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Chapter 2: Good Impressions

The day had finally arrived.

CJ could not remember having ever looked so proper at school. She was wearing a ceremonial version of her regular blue-and-yellow S.A.S. uniform, complete with her name and the title 'MVP' embroidered on her chest. She also had also proudly fastened the scabbard and sword gifted to her by Archer to her hip, enjoying the looks of awe and envy they garnered.

She had been joined by her fellow seniors – Freddie, Carlos and Jane prime among them – as they stood in front of the school to welcome all the guests who'd be arriving from far and away.

Archer, having arrived a day early, stood a little further back, alongside Royce, son of Robin Hood, who was also a senior.

CJ felt a little conflicted as she watched them talk to each other, both with broad grins on their faces. One major thing she had neglected to tell Archer about, both yesterday and during their many conversations throughout the year, was her falling out with Royce.

It had been a bad one too. Early in the school year, the two had struck up a casual but amicable friendship. Royce, as captain of the Auradon Prep archery squad, would often hang out with the other athletes, including CJ and her S.A.S. team. That had all changed one day shortly after CJ had visited Harry one time and told her friends about all the good things that were happening on the Isle.

Royce, who had never harbored particularly positive feelings regarding the Isle and the villains still residing there, had publicly called her out. He was incensed that CJ was still willing to publicly associate with her brother, after everything he had done. CJ couldn't really blame him for his outburst, considering that Royce had been there when Harry had tortured Mal and when the villains had plundered numerous villages surrounding Auradon City. Still, she had stood her ground and argued in favor of the good that Harry was doing now. This had not been enough for Royce, who continued to shun CJ and openly badmouth the villains who had fought on Solomon's side during the second great war. Neither of them had told Archer, which would often leave the air filled with tension whenever he was around.

CJ tried to ignore her doubts and instead focus on the day ahead.

The schedule was simple. The special visitors, friends and family and the like, would arrive first. They would get to make themselves comfortable and mingle with the older students as they would wait for the younger ones to arrive a little later. The kids would come from all over the kingdoms, be it Auroria Priory, Charmington High, Notre Dame Conservatory, Arendelle Elementary or even if they were home- or castle-schooled.

The first guests arrived soon. A blue convertible came to a screeching halt barely a few feet in front of the waiting seniors, and out jumped Evie.

"Yay!" She squealed as she hurried over to Carlos and Freddie and pulled them into a strong hug. "Introduction day! I can't wait! This is gonna be the best! Dizzy has been texting me about it non-stop! We're gonna spend the entire week together!"

CJ couldn't help but grin as Evie then also pulled her into a hug. The blue-haired girl's eyes went wide as soon as she spotted CJ's sword.

Doug exited the car next and happily greeted everyone. His hair was a lot longer, and he wore it in a ponytail, but he still seemed as kind-hearted as ever. Rings sparkled on both his and Evie's left hands. CJ fondly remembered their wedding, a far more intimate affair than Ben and Mal's had been, but no less fun for her.

Following them, the guests gradually began pouring in. They ranged from all manner of life. Kings and queens. Princes and princesses. Bankers and tradesmen. Miners and hunters. Servants and sailors.

The senior students all largely dealt with the younger guests, exchanging tales and joking around, while Fairy Godmother and the teachers cared for the adults.

Audrey, Jordan, Aden and Alex arrived in a richly decorated blue-and-gold sports car, driven by Chad Charming. This particular group had remained close friends as they attended Auradon University together. Chad had even managed to impress CJ slightly by performing several notable feats for the varsity S.A.S. and Tourney teams, not that she'd ever tell him that.

Lancelot also soon arrived, literally popping out of thin air. He was as tall, pale and gangly as usual, but had undergone numerous stylistic changes. Prime amongst them were that he now suddenly had several dark blue streaks in his usually auburn hair and wore an earring with what appeared to be a large claw dangling from it. CJ held back her comments for now and instead just greeted him happily.

