.
"Maho, you really need to relax, sweetie," Lily began, her brows pinched together. "If you keep stressing out about this before the school year even starts, you'll burn yourself out long before midyears even roll around. Then, you're going to have even more trouble than you think you're having right now."
Mae squeezed Maho's wrist in a reassuring manner. "It's just an afternoon out, Maho. We can even leave early so you can get in some studying tonight if you really want?" she implored her friend.
Maho just shook her head. "No… I'm sorry, Lily, Mae, but I really need to start pre-reading. I won't stay up past curfew, so don't worry." Gently, she set her other hand on Mae's wrist and pried off Mae's loose fingers from her hand. She could feel Mae's hazel eyes boring into her, and it took everything the Fairy of the Moon had to keep her back straight as she headed back to their room.
Before she shut the door, she saw Lily dispel the sound barrier and sigh heavily. She kept by the door as she closed it gently, and listened, despite her own intentions to begin studying. The other girls' doors opened, and Lily told the others that they would be heading out, that Maho wanted to stay in the dorm.
Tiara was absolutely disappointed, and Maho supposed that she had a right to be so. Still, a few words from Cassandra, too muffled to properly be picked up, perked the ginger right back up again.
The main door to the dorm suites opened, and Lily ushered the girls out, and the bright, loud chatter of Tiara and Cassandra about Magix could be heard, growing fainter and fainter before shutting off entirely as the sliding doors closed behind them again.
Maho just pressed her lips together into a thin line as she went over to her desk, turning on her digital reader and getting her notepad and pens ready to take down notes and begin her research. As she started writing down the content index, she muttered to herself, "I don't have a choice. I have to become a fairy worthy of inheriting the throne of Solaria. I have to stand out of my mother's shadow, and I can't do that without being a Guardian Fairy of Solaria."
As she read over the introductory chapter, her pen already beginning to take notes as she put highlights and markers over important parts of the text, Maho let her mind wander.
Was there something wrong with her after all? In Alfea's years of education, there had never been a second-year fairy who had failed to get her Charmix before. It was part and parcel of the fairy education system, as much as Enchantix was for Alfea's graduates. Maho had tried, but her personal struggles had never seemed to be sufficient to satisfy the requirements.
Her pen slowed down on the paper, and Maho's blue eyes just roved over the words, not quite seeing them in earnest. Her shoulders slumped and she hung her head.
How was she going to be the best queen Solaria ever had if she couldn't even overcome her own personal struggles?
How would she ever stand on her own if she couldn't even earn her Charmix?
Lilliana might have travelled to Magix often over the past three years, but it was a different sort of feeling going there with her dormmates compared to going there on her own.
Lily flagged the girls down off the shuttle bus when they arrived at the stop to Central Magix, and one by one, the five girls stepped off, followed soon after by their dorm mentor. The city was bustling as always, and especially with the new school year beginning soon, store owners were gearing up for a batch of new teenage girls and boys — primarily the girls — who could be their newest source of revenue.
Even though this was far from Tiara's first time in Magix, the girl clung close to her friend Cassandra, and between hushed whispers, the two girls giggled brightly and pointed out things to each other as they followed Lily's lead. Mae followed on the side of the girls, seemingly making sure that they weren't going to miss a turn at a block or walk into traffic.
Lilliana made sure to keep close to them, but also close by to her new roommate Aurora because the dark blue-haired girl could see that it was the redhead's first time out in Magix, either without a formal guardian (because Lily really wasn't responsible for them outside of the dorm) or in general. She let herself stall a bit, allowing her feet to fall in step with Aurora's own.
This caught the redhead's attention, and she shyly peeked out under her long fringe with big brown eyes, in a way that Lilliana had been told she did very often as well from her mother. Aurora's hair was pulled back into a high, curly ponytail, but her fringe was still left down so she could hide behind it like a curtain. "Oh, um, hi, Lilliana," she said softly, stumbling a bit over her words.
Lilliana noticed that they were heading towards a cafe that served food from all over the Dimensions — the same one that Lily had brought them to the previous year. It was a smart choice. For those who were having their first time away from home, it would help them feel less foreign since Alfea's cafeteria did not serve any region-specific foods. For those who wanted to try something new, on the other hand, they had the entire Magix dimension to choose from.
The Fairy of Muse decided to break the ice a little with her new roommate — she would miss Naida and their easy silence and camaraderie, but Aurora, she could tell, was in need of a friend here as well. So, she said softly, "Is this your first time in Magix?"
Aurora nodded a little, twirling a lock of red hair around her finger as something to fidget with. "Yes. My guardian before I came to Alfea was quite insistent on me staying out of the public eye," she replied, her voice a soft whisper that Lilliana had to strain to listen to above the hustle and bustle of traffic and crowds. "This is the first time I've been outside since then… she even delayed my public presentation until some things have been sorted out."
