Fantasy Guardians(Leopard&Svenny)

[Galaxxies]

Gallent nodded after Adysin had finished speaking. "I see your point. So if I said I agreed with you, what would you want to be done? Full-time security? Extra training classes in fighting for the students? Making sure everyone was ready to fight right now? Or just a complete lockdown?" The laughed a bit. It all seemed like too much. Though, it wasn't an awful idea. What if they were telling the truth? It wouldn't hurt to be prepared. He sighed. Maybe he should just agree with the girls. He had to admit, they did look like they just crawled out of the forest. The short one was way too skinny and her clothes hung from her frame. The least he could do was offer the girls somewhere to stay for a while. They had, in theory, dealt with what they claimed would happen to his school. "Okay, okay. We can do this your way, so long as I agree with what you want to happen. And you each will be given a room in the girl's dormitory." He glanced at the child standing in the corner. "She can stay in your room with you. I'll have an extra bed moved into one of the larger rooms." Michael Gallent did not think himself to be a man that was hard to get along with. It was obvious that these two girls and the child could use a place to stay for a little while. "You will not be expected to report to any classes, yet. However," he held up a finger, "I will expect daily meetings with you two. So that we can discuss exactly what needs to happen to prepare Klements for this attack you are so sure will happen." He'd let that carry on for a while. A few weeks tops. Then he'd tell the girls that there was no attack happening and they either needed to continue their schooling or leave. Gallent held out a hand towards Adysin. "Does that sound alright with you?"

 

[svenny]

Relief flooded over Adysin when he finally seemed to comply to their reasonings. "There's no need for a lockdown, but more security and more training would definitely be beneficial. Tomorrow we can talk about tactics." she gave him a wisp of a smile, a promise for an improved mood in the light of action. Adysin always seemed to be more cooperative when immanent danger lay in front of them and she had to take a course of action. When he stretched out his hand, she took it eagerly, ready to get out of these clothes. "Thank you, Principal Gallent. We will see you tomorrow." She turned and scooped up Annabel again. When she left the doors, she found Stella still sitting in the waiting room. The hint of a smile that had been on her face disappeared and her foul mood returned. OF course she waited, what else had she expected? Just at that moment a tall man walked into the room, holding himself in a bit of an awkward way. His black hair lay askew on top of his head, and his dark brown eyes were darting around the room until they settled on Adysin. "I'm here to show you and your companion to your rooms." he spoke quietly, a tentative smile spreading over his face. "If you'd both follow me."

 

[Galaxxies]

Ryder followed Adysin out of the room, thoroughly confused as to how quickly Adysin had gotten her way. But at least they would be able to to get a decent night's rest and some food while they were here. Once they stepped out of the room, Fern left Stella's lap and ran and jumped up on Ryder's shoulder. Ryder smiled at the small Guardian and pet her head while turning her gaze to Stella as she stood from her seat. Once the dark haired man started leading the way, Stella fell in line beside Ryder and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Ryder wrapped an arm around her waist, and the two followed the man through the halls and back out onto the front lawn as he lead the way to their rooms. Ryder had to admit that having someone welcome her touch and offer theirs so freely made her feel so happy.
Zayden followed behind Ryder and Stella, with anger plastered on his face. He knew there was something off about Stella, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He turned a look towards Adysin and tried to express all of his anger and doubts with her. He knew she didn't like Stella either, though he suspected it was because the girl held feelings for Ryder herself.
"Hey, after you figure out where your room is... Why don't you come back to mine for a little while, Munchkin? We can curl up and watch a movie or something?" Stella smiled at down at Ryder and placed a quick kiss to the top of her head. Ryder nodded her agreement quickly and couldn't stop the light blush that spread over her face.

 

[svenny]

Adysin walked ahead of the two, but she could tell they were close in proximity to each other. It bothered her, greatly. But she was hell bent on never admitting it to anyone. She felt Zayden's eyes burning into her, and when she turned to look at him, a silent understanding ran between them. He didn't like Stella either. Probably for different reasons, but that's all that mattered to her. She had Zayden's approval to not like Stella. A small smirk crossed her face as she followed the nervous man down the hallway. He didn't say much, but kept glancing back at her with nervousness plastered over his face. Every time he looked back, Adysin gave him a small glare that sent him scurrying faster down the hallway. Finally, after ascending two flights of stairs, he came to a stop in front of one room. "This room is for you," he paused and gestured to Ryder behind him, "It's a single. We have many singles open, most everyone wants roommates." he spoke hastily. Adysin turned around to them for the first time, pointedly ignoring Stella. "I'll see you later? For dinner?" They had come when the sun had just begun it's slow descent downwards, so she knew there was bound to be a meal in their future. The boy hurried along the hall until he reached the stairs and took them one more flight up. At the door closest to the stairs, he stopped and opened it, "This is yours. It's also a single, but we put in another bed anyway. Just as the Principal promised." He was about to vanish down the stairs again before Adysin grabbed him by the arm, "Before you leave me, I have a question. Two, actually. Where is your weapons room, and where can I find new clothes?" A small smile crossed his face, "The weapon's room is the first floor, two doors down from the dining hall on the left. Clothes come with the room." The man without a name disappeared down the stairs, leaving Adysin staring after him in bewilderment. She'd never met someone so eager to end their assignment.

