Ta da! As promised, here's chapter one. Also, do to the fact that there are not many readers of AL fanfiction, I've decided that the next chapter will by up on July 10, but if I get five constructive criticisms, I'll post it earlier.
The Next Generation
by Keledrena
Chapter One
Fourteen Years Later
"Kari-chan!"
She turned. "Hi, Sakura-chan"
"Do you want to come over?"
"I can't. I have a karate test coming up."
"Oh. What about tomorrow?"
"Gymnastics practice, and then piano contest and awards ceremony."
"When can you come over?"
"Dunno. My mother said that I'm going to be busy for the next few weeks."
"That's too bad."
Hikari looked at her watch. "I've got to go! Bye Sakura! See you!" she said over her shoulder.
As soon as she got home, she knew something was wrong. Instead of the neat house, there were boxes everywhere. Also, her father wasn't down in his lab, working, but instead, helping to pack things up.
"What's going on?" she asked her mother, who was packing their Christmas decorations inside a box.
"We're moving." Misaki lift her head, a puzzled expression on her face. "Didn't I tell you?"
"No! When?"
"We're leaving the day after tomorrow. And I did day that we were going to be busy for a few weeks," said Oujirou.
"But I didn't know you meant that we're going to be moving! Where? What about your work, Dad? I isn't he the reason we moved out here?"
"Your father is now going to working in Tokyo. That's where we're going to move."
"But why?"
"There's a tournament that's coming up, and your father and I are helping to introduce a new product. Now go pack." She gently pushed Hikari toward her room.
A week later
"Why do I have to go to school already? Shouldn't I help pack?" Hikari frowned as she took a bite out of the hamburger.
"Tokyo schools are among some of the best. You should take advantage of it. Besides, the sooner you have friends, the better. Since you've already passed your masters on karate and piano, you can practice less, and there's no reason to go to competitions or anything unless you want to. This'll give you more time to spend with your friends. Besides, your brother, Kenji, is really excited," said Oujirou.
"But I'm a year younger than everybody else because I skipped a grade. I won't fit in easily. Besides, Kenji just wants to get out of packing."
"You're going and that's final," said Misaki.
"What about Akane?"
"Akane's going to elementary school and Hiromi's going to nursery school."
"What? But he's always stayed home before. And you home schooled Kenji and me until middle school. Why are you sending Akane and Hiromi to school?"
"Because I'm going to be helping your father with work," said Misaki. "Now go and get ready for school tomorrow. I've already put your new uniform on your bed."
Hikari frowned.
Misaki and Oujirou looked at each other, and sighed. "Don't look so sad, Hikari," said Misaki. "It's only school."
"I probably won't fit in at that place."
"This school also has classes in Angelic Layer battles and strategies. It has the best teachers. In fact, the teachers were some of my old opponents from the Championships."
"So?"
Oujirou put down his cup and stood up. "I've been saving her for a surprise, but I guess I tell you now." He walked over to Hikari. "In the lab at Tokyo, Icchan's been developing these new parts. With them, we can to repair Yukiko. You'll be needing her for your Angelic classes."
Hikari was shocked. She couldn't believe that Yuki could be fixed. 'I'll take good care of you this time, Yuki,' she promised.
The next morning
Hikari wandered around the big building, clueless.
"Ouch!" She turned around the corner and bumped into someone. Both of them fell to the floor, her on top of him. "I'm sorry!" She said, scrambling up and bowing.
"Watching where you're going next time!"
Hikari looked up. He was absolutely gorgeous-and somehow very familiar. Then what he said sank in. "What? I apologized already!"
"Whatever," he tossed over his shoulder as he sauntered away. A group of giggling girls followed, a few glancing at Hikari and smirking.
A girl walked up to her. "Hi, I'm Aya. You know, you should be more careful, especially around him," she said, as she helped Hikari up.
"Why?"
Her mouth dropped open. "He's Mizawa Yuu!" Hikari's eyes widened, as Aya added, "He's a very well known singer and he's also the son of Seto Ringo, a singer and player of Angelic Layer. She had married the CEO of a very big company, Mizawa Motoki, who inherited last year. Yuu was national champion for the tournament last year, so he's also an awesome deuce. But he also has quite a temper and a competitive streak. Last year, he challenges that person to a duel because that person made a comment about his angel, Knight."
"What?" Hikari was surprised. 'I didn't know that Yuu was so serious about dueling. He told me that he only played for fun.'
"Really!"
"Well, celebrity or not, I think I'll be fine. What I'm worried about is finding my first class." 'He couldn't have changed that much in fourteen years,' Hikari reasoned. 'And he just didn't recognize me. After all, we've only written to each other since right before he left with his mother to go on that tour.'
"Oh really? Let me see your schedule. I'll help show you around," offered Aya, taking the paper. "I know a lot of people, so you're bound to be in someone's class. In fact, you're in my class- Class A. Our first class is at the other end of the school. I'll introduce you to the professor," she said, handing it back. The two of them started to walk down the hall.
"Thanks, but why are you calling your teacher, professor?"
Aya looked at her. "Your parents didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"This is the best high school in Tokyo, probably in all of Japan. All the teachers have phD's, so we call them professors."
"The entire Japan?" Hikari was taken aback. 'And to think I had a perfect score on the entrance exam!'
"Yeah, this school carries a lot of prestige. That's why Yuu is here, and not being tutored at home."
Hikari looked at her. "Yuu?"
"Yeah, everybody calls him that, except the professors."
"Oh."
"You must be a pretty good student, if you're in Class A."
"I was home tutored for a while, why?"
"That makes sense. The only people who's in the class are the ones who are really smart. Unfortunately, most of them are very rich and can afford special teachers. They don't pay attention in class, but they still get straight A's."
"And the rest?"
"They're here on a scholarship, so they work hard all the time in order to maintain their average and keep the scholarship. But it's so annoying having work with with those rich snobs when they know that even if they fail, they'll still be in the school."
Hikari sighed. Her own family was quite rich. Uncle Icchan owned about a third of the shares of Piffle Princess, and Grandmother Shuuko owned a quarter. Her father had already owned another quarter, and the rest her parents' wedding present from Icchan. With all the money Piffle Princess was making from Angelic Merchandise and from the layers that deuces use, her family was as rich as Yuu's, or maybe even more so. "You're here on a scholarship?" she asked.
"Yeah. My dad's a banker, and my mom's a brewer." Aya looked at her. "What about you? Since your family could obviously afford a tutor, what does your parents do?"
"My parents work in the main lab at Piffle Princess." It was the truth, after all.
"Really? So you know all about the new products coming out?" Aya looked impressed.
"Yeah, I test- I watch my parents test them." Hikari didn't want her fame or her privileges to be known all over the school. "Do you play Angelic Layer?"
"Of course. I'm in the advance Angelic Classes, all of Class A is. The equipment is a bit expensive, but I got Saki as a birthday present, and the rest as Christmas presents."
"Saki?"
"My angel." Aya stopped to take her out. "I named her after the Princess of Angelic Layer, Suzuhara Misaki."
Hikari bit back a smile. It seemed that despite their fifteen year withdraw from the competitions, her parents were still quite famous. "How high are you?"
"I'm pretty good compared to most of the class- even if we are in advance- but I'm nowhere as good as Yuu. He's in our class and he's one of the smartest in the school."
"What?!"
So what do you think? Poor Hikari.
So please reveiw if you want the next chapter out before July 10.