The public presentation was a big deal for the aristocracy and nobility of Magix. Starting at the age of sixteen, the age of majority, one was considered a fully-fledged adult in society. Heirs to the thrones of Magix began formal training in their roles to eventually succeed their parents, and as such, it was then that networking truly began. To that end, a public presentation was necessary. It was less of a public event than the debutante ball Maho had organized for her eighteenth birthday, but it was no less an important event. The fact that Aurora's presentation had been delayed, as such, was a major thing that could and likely would shake up the entire hierarchy of Magix when the reason was revealed.
Lilliana did not like playing in the courts of nobility, despite being the daughter of a Grand Duke, but she knew her stuff, at the very least.
"Well, if this is your first time out, let's make it a memorable one, okay?" Lilliana asked kindly with a small smile. She had to brush her pastel blue streak out of her hair, but she saw Aurora smiling back. Lilliana offered a hand to Aurora, and they headed down the street to the cafe, where Lily had already grabbed them a table.
The fairies seated themselves around a rectangular table, with Mae sitting by Lily and keeping an eye on Tiara and Cassandra, who had opted to sit opposite each other. That left the last two seats side by side, so Lilliana and Aurora didn't have to fuss about which ones to take. Drinks and dinner were ordered — Aurora went with a traditional Solarian dish, while Cassandra likewise opted for something from her homeworld, and everyone else went with whatever caught their eye on the menu.
While the two youngest additions to the dorm started talking and whispering to each other, interspersed with lighthearted giggles over some joke or other, Mae and Lily were quietly discussing something else. The gossamer barrier of light that faded in and out of view signalled a silencing spell being thrown up to mute their conversation.
Lilliana decided to make some more small talk with Aurora in the meantime. "I saw some sketchbooks on the table when we were settling in," she brought up with a smile. "You draw?"
Aurora's big brown eyes brightened a little. "Yes. I'm not much of a sketcher, but I love to paint the sky," she said softly. "Solaria might be a planet of twin suns, but its nights are beautiful as well. The auroras in the night sky during our winter months are stunning, and they have so many beautiful colours and patterns. It's a sight to behold." She smiled warmly at the memory of her home, then shyly asked, "I saw the easels in your half of the room… am I right to assume that you paint too?"
The blue-haired fairy nodded. "I do. It's part of my powers, actually. I can predict the future through my connection with the domain of Muse," she explained. "But I like to paint in general. I think animals and nature, and even people are beautiful subjects. They are all so unique in their own way, even though they have a collective set of similarities that make them… them, you know?" A pink blush rose on tanned cheeks at her slight tangent, but to her surprise, Aurora just beamed widely.
"I understand," the redhead said warmly. "It's really got its own appeal to it. When we get back to Alfea, can you show me some of the things you've painted? I'd really like to see them. I'll show you mine, too!"
"I'd love to."
The discussion went on between spoonfuls of soup and bites of a baked vegetable dish that Lilliana couldn't pronounce properly — the Solarian native dialect was difficult to grasp without being born and raised with it — and Lilliana was soon being regaled about the scene of the biggest and most beautiful aurora that Solaria had ever seen.
"— because the Festival of Empyreans only happens once every fifty years, I had to immortalise it. I know there are photographs, but it's really hard to capture properly," Aurora finished with a shy, self-conscious smile.
Lilliana sighed a little. "It sounds like such a wonderful time. I wish I could have been there to see it myself. Well… if it happens every half a century, maybe I can see it when it happens again fifty years later."
"I'd gladly invite you to come next time," Aurora said shyly. "It'd be good to create another good memory around the Festival." She scuffed the bottom of her trainers against the tiled floor of the cafe and smiled, her curly bangs hiding part of her face. "It only occurs during summer months too, so you don't have to worry about missing class."
Lilliana took another spoonful of the flavourful pumpkin soup — served in a dainty bowl that was shaped like a pumpkin, whimsically enough — before she set down her spoon. "Speaking about school… if you don't mind, I was wondering why you were transferring in your second year," she said a bit sheepishly. "My friend, Naida, she used to be in your spot in the dorm, actually. She had to transfer out of Alfea because of some reasons, and I was wondering if you had similar reasons behind your move and transfer."
Aurora seemed to wilt a little at the question, and her shoulders seemed to slump a little more than usual. "I… well…" Her fingers tensed a little under the table, and Lilliana understood that she seemed to want to discuss this in a more private setting.
