Bittersweet Symphony
Chapter Five: Rivals

Author's Note: Thank you to all who reviewed my story so far!! I am working as hard as I can to get these chapters out at a decent pace! I am hoping that things start to come together and make more sense soon! I am working towards the true essence of my potential and you all help me a lot!! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Five: Rivals
" Once a rival is lost, a new rival is gained. For there is never a time someone isn't trying to best you...hold your ground tightly. "
" Today's lesson will deal with Ancient History. The beginning of the Apocalypse was the time called the- " Sam's hearing must not have been very well, for she couldn't hear anything more on the topic. Or...maybe it was because of her half closed eyes and head resting on the palm of her hand that signaled extreme boredom and non-interest on this particular topic. She sat in the back of the many tables positioned outside in one of the academic areas of this open vicinity called a school. The warden wasn't helping much either, because she had a habit of speaking in a painfully monotonous way, which made the lesson twice as dull.

" The three Rulers of the Apocalypse Era were also the three leaders in the wars... " Sam's hearing picks up this little piece of information, the words and lesson itself becoming more interesting. She looks up to the front, where the warden was holding a large book that had three pictures on the currant page. Sam couldn't quite make out the warriors though.

" Three rulers, huh..." Sam mumbles, paying more close attention to the warden. She slightly glances down at her notebook for a moment and notices a bunch of doodles on it. None of them were legible, so she didn't care much. She turns her full attention to the warden.

" ... rulers were the each a seperate Rank, which are the same three we judge and put upon you. These Ranks were Phantom, Wiccanian and Craftian, or as many refer to as Ghost, Wiccan and Craft-User. Each group had a grudge against the other to and vice-versa. Plus, each ruler and their blood warriors had seperate abilities to fight with..." Sam's eyes widen in shock.

' Phantoms?! But Danny's a half Phantom! What is this school teaching?? ' Sam thinks to herself, and she begins to chew on her finger. She continues to listen intently.

" A Phantom being a apparition already, had powers of transparency. That gave them the ability to become intangable and hide themselves from crowds. This and their plasmic attacks would have gave them a large advantage, but Wiccans and Craft-Users had a special ability of their own to track even invisible Phantoms, and that would be a Kiran. " Many students start to whisper amongst themselves, talking mostly about how they always though ghosts were real and such. That made Sam think of how Danny's father, Jack, always was very serious about the topic of ghosts, making her bite her lip. The warden begins to shout, trying to quiet the students. all becomes quiet and she begins yet again, but not before checking the teens to make sure they were all paying attention.

" I can't believe she's going to try to explain this... " Sam hears Svara say annoyingly. She pulls her attention from the warden, who was approaching a sleeping boy in the front of the room to the woman fuming in her mind.

' Explain what? ' Sam asks mentally, not wanting to be caught talking to...well herself. Svara groans to herself quietly.

" A Kiran...is almost impossible to explain for someone who's never seen one. From the looks of it, she doesn't have one. " Svara explains, waving her hand around in emphasis. Sam just gives a confused look, resting her head back on her palm. She hears a quick snap up front, the warden slamming her book onto the table in front of the boy. His head snaps up suddenly, a shout escaping his lips, causing the other students to laugh. The warden turns her glare on the rest of the students, immediatly shutting them up. She walks up to the front of the room, regaining her composure by taking deep breaths.

" As I was saying... " Everyone could tell that the Warden was in a bad mood by the tone of her voice. Sam pulls from her connection and turns her focus on the Warden, who had already began talking.

" A Kiran is a spiritual being that all Wiccanians and Craftians had fostered in their minds, they were the beings that gave the host itself their powers. " Sam feels Svara roll her eyes in disgust and disagreement.

" Anyone who enrolls in this school and is accepted will eventually find their Kiran inside their subconsience mind... Unless you are a Phantom, which I highly doubt, unless any of you are dead or had a freak accident? " The Warden recieves no reply, " You will all most likely be different Classes of Wiccanian. That is considered middle-class strength wise. You see, Wiccans had several powers of their own, two of which include magik with a 'k' and a rare few had the gift of summoning. At least one of you all will be a summoner, possibly. " Sam now was beginning to loose interest in this lesson again. She was now thinking about the being called a Kiran...

