Chapter Two! It took longer than I wanted it to, but I had more homework than I thought.

Disclaimer: *insert clever disclaimer here*

"Psst! Shrimp!" Anna leaned back in her seat, tilting her head to acknowledge the person whispering to her. "You're the Kazu girl, right? Your older brother must've told you what's gonna happen!" The small female shook her head, humming softly. If the angel behind her knew that Joseph was Anna's older brother, then he had to know that no student would reveal whatever it was about the opening ceremony that made so many prospective Guardians drop immediately afterward.

"For some of you, the physical component to the entrance exam was a challenge," the voice of the person giving the welcome speech – not the headmaster, but the head of the disciplinary committee, a young man named Marisuke Tarro, a full-fledged Guardian with silvery white feathers and hair – announced. "For others, the physical component was the easiest, and the strategy component was a challenge. Regardless of your scores, you made it in. Whether you will stay at this school long enough to begin training will be decided by the third part of the entrance exam: the application component. You will be assigned an opponent from the admitted students, and how you fare in a battle with them will determine whether you leave here today or begin your new life."

So that was why Joseph had been excused. He knew several of the potential students – Anna, his sister, and her friends. It would be difficult for him to make an impartial judgment if the person he was set against was someone he knew. Anna sighed, the hum that had been hovering on her lips at the prospect of a fight dropping away. She would have liked to face her brother; he hadn't sparred with her in ages. Still…

Anna waited calmly as her potential classmates exchanged nervous looks, glancing warily to the balconies where the upperclassmen had been at the beginning of the welcome speech. Now, only a few of them remained on the balcony.

"Your opponents have been given your name and description. Good luck to all of you. I sincerely hope you all survive this year," Marisuke added seriously. Anna shook her head. Were there really students here with so little control that they might accidentally kill a newcomer? Or was he just trying to shake up the poor newbies?

"Anna!" Cyra's voice rose above the panicked chatter that erupted at the Guardian's words. "If you let them beat you, I'll get you myself!" Anna shook her head again; Cyra should know better than to draw attention to herself like that. There was a yelp as one of the upperclassmen on the balcony swooped down and slammed into one of the potential students.

The battle had apparently begun. But the upperclassmen weren't wearing uniforms. Anyone she didn't know could be her opponent.

"Your brother really didn't tell you anything, did he?" an unfamiliar voice asked. Anna didn't bother turning to see who it was; only her assigned opponent would approach her now. Her feathers rustled with a slight breeze. Unwilling to take the chance that it was someone else, she ducked, feeling her hair ruffled by the blow that would have hit her squarely in the back. Then she lunged forward and upward, kicking off the back of another angel – she didn't know the poor newcomer's name, but she did recognize her; she'd been in front of Anna during the welcome speech – and launched herself into the air.

Sorry. I really hope I didn't ruin your fight, Anna thought mournfully before she shook off the sentiment. She had to survive. If she couldn't protect herself, she couldn't protect anyone. Or…was that what they were really testing?

Anna hovered, surveying the brawling angels. There, Kyohei and Michael had put their backs together and were fending off a pair of upperclassmen.

Might as well test the idea, she thought, tucking her wings close to her body and dropping between Kyohei and the upperclassman who was attacking him. The older angel hissed in surprise as she fell into a crouch, allowing Kyohei to lash out with a kick over her head. Their opponent shifted backward, and Anna launched herself forward, slamming her shoulder into the student's stomach the way Joseph had taught her. A hum rose in her throat as the angel fell back, the sound only growing steadier as someone landed behind her.

"Down!" Kyohei's voice called, and Anna obeyed instinctively, dropping to the floor. As she did, Kyohei shoved whoever had landed between them. Apparently that person didn't have good balance, because when his legs hit Anna's crouched form, he fell over.

Anna looked up to grin at the ink-feathered male, only to gasp as she saw Michael knocked back as he blocked an attack from the upperclassman targeting him. Before Anna or Kyohei could do anything, Cyra was there, dropping onto the older student's shoulders and wrapping her legs around his neck. Frost appeared on the person's skin where she was touching him.

"Thanks," Michael murmured. Cyra simply nodded, her attention already on her next target.

"Kyohei, there!" Anna exclaimed, pointing to one of their potential classmates who was standing protectively in front of a seemingly wounded angel. They were gone an instant later, hidden by a wrestling pair of angels.

"Good call. Here." Kyohei held out his hands, fingers linked. "I'll launch you." Anna nodded and set her foot on Kyohei's hands, letting him heave her into the air. She somersaulted, flaring her wings slightly to steady her path, and came down behind the female upperclassman who had cornered the two newcomers. She tapped the older girl's shoulder and ducked her head, then jumped, slamming her head into her chin as the other angel whirled to face her.

"You're awfully reckless," Michael commented, having waded through the thinning tide of combatants to reach her. Kyohei was behind him, fending off any upperclassmen who had already defeated their designated newbie. Anna grumbled and rubbed her head; that girl's chin had hurt!

"Enough!" Marisuke's voice rang out. "All upperclassmen return to the balconies immediately. Any potential students who are injured, stay where you are. We will be sending medics to you. Uninjured newcomers, please gather against the walls."

Anna blinked. It was over already? No way. These students had gone down too easily. A hit or two each, and they were gone. Surely they should be better than this.

"They were holding back," Kyohei muttered, wings twitching irritably. "They couldn't possibly have been testing our fighting skills."

"They had the physical exam for that," Anna replied. "I think they were testing who would help out their classmates."

"That's our Anna!" Cyra chirped, skipping up to them. "Look, the discipline guy is going around and dividing the students into two groups." The red-orange-feathered female grinned.

"That's-"

"Actually, it makes sense," Michael interrupted his friend. "Think about it. Everyone says they want to protect or fight or whatever, but who can actually work as a team when they're fighting, protect their comrades while keeping themselves safe? Not many people." Kyohei nodded thoughtfully.

"Tabbris," Marisuke called, approaching them. "Kazu, Kadota, Asmodel. Please join the potential students on the east wall." Kyohei and Michael exchanged confused looks.

"Who's Tabbris?" Michael questioned.

"Oh, that's me. Sorry I didn't say something earlier. My last name is Tabbris," Cyra answered cheerfully. Anna nodded almost sheepishly, surprisingly quiet considering how energetic and outgoing she had seemed before the opening ceremony and during the ensuing fight.

Kyohei noticed the change but decided not to comment. He didn't want to upset her on accident.

"Let's go," Michael murmured, elbowing his friend gently. "At least we're together, pass or fail, right?" Kyohei nodded and made his way toward the east wall, Michael by his side and Anna and Cyra in tow.

Whether they had been accepted or not, they would face their fates as a group.