Everyone rejoiced as they made their way to the courtyard, where they would gather when the new students would arrive in a little while. The walls of the school were decorated with draping and banners in the blue-and-yellow of Auradon. A blue carpet had been rolled out near the entrance, where all the guests could sign off on their presence before proceeding. The courtyard itself was now decked out with rows of comfortable chairs in front of a podium, as well as some circular tables further back.

There were some notable absentees. Ben and Mal had sadly been unable to find a gap in their terribly busy schedules, though they had sent over their best wishes. Jay and Lonnie were still occupied by their travels, which had now taken them somewhere in the middle of the ocean far to the north.

While their absence dampened spirits a little, CJ still had more fun than she'd had in a long time. She talked animatedly with Evie, Aden and Chad about her S.A.S. prowess, and never let an opportunity go to waste to show off her amazing new sword.

The air was one of anticipation. Everyone, from the students and teachers to the parents and other relatives, constantly checked their watches, waiting for the kids to arrive. Freddie and CJ both became giddy with the idea of spending the entire day with Celia and getting to show her around. She would be arriving with all her classmates from Charmington High, which she had attended ever since arriving in Auradon. She was already close friends with several former Isle inhabitants, like Dizzy Tremaine, but had also struck up a bond with Chloe Charming, their friendship blooming during their time spent together during last year's summer vacation. Not a day went by where CJ did not receive at least one paragraph worth of news from Celia about how awesome Auradon and her new friends were.

It all very much gladdened CJ. The memories of her dismal family life during her upbringing slowly faded away. Freddie and Celia had practically adopted her as their third sister, always involving her whenever they made plans or were just goofing off.

"Here they come…" Freddie squealed as the sounds of several large busses driving onto the Auradon Prep grounds drifted in from outside. This was followed by a loud ruckus of what had to be dozens of kids loudly chattering, the gravel of the Auradon Prep walkways scrunching underneath many pairs of feet.

Chloe Charming could sleep anywhere. It was both a blessing and a curse. On the plus side, she rarely ever had a bad night's sleep. On the other, she would often find herself dozing off while watching movies with her friends or, like in this case, while riding on a bus.

"Chloe! We're here!" Celia Facilier poked her in the side, making her jump in her seat as she abruptly woke up.

"W-Wha… What?" She murmured, sitting up straight and blinking rapidly to get the sleep our of her eyes. She wiped some stray strands of her blue curls from her face as she stared out the bus window.

Indeed, the bus was just entering the Auradon Prep driveway. Chloe's heart did a little twirl.

Earlier that morning, she had boarded a large bus alongside her fellow classmates. They had travelled from Charmington High, back in Chloe's home town, all the way to Auradon to Auradon City and from then on to Auradon Prep.

It was introduction day. The day Chloe had been obsessing about every waking minute for what felt like an eternity. She had read so much about life at Auradon Prep, and heard even more stories from her older brother.

She was still somewhat of a newbie when it came to public education, since she had been castle-schooled for a long time during her youth. This had its ups and downs. On the plus side, her mother and private educators had all been incredible, allowing her to acquire a keen intellect and a kind-hearted nature. Chloe was always on time, never raised her voice, never broke the rules and was never impolite. That, combined with her natural beauty, bright smile and sparkling eyes, meant that she was seen as a picture perfect Auradon princess.

On the downside, interactions with kids her own age had been relatively sparce, especially in an environment where no grown-ups were present, meaning that she could come off as awkward and a little ignorant at times. Chloe was also not really used to being challenged or being faced with any sort of adversity. This meant that, the minute things did not work out perfectly for her, she had the tendency to descend into a full-fledged panic attack. She was still a go-getter though, and tried to work on herself, and her flaws, as much as possible.

She always knew that she had to someday escape her parents' clutches. It was only after hearing about the incredible experiences Chad had had, and after the children from the Isle of the Lost had been allowed into Auradon, that Chloe pleaded with her parents to let her attend public education as well. While they had had their doubts, they had allowed their precious daughter to go out and spread her wings, so to speak.

She had enrolled in Charmington High, which was still practically in walking distance of the palace she grew up in. She still remembered how nervous she had been during her first week, no longer having her parents right there to support her if and when things went awry.