With a sigh, Adysin let Annabel down and followed her into the room. Taking off the bags that Adamaris carried for them, she rummaged through them to find any clothes worth saving. Most of her shirts had rips in them, and she discarded them. Most of her pants had stains that could be washed out somehow. All of her clothes were black, and when she opened the drawers, she saw that they were black as well. They were skin tight, easy for battle training and fighting. The first place she went to were the underwear. Her hand traveled over the soft fabric, bringing it up to her face for a smell. The smelt like fresh linen. Grabbing a fresh change of clothes for herself and for Annabel, she took her family into the bathroom that was between her room and the one next to her. For the first time since they had left Ryder's house, she felt water pour over her in a cleansing way. She scrubbed the dirt from herself and then Annabel, and finally ran the water over Adamaris, whose white pelt had begun to turn brown. She felt fresh and new as she stepped from the shower. Her hair had grown long, too long. With the scissors laying around, she cut her hair to just above shoulder length so that her hair didn't rest on her skin. It felt as though a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as she looked at herself in the mirror. It was a big change, but a change she needed. It had been almost a decade since the last time her hair was this short. It was looked a bit raggedy, but it almost seemed like it was supposed to look that way. Her eyes moved down her body in the mirror until it reached the necklace that hung around her neck. Absentmindedly she grabbed it and played with it for a moment, remembering when her mother had given this to her. Turning to Annabel, she trimmed the girls hair as well. The clothes she slipped into were skin tight and highlighted the fact that she was skinny. Not close enough to be called anorexic, but on the way there. The pants were stretchy and the sneakers gave her the perfect amount of support. How had they known her sizes? It was something that had always been a mystery to her. When she had gone to Bruster, her room had been adorned with perfect fitting clothes. Once everyone was changed and in new clothes, she decided she'd just throw out her current clothes. The academy had supplied more clothes than she had in her bag. Before throwing anything out, she crouched down and pulled her extra weapons from the bag. Her bow and arrow lay on the bed, soon joined by the extra daggers she had brought with her. Next stop was the weapons room.

 

[Galaxxies]

Ryder stopped at her room and watched as Addie was lead on to her room. Stella opened the door and lead Ryder inside. Inside, the room looked bland. A bed in the corner was made up with plain grey sheets. Beside it sat a simple bedside table with a single lamp on top and a small drawer. A large set of drawers sat on the opposite wall with a wardrobe sitting beside it. At the back of the room under a window, a desk sat with a chair in front of it. On the desk sat a piece of paper with a card and a key attached. The card was a tempory one that would allow her access to the buildings until she was able to get an actual card with her information on it. The key was the key to her room. She quickly pocketed both and sat down her things. She then pulled off Zayden's packs and started to unpack all of it. While she did so, Stella sat on the bed.
After a while, Ryder had settled everything where she wanted it in the room. She then turned to Stella and smiled at her. "I promise we can do that movie. But can I please shower first? I feel disgusting."
"Of course. I could use one, too. How about this. You shower and I'll head to my room and grab a shower as well. Then when you're finished, you just meet me in my room." Stella stood and moved closer towards Ryder as she spoke. When Ryder agreed, Stella told Ryder where her room was at. It was just at the other end of the hall. With a quick kiss, Stella left the room and headed to her own with Fern following close behind.
Ryder rummaged through the drawers and pulled out a towel and a change of clothes and turned to Zayden. "I'm assuming you'd rather clean yourself than deal with a shower?" She spoke aloud to her Guardian and he simply replied with a nod and settled down on the floor and started to clean his paws. The leopard had kept himself fairly clean over their travels, but he was in need of a very thorough grooming. Ryder left him to his devices and found the shared bathroom between her and the room next to her. She took quite a long shower, being sure to scrub every inch of her body, enjoying the feeling of being really clean for the first time in a while. Then she remembered the last real shower she had had. It had been at her parent's house. Adysin had asked her to join her in the shower. Ryder shook her head of those thoughts and quickly finished her shower. Once finished and into a fresh change of clothes, she returned to her room to find a freshly washed Zayden dozing on the floor. He picked his head up when she entered the room.
"Are you really going to Stella's room?"
"Yes, I am. She is my girlfriend, after all, Zayden."
Zayden grumbled at her words and lay his head back down. "I'm staying in here then. Hollar if you need me."
Ryder shook her head but left the grumpy guardian to his nap.
Ryder stopped in front of Stella's door and knocked. She entered the room after a call of "Come on in, Munchkin." She found Stella settled on her bed in simple pajamas. Stella's room looked just like Ryder's, though with more knickknacks settled around the area. Fern even had a little pet bed located near the window. Stella patted the empty space next to her on the bed and Ryder went and lay down next to her. As Stella flicked through the movies on the laptop screen that sat on her belly, Ryder lay her head on Stella's chest. Once a movie had been selected, the two girls curled into each other. It felt like the first normal thing Ryder had done in months. It was great. She raised her head up just enough to press a quick kiss onto Stella's jaw before laying her head back down.


