Chapter 8

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So, going into my first term at Sparrow's Wing Academy, I offically had two best friends, an enemy with an army, a beau who couldn't help me, and an expectant fanclub.

Mel posed more of an obstacle than I wanted to admit, especially after all the horrible things that Daddy had said. But I wasn't going to let that slight intimidation get me down or scare me away from my goal. Mel was going down.

Although I firmly decided not to let Daddy know.

Part of me really wanted to venture down to the west courtyard, where the reds hung out and suposedly did all kinds of nasty things while no one was watching. My friends, my fanclub, and even Edward all cautioned me to stear clear.

People such as the red mages you've described can't be healthy, he warned in a letter he sent. Be very careful; they may begin to look more and more fun, the more you stick close to them. Even if you're only doing it to annoy them.

Edward had a point, but I convinced myself that he was just as worried as everyone else and that nothing terrible would happen to me beyond a few bad burns or frostbite. I was pretty sure that I was too proud to be tempted by any of them.

But it wasn't the Reds who frightened me. On my first trip to the western courtyard, the number of dragoon squires gave me the willies. The boys were big and tall, and very muscular; any one of them could have easily snapped me in half like a twig if he so chose. Their armor came in dark purple and dark green, the color of the scales of the legendary wind drakes, and it was very impressive. It almost made them seem attractive.

Almost made them seem attractive. Their faces seemed icky, and every one of them had stringy unwashed hair—nothing at all like my sweet Edward.

I stayed for a minute, trying not to look too surprised at what I saw—for I had heard enough—and then turned to leave, thankfully unapproahced by anyone.

But Mel caught me on my way to the library later that day.

"I saw you today in the courtyard. Why didn't you stay?" she asked demurely.

"'Cause I didn't want to," I answered stoically.

"You should have stayed. I could hook you up with someone," she suggested suggestively.

"No thank you. I told you already, I've got a boyfriend."

"You can have two boyfriends, you know. It's not illegal."

"But it's wrong."

Mel scoffed, and then made a serious mistake. "Don't be such a bitch."

It was a blur, born of a sudden, blazing hot fury that I had never known before, but I spun around and slapped Mel across the face. She yelped and stumbled back, her bright, caked-on rouge smeared over her cheek and nose, and my own hand painted bright pink with the stuff. We were both panting: she from shock, and I from coming down from a huge adreinaline rush.

"I'm not a bitch!" I thundered at her. "Never call me that!"

Of course, the action had attracted the attention of everyone in the hall, including a few teachers, and everyone seemed awed with my reaction for one reason or another. Around me, I could hear other girls whipsering.

"She just slapped Mel in the face!"

"That's awseome!"

"'Bout time someone hit her."

"I'm just sorry it wasn't me."

"Don't want to cross her; today it's a slap in the face, but tomorrow, it could be Blizzaga."

"I'd like to see Mel show her face in the cafeteria tonight."

"Beaten by the new girl; ouch."

"Think they'll fight?"

"If they do, I sure hope that the new girl wins."

"I know; I really like her."

The comments flying around me felt empowering. I felt like I could, in fact, tackle Mel to the ground and reduce her to a bloody pulp without getting a scratch myself. The teachers, however, didn't find it so thrilling. One of them, a stately blonde white mage, appraoched me, and another one went after Mel.

"Perhaps we should remove this to the headmistress' office," the blonde suggested.

At last, I felt a surge of panic. If there was one thing I hadn't wanted to do, it was get in trouble with headmistress Tiffany. What was ultimately worse, she would probably insist on letting my parents know. Mama, I wasn't so worried about; but what would Daddy do? Who cares if I fought back and decidedly won? He certainly wouldn't.

Nonetheless, I allowed the white mage to escort me away, with the other white partially dragging Mel behind.

Tiffany was naturally surprised to see me in her office, and apparently not so much to see Mel. She appraised the two of us for a moment, and the sighed and shook her head.

"I had wondered what a sweet girl like you was doing here, Anna," she said, "but as soon as I saw Mel, a lot of questions suddenly answered themselves."

"Really?" I asked.

"Trust me, dear, Melanie and I go back a long way," Tiffany answered, glaring at the other girl and her smeared make-up.

"What exactly happened?" she asked, mostly to me.

"She called me a bitch," I explained.

"And then she hit me!" Mel interjected, pointing an accusing finger at me.

"Well good; it serves you right," Tiffany scolded. "It's thanks to that nasty mouth of yours that Rosa Farrel is leaving next week, too. I only wish that charming little girl were as bold as Anna; if she were, maybe she could stand to stay here a while longer."