Still, she had powered through and come out on top. She was among the brightest students in her class, impressing her teachers with her poise and level-headed thinking. She had also joined the junior Swords and Shields team of her school, and had excelled there as well. It was all a testament to her perfectionistic nature and the eagerness to prove herself, something that had plagued her from a young age.

Doing well academically was one thing, but interacting with her peers was another. Most of the children of other royals already knew Chloe, since they had always been practically forced to attend each other's birthdays and such. At school, however, Chloe discovered that she had little in common with her Auradonian classmates, who had a tendency to act spoiled and bratty, which rubbed her the wrong way. Luckily for her, a number of kids from the Isle were also new students, and she had quickly developed a bond with several of them.

Celia Facilier, daughter of Doctor Facilier, was the best of the bunch. Feisty, sassy and with a knack for causing mischief, Celia was everything most of the Auradon kids were not. She was effortlessly cool, possessing swagger and confidence that Chloe tremendously admired. Celia also possessed magic, and was one of the few younger students not afraid of showing it off. She would often delight her friends by conjuring sparkles from her fingertips or sending tarot cards zooming through the air like tiny guided missiles. Celia was also a bit of a con artist, delighting in her card tricks and swindling hapless Auradon students out of their allowances. Chloe herself had been a frequent victim of her antics early on, with Celia taking advantage of her admittedly naive and good-hearted nature, but she was glad to say this did not happen nearly as often anymore.

Another new friend was Dizzy Tremaine, Chloe's step-cousin from the Isle. She had already been close with Celia, and the two had gladly invited her into their little friend group. Dizzy was sweet and loving, with a particular love for the arts, most notably fashion design and music. Following her arrival in Auradon, Dizzy had made it her goal to establish a hair- and fashion emporium from day one. She loved to style all the young Auradon princes and princesses, who in turn were eager to try out the latest fashion trends from the Isle, which had surged in popularity ever since the first VK's crossed the border. Dizzy was the protégé of Evie, whose own fashion label was already among the most successful in Auradon. Chloe was one of Dizzy's new favorite mannequins, so to speak, and she had gladly let her play around with her outfits and her long, curly blue hair over the past year.

The one who rounded out their little friend group was Dillon, son of Doc. Opposed to most Auradon kids, Dillon was somewhat shy and withheld. He was never one to brag or show off, instead preferring to stick to the sidelines and learn. He was incredibly kind, helpful and smart. Dillon and Dizzy had become close during past summer, since both were close with Evie and her new husband, Doug, who was Dillon's cousin. Dizzy had subsequently often pulled Dillon along whenever the group of friends made any plans.

Chloe looked back at her friends. All of them had tried to look their best today.

Chloe wore her hair loose, and it cascaded down almost to her waist in long, shiny strands. Dizzy had styled her in a fashion that resembled the Auradon Prep S.A.S. uniforms. A blue and gold jacket, a light blue shirt, blue pants and sparkly army boots reminiscent of her mother's glass slippers. She even carried her favorite sword along, safely sheathed in a scabbard around her waist.

Celia had assorted her dark red hair into many small braids. On the side of her head balanced a tiny maroon top hat adorned with a colorful skull and multiple dark feathers. She wore a multicolored suit of various designs and patterns, with colors such as red, purple, brown and green all making an appearance. She had furthermore decked herself out with tons of colorful bracelets and necklaces. Chloe always tried to compliment her for her looks, to which her friend would then respond with a snarl.

Dizzy had gone all out. She wore her brown hair in two cute buns. Her standard purple cat-eye glasses covered her face. Her dress was a dark blue and covered in all sorts of artistic-looking paint splatters in all colors of the rainbow. All in all, she looked exactly like the fashionista she always claimed she would want to become.

Dillon, opposed to the three of them, had notably toned things down. He wore a simple white button-up shirt and brown slacks. His glasses were ordinary, black and square, as opposed to Dizzy's fabulous ones. His white-blonde hair was short and straight. Being a descendant of one of the dwarves, he was predictably somewhat short, but also sturdy, with a kind face, a large nose and a square jaw.