The next morning found Ryder still in Stella's bed. The two girls were curled into each other still, but this time, Ryder could see the clothing she had put on after her shower scattered on the floor near the bed. The night before came back to her, and Ryder smiled and settled further into the warm body holding her. After a few minutes, an alarm on Stella's phone went off and the girl next to Ryder started to stir. "I've got to get to class. You may have been excused, but I was not." Ryder nodded and let Stella up. As Stella pulled new, clean clothes from her wardrobe and started to get dressed for the day, Ryder gathered up her clothing from around the room and redressed herself. As the two girls left the room, Stella with a full outfit on and her backpack and Fern in tow, and Ryder in her pajamas from the night before, they parted ways without so much as a peck goodbye. Ryder didn't think a whole lot about it and went back to her room. Zayden was still asleep in the floor, though he acknowledged Ryder as she climbed into bed. "I take it the movie turned into something more?" The leopard huffed and gazed at Ryder. Ryder simply nodded and decided to get some more sleep. She'd meet up with Stella later.

 

[svenny]

Adysin's trip down to the weapon room had been successful. She exchanged the daggers she had with new ones, ones that were much sharper and not dulled by constant use. Just as she did with the daggers, she upgraded to a newer and better bow. When Ryder didn't show up to dinner, dread overcame her. She knew that she was in Stella's room, for a 'movie night'. Adysin knew exactly how those things went. All innocent at first, cuddled up on the bed with a few shared kisses in between, which then lead up to much more than that. The thought of her being intimate with someone like that made her want to cry. Laying in bed she thought about what Ryder meant to her. How her little glances always made her smile, no matter what mood she was in. How all she wanted to do was protect her from everything. How every time they touched and kissed, she lost track of time. It took everything in Adysin not to be absorbed by her, but every time she found her mind wondering, it went right to her. Yet, every time she looked at Ryder, she was filled with so much pain. She couldn't love her, she couldn't let herself love someone else. No, it wasn't an option.

When morning rolled around Adysin woke by the nudge of Adamaris's nose. Her blue eyes flickered open and was met by her Guardian's steady gaze. Instantly, a smile crossed her face and she reached out a hand, running it through her long fur and over her feather. It was then that her mind jumped back to the realization she had made last night and the blood from her face drained. Suddenly she felt a bit queasy. Despite it, she struggled to a sitting position. Annabel, in the bed beside her, was still fast asleep. It had been the first time in weeks that the girl was able to get a good nights sleep. Deciding to let her sleep, Adysin slipped from her room, commanding Adamaris to keep an eye on her. Addie knew that while they were here, Annabel should receive her Guardian. Following the stairs down, she walked to Ryder's door, giving a loud knock. By the Gods, Adysin hoped this girl was behind that door.

 

[Galaxxies]

A loud knock on the door roused Ryder from the nap she had fallen into after leaving Stella's room and returning to her own. She sat up and mumbled a "One second," before throwing the cover off of her. She sat on the edge of the bed for just a moment to will her eyes open. As she sat there, she noticed she smelled of Stella. Her clothes. Her hair. Everything was covered in the scent of Stella. It made her smile. The night before came flooding back to her and she felt a flutter in her stomach.
"It's Adysin behind that door, hotshot."
Ryder froze at Zayden's words. Shit. She was supposed to have had dinner with Adysin the night before. Addie is gonna be so pissed. Ryder sighed and stood from the bed. She made her way over to the door and opened it. "Morning, Addie."

 

[svenny]

When the door opened and Ryder stood before her, the first thing Adysin felt was relief. She was okay, sleeping in her own room. But as she stepped closer, Stella's stench wafted over her nose and she frowned. Instinctively she ran her hand through her hair, slightly irritated all of a sudden that it was so much shorter than she was used to. So she had spent the night with her, or at least long enough to be covered in her scent. Adysin fought the urge to cry, and instead ground her teeth together stubbornly. "So you slept with her, didn't you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest in a protective stance. This way nothing could hurt her, right? "How could you do that?" Adysin didn't understand what was riding this girl. They'd met a week ago, how had things gone so fast? "You skipped dinner so you could sleep with someone you literally just met." Anger ran through her body now, masking the pain that she truly felt. "Haven't your parents taught you anything about stranger danger? You don't know anything about this girl!" Addie was being a bit hypocritical, she knew. She had had plenty of one night stands where she literally knew nothing about the person before slipping into bed with them. But it was different for Ryder. Ryder wasn't that kind of girl, she had morals, she cared about people, she was gentle and kind. Adysin had never expected her to do something like this to her.

