The Final Exam

"-And they told me I gots a new room, all pink too! And something about a thing called a barbie, a doll, oh, she gave me this too." Alice started routing around in the sole bag she had with her, before a voice sounded out to them. The two girls looked up, and the little girl's eyes brightened.


"Jasper!" She squealed, forgetting what she was trying to get, and running to his side. Wrapping her arms around him as best she could in a hug. Alice smiled up at him. "Guess what? Guess what? Guess what? " She bounced around him excitedly, beaming up at the nice man.


Rhys just say back on the steps, smiling softly, watching her tiny 'friend'. Waving her hand at the boy, she chuckled softly before frowning as a black car pulled into the drive of the orphanage and pulled up front. She knew this routine all too well, and sure enough, two adults got out of the car, smiled at Alice who waved, before going inside. Paper work to settle and such.
 
"Heheheheh, did you win the pretty princess of the year award?" Jasper joked as he bent down and gently hugged Alice. "Oh, but those folks sure don't look like award givers, but more like...nice people coming to make you their daughter?" He smiled at Alice and led her back to the steps where Rhys was at.
 
Alice nodded her head, "Yeah, I got a new mommy and daddy." She skipped along side him before flopping back down on the steps next to Rhys, "Right, right, right?" She said, looking at the older girl. Rhys nodded her head, giggling softly.


"It's all she's been talking about the last week..." She said, looking at the little girl, before up at the boy and smiling at him, patting a step next to her.


"Oh! Now that Jaspy's here, I can show you both what they gave me" Alice said, in a sing song sort of voice going through her bag again before pulling out a little music box that showed a prince cutting through thorns to get to a young maiden laying asleep on a couch, the older version of Sleeping Beauty, really. "Isn't it cool?" The child asked, holding it out for them to see.
 
Jasper smiled as he accepted Rhys's invitation to sit and firmly planted his rear on the step. "Yep, she was quite happy about it when the news first came...now I wish I could've prepared a present for her!" he thought as Alice showed them a very beautiful music box with an intricate design that almost reminded him of his dream about fighting an evil overlord. "Wow, that is definitely cool, Alice!" Jasper replied as he looked carefully at the music box. "I wonder what music it plays?" he curiously asked.
 
Rhys nodded her head in agreement, and Alice beamed at both of them. Giggling at Jasper, she wound the key at the bottom, and it started to play a simple melody that was soft and sweet, and kinda reminded you of love. The child set it down and twirled about, before the door into the orphanage opened behind them, and the head master, and the two parents stepped outside.


"Alice, are you ready to go home now?" The woman said sweetly, holding out her hand. Alice nodded, picking up her music box and her bag. Only to set them back down to hug Jasper and Rhys before picking them back up and going up the steps to her new parents.


The man took her bag, and the woman, guided her into the car. The adults got in, and with Alice waving from the back seat, drove off. The head master looked down the steps at the two older children and raised an eyebrow.


"Good morning, Mr. Rooke. Your back rather early, Lindell, problems?" The headmaster held the door open for the two of them, staring at them. Rhys shook her head at the question, before asking her own.


"Jared still here?"


"No,left two nights ago."
 
Listening to the melody of the music box, Jasper felt a light feeling well up inside of him - it was a feeling that included a little bit of nostalgia as the music reminded him of the first instrument he had received as a birthday present...an electronic piano. With the music ending and Alice's new parents arriving, he smiled widely before hugging her and whispering, "Congratulations, dear Alice!" before she left with them. Waving at the car as it left, Jasper turned his attention towards the headmaster and smiled at the news he heard. "Wow, both Alice and Jared were adopted! I feel so happy for them...but at the same time, I'll miss those little rascals..." Jasper commented as he sighed. "It sure is nice to be able to have a loving family, right?" he asked the both of them.
 
The headmaster nodded, guiding the two of them inside before he walked into his office and returned to work as a phone started ringing. Rhys looked over at the boy, raising an eyebrow, "It's more than nice." She started going down the hall, remembering the many times she'd been in it's halls throughout the ages, out of most of the children, she was one of the unlucky ones, bounced around from home to home and never actually getting a nice one. The only reason her current one lasted so long, was because Rhys lied through her teeth to keep them in good light. Turning down a side hall, she headed for the younger children's ward, marked by the painted hands on the wall and the feet print on the floor, pushing her sunglasses up a little higher as she went.
 
Yeah....I guess it is more than nice...it's priceless..." Jasper replied as he continued walking alongside Rhys, going down a hall after the headmaster had left them. "Family, huh...." he thought to himself as he remembered several bits and pieces of his childhood...for some reason, he could remember nothing of when his was twelve or thirteen - it was as if that section of memory was purposely deleted or something...looking at the painted walls, Jasper could tell that they were near the children's ward; after all, he had done his volunteer work here many times in the past and did not plan on stopping anytime soon.


"By the way, you look very familiar...have we met before or something?" Jasper asked out of the blue.
 