Chloe was more than ready for herself and her friends to start making an impression on everyone at Auradon Prep. There were two people in particular Chloe was keen to impress.

First and foremost was CJ Hook. They had met last year during summer holiday, when Chad had brought her along, but had not interacted that much. During the past schoolyear, however, Chloe had kept up with CJ's S.A.S. performances almost fanatically. The pirate from the Isle had broken numerous records, becoming the highest-scoring female fighter in the junior league's history. Chloe, as both an avid S.A.S. fan and player herself, had become obsessed with her. She was eager to show off her fighting prowess to her, and genuinely hoped that they could become friends, or that she would even maybe mentor her in some way. In Chloe's opinion, CJ was far and away the most awesome person in all of Auradon.

Luckily for Chloe, Celia's older sister was CJ's best friend, meaning that she had a somewhat easy way into her idol's inner circle. She had been rehearsing the things she wanted to say to CJ in her head for weeks. She was eager to make a good impression, not come off as too desperate or clingy and hopefully create a long-lasting friendship between them.

Closely related to CJ, as the second person Chloe was eager to impress, was Archer. Now, Chloe and Archer did go way back. As children of influential royals, they had often visited each other's families growing up or attended the same events or parties. Archer, king Ben and the other 'Righteous Sons' had often visited Charmington and Cinderellasberg to spend time with Chad, and Chloe had always tried to tag along. She had largely played the part of the 'annoying little sister' during those years, but all the boys, safe for her own brother, had always treated her with kindness. Archer had always been her favorite, though, since he had often gone out of his way to make her feel included. She always guessed that he did so because he had no little sisters of his own to dote on.

Chloe had always savored the days when Archer chose to spend time with her. Her initial impressions of Auradonian princes had been that they tended to be spoiled and cocky, mostly from interactions with her own brother. Archer had shattered those impressions. Not only was he incredibly handsome, he was also kind, brave, patient and selfless. Sure, he tended to be somewhat cocky and boastful as well, but never in a manner that was too disrespectful.

Best of all, it had been Archer who had been the first to support Chloe when she wanted to try out martial arts and sword combat. Her mother, Cinderella, had always looked down on physical activities involving weapons, which she deemed to be barbaric in nature. Her father, king Charming, was more worried about Chloe's wellbeing, afraid she'd get hurt. Chad had outright dismissed Chloe's wishes, stating that 'girls don't belong in the arena'. It was only when she had confessed her dreams to Archer, that she had found some genuine understanding of her pleas. He had been the one to convince Chloe's parents to let her try out and even allowed her to practice with him a few times, sharpening her skill.

All of this had led Chloe to develop a massive and hopeless crush on Archer, like so many Auradon princesses. She never truly expected anything to blossom between the two of them, mostly given the age difference, but could never stop her knees from turning to jelly whenever he looked at her with those incredibly blue eyes of his.

When the news had reached her that Archer had finally started dating someone, she had been a little down in the dumps. After getting to know more about CJ, Archer's new flame, her despair had been replaced by giddy excitement. Along with Celia, Chloe was one of the staunchest supporters of Archer and CJ's relationship. Who wouldn't be? They were only two of the coolest people in the kingdom, and two of its best fighters.

"We're here! We're here! We're here!" Celia and Dizzy sang in unison, bouncing in their seats as their bus rolled up right in front of Auradon Prep's main entrance.

The other kids on the bus were similarly excited, some going as far as to press their noses up against the windows. When they finally came to a grinding halt, all the students immediately scrambled out of their seats and crowded together in an attempt to be the first ones out the door. The chaperones tried in vain to keep them at bay, but were dragged along by the mob.

Chloe was one of the few who gracefully let the others out first. Her heart was beating miles a minute in her chest as she eventually stepped outside as well.

She had visited Auradon Prep numerous times before, most notably as a guest during Ben and Mal's wedding, but never with the intention of actually going to stay there on a more permanent basis, or even just to stay overnight.