With a small, concise series of twists and flicks with her fingers, Lilliana carefully wove her magic and threw up a quick cantrip to muffle their conversation. The gossamer-thin barrier of magic quickly spread out around them and vanished from the naked eye with a subtle pop.
The redhead offered her a meagre smile in thanks. "It's… not really something I like to dwell on," she admitted softly, and Lilliana felt a wave of mortification hit her.
"O-oh. If that's the case, you don't need to tell me," the Fairy of Muse said hurriedly, worried that she had pushed her new friend too far too fast.
Aurora shook her head. "No, um… it's okay. I don't mind explaining… it's just… unhappy circumstances." Under the table, she lightly scuffed her feet along the tiles of the cafe floor. "My… my parents died last year," she admitted quietly. "There were… um, extenuating circumstances, so my aunt took me in first before my official guardianship was taken up by my cousin. She's my current guardian now, my cousin, and there's been a lot of paperwork to deal with, you know? In the meantime, my cousin wants me to attend Alfea College since it's her alma mater and Solaria College is admittedly less prestigious with less illustrious teachers."
"I'm sorry for your loss," Lilliana expressed quietly. "And I'm sorry for bringing this up."
At the softly voiced condolences, Aurora just managed a small smile. "My guardian has been insistent on me attending grief counselling. I'm okay now but thank you anyway. I'm sad to have to leave Solaria College, but this is a new year full of new opportunities… or at least, that's what I was told. I'm looking forward to making it a new, great year."
"Then let's make it one together." Lilliana smiled back at Aurora, seeing the redhead's shy smile turn into something more real and sincere.
As Lilliana and Aurora spoke behind their silencing spell, Lily observed her new girls with a keen, bright green gaze. She huffed at a lock of ginger hair, puffing it out of her eyes.
Tiara and Cassandra hadn't stopped talking all night. That wasn't something she'd discourage, of course. When it came to the new year, it was always good to see someone familiar. She'd noticed that Tiara seemed to be a bit sad about something, and she'd made a note to investigate correspondingly later on. For now, though, Tiara and Cassandra seemed fine. If they had any issues with their grades, she'd run a little interference, though she suspected that the older girls in the dorms would take proactive action first with their established cram nights and study sessions already written into the dorm calendar.
Mae was being her usual self — perky and bright, and though her enthusiasm seemed a bit dulled by Maho's refusal to come out with them, she was content with scrolling through interweb memes on her phone and sending texts to friends. She'd heard that Mae had taken up a summer apprenticeship with the Linphean Apothecary, the most prestigious potioneering organisation in the realm. It was a well-deserved position, especially considering Mae's aptitude with botany and herbology allowed her to obtain many ingredients at their best and freshest. Her potioneering skills weren't shabby either — far from it. Mae would likely never be the best brewer in Alfea — that title went to one of the graduating third years, Emilia from the realm of Marisilla — but she was quite high up.
Lilliana and Aurora were a sight to see for sore eyes, Lily contemplated. Lilliana had always been on the quiet and shy side, but it was delightful to see her growing her social circle a bit more beyond the tight-knit circle of her mother's friends' daughters. Aurora, admittedly, was not too far removed from that circle, but Lilliana didn't know that, and it was heartening to see her take the first step to reach out to someone else.
Both of the two girls were shy and quiet, but Lily could tell that they would be good influences on each other. Already, Aurora seemed more animated, while Lilliana had been coaxing the redhead out of her shell all evening.
Now… if only Maho was going to be helpful and cooperate a little more… Lily sighed. Now there was a problem.
With her graduation imminent and her Charmix nowhere in sight, Maho seemed to have doubled down on her schoolwork more than ever. At this rate, Lily thought she might end up burning herself out soon before the exam period actually arrived, and that was a concerning thought.
She promised herself that she'd pull Maho aside for a private talk in the next few weeks.
This year was shaping up to be interesting, either way. With three of her girls having left last year, including Naida, and three new girls coming in, she'd have her hands full getting accustomed to the new roster and acclimatising to the new dorm dynamics. Sometimes, she envied the dorm mentors with normal dormitories, but the mix-and-match dormitories were just as fun to mentor either way.
For anyone that's curious, in my story, Alfea has two requirements to progress onto the next grade: either you achieve the next transformation, or you have outstanding grades. A large portion of Alfea seniors graduate purely off the dint of their grades, even if they've achieved their Charmix. Normally, of course, students get their Charmix just fine, some even during their first year, but there are the occasional special cases like Maho.
Aurora is going to be a pretty important character for the next two stories. In this one, and in the next. I'm sure you guys can guess why just based off what Maho's said and what she's said... right? Shoot me your guesses, if you have them!
Anyway, until next time, read, review, and give constructive criticism.