' Svara? ' She asks suddenly to the silent woman. Svara shakes her head.

" She did not explain a Kiran correctly, but yes, I am a Kiran. But I was definatly wasn't 'fostered' in your mind. We are born in your mind just as you are born yourselves. It just takes a while for certain people to realise we are here. " Svara teaches, the explaination making more sense to Sam. She nods, telling Svara she understood and warps back to the Warden, who was now on another topic.

" The final group were the supreme Craft-Users. They are known to recover their Kirans much quicker than Wiccans, and have ultimate magik of different varieties. They were the reigning beings of this Era, and ruled for quite some time. " The Warden, taking a glance at Sam for a moment, " These Craftians could be pulled into a different form, as could Wiccans, but to a further potential. The could merge with their Kirans and become a new form. These new forms could range from a sorceress like woman, and even a dangerous being called a Succubus, who are known to have six arms and powerful magik. But we do not know if it is a totally new form, or just the Kiran taking possesion of the host..." Many students are taken back by this new set of information. Sam only sat, her amethyst eyes wide in realization.

' Vitani... ' Sam stutters to herself, thinking about the Succubus warrior that Svara had been protecting her form. ' I have a Craft-User after me...' Svara senses Sam's panic and reassures her.

" She is not a Craft-User, Sam. " Svara whispers calmly, trying to calm Sam's mind. Sam frowns, her panic turning to anger.

' The what is she? ' Sam hisses, ' I want the truth, the Warden just said- '

" And I said earlier that she doesn't know what she's talking about. She never explained that Kirans can leave their host if they are being supported by another, more powerful being. Of course, none of these fools would figure that out until it slapped them in the face- " Svara stops as the Warden begins to talk again.

" Even though these Craftians are very lethal and powerful, there has been only one known Craftian in the last century. Most people are trained as Wiccans. " She starts to stack her books on her desk, " And that is all we will discuss, it is now lunch time. In about thirty minutes, we will begin your first training session. It is kind of like a test to see what you can do as of now. You are all dismissed. " The last words she spoke were cut off as the loud sound of a church bell is heard throughout the school grounds. The classes begin to pour into the empty center area of the courtyard. Sam still remained seated, even the Warden had rushed out with the students. Her jaw was dropped and her head felt dizzy.

" That...was shocking. " Sam stutters, her hands trembling with a sudden chill running down her back. Svara mentally tries to soothe her, she herself a little shoken up by Sam's panic and surprise. Perhaps they were more connected than they thought.

" Man, this is so boring without Danny and...Sam here. " Tucker mumbles to himself as he trudges to his next class. Walking past Danny's locker, he spots Dash and his groupies laughing nearby.

" That party was awesome! " He hears Quan say, Paulina agreeing wholly. Dash sees Tucker as he tries to slip by them. He steps in front of Tucker.

" Hey, Tuck. Fun party, eh? We should do it again sometime. Oh, and SO sorry bout your buddy, or should I say ex-buddy? " Dash's whole group bursts out laughing before some random jock adds.

" Yeah, where's Fenton? Too scared that his little girlfriend will be angry with him? " He begins to mimic a child as he spoke, causing the group to break out in laughter again. Tucker grimaces, bumping past them rudely. He stops suddenly at Quan's next comment.

" Oh, but I heard she transfered to that freak private school. I guess she just wanted to fit in! " Tucker, who wasn't facing them, stood shocked with his eyes widening. It was only one day, and Sam had left? Was she really that angry? She didn't even let Danny explain... All these thoughts were running through Tucker's head, until he hears a slam behind him.

" Hey watch where you're going, freshman. " He turns around, finding a disturbing sight. There was a new group of people, all of them upper classmen and women, one of which had Dash up against a locker.