"This is gonna be the best week ever…" Celia growled, grabbing a tight hold of both Chloe's and Dizzy's upper arms. "The three of us staying with Freddie… And Evie will be there… And CJ… And Archer… Leaping lizards, what a day…"

Chloe giggled at her friend's enthusiasm as they joined the mob of their fellow students as they made their way to the Auradon Prep courtyard. Several other schools had already arrived, judging from a number of busses with different school emblems on their sides already parked further back.

The chaperones escorted the large group of new students to the courtyard, where a large array of comfortable chairs stood in rows in front of a podium. Rows of people stood on the sidelines, mostly family members, teachers and older Auradon Prep students.

Chloe's own parents had not been able to make the trip, having to deal with the construction of some important building back in Charmington. She was able to immediately spot her brother however, who started jumping up and down and waving his arms around as soon as he saw her. She chuckled and waved.

Her and Chad's relationship had taken a notable upturn ever since the second great war. She still remembered how scared she had been as both her father and brother had headed off into battle. There were days when she had genuinely feared for their lives, as well as those of everyone in Auradon. Nowadays, she treasured every second they got to spend together, and he appeared to be feeling the same way.

Chad had been joined by all his friends and former classmates. Chloe immediately recognized several well-known Auradon faces, such as Audrey, Chad's ex-girlfriend, as well as Jordan, Jane, Doug, Aden, Royce and Alex. Then there were some VK's, most notably Evie, Carlos and Freddie Facilier.

"There they are!" Celia squealed as she pointed at CJ and Archer, who stood next to Freddie and were also applauding loudly.

Chloe instantly spotted a shiny hilt sticking out of the scabbard around CJ's waist. She didn't know this particular hilt, which was odd, given that she had feverishly studied and admired all of the swords in CJ's collection. She was already dying to start asking her questions about it.

The younger students all took their seats opposite the podium. There were a few dozen of them. Most were whispering among one another, the buzzing of soft voices filling the air.

Fairy Godmother stepped onto the podium, a kind smile on her face as she looked over the faces of the students who would be entrusted to her care the next schoolyear.

"Attention, please. Attention." She called out, snapping her fingers. "For those of you who do not know me, I am Fairy Godmother, headmistress of Auradon Prep. As always, it is my greatest pleasure to kick off one of Auradon Prep's most beloved traditions – our introduction week. First and foremost, I want to welcome all our new students. I sincerely hope that this week will give you a great insight into life at your new school, and fill you with excitement for the upcoming year. I also wish to extend my greetings to all our current and former students, as well as the family and friends of our future freshmen. Welcome, all. Or, in most cases, welcome back. I hope that you will all share your knowledge with our new pupils and help them acclimate to these wonderful new surroundings. The following week will be filled with activities that are both fun and informative. The schedules for all activities can be found on any Auradon Prep notice board. We urge all of you to attend as many school activities as possible, though I have to emphasize that no attendance is ever mandatory. This week is meant to be fun, and we do not wish to pressure you in any way. One thing that is mandatory is for you all to eat. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be held at the same time each day in the cafeteria, so please remember to attend. A number of our seniors will act as mentors and take groups of new students under their wing, guiding them and instructing them, and it will largely be their task to make sure the new students remain healthy, well-fed and well-informed. You have all been assigned sleeping arrangements. Some of you will share dorms with fellow freshmen, while others will bunk with their mentors or other older students." She took a second to breathe after drumming up all that information. "Well… I believe that is all for now… We will start off the week with a celebratory brunch, during which you can all socialize a little with each other, your mentors and your friends and family. Bibbidi-bobbidi best of luck, everyone."

Everyone in the courtyard cheered and applauded.

The people on the sidelines immediately moved in to locate their respective friends or relatives. Chloe saw how Chad zig-zagged his way through the crowd as he headed towards her.

"There she is!" He laughed as he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her in a strong hug.

"Come on…" Chloe groaned, blushing in embarrassment as Chad twirled her around, feeling as though he was trying to crush her ribs.

"Look at you… Let's hope you stop growing…" Chad put her back down and playfully ruffled her hair.