 

[Galaxxies]

Ryder listened to every word Adysin said. "You're," Ryder started, but her voice got caught around the lump forming in her throat. She took a moment and took a deep breath. "You're one to talk!" The first tear slid down Ryder's cheek and she felt her anger grow at it. How dare Adysin come to her preaching about this. Adysin had told Ryder about her many one night stands. "Why are you allowed to sleep with whoever you want, and I'm not?" Ryder stepped into her room and turned her back on Adysin. She needed a moment to collect herself. It had hurt to shove Adysin out of her head. It tore away a piece of her heart. Stella had been there to hold and comfort though. Ryder had been alright. Ryder then rounded on Adysin, tears falling steadily down her face, staining the top of her shirt a darker color. "I know she was there. She didn't shove me away every chance she got. A relationship wasn't just on her terms. She didn't pull me close when she wanted me and shove me away again when she decided it was enough." Her voice cracked many times as she spoke, the tears making it hard for her to speak. "Why do you even care, Adysin?" Ryder spat the words at the girl. "If you're just going to push me away, why do you care who I sleep with? I've given you many chances over the last two months to make me yours, and you didn't. So now that I've found someone to do that, you get mad." Ryder angrily scrubbed away the tears on her cheeks. "It's not fair. I just want to be happy. Not in this constant state of will she or won't she."

 

[svenny]

Adysin opened and closed her mouth as she listened to Ryder, as if she was going to interject. But she didn't, she let her finish what she wanted to say. Taking a deep breath, Addie turned away from her and leaned against the wall, running her hands over her tired face. "That was before I met you." she half whispered, not wanting to get too emotional. "You don't even know her, Ry. How can you be her girlfriend? Who's to say that she wont stab you in the back? You don't know anything about her, this is so much more than any one night stand I've ever had. Do you know how hard it is for me to see you be like that with someone else?" Adysin turned her gaze back to Ryder for just a split second, tears on the edge of her eyes. It took everything in her not to let them spill. She didn't want to cry in front of Ryder, she never cried in front of anyone. Why did she care? How was this girl so blind? Frustration shot through Adysin like wildfire, causing her hands to shoot up to her hair, pulling on it to relieve some of the tension that fizzed in her body. Why was she so goddamn frustrating! Adysin looked away again, eyes fixed on the wall opposite her, trying desperately to hold onto any kind of control. "Why do I care? Why do I care? I care because I fucking love you Ryder! I love you, but I can't love you. Every single person I've loved has died or left me." Adysin's voice shook, finally allowing herself to open up to someone. She couldn't hold it in any longer. "My mother, my father, my siblings. My friends, my daughter. Everyone I have cared about has left me, betrayed me in some way. I don't want to loose you too, I wouldn't be able to survive that." Tears fell from her eyes now and Adysin aggressively wiped them away, mad at herself for letting her walls break down. "I kept shoving you away because I don't want you to die and I can't bare the thought of loosing you. Especially not to someone else."

 

[Galaxxies]

Ryder physically took a step back as Adysin said she loved her. "You..." Ryder stopped as she started to speak again. A part of her heart soared. Then it came crashing back down and landed so hard, Ryder worried she might fall under the weight of it. Once Adysin finished, Ryder stepped closer and stopped a couple of feet away from Adysin. Ryder's face was swollen and red from the tears. She noticed that Adysin was crying. Ryder wanted nothing more than to reach a hand up and wipe away the tears. She wanted to comfort her. But that wasn't her place. Maybe her place just wasn't beside Adysin. She had Stella now. Stella would... Stella would be enough. Ryder dropped her head and sobs wracked her small frame that seemed almost smaller now like she had fallen in on herself. "Maybe you're just too late, Adysin." Her voice was so shakey that Ryder wasn't sure the words would register at all. But Ryder couldn't even bring herself to call her Addie. How had they come to this? What happened to that night they curled up in the cave together. Or the kisses they had shared. Or drunk Adysin pulling Ryder out into the backyard of her parent's home for cuddles. How had that turned into this? Another sob shook Ryder's frame. "I can't Adysin. I can't do it," her voice was a whisper that was forced out around sobs. Ryder knew she wouldn't have left Adysin willingly. Well, before this, she wouldn't have. And even now, she could feel it breaking her. It pummeled her into the ground, and she physically ached.