" That's no way to treat a new student is it? " The man sneers, his eyes a icy tint of blue and Tucker could swear they were glowing slightly. Dash was struggling to break free from being pinned to the locker, and the rest of his group only stare wide eyed. The two girls in the older group were holding several pens in their painted nail hands. One of the two sees Paulina and Valerie and smirks at her classmate. Tucker watches in awe and near horror as both girls grip one pen each and bend the pens in half, the ink splattering on Paulina and Valerie, along with a couple other people. The girls shriek as the ink stains their shirts and pants, causing the older girls to bust out laughing.

" Funny, girls, real funny. " The lead boy laughs, and turns his gaze back to the pinned Dash, who now was forming a black circle around his eye. He must have been punched before being held up against the locker. The other two boys were holding off the rest of the young jocks, they themselves were snickering amongst themselves.

" Hope you like being bullied, freshman. " The lead man says, flinging open a locker and slams Dash inside it. He slams the door on him and motions for the rest of his group. They all begin to walk away, each smirking at the chaos they caused. Tucker hears one of the girls speak up before they turn the corner.

" They had the nerve to kick us out of the Acadamy, didn't they? Well I guess we can due with this school instead. Our new turf, what fun! " She and the group laugh again as they turn the corner, leaving a group of frightened jocks and crying girls. Plus, Dash was now banging his hands against the inside of the locker. Tucker whirls around, starting to walk away just as Lancer and a couple other teachers ran to the scene. As he round the opposite corner, he leans against the corner, watching as other teens his age and maybe older comment and whisper about the new group of students.

' Thank goodness Danny didn't come to school today... ' He thinks to himself, deciding that he would call Danny later after school with the news he had just found out. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach then, and it never went away until the end of the day.

" Nina! Mom made tuna salad again! She knows I'm allergic to tuna! " Kennedy whines childishly, looking disgustedly at her lunch. Nina smiles, handing over her own sandwich.

" Here, I'll trade you, mine's peanut butter and jelly. Your favorite. " Kennedy immediatly brightens up as her elder sister switches lunch with her. Sam sat with them, her lips couldn't help but curve into a smile at the scene. They were sitting in the corner, by a small pond that occasionally sputtered a bubble or two. The willow tree they had planned on eating by was currantly taken by a group of girls, and they didn't want company. Sam begins to eat her salad, until she looks past Nina and Kennedy, spotting a cemetary.

" What's that? " Sam asks, pointing back to it. Nina looks back, and replies.

" That's the cemetary that the warriors who were stripped of their Kirans were buried when they died. the Warden told us that people who become totally connected to their Kirans can't live long without their Kirans being with them. Unless you had a strong will to live, or something. I dunno, I wasn't paying much attention. " Nina says, munching on her sandwich and carrots she packed. Kennedy was sipping on a carton of juice and was staring at the only three standing tombstones, where the rest of the graves were plaque gravestones.

" Hey, Nina? " Kennedy pips, her green and blue eyes turning to her sister and Sam momentarily before turning back to the stones.

" What, shrimp? "

" Why are there only three statue graves? " Nina and Sam look past the fence and they too notice the three statues cluttered together. The three statues were each a woman in a different pose. One was a woman who was praying with a cross in her laced hands. Another was a woman holding a textless book and the last one was a woman with her arms crossed over her chest and her head looking towards the sky.

" I think they are the three leaders back in the Apocalypse Era. Each one faces each other because they united when the 'one' appeared during the wars. They were destroyed together and their Kirans are said to still wonder this graveyard in search of their lost bodies. It's sad if you ask me. " Nina says, turning away from the statues. Kennedy sat silent for a moment before taking another sip from her juice box. Sam sat across from them, her mind now turning in curiosity.

" Who's the 'one' ? " She asks, but frowns when both Nina and Kennedy shake their heads and shrug. Groaning in frustration, Sam begins to once again chew on her salad. Suddenly, a rock falls into the pond, and at an angle where is would have to have been thrown from the cemetary. They all look over to the graves and see a small girl who was barely visible run behind one of the statues.

" Who's that? " Sam asks, watching the girl peek from the statue of the woman praying. Nina looks at her for a second before shrugging again. Kennedy gets up and walks closer to the fence. She grips the fence and shouts, " Hello!! Who are you? " The girl simply giggles before disappearing. Kennedy turns to her sister, wanting an explanation.