I remembered what Goza and Monique had said before about Rosa being run out of the school by the Reds and wondered for a moment about it.

"However, as earned as it was, I can't leave eitehr action without punishment," Tiffany mused. "I'll have to give you both detention, and I'm going to write to your parents about this."

Mel scoffed again. "Feh; my parents won't care anymore. They're so totally used to it, they'll probably just toss the letter into the fire."

"No matter; I'm writing them anyway. Go with professor Laura, Mel; she can find something for you to do," she commanded, gesturing to the red-headed white mage who had dragged her to the office. Mel sulkily followed her out of the room, and at last her foulness was gone.

"You, Anna, I don't know what to do with; I don't really want to punish you—actually, I'm quite proud of you for fighting back."

"If you please, ma'am, is there anyway that you can only write to my mother and not my father? If he finds out about this, he's going to pull me out," I requested.

"I don't know about that," Tiffany said calmly. "It's unfair, even if it is easier."

"Yeah, I know…"

"Well, so long as you have to be punished for hitting someone, I suppose that I'll let you pick your punishment. Just don't tell anyone else, okay?"

I knew exactly how I wanted to spend my detention.

"Can I tutor Rosa Farrel until she goes away?"

Tiffany eyed me quizzically. "…Beg pardon?"

"I'd like to be Rosa's tutor until she leaves. It sounds like she could use a friend who knows how to talk back to Mel," I explained.

"Well, she's due to return to the castle in 10 days. Most of her things are already packed, and she's already withdrawn from most of her classes. There isn't much left for her to do here but have her mother fill out some paperwork," Tiffany explained.

"I know, but I'd really like to do this. Just because she has no classes doesn't mean that there isn't anything for her to learn."

Tiffany nodded. "Yes, I suppose that you're right. I'll send for her this evening; is there anywhere in particular that you would like to meet?"

"How about the east courtyard? It's as far away from the Reds as you can get."

"Very well. I'll have some things for you two set when you arrive. How does 6:00 sound? I know it's during dinner, but Rosa often eats by herself anyway. It's very sad…"

"She won't be alone tonight."

Tiffany smiled, her heart warmed by mine. "You are a very good person, Anna Faraxhae. Thank you."

Having been absent from my little adventure, Goza and Monique were more than a little surprised by what had happened.

"This whole thing has shown a lot of favoritism on your side," Goza remarked thoughtfully. "Even though Mel totally deserves to get grilled and you should get, like, a medal or something, all the Reds are going to complain that you're a teacher's pet."

"And that should bother me?" I asked nonchalantly. "They can't say anything to upset me."

"Except call you a bitch," Monique pointed out. "Even I've got to say that you need to be a little more careful. And I hate being careful. So, what are you going to do with Rosa?" Monique asked.

"I'm not sure, exactly. I'd like to just talk with her. It sounds like she's really lonely."

"She is," Goza agreed. "Monique and I have tried to befriend her before, but she's very shy and nervous around other people."

"It's all because of how the Reds have terrorized her since she came the other year," Monique added angrily. "Quite frankly, the kid's a lot spunkier than we give her credit for; she's stuck them out for three years, after all. A lesser girl would have run home crying to her mommy and daddy after two days."

"From what we understand, she used to be a pretty hardly kid. Like we said before, she's got a couple of friends up there at the castle—guy friends, always looking out for her, like older brothers."

"Yes, I remember you telling me about them," I recalled.

"I've talked to them before. One of them is a dragoon, but he's not half bad; actually, he's a lot more decent than the others. (He's got a lot of potential to be a great leader; he isn't icky like the boys in the western courtyard.) The other's a dark knight squire, and we actually talked the other month about Rosa and her problems with the Reds. He said that he'd like to have a few minutes alone with Mel and her top lackeys, and maybe beat some sense into them. He also seems like a good guy, but I think he takes Rosa a little too seriously."

"Doesn't just want to be her big brother, eh?" I suggested.

"Oh, neither of them just want to be her big brother," Goza insisted. "But they're very proud of her for sticking it out for so long. All the same, they're glad that she's coming home."

"I'd like to meet them," I mused. "They sound pretty nice. And the dragoon guy sounds like a refreshing change from what I've seen. I'll have to ask Rosa about them when I see her tonight."

I went on my way to the eastern courtyard fairly early to meet my new charge. I was on pins and needles to finally see her, and excited to be able to help her. Part of me wanted give her a big hug and tell her that everything was going to be alright, that Mel was just a bully and that she would eventually get what was coming to her, but I pushed all those thoughts out of my head. Even if she was a victim and deserved pity, it didn't mean that I was the one meant to administer it.