 

[svenny]

There was silence between them for a long moment, a moment that felt like eternity. It dripped with tension, hope growing in her chest. Perhaps she loved her too, perhaps it would be okay. Ryder could realize how much better Adysin was for her than Stella. Adysin tore her eyes away from Ryder, not being able to look at her any longer. The hope was suffocating, Addie felt as though she were drowning in air. Fixating her eyes on the window, she willed her tears away. She would not cry. She would not cry. No, she would not. She had almost succeeded when Ryder's words hit her, followed by sobs. Maybe you're just too late, Adysin. Despair settled over her so strongly that Addie couldn't hold herself up any longer, sinking down to the ground. How had her life come to this? It hadn't hurt nearly as bad to loose the Academy. Hearing those words was like the world splitting in half, feeling everything around fade to black. The only thing she could feel was the dull ringing of pain that clouded her body. It seeped into every bone, and Adysin suddenly had the suspicion if she moved now, she'd collapse. I can't Adysin. I can't do it. Adysin hung her head, the tears welling up in her eyes once more. She loved her, and Ryder didn't love her back. Just like everyone before her, she lost the people she loved. Ryder was no different. It would be hard to come to terms with it, but she would have to. Taking a deep breath, she pushed all her pain and all the emotions back into the bottle. Adysin felt completely drained. "Don't bother showing up to the meeting with the Principal, I don't want to see you." she stated flatly, her voice completely void of emotion. Without looking at Ryder, she pushed herself up from the ground, taking a moment to steady herself. Turning slowly, she walked away from the love of her life. With every step she took, the world weighed down on her shoulders more and more. She was completely alone now, left to fend for herself and her daughter. Adysin had opened her heart to her and had been shot down, there was no way that wall was coming down again any time soon. Ryder had broken her, she'd never felt this lost and alone, not even when her family had burned before her eyes.

 

[Galaxxies]

Ryder sank to the floor, loud sobs shaking her so hard she could barely move. She wasn't aware of anything except for when Zayden settled down on the ground beside her. It pained the leopard to see his Master like this. Zayden curled around the girl, and she shifted so she was crying into his side. What had she done? Now she had shoved Adysin away. She had made Adysin cry and walk out of her life.
She didn't know how long she sat like that, but when she finally managed to stand up, she was stiff everywhere, and her cheeks were stained with dried tears. She had cried herself out. Her eyes hurt, hell her whole head hurt. She needed someone. Someone to hold the pieces that were now her together. Ryder made her way over to her phone that was sitting on her bedside table. She clicked the button for the device to light up and looked at the time. Stella would be out of classes now. Ryder crossed the room again and headed out the door. Stella would make this okay. It would be okay. It had to be. She stopped in front of her girlfriend's door, still swollen-faced and sniffling a bit. Ryder raised a hand to knock on the door, but it opened before she could even knock. Stood in front of her was Stella. But Stella had her arm around another girl. She was taller than Ryder was, red-headed and with freckles dotting her face. Fern sat atop her shoulders, just as the little feline had done to Ryder. Ryder felt her heart crack again.
"Babe, who is this?" Freckles asked Stella.
"Why don't you go on ahead, I'll catch up in just a second, love," Stella spoke to the girl and placed a quick kiss on her cheek. Freckles nodded and walked off down the hall towards the stairs. Once she started down the stairs, Stella looked at Ryder. "What happened to you? Wait, I don't care. We're done, Ryder. I needed an easy way back here. And I thought I might as well get some fun out of it while I was at it." Stella gave a heartless smile and stepped around the girl to follow Freckles down the hall.
Ryder felt everything in her snap, all at once. She watched Stella walk away, all the while a voice was screaming in Ryder's head that Addie had been right. Ryder was the idiot here. Blindly, she ran back to her room, threw herself down on the bed, and refused to move.

 

[svenny]

Walking away from Ryder had been one of the hardest things Adysin ever had to do. She knew the affects of their conversation would rattle her for a long time. Knowing that facing her Guardian would break her down again, Adysin took a different path. Meandering into the weapon's room, she strode past all the swords and other blades, right to the daggers. Besides her bow and arrow, the dagger was her choice of weapon. She slid two daggers into the waist band of her pants. The metal felt cool against her skin, and when she moved, she felt the blades of the weapons scrape her skin. She knew that there would be small cuts on her skin. As she shuffled through the building, she could sense people's eyes on her, watching her out of curiosity. The students still didn't know why they were there. Adysin assumed that Principal Gallent needed to be sure before he informed the rest of the student body of the plans they were making. She still had time before having to meet Gallent so she exited the building, walked across the open grass field, and through the gate into the forest. All alone in the forest, she slipped the daggers into her hands and with a scream, threw it at the closest tree. When they sunk deep into the dark, she yanked them out and repeated time after time. Each time it hit home, Adysin felt a rush of pleasure go through her. Every time it settled deep into the bark, she imagined it was Stella's face. It was much easier blaming Stella than Ryder or herself. Her voice was sore by the time her body ached from all the repeated motions of force, begging Adysin to stop. Retreating back to the Academy building, she found Annabel and Adamaris standing by the front door. Adamaris didn't look happy with her at all, from the way her eyes narrowed and gleamed in the sunlight. "Don't even start with me, Mar." Adysin warned as she walked past them, but not without stopping by Annabel and giving her a quick kiss on the forehead. "I'm going to Principal Gallent's room." she outstretched her hand to Annabel, and when the girl took it, Adysin led them to his office.

