Chapter 1
"Guess what. I just met the cutest guy." Kyra bragged
"What's his name?" Faith asked curiously.
"Trae Kisaragi. He kinda keeps to himself though. I wonder why."
"Well, if he's anti-social, he's not worth it."
"He's not anti-social. He's just afraid to get close to anyone."
"Who's his sister?"
"Aurora, she's the one who always wears dresses. (She caught me staring at him.)
"If she knows you like him, she's going to tell him and convince him not to like you."
"I don't know, oh well."
They walked on through the halls of the huge Northwind Euphoria. Anyone who had never been there would get lost if there were no one to show them around. They may want to see the Headmaster and end up in the infirmary or the dorms.
"Okay class, take your seats." Instructor Blithe told her students. They quickly sat down and paid close attention.
"As you all know, the test is today." A spontaneous sigh filled the room. "That gives you three hours to study if you need to. The instructors are having meetings with some of the students."
"What about?"
"That is for those students only. Will Trae Kisaragi, Edea Gainsborough, and Kyra McGrath please come to my desk? The rest of you go back to your rooms or the library. We will know if you eaves drop.
"Listen closely," she told them after the rest of the students had left. "(Now, I have been told to tell you that you three have been selected to in an elite mercenary group. You have been chosen based on your grades, athletic capabilities, and ability to think under pressure.)
"(I know that this is all sudden and not all of you have to accept, but it is for the good of the free world. Headmaster Blithe has grouped you three together. If one of you chooses not to accept, we will split the remaining two with someone else. Is there anyone who chooses to decline? Better yet, are there any questions?)"
"Yeah, has this been done before?" Edea said in her cheerleader dialect.
"Once every two years. You are the second generation for this Euphoria."
"Why tell us now, I mean why not tell us two months before graduation instead of two weeks?" Kyra demanded.
"We had to wait for the test results. By the way, you three are all graduating with high honors."
"Really, I mean, Trae don't you have any questions?"
"…..Why us?"
"Well, you are the best suited. I know this is a shock to you all."
"Yeah." Kyra said with an attitude.
"There is one other thing, you have until noon to decide."
"This is a big decision. Two and a half hours isn't enough time."
"I'm sorry, there are people who need your help as soon as possible. You are dismissed."
They all went their separate ways. Faith was standing outside the door waiting for Kyra.
"What's wrong?" She asked noticing the expression on her friend's face.
"I can't tell you. I have literally been sworn to secrecy." Just then the building start to tremble. The girls fell to their knees. The ceiling was crumbling and falling on top of them.
Instructor Blithe came running along with Trae and Edea. "I need to know now! Highwind Euphoria depends on it."
"...Okay....I'll....do it."
"Do what?" Faith asked desperately.
"You can't." The teacher reminded her. "I'm sorry. Get someplace safe; I have to go."
"Don't leave me!" She was so scared.
"Take her someone, then meet me at the front gate." They ran off.
"Tell me please, you can trust me."
"I can't." She took her friends hand and ran down the hallway. The chandelier fell down and split then apart cutting both of their arms. A perfume bottle fell out of Faiths purse and shattered. The sparks from the chandelier set the liquid cotton candy ablaze. The heat as well as the smell filled the hallway.
"Help!" Faith cried out. She was now crying with fear.
"Hold on!" Kyra looked around. Then she got an idea. She walked back about twenty feet. She dashed toward the blazing inferno. She leaped high over the fire and landed safely on the other side.
"Let's take the emergency exit!" They ran down to the end of the hall as fast as they could, slipping on the dust, only to find that their escape was hindered by large chunks of debris.
"What do we do now?!" she demanded.
"Kyra!?"
"Would you just shut up for just one second!?" she snapped impatiently.
"Sorry."
"...We'll jump out the window in the class room."
"What!? Are you crazy?"
"No, we'll just slide down the roof tiles." She grabbed Faith's hand and they ran into the classroom
They ran past study panels that were completely ravished by the caved in ceiling. Sparks were flying and singeing the girls' clothes Faith tripped and fell on her face. She looked back and saw that it was Aurora.
"Aurora!" She stood up and started to help the injured girl. "Kyra help me with her."
Kyra looked back. What do I do? We're on the second floor; how are we supposed to get her down?
"Where's Kyra?" Trae yelled over the chaos.
"I don't know!"
"What if something happened to her?" Edea wondered fear for every one in Highwind Euphoria.
"Maybe she couldn't get downstairs. I have to go get her," she was about to take off when a Vician soldier stopped her.
"Naes Blithe?"
"Yes?"
"Come with me." He commanded.