The courtyard was lit with paper lanterns, and a stone table had been moved to the center of the space with two wicker chairs on either side. There was a basket set on the table, and a young girl, perhaps a year younger than myself, carefully removing the contents and arranging them on the table. She didn't seem to hear me approach, so I knocked lightly on the doorframe to get her attention. She looked up, surprised, and perhaps slightly nervous.

"Rosa?" I asked.

"Yes," she answered slowly. "Are you Anna?"

"I am," I answered, coming closer to shake her hand. "I've heard a lot about you from the headmistress and from my friends. I'm pleased to meet you."

Rosa eyed me suspiciously with intense brown eyes. "You mean the other Reds?" she demanded.

"No; none of them are my friends. My friends are Goza and Monique, they live down the hall from you in room 304."

"Oh…"

Rosa still wasn't sure what to make of me. In the firelight, I could see why the Reds had decided to target her. She had a fairy-like figure and fine, feminine features. Her hair was naturally perfect platinum blonde, and her big brown eyes were kind, gentle, and sweet as a butterfly. Her fair skin was dotted with paling freckles that threatened to fade completely in due time.

Poor sweet Rosa was a classic regulation hottie if there ever was one: the kind of perfect girl with perfect skin that never blemished, perfect hair that would look great even if it was un-brushed, and a carriage that required no make-up, jewelry, or any other kind of accessory to make it look good. Rosa came perfect; the Reds did not. So they mercilessly attacked this innocent beauty out of jealousy.

Innocence: the most important thing that Rosa had, that the Reds would never have again. Why did that make it all the more tantalizing to them? It was their fault, after all.

I didn't blame Rosa in the least for being nervous around me. But it wasn't going to stop me from convincing her that I was a friend. I turned to the basket and began unpacking things.

"I had heard about you a few days ago from my friends," I mentioned. "You sound like you could have used a friend or two. Why didn't you talk to them?"

"I've got friends," Rosa insisted quietly. "Cecil and Kain understand; I don't think the others would, exactly…"

"Your friends from the castle? They sound nice too, from what they've told me. I guess I don't really have much to say about anything; all that I know is stuff I've heard from my friends."

"You've only been here a few days."

"Why wouldn't they understand? We've all been picked on and bullied before. I came here to get away from the people who were bullying me."

"Sorry to hear that. You slapped Mel in the face today; who would want to pick on you?" Rosa asked, perplexed.

"People who think that I'm either no good or too good. I've gotten used to it. They're all just big dumb bullies, when you get right down to it. And bullies just need to be stood up to, that's all."

"You know how they say that all bullies only bully people because it makes up for something they're missing?" Rosa asked. "Like, they only do those things for attention, or because it makes them feel stronger because they feel weak?"

"I have; from what I've seen, it's pretty true," I answered.

Rosa gazed off into one of the lanterns. "I don't think it's totally true," she informed. "I think that some bullies are mean just because they like to be mean. The same kind of good feeling, of success and happiness that nice people find in helping others, some people find in hurting others. That's where evil people come from."

"Wow… That's really deep and… kind of scary, actually."

"I've had a lot of time on my own to meditate on these things."

The table finally set, I sat down I one of the chairs. "My father would say that such thoughts can make you stronger," I commented. "He has this belief in anger and revenge that sometimes confounds us all. Sometimes, it's downright scary."

"My mother would have him for breakfast," Rosa answered, her tone threatening a laugh. "She believes in exactly the opposite; and she never loses an argument."

"Neither does my father."

At last, Rosa smiled and sat down. "So, you're going to tutor me? In what?"

"Any spells you need practice with? I've mastered all the white spells in the –A level."

"No, I'm good on all of those as well."

"Then how about self defense? You'd never have to worry about bullies like Mel again, if you could defend yourself."

"You'd teach me? I had always wanted to be an archer—I'm pretty good with a bow, but I want to get better."

"Then you'll be the best darned archer that Baron's ever seen," I said resolutely.

That first evening was splendid. We ate and talked about our friends and our families, each with their own sets of unique problems. As satisfied as Rosa seemed when she and I parted ways, I felt like I had had my own fill of company as well. I felt like perhaps I wasn't so alone.

When I arrived back in our room, Goza and Monique hadn't returned from dinner yet. It was the perfect time to write a letter to Edward, explaining what had happened. I had only been writing for a short time when my two friends arrived back, filled with questions.

"How did she look? Did she seem okay?" Goza asked.

"She was fine; once she opened up, she became one of the most interesting people in the school," I answered.

"What did you talk about?" Monique asked.