 

[Galaxxies]

After having cried herself to sleep, Ryder was nudged awake by Zayden's nose. "Come on. That meeting with Gallent. I don't care what Adysin said, you need to be there too." Ryder rolled over and looked at her Guardian. "I can't be around her. After what I did to her? How I hurt her? I can't do that, Zayden. She told me to stay away." The small girl turned back over and faced her back to her Guardian. She tried to shut him out by dragging the blanket over her entire body. But Zayden gripped the blanket in his teeth and pulled it away from the bed in one quick movement. "Yes, you messed up. Adysin, isn't completely innocent either, though. You'll both need to talk this through eventually. However, right now, you deserve to be at that meeting, too. So get dressed." Ryder huffed but rolled out of bed. Zayden nosed her towards her wardrobe and urged her to put some clothes on. She followed his instructions but was mostly just going through the motions. Once Ryder was dressed, Zayden walked beside Ryder, his tail curled around her back and pressing her forward. The large snow leopard led his Master through the dorm and out into the school grounds and towards the largest building where the principal's office was. Other girls in the dorm building had stared at Ryder. She knew it was because of how she looked. Her face was still red and puffy from her tears. The stares threatened to make the tear fall again, but Ryder managed to hold it back. She allowed Zayden to lead her all the way to Gallent's office. When she stood in front of the doors, she froze. What if Adysin was already in there?

 

[svenny]

She hesitated at the doors of the office, not quite sure how she was going to formulate her thoughts and ideas to Gallent. When she walked into the waiting room, Adysin stood frozen, staring at the second body in the room. Ryder was a sight that she had not expected to see so soon after the incident, after she had opened her heart to her. Gritting her teeth, she pushed back the tears that suddenly threatened to spill. She wasn't going to cry again, especially not in front of Ryder. That was in the past. All she wanted to be was numb. Numb to all the pain and love she felt for her. She had been numb before she'd met Ryder, and Adysin desperately wanted to go back to that state now. No matter how hard she tried, she wasn't capable of achieving that level of emotionlessness anymore. There was a permanent rift in her walls, one that would forever let emotions seep out of it. Without any words she walked past her and knocked on Gallent's doors. Annabel ran to Ryder with a smile on her face and hugged the girl. For the first time in over a month, Annabel had gone more than a couple hours of not seeing the other girl and had missed her dearly. "Where were you?" she asked sadly as she was gripping her leg and staring up at her with sad blue eyes.

 

[Galaxxies]

When Adysin strode past Ryder, Ryder froze. She had been trying to mentally prepare herself for this moment, but now that it was upon her? She didn't know what to do. Just as Adyson knocked on the door, Ryder felt a tug on her pants. At Annabel's words and the sad look on her face, Ryder had to take a deep breath to keep from breaking down again. After just a moment, Ryder bent down and scooped the girl up into her arms, placing her on her hip. She didn't know. Adysin wouldn't have told Annabel what had happened between them. That was nothing for a four-year-old to know. Ryder gave the kid a hug. "I'm sorry, kiddo. But I'm not sure how much I'll be around now. But I'll tell ya what. If you ever wanna hang out, just you and me, I'm all for it." Ryder had grown attached to the kid. She was a mini Adysin, how could Ryder not love her. She just hoped that Adysin would let her watch Annabel from time to time. If this really was the end of them, Ryder didn't know if she could lose both Adysin and Annabel at the same time. Even now, just holding the girl on her hip and talking to her felt as natural as talking to Zayden.
Ryder started to speak again, but then the doors opened and Mrs. Shusters opened the door. Upon seeing who it was, the old lady opened the door further and called into the room. "Gallent, the girls are here."
Ryder sighed and started into the room. Zayden stayed close to Ryder staying on the side opposite to the hip that Annabel sat on. He was mad at Adysin, hell he was just as mad at Ryder too, but he wouldn't block Annabel from her. He knew how dangerous that would be. The snow leopard ushered his Master into the room and sat down beside her when she stopped in front of Gallent.
"Good day, girls. I trust you two had a good night?"
Ryder flinched at his words and said nothing.