"Stop it…" Chloe whined as she fixed her hair. She looked around, but all her fellow freshmen were too busy greeting their own friends and family to notice. She couldn't help but crack a slight smile though. She was very happy to see Chad again, after all. He was also correct regarding her height. Previously, she'd always had to crane her neck to look up at him, but now their faces were almost level. This amused her somewhat. She was eager to distance herself from the 'annoying little sister' persona Chad always associated her with, and this was a good first step.

Freddie had also ran up, and she had caught Celia in a tight embrace. The two were jumping up and down, squealing in delight.

The next few minutes were spent exchanging happy greetings with everyone. Chloe, Celia, Dizzy and Dillon were all under the care of Freddie, Carlos, Jane and Royce. CJ would not act as an official mentor, which saddened Chloe, but would be hanging around the group for the duration of the introduction week.

Chloe had to work up the courage to approach her and Archer, who were busy entertaining Celia with promises of what activities they would undertake this week alongside Freddie.

Evie and Dizzy were already huddled together, admiring each other's outfits and hairstyles. Doug and Royce were talking to Dillon. Carlos and Jane had made their way to one of the notice boards to retrieve a detailed schedule regarding all the activities.

"What's got you worked up, sis?" Chad asked, bumping into her.

"What? Nothing!" Chloe hastily replied, glancing over at CJ and Archer once more but trying to play it cool.

Chad noticed. "Archer and CJ? What's with them? Y-You're not nervous, are you? You've known Archer for years… And you've already met CJ…"

"Not so loud!" Chloe pleaded, trying to keep from blushing.

"If you want to talk to them, we can just do so." Chad shrugged, grabbing Chloe by the upper arm and pulling her along.

"No! No! Chad, please!" Chloe groaned, feeling the eyes of multiple people on her.

"Excuse me! Archer! CJ! My baby sister wants to talk to you!" Chad called out, obviously enjoying embarrassing her a little.

Archer and CJ both looked up, their eyebrows raised as Chad deposited Chloe right in front of them. She just stood there rigidly, her face beet red and her balled fists by her sides.

"Hey, squirt." Archer smiled as he approached her.

Chloe tried to conjure up a smile of her own, but it resembled a grimace more than anything else as she hugged Archer, feeling a jolt run up her spine. "Hi…"

"What's the matter?" Archer asked, taking note of her stiff demeanor.

"Nothing." Chloe croaked, gulping loudly as CJ too joined the conversation.

"Hi, Chloe. We already met last year, but I didn't really get to talk to you. Do you remember who I am? I'm CJ…" CJ began, her tone kind and patient.

"CJ Hook!" Chloe barked, interrupting her. "I know who you are… I totally know who you are… I-I watched all your matches… Your Swords and Shields matches! You're so good… Really good… Amazing! The best! I-I'm on the junior S.A.S. team too… I-I want to be just like you. I-I want to join the S.A.S. team at Auradon Prep a-and become the league's MVP as well…"

Everyone just stared at her. CJ's eyes had gone wide. Archer's mouth hung half-open. Chad was staring at the ground, maybe overcome by a wave of second-hand embarrassment emanating from his sister. Freddie and Celia both stared with somewhat disbelieving looks on their faces.

"Oh…" CJ eventually muttered, blinking rapidly. "Ehm… Okay… Well, ehm… That's nice to hear, I guess…"

Chloe was ready to die of embarrassment at that moment. After weeks of rehearsing what she wanted to say to CJ, she had instead just blabbered incoherently to her idol in what was probably the least cool greeting in the history of Auradon.

"Yeah, so, Chloe…" Archer jumped in, conjuring up a supportive smile. "I, ehm, haven't seen you fight in a while… I was actually the one that first taught her a little." He told CJ. "How much have you improved? Did you practice your footwork like I suggested?"

Chloe nodded, her blue curls bouncing around. "Yes! Yes, I did! A-And, ehm, I-I'd say I've gotten pretty good."