"I have to go get a student. She may be in danger."
"You're under arrest."
"I'm sorry, did I hear you right?" Edea butted in. She kicked him in the jaw.
"What are you doing?" Trae questioned.
"We have to get out of here and we can't do that if Instructor Blithe is in trouble. Go get Kyra."
He ran by another soldier and stole his sword, which had previously been at the man's side. He dashed up the stairs to the landing with the elevator and the emergency staircase. He opened the door and charged up the ascent. Much to his surprise, there was another soldier just waiting for some one to come.
"Hey, you! Stop! STOP!" Trae plowed right through him and knocked him over. The fallen recruit grabbed Trae's leg and pulled him to the floor as well.
"Big mistake!" Trae and the soldier stood up as Trae took out the sword. The soldier took out his gun.
"I believe you made the mistake."
Trae spun around and kicked the gun out of the soldier's hand; then, he brought his foot back and planted it on his neck He did the same with his the right one. By now his hands were on the floor. He flipped the soldier down the stairs and continued up the stairs.
He virtually flew through the door, but stopped in his tracks once he noticed the scorching fire in the middle of the hallway. She's probably on the other side. Damn it! He stepped back just as Kyra did and landed on the other side. Only by now, the fire had spread, and he was standing in the middle. He jumped out of it.
"Kyra!" He called out. "Kyra."
"Kyra, did you hear that?'
"I think its Trae. He's here to save me, I mean, us."
"Kyra!?" He burst through the door.
"Trae, we've got to get her out of here."
"Who is it?"
"It's Aurora."
CRASH!
"They're coming through the windows. Run!"
"Who is?"
"The Vician soldiers. They've got Instructor Blithe. Edea's trying to save her." He picked up Aurora and ran toward the door, but a guard blocked their path.
"Time for our fist battle together." Kyra said eagerly.
"Let's kick some of ass!" Faith said eagerly. She kicked the man in the crotch and then in the jaw knocking him out. Kyra reached down and grabbed fan blade.
"What am you going to do with that?" Faith asked ignorantly. "Kick some ass if we need to."
They continued their attempt to get out of the shaking building. They ran back down the hall and jumped the firewall without hesitation. Trae carried his sister on his back while the girls fought the soldiers who attacked them, until they reached a blockade.
"What are we going to do?" Faith asked worriedly.
"What else, open a can."
"Guess what. I just met the cutest guy." Kyra bragged
"What's his name?" Faith asked curiously.
"Trae Kisaragi. He kinda keeps to himself though. I wonder why."
"Well, if he's anti-social, he's not worth it."
"He's not anti-social. He's just afraid to get close to anyone."
"Who's his sister?"
"Aurora, she's the one who always wears dresses. (She caught me staring at him.)
"If she knows you like him, she's going to tell him and convince him not to like you."
"I don't know, oh well."
They walked on through the halls of the huge Northwind Euphoria. Anyone who had never been there would get lost if there were no one to show them around. They may want to see the Headmaster and end up in the infirmary or the dorms.
"Okay class, take your seats." Instructor Blithe told her students. They quickly sat down and paid close attention.
"As you all know, the test is today." A spontaneous sigh filled the room. "That gives you three hours to study if you need to. The instructors are having meetings with some of the students."
"What about?"
"That is for those students only. Will Trae Kisaragi, Edea Gainsborough, and Kyra McGrath please come to my desk? The rest of you go back to your rooms or the library. We will know if you eaves drop.
"Listen closely," she told them after the rest of the students had left. "(Now, I have been told to tell you that you three have been selected to in an elite mercenary group. You have been chosen based on your grades, athletic capabilities, and ability to think under pressure.)
"(I know that this is all sudden and not all of you have to accept, but it is for the good of the free world. Headmaster Blithe has grouped you three together. If one of you chooses not to accept, we will split the remaining two with someone else. Is there anyone who chooses to decline? Better yet, are there any questions?)"
"Yeah, has this been done before?" Edea said in her cheerleader dialect.
"Once every two years. You are the second generation for this Euphoria."
"Why tell us now, I mean why not tell us two months before graduation instead of two weeks?" Kyra demanded.
"We had to wait for the test results. By the way, you three are all graduating with high honors."
"Really, I mean, Trae don't you have any questions?"
"…..Why us?"
"Well, you are the best suited. I know this is a shock to you all."
"Yeah." Kyra said with an attitude.
"There is one other thing, you have until noon to decide."
"This is a big decision. Two and a half hours isn't enough time."
"I'm sorry, there are people who need your help as soon as possible. You are dismissed."
They all went their separate ways. Faith was standing outside the door waiting for Kyra.