{Hello, Lurker! Hope you're enjoying the story just as much as we are!}

 

[svenny]

Annabel's face transformed into a huge smile as Ryder suggested they hang out just the two of them. She nodded eagerly at the idea, gripping onto her shirt with her tiny fingers. Annabel truly was a carbon copy of her mother, with only slight differences. Unlike Adysin, Annabel's face blossomed with freckles and her nose was much more angular. Even at a young age, Annabel's lips were fuller than her moms. Adysin tried to ignore the fact that Annabel so clearly loved this other woman as part of the family. How she wished to be as carefree and open as her four-year-old daughter. But seeing her in Ryder's arms made her heart constrict with pain. Had there been different circumstances, Adysin would have smiled and been happy to see this. But now, it just made her angry and upset all at once. Adamaris moved forward with Adysin as she moved into the room, the Guardian never leaving her Master's side. It was common for Guardian's to always be touching their Master, no matter where and when. When Gallent greeted them with that remark, Adysin couldn't help the snort that shot from her lips, "You can say that again," she muttered sarcastically. "What should we focus on first?" There was so much to discuss and prepare for the battle that was to come. She suspected that the Principal was still skeptical to their cause, but he had agreed to help them nonetheless.

 

[Galaxxies]

Before Gallent could speak, Ryder decided to step in. "I know you're a little iffy on the training that... Adysin mentioned." There was a hitch in her voice as she spoke Adysin's name. "But I honestly think thats the best place to start." Ryder then started to drone on about how Adysin had been training her along the journey and how using her power in a new way had helped her grow stronger with it. While she droned, she noticed Zayden was playing with Annabel, trying to keep the young girl happy and content. The fluffy tip of his tail swirled in front of her. He made it dance and move and just generally had fun entertaining her. While Ryder spoke, she tried to ignore it. It made her feel like her and Adysin weren't currently fighting. And that hurt. But she did her best to keep her voice steady and calm, devoid of all feeling except her passion on the schools need to prepare, even if her mind was millon miles away.

Gallent had taken no notice of Ryder's apparent lack of concentration. When she had finished, he turned to Adysin. "Did you really take to training her? And she did improve?"

 

[svenny]

While Ryder launched into a monologue that captured her apparent skill in training others, Adysin looked out the window of Gallent's office. She couldn't bear looking at Ryder at a time like this. Her heart ached, and a massive headache from the lack of sleep and crying she'd done the previous night hung just behind her eyes. It beckoned her to close her eyes, just for a second, to rest. She knew if she gave in, she'd fall into a deep slumber. Adysin looked out over the courtyard that was different from the one she'd grown accustomed to seeing at her academy. Unlike hers, this academy was surrounded only on some sides by thick forests that undoubtedly bustled with an array of wildlife that kept the ecosystem alive. On the side that wasn't flanked by forests, a steep cliff dropped suddenly behind the academy, plummeting down onto deadly rocks. Rumor had it, that an initiation ritual (into a top secret society at this school), was throwing an individual over the cliff and seeing if they were able to bend their power to save their life. Things like that disgusted Adysin. She had struggled enough her whole life, that the last thing she could think about was to object someone else to such am unnecessary trauma. Adysin felt a pang of homesickness for the academy she had grown to deeply love, wishing that she was looking onto the courtyard of Bruster Academy that would have been overrun by Master's practicing their gifts. Instead, Clemments' courtyard was mostly empty, save a handful of students seemingly strolling around the perimeter.

Only when Gallent spoke directly to Adysin did she turn her gaze from the window. She was careful not to let her gaze linger too long on Ryder, knowing it would just increase her headache and the heartache. "She improved," Adysin began to explain, "When I first met her she didn't know how to wield any kind of weapon." She paused momentarily, remembering the day she had selected the dagger Ryder now constantly carried on her, from the wall of the weapon's room. It was a bittersweet memory. One that had Adysin longing to start from the beginning, to right the wrongs she had done, and one that had her wishing she could be that closed off again, when Ryder didn't know a thing about her. "It's safe to say that she's pretty skilled at it now. I'd trust her to teach others with similar gifts to perfect the art of wielding a dagger. Why don't you show him some things I taught you?" she directed the last part to Ryder, though mindful not to cast her gaze in that direction. Although she had spoken highly of Ryder, it had hurt her to do so. She just wanted everything to go back to the way it was, before her emotions and panics had complicated everything.