"She's alright…" Chad dismissively waved her hand. "I went to see a few of her matches with mom and dad. She did well. But it was just the junior league after all…"

"Shut up, Chad!" Celia spoke up, joining Chloe by her side. "Archer. CJ. Chloe is an amazing fighter. Just you wait, when she joins the S.A.S. squad next year, expect all your records to get shattered!"

Chloe felt a wave of gratitude for the way Celia stood up for her, but also felt a little uneasy with all these expectations being heaped upon her.

Chad crossed his arms, muttering something unintelligibly.

"You're really that good?" Archer inquired, not unkind.

"I-I mean… I mean…" Chloe's blush only increased. "I-I'm not terrible…"

Celia slapped her on the arm before turning to Archer and CJ. "Archer. CJ. Would you like to see what Chloe is capable of? We've been talking about you two forever, and Chloe is just dying to go toe to toe in the arena with Auradon's best fighters." Her tone was very flattering, a trait she had picked up from years of swindling people.

Another wave of gratitude mixed with indescribable apprehension.

"Hmm…" Archer mumbled, looking Chloe over again, his gaze resting on the sword hanging from her hip. "I mean, we've got a little while before we wanted to head to our first activity. And the arena is empty, right?"

"Right." CJ acknowledged, not taking her eyes off Chloe.

"So, what do you say, Chlo? Up for a sparring session?" Archer suggested.

Chloe took a deep, quivering breath. "Yes." This was basically her dream come true, and she had no idea how to react.

"Let's go. I'm curious now. Let's hope you're as good as Celia says you are. I hate to be disappointed." CJ told her in a teasing tone as she gestured for Chloe to follow her.

Chloe immediately obeyed, her knees almost buckling from the nerves. Now that the moment of truth had arrived, she was both more determined and nervous than ever to make a name for herself.

Archer, Chad, Freddie and Celia followed closely behind, whispering excitedly. Word about the upcoming sparring session appeared to spread like wildfire, as numerous other guests, students and teachers looked in their direction before joining in as well.

"I-Is the arena open for everyone?" Chloe asked CJ, stammering slightly.

"The stands are. For the audience. What? You don't get nervous in front of a crowd, do you?" CJ's eyes sparkled playfully and her smirk was maddening.

"No." Chloe answered, trying to sound confident. In reality, she had preferred that either no one or only her close friends would be present when she would face two of Auradon's greatest fighters in the arena.

As they passed hallways and classrooms on their way towards the S.A.S. arena, Chloe could not help but keep staring at the sword hanging from CJ's hip. The hilt shone brightly.

"E-Excuse me… Ehm… M-Miss Hook… Ehm, CJ…" Chloe stammered, feeling like slapping herself on the forehead.

"CJ is fine." CJ chuckled, obviously amused by Chloe's nerves.

"CJ… Ehm, what sword is that? I, ehm, I studied the swords you use in your fights, or the ones you have talked about in interviews. B-But I don't recognize this one…"

CJ appeared somewhat impressed. "Well, you are correct. I only got this one yesterday. It was a gift from Archer."

The two girls stopped walking momentarily as CJ unsheathed the sword and held it up in front of Chloe, whose mouth dropped.

"Meteorite ore from a wishing star." CJ explained, running her hand along the blade. "Archer designed the hilt himself. Every part of this sword is unique. There is not a single one like it in all the world."

Chloe's jaw was still on the floor. She possessed a fine and richly decorated sword herself, it hung from her waist this very moment, but it felt almost entirely insignificant next to the splendor of CJ's weapon.

"What's your style?" CJ then asked as she sheathed her sword and resumed their walk towards the arena.

"Ehm, fencing and swords dance." Chloe hastily answered.

"Hmm." CJ seemed neither impressed nor disappointed.

Chloe already panicked again, worried she had said or done something to make CJ think less of her. She tried to think of something smart or insightful to say, but drew a complete blank.

It felt as though this was the most important moment of her life. She could not screw this up. She carefully breathed in and out as she and CJ entered the arena. Chloe felt a steely determination consume her. She might not have made a great first impression with her words, but now it was time to let her sword to the talking.