Chapter 9

The buses drove straight through the night, Ahiru and her friends slept peacefully. As the sun elevated Ahiru opened her eyes to see a massive white buildings going by. "Pike, Lille wake up." She said shaking her friends.

"Umhr Mr. Teddy?" Lille mumbled siting up blond hair a mess.

Pike stirred up stretch "what is it Ahiru?" she said rubbing her tired eyes.

"Look where here." Ahiru pointed out the window.

"Shiny."

"Why are they so tall?"

The students started to stir and stare at the labyrinthine city moving by, Ahiru turned around in her set. James was staring out the window unamused, while Corvin just lay with a sad lonely expression dead to what was happing around him.

"Ahem!" Mr. Cat clapped his paws together "Students we are approaching Silver Staff's art school." He said as the turned on to the wide road reviling a massive set of building the size of a small town behind him. "Now please be on your best behavior, you we'll be representing Gold Crown." He continued as the bus rolled up to the school and opened its doors.

The students walked out of the bus, landing in front of a large gate with ornate designs of birds and flowers. Mr. Cat open the gate leading the way as the other buses showed up, the group flooded into a emptied court yard with half set up stalls and events.

"Strange?" Mr. Cat tilted his hand at the sight of at the half formed festival.

"What's wrong mister Cat" a student asked seeing his curious glance.

"Usually they have the festival set up by now." He answered walking about the court yard.

"Hello!" James shouted only for it to echo, his face twisted in anger at the lack of responds.

The increasing group of the student and teachers searched about the school for its inhabitants. Ahiru poked about and opened large door.

"Welcome." A chorus of boys and girls ring out from a hall fill with bright stained glass and elegant decorations strung from height balconies.

"Eek." She recoiled in shock falling backwards, and was caught before she hit the ground. Ahiru looked up to see Corvin staring down at her.

"Please be careful." He said sounding mournful, moving his hand to stroke her cheek.

Ahiru felt heat raise in her cheeks as her blue eye met his, she squirmed out of his arm shaking off the feeling that swam in her body "than you no need to worry I'll be careful." She said quickly running off not think and hid under a stone bench. 'no, no, no, no, no' she thought to herself she couldn't fall for another prince not one that wanted to kill Mytho.

"There you are." Ahiru jumped and hit her head on the bench, she ducked back down rubbing her head "Still as dim witted as ever though."

"That do you want James?" she grouched at only to see him grin widely.

"You got scared by the surprise welcome and Mr. Cat told me to bring you back." Her explained holding out a hand to help her out "Or did you flee because you finally understand that Corvin is an unforgivable snake."

Ahiru gave an exasperated huff crawling out the other end of the bench. James looked at her more amused than angry at her of defiance, as she walked way back to the group of students from Gold Crown.

"What?" James gave a shrugged watching her leave "I'm right, if you have figured it out yet you will soon."

Ahiru didn't listen her mind was a fog with emotions, she walked with the group not paying attention to anything that was happing around her. As the time passed she found herself bags in hand walking with Pike and Lille through the halls of the girls dorm.

"This your room Ahiru." Pike pointed out her voice shaking Ahiru out of gloomy daze.

"Uh?" she nodded seeing her friends already going on their way "Okay see you later." She shouted down the hall.

"Bye." Lille chimed back but kept moving forward through the hall.

Ahiru stared at the dark wood door, and took a big shaky breath before gripping at door knob. The door opened with relative ease into a well-lit room. A sapphire colored wallpaper adored the room, with two small beds set on opposite walls of each other. As well of a medium length widow, with much to her surprise someone was standing in front of, a girl with light pinkish hair and the thin build of a dancer looked.

"Hello there." The girl turd her face to Ahiru, her eyes the deep color of night shade.

"Hello." Ahiru chirped back politely "um is this my room?"

The girl smiled brightly at her moving to meet her half way in the room "of course you can think of us as roommates." She extended a hand out to Ahiru.

"Oh." Ahiru blinked for a moment "Oh! Thank you Miss…." She shook pink haired girls hand with earnestness.

"Ente." She answered Ahiru

"Nice to meet you Ente, I'm Ahiru."

"Nice to meet you Ahiru." Ente let go of her hand and point to one of the bed "Your beds here and I'll be around to show you everything else." She look at her with a soft smile.

"Okay…." Ahiru placed her suit case on the bed. "So what do you study?" she asked nothing in Ente's room indicating her art of study.

"Oh? I'm an actress, but I also study a bunch of dances and I'm also in the chorus club." Ente listed off the things on her fingers.

"That's a lot." Ahiru said with surprise. "I just take a ballet."

"Only ballet." Ente looked at her with equal surprise.

"We learn other stuff, but we stay in one class."

"I see." Ente sighed after Ahiru explained "So all the students have the day off to set up the rest of the festival, and rest for the big dace tonight."

"The dance is to night?"

"Yup the schools going to be opened to the whole city and a whole assortment of rich folks are coming in from out of town for the whole festival."

"Why?"

"Rich people like spending time on new talent I guess?" Ente shrugged with a confused look

There was a loud nock on the door "Ente!"

Ahiru looked at the door then at Ente who just shrugged.

"Ente come see your roommates!" a cheery muffled voice said through the door

"Ahiru meet my best friend Mai and Yuma." Ente smiled opening for the blurs of Pike and Lille tumbled through the door and hugged her

"Ahiru!" They squealed hugging her tightly.

"Oh you know these girls?" Ente asked staying down at her.

"Yeah they're my best friends." She answered and looked at the door to see a tall dark hair girl and a girl what could have been easily Lille's sister

"Oh isn't this so special." The tall girl stared down at the three

"Yuma why does your roommate look just like you?" Ente asked to the other blond in pigtails

"I don't know but I like it." Yuma cooed a blush on her cheeks

"I think me and Yuma are going to be best friends." Lille wished

"So Ente do you and Ahiru want to go out on the town?" The dark haired girl that must have been Mia asked "Maybe get ourselves ready for the dance later?"

"Of course!" Ente smiled "Come on Ahiru." She grasped Ahiru's hand and pulled her up the hall.

Ahiru was pulled along with her friends but, in the back of her mind she felt like she had forgotten something.

(AN: thank you so much for reading, if you enjoyed check go to my profile for a link to where I'm currently posting an original story. I would greatly enjoy the support and getting my first fanfic to 2.5k views.)