"...It's a dream come true for these kids. It's, a life time of happy ness, warmth, and love. Priceless doesn't begin to cover it." Rhys said before stopping in the hall. Looking back at the boy, she examined him closely, "You might have passed me on the street or something, but I don't believe so...."


Giving him a faint smile, something fell out of her pocket before she made a small noise. Picking up the cellphone and brushing it off, Ryce wouldn't be happy if she had broken his present, she was sure. Seeing that it was fine, she put it back in her pocket and sighed. "After you..." She motioned towards the door into the kids ward.
 
Smiling at Rhys, Jasper nodded his head and agreed with her as they continued walking towards the children's ward, hearing a tiny clanking noise from his side. Looking at that direction, he noticed Rhys picking up her cellphone that she dropped. "Heh...now where have I seen that cellphone before...." Jasper pondered as they finally reached the ward. As Rhys motioned him to enter first, he smiled at her and went inside. "Hey kids, uncle Jasper's back!"


"Jasper!"


"Jaspy!"


"He's back!"


Suddenly, the room started to become congested as all of the kids started to crowd around him, hugging him and shouting greetings all at once. "Now now kiddies, I'm not the only person here...isn't that right, young lady?" he said, beckoning Rhys to come in and join the fun.
 
Rhys chuckled, stepping in as Jasper spoke about her. A few of the kids ran to her side, looking up at her and tugging at her shirt hem.


"Are you back again?"


"Were they nice?"


"Are you gonna stay here this time?"


Laughing nervously, Rhys shook her head, patting their heads. "Only for a visit. And no, I'm staying here again, I'm too old to anyway, remember?" She chuckled lightly, completely avoiding the second question as the kids seemed satisfied. Smiling at them, she looked at the boy and spoke over to him, "You take the boys for a rowdy little sports game, I nab the girls for a tea party?" She chuckled lightly.
 
Jasper smirked as he looked towards Rhys. "That sounds like a plan, umm....I never did get your name!" he said as he offered Rhys a friendly handshake; this prompted some of the boys to ooooh loudly.


"Jaspy's got a girlfriend, Jaspy's got a girlfriend!"


"He wants to hold her hand....does that mean they're gonna kiss soon?"


Lightly blushing, Jasper rubbed two of the boy's heads. "Hey now, didn't we teach you that spreading rumors is wrong and can hurt someone?" he lectured.
 
Hearing the kids, she giggled lightly, accepting his hand, which made some of the girls giggle and snicker. "It's ah, Rhys..." As he lectured the kids, she took her group of girls out the side door into a back yard, getting them off to a corner where a little table was. As they all assembled around it, Rhys grinned playfully.


"So girls, we do the infamous girl power strike?"


"Of course."


"Wouldn't be the same without it."


"Duh, we gotta keep a perfect record!"


With the collective agreements, they set to work, using the cheap tea cups to draw out an attack design while looking like they were playing. In truth, they did this every time Rhys visited, sort of as a treat, and always in a different way, at a different time, and often times, making it seem like nothing was going to happen. But in all truth, they never hurt the boys, just showed them girls were just as tough, and could handle the sports they play with ease, and in some cases, better.
 
Jasper smiled as he shook Rhys's hand before going over to the boys and smirking. "Okay lads, while the girls are busy sipping tea, let's go out and play some kickball!" he proclaimed as the boys started shouting with glee.


"Kickball!"


"Let's go, let's go!"


"Yessssssss!"


Somehow managing to restore order, Jasper lined the kids up before grabbing the kickball and heading outside towards the open courtyard. Smelling the fresh air, he was vaguely reminded of when he used to play kickball with his friends in grade school... "All tight guys, same rules apply - I'll be on the outfield for both teams, no rough play, and.....


"Stay vigilant!" the boys all shouted in unison.


"Good...now let's play ball!" Jasper proclaimed as the teams took to their appropriate side of the field.
 
Kimberly started to sink into the water, and once her head was fully submerged, it started to heal. Slowly... slowly. "Air!" She screamed as she rocketed to the surface. Her head (which stopped bleeding), was going to need to heal more, but she could finally talk normal again. The girl crawled out of her lake to find that her dress had a white and red swirl pattern to it. "swirls." She mumbled, somewhat in a hatrid way. A black car drove past her and she waved.
 
Tristan was busy cooking bacon and french toast. He had boxes of cereal on the counter where they always were, and of course the toaster and bread were right next to them. Food was plentiful, so if the girl didn't want Bacon and French Toast, she could eat something else. He was about too look in the fridge for anything else she might like, but he didn't know what she liked. Then he heard her yell something and turned to the door. A second later she peeked in.


"Uhh, hello??"
 
Lydia spent a few minutes sitting on her bed, first adjusting the straps on her shoes and then petting Sphinx when the black cat leaped into her lap. With a tired sigh she allowed herself to look up at Stratos who was still asleep. She got up from her bed, letting Sphinx jump down first and then walked over to him. His face had gotten older, not as boyish as he had been when she had first met him at Magie Academy. His hair was a different color now and she laughed as she thought back to buying black hair dye with him just the night before. Her face became serious once more and she gently got to her knees and looked over him thoughtfully. A lot had changed between them since their first year at Magie Academy. He had been her friend, he still was. Wouldn't they always be? Her breath caught in her throat as she closed her eyes and leaned down, her lips lingering just short of his own when she heard Sphinx let out a low squeal. Her eyes widened and she looked back at Sphinx who was tugging at the corner of Stratos's blanket.