 

[Galaxxies]

Ryder did not miss the way that Adysin refused to look at her. It shattered her heart more. She wanted to tell Adysin what had happened with Stella. Wanted to tell her how sorry she was. How much of an idiot she was. But she couldn't. Ryder couldn't go back to the affection being only on Adysin's terms. That hurt just as much as never having anything.
When Adysin suggested that she show Gallent what she had been taught, Ryder turned a questioning gaze to Gallent. At his nod of approval, Ryder stood, picking up Annabel from her lap as she did so. Without so much as looking in Adysin's direction, she handed the toddler off to her mother with a quick kiss to the young girl's head. Ryder didn't know when she'd get to see the girl again, and that settled just as badly with her as knowing she had lost Adysin. Ryder backed up to the middle of the empty space in the room and carefully took the dagger out of its hiding spot in her pocket. Not wanting to show Gallent the full extent of her weapon, she kept the little chamber on the dagger that was full of water closed. Instead, she pulled a large ball of water from a pitcher the principal had sitting on one side of his desk. She even expertly left behind the ice cubes that had been floating in the water. As the orb of water drew near, she encased the short dagger blade in a sheet of ice and sharpened it on both sides. She then ran through a few of the drills Adysin had used to teach her how to weild the small blade. As she moved from stance to stance, the water on the blade constantly melted and refroze, bending into how she need it for the currently drill. At one point, she even threw the ice up in a small shield to cover the arm not holding the blade. Once finished, Ryder returned the water the pitcher and dried off her dagger before returning it to its hiding place. She then returned to her seat under the approving stare of Gallent.

"Okay... okay. Understood. You two actually know what you're doing when it comes to weapons." An idea popped into the principals head. He still didn't believe these girls when they said that a giant attack was on its way to his school, but maybe he could use them to keep his students occupied for a little longer than their classes offered? "How about this. Every afternoon, a few students report to you two. You," he motioned to Ryder, "can teach beginners some basics. After that, they can go to you," he waved a hand at Adysin. "You can teach more advanced techniques."

 

[svenny]

Adysin watched silently as Ryder performed various exercises that she had drilled into her mind. She exhibited them with grace and an almost perfect precision, minus a few little tweaks Addie could think of. Ryder held her blade in a bit of a lazy way, and her feet weren’t as quick to the taking as Adysin would’ve liked. It was easier to watch her preform the movements, because she could focus on that rather than the pain and turmoil that was going on inside of her. When it came to battling, Addie could remove herself from reality into the familiar routine of going through moves, and falling into the role of teacher and critic. Perhaps that’s all they’d be now. Teacher and student. No emotions. No complications. No pain. As she watched, she couldn’t help but approve of what she had demonstrated. What normally would have brought a smirk to her face, caused her heart to constrict painfully. When that happened, she abruptly turned back to Gallent. She saw the look her wore was one of approval and, if she wasn’t mistaken, he seemed impressed. He spoke finally, suggesting something that Adysin could get behind. “That works for me, that will help prepare everyone for battle,” she agreed. “We can even start today.”

 

[Galaxxies]

Gallent shook his head. "Not today. Give me a couple days to let all the student body know. Ill also need to form a schedule. The entirety of the school cant show up to you both in one afternoon." Gallent stood from his desk. "Meet back here Wednesday morning. I will give you full detail of the schedule and your meeting place then."

Ryder nodded. It was currently Monday. That gave her all of the rest of today and tomorrow to wallow in her misery. What was she going to do? Ryder stood from her seat just as Gallent had done. The principal thanked both of them for their time before leading the way put of his office and back into the hallway outside of his office.

 

[svenny]

Disappointment flashed through Addie as he decided that training would begin in two days. That gave her two days of nothing to do. The last few months had been constant moving with many things to do, that she didn't know what to do with herself. With Annabel in her arms, and Mar trailing after her, Adysin left his office and meandered off along the hallway. Perhaps she could find someone who knew where they could choose a guardian for her daughter. She was young, only four, but Addie felt as though it was urgent with the looming battle ahead. Adysin knew that she had gotten Mar early in Master's standards, and that she had gotten her as a puppy, but perhaps Annabel's guardian would be past it's hatchling phase. The hallway was relatively empty, even though it was only shortly before noon. Everyone at this hour would either be in class, or eating lunch. At the thought of lunch, her stomach growled a little, awakening her to the fact that she hadn't eaten anything since last night. The journey here had her accustomed to having almost no food in her system. Deciding it was a good idea to nourish her and her daughter, she walked in the direction of where she vaguely remembered the dining hall to be. Addie was aware of the fact that Ryder was behind her, but she had made it a point not to pay any attention to her. She had confessed her feelings to Ry, something she'd never thought was ever possible given her history. Even if Ryder did feel the same, Addie knew that she was too late. Ryder had Stella now, and she had no place in that equation.

 

[Galaxxies]

Ryder didn't mean to follow Adysin. But it seemed Adysin was going the same place she was. So Ryder simply kept her distance as they walked towards the dinning hall. As she walked, Ryder thought over her performace of the drills Adysin as taught her. It made her realize just how far she had come. She was much different than that scared hiden girl Adysin had found in the rubble of the library. She was powerful now. Well at least powerful enough to stand her own ground when it came to a fight. That made her happy. And being happy made her want to share that with Adysin. "Add-" Ryder's voice cut off before she could even get the full "Addie" out. She then just hung her head and hopped Adysin hadn't heard. She felt the prick of tears in her eyes and furiously wiped at her eyes.