"What's wrong?" She asked noticing the expression on her friend's face.
"I can't tell you. I have literally been sworn to secrecy." Just then the building start to tremble. The girls fell to their knees. The ceiling was crumbling and falling on top of them.
Instructor Blithe came running along with Trae and Edea. "I need to know now! Highwind Euphoria depends on it."
"...Okay....I'll....do it."
"Do what?" Faith asked desperately.
"You can't." The teacher reminded her. "I'm sorry. Get someplace safe; I have to go."
"Don't leave me!" She was so scared.
"Take her someone, then meet me at the front gate." They ran off.
"Tell me please, you can trust me."
"I can't." She took her friends hand and ran down the hallway. The chandelier fell down and split then apart cutting both of their arms. A perfume bottle fell out of Faiths purse and shattered. The sparks from the chandelier set the liquid cotton candy ablaze. The heat as well as the smell filled the hallway.
"Help!" Faith cried out. She was now crying with fear.
"Hold on!" Kyra looked around. Then she got an idea. She walked back about twenty feet. She dashed toward the blazing inferno. She leaped high over the fire and landed safely on the other side.
"Let's take the emergency exit!" They ran down to the end of the hall as fast as they could, slipping on the dust, only to find that their escape was hindered by large chunks of debris.
"What do we do now?!" she demanded.
"Kyra!?"
"Would you just shut up for just one second!?" she snapped impatiently.
"Sorry."
"...We'll jump out the window in the class room."
"What!? Are you crazy?"
"No, we'll just slide down the roof tiles." She grabbed Faith's hand and they ran into the classroom
They ran past study panels that were completely ravished by the caved in ceiling. Sparks were flying and singeing the girls' clothes Faith tripped and fell on her face. She looked back and saw that it was Aurora.
"Aurora!" She stood up and started to help the injured girl. "Kyra help me with her."
Kyra looked back. What do I do? We're on the second floor; how are we supposed to get her down?
"Where's Kyra?" Trae yelled over the chaos.
"I don't know!"
"What if something happened to her?" Edea wondered fear for every one in Highwind Euphoria.
"Maybe she couldn't get downstairs. I have to go get her," she was about to take off when a Vician soldier stopped her.
"Naes Blithe?"
"Yes?"
"Come with me." He commanded.
"I have to go get a student. She may be in danger."
"You're under arrest."
"I'm sorry, did I hear you right?" Edea butted in. She kicked him in the jaw.
"What are you doing?" Trae questioned.
"We have to get out of here and we can't do that if Instructor Blithe is in trouble. Go get Kyra."
He ran by another soldier and stole his sword, which had previously been at the man's side. He dashed up the stairs to the landing with the elevator and the emergency staircase. He opened the door and charged up the ascent. Much to his surprise, there was another soldier just waiting for some one to come.
"Hey, you! Stop! STOP!" Trae plowed right through him and knocked him over. The fallen recruit grabbed Trae's leg and pulled him to the floor as well.
"Big mistake!" Trae and the soldier stood up as Trae took out the sword. The soldier took out his gun.
"I believe you made the mistake."
Trae spun around and kicked the gun out of the soldier's hand; then, he brought his foot back and planted it on his neck He did the same with his the right one. By now his hands were on the floor. He flipped the soldier down the stairs and continued up the stairs.
He virtually flew through the door, but stopped in his tracks once he noticed the scorching fire in the middle of the hallway. She's probably on the other side. Damn it! He stepped back just as Kyra did and landed on the other side. Only by now, the fire had spread, and he was standing in the middle. He jumped out of it.
"Kyra!" He called out. "Kyra."
"Kyra, did you hear that?'
"I think its Trae. He's here to save me, I mean, us."
"Kyra!?" He burst through the door.
"Trae, we've got to get her out of here."
"Who is it?"
"It's Aurora."
CRASH!
"They're coming through the windows. Run!"
"Who is?"
"The Vician soldiers. They've got Instructor Blithe. Edea's trying to save her." He picked up Aurora and ran toward the door, but a guard blocked their path.
"Time for our fist battle together." Kyra said eagerly.
"Let's kick some of ass!" Faith said eagerly. She kicked the man in the crotch and then in the jaw knocking him out. Kyra reached down and grabbed fan blade.
"What am you going to do with that?" Faith asked ignorantly. "Kick some ass if we need to."
They continued their attempt to get out of the shaking building. They ran back down the hall and jumped the firewall without hesitation. Trae carried his sister on his back while the girls fought the soldiers who attacked them, until they reached a blockade.
"What are we going to do?" Faith asked worriedly.
"What else, open a can."