"Our families, mostly; and also people who like to hurt other people for sheer entertainment. Apparently, she's done a lot of thinking about that. Rosa's very deep and brilliant. We'll be missing a terrific white mage."

The next night when Rosa and I met in the eastern courtyard, she brought a bow and several arrows, and I brought a target. Together, we practiced for almost two hours before we began to tire and decided to return to our rooms. And so it continued for a week and a half; by the last night, we were good friends.

"I'll miss you, Anna," she told me. "You ought to come visit us at the castle sometime."

"I'd get lost," I insisted. The castle still intimidated me; it was too big, and it filled me with fear. I didn't want to look like I didn't want to come and see her where she lived—I truly did wish the castle didn't scare me so—but she seemed to understand.

But we were both very sad to be parting. The morning she left, Goza and Monique both came with me to see her off.

"My friends said that they would come to get me at the western courtyard," she explained.

"Why?" Monique asked. "Won't the Reds—"

"Not while Kain's around," Rosa answered serenely. This time, she wasn't so afraid of them; her best friend was going to take care of her. The four of us made our way to the western courtyard, hoping that the two boys had beaten us there.

One strange boy was there, dressed in street clothes and trying to ignore the slimy leers of the red mages around him. His shoulder-length hair appeared at first to be platinum blonde, but upon coming closer, we saw that it was really the color of new snow. He wore a gold medallion around his neck carrying the signet of the dark knights, but even then something about Cecil Harvey shone brightly.

(Not that I knew his name at the moment…)

Miraculously, the Reds didn't bother us beyond a few stares of contempt, mostly aimed at Rosa and myself. But they daren't mess with either of us while the serious, powerful, and incredibly attractive young knight was there, judging them on how well they treated his best friend. When he saw us, he gave the four of us a friendly smile and ran up to greet us.

"Rosa, you look really happy today," he noted.

"I feel happy," she answered. "I have friends who came to see me off."

He looked the rest of us over, a little surprised. "But she's a red mage," he pointed out, casting an accusing finger at me.

"No, she's my best friend here," Rosa insisted. "This is Anna, Monique, and Goza," she introduced, and each of us nodded to her friend; Goza gave a small curtsey.

"Well, if you've taken care of Rosa and made her so happy, then you're a friend of mine. My name is Cecil. I'm sorry I was so rude to you, Anna," he apologized, extending his hand to me. "We've had a lot of trouble with the red mages lately and I… never mind."

"It's okay," I said, shaking his hand. "It happens a lot around here. I'm getting used to it."

"Cecil, where's Kain?" Rosa asked. "He said that he would be here."

"Your mother's expecting a final correspondence from the headmistress; Kain's gone to get it," Cecil explained.

"He doesn't want to see you," interjected one of the nearby Reds. "He's not really here at all, is he."

Something about Cecil suddenly changed and he turned on the other girl with a fierceness that frightened us, but didn't seem to bother Rosa very much.

"Shut up! You've caused enough trouble already," he snapped angrily. The other girl shrunk away from him, just as startled as the rest of us.

"We should go," the boy murmured, glancing around the courtyard at the mass gossip he had generated. "The sooner we get you away from these tramps, the better."

"That was a little mean," Rosa countered.

"It's what they are; and I hate to lie."

Rosa didn't answer, but she seemed to agree.

"You guys," she said to us, "it's been a wonderful week. Thanks for being my friends."

"Maybe we'll see each other around the city sometimes," Goza suggested. "We'll all miss you."

"I'll miss you too. I'll write you all, okay?"

"We'll look for your letters," I promised. I don't know why I felt so accomplished in that moment. I felt like I was watching a child of mine go off to college, even though she was only one year younger than I. She was going to be just fine now, and for that I felt great.

What would I have done differently, if I knew at that time what I know now? If I knew that I would never see Rosa again in person, I would have hugged her one more time; I probably would have conquered my fear of the castle's vastness to come and see her, too. If I had known then that I had just shaken hands with the soon-to-be savior of the entire planet, and the future king of Baron, would I have left it at that or dropped to my knees? And, if I had known how much they would both do for my sweet Edward, even though they didn't know his name yet, would I have wept for joy?

Oddly enough, I would see Cecil once more, a few years later. But that's getting ahead of the story, now isn't it?

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Author's Notes…

I seriously need to finish this and FFC, because I've been accepted to college and I'm about to start pursuing a career in culinary management. It's more taxing than it probably sounds. It won't go on much longer, I think. Maybe 5 or 6 more chapters, if I keep this chapter length up. How long it will take me to get them all posted, however, is another matter entirely…