" I dunno, but now I'm getting a weird feeling about this school. I had no idea why I had to come here, but now I think this is like a boot camp or something... " Nina trails off as the church bell rings again, signaling the end of lunch. Both older girls stand, and start to walk onto the pavement ground, Kennedy following close behind.

" I have my first training session now, what about you? " Nina asks, pointing over to the area with a bunch of upper class girls. Sam nods over to the same place, giving Nina the impression that she had the same. Nina turns to Kennedy.

" Well I guess we'll see you later. Have fun at recess. " Nina says, embracing her sister momentarily before Kennedy nods sadly and starts to walk away. Sam felt a twinge of sorrow for the little one, but is soon being dragged over to the small gathering area.

" Hurry and gather around class, we have some serious business to discuss. " The Warden starts to speak as the remaining girls group together, " I have just gotten notice that a few classes from Casper High are going to be coming here for our annual field event. " Several students begin to whisper, Sam sensing a note of worry, tunes in closely.

" We have never had a request for a class to visit us, so this puts us in a bit of a bind. They do not know of our teachings, so we have to stay low profile this year. " More girls groan with displeasure, but the Warden interupts them.

" I know it won't be the same as we usually do, but we have to keep this as normal as possible. " Sam and Nina stare in wonder, confused by this news. They glance at each other for a second. Then, a older girl steps up, her blonde hair had faint red streaks in them.

" I think we can manage, right girls? " Her voice was slightly irritating to Sam and most likely very irritating to Nina. Sam could tell by the twisted look on her face. Sam moves closer to Nina before asking.

" Who's that? " Nina's frown deepens, if possible.

" She's the top student in this Acadamy. It is said she could be the most powerful Wiccan here without tapping into her Kiran's strength. People say she doesn't have one, nor does she need it. I personally think she's a show off. " The last words spoken must have been to loud, for the said girl turns her gaze towards Nina. She steps past the group of girls and straight up to Nina, towering over her a few inches. Nina steps back nervously.

" What did you say Tina? " The girl asks, purposely saying her name wrong. Nina glares back at the girl.

" My name's Nina, Katrina. " Nina says back, slightly intimidated at being confronted in front of the group. Katrina smiles crudely.

" I heard what you said you idiot! " Katrina yells, shoving Nina backwards and causes her to fall onto her butt. The girls wince at the impact, and the Warden sighs, ready to step in.

" You're such a stuck up- " Suddenly, Katrina is thrown back, she too falls to the ground, but with more velocity. She glares up to her attacker; Sam. She stood above Katrina, her eyes burning with anger.

" You shut your mouth. " Sam warns as she watches Katrina stand to her feet, being helped by her friends of course. Katrina sends a sneer back to Sam.

" You're just a new student, this is none of your business. " She hisses, but steps back as Sam steps forward, her boot making a loud thump.

" I make it my business when you hurt my friends...YOU may think you're better than us because you're older, but just you see, Katrina. " Sam hisses right back, startling the girls and the Warden, " You're as low as a person can get, you stuck up bitch. " Katrina gasps in shock at the way Sam had spoken to her, as well as...well, everyone else. A few moments later, Katrina turns back to her glare look, Sam and herself having a staring contest, as if seeing who would back down first.

" I'll take you down, new girl. "

" ...try me. "

I'm done with yet another chapter, though this one is shorter than most!! There was a lot, and I mean a LOT of information about the spirits and the school's history in this one, I hope you took notes! If not, well, these things will be mentioned again in the future so dont' worry. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask in your review! hint hint Please review for me and I'll get the next chapter out as soon as possible!!

Preview: The showdown begins between Katrina and Sam. But this fued ends up being finished by the last event in the training, relay obstacle race. And the public school students are there to see it. As they are supposed to be hiding their power, Katrina uses another trick and unintentionally causes Sam to use a power she thought she never had, which is seen by the student body, of both the Private Acadamy and Public School...

Until next chapter

SilentDemon