"Sphinx..." she hissed, picking up the silly cat and bringing her back to the other side of the room.


What had she been thinking? It was Stratos who stole kisses, not her. She didn't look at him for a very long time and when she finally did allow herself to turn there was a sad look on her face. Shaking her head she turned to her furniture and quietly muttered, "Pactum," letting her furniture shrink before tucking them back into her pouch. He had offered to let her bunk with him but Lydia needed the freedom to go wherever it was needed that would bring her close to a Diamond heart. As she walked over to the door she stopped and looked at him one last time. "I hope that I can see you with black hair in the future, Stratos." she whispered, closing the door as she left.
 
Glancing up, Rhys looked at the boys for a moment, before looking back at the girls. Nodding her head, she giggled lightly, before standing up. Looking back down at the plan, then at the orphanage, she tapped a girl in an orange sweater on the shoulder.


"Awight Ladies, let's go." The little girl said, standing up as each of them picked up various things like balls and stuffed animals before they marched, single file behind Rhys till they were on the side on the kickball field, watching the boys. With various smirks and grins on their faces, it was clear they were up to something.
 
Smirking as one of the boys pitched the ball, Jasper prepared himself for a kick that could send the ball his way...however, that seemed to be for naught as the other boy kicked a grounder near first base and ran for dear life. By the time a kid got the ball and prepared to throw it, he was already touching first base and staying there for the time being. "Wow, Terry's improved his tactics...before, he would just plop it into the air..." As he got himself ready to catch whatever would come his way, out of the corner of his eye he saw Rhys and the girls on the side. The boys noticed the girls watching them; some of them started talking to the girls...


"Wow, what are you all doing here?


"Cheering us on or something?"


"Yeah, it has to be...they probably plan on cheering for us using those things in their hands!"
 
The girls stayed silent, giggling and looking at each other before Rhys clicked her heels together. "Alright Loves. All together now!" Mocking the battle pose to march, the girls held back the objects in their hand, taking aim.


"One!"


"Two!"


"Three!"


A fire of balls and stuffed animals was let loose as the girls charged onto the 'battle field."
 
“..Hi” Hope greeted, breathy;


The long wet mane that remained in a messy clip on her head was suddenly remembered, along with her free of make-up face and morning breath. Suddenly, she felt embarrassed and shied away from Tristan, keeping her mouth taut. The smell hit her again and a groan resounded from her stomach, as a reminder she hadn’t ate yesterday.


It was the sound that broke Hope from her reverie, and she smiled, scampering over to steal a piece of both cooked and uncooked bacon. Sticking the cooked piece in her mouth she offered the raw meat to Scuttles, who eagerly grabbed at it, nipping her a few times. Her teeth ground into her own snack, but she didn’t pull her hand away; this was probably Scuttles punishment for casting in the human world. Sparing another glance at Tristan, she wondered if he would bring it up and ultimately decided to ignore it unless he did so.


Pulling two plates from the drying rack, she watched him cook, standing with the plates at a ready. Although the food looked non-too familiar, she was sure that he could cook, considering his family situation,


"What're you making?" she inquired.
 
Jasper and the boys were completely caught unawares by the feminine ambush as stuffed animals and balls were being thrown at them. "Boys, grab the extra kickballs and assume your positions! We'll show those girls who's boss!" he proclaimed as all of them grabbed the extra kickballs that were stored and started tossing them at the girls in response. It was a full blown battle at this point...the battle of the sexes!
 
"Bacon." Kimberly whispered as the smell of it drifted through the air. The girl walked over to the boy's house and looked at herself in the window. Her hair was tattered, and her eyes were somewhat swollen, but she didn't care. "DIng, dong!" She rang the doorbell and waited on the porch for the boy to open the door.
 
Blake passed a stand on the street full of newspapers and magazines. She stopped and pit a finger thoughtfully to her lips. She had read in 'Human Fascinations and Fallacies', one of her books about the human world, that you can often buy things from the newspaper like cars and other junk the humans wanted to sell, but there were magazines dedicated to selling houses. Blake just hoped she could find an apartments as well, she wasn't sure. *Blake walked forward, Abenzio once more a dog, at her heels. She looked at the racks of countless magazines. Eventually she found the booklet of available apartments in the area. Blake picked it up, paid for it, then left the stand leafing through the pages. *Her stomach grumbled, so she decided to make her way to a cafe and continue searching there. It probably wasnt the best idea to do it while walking, seeing how she had ran into several people. So she rolled it up and put it under her arm.* They found a trendy cafe on the corner of a busy to be their restraint of choice for dinner. They sat down in a tall booth and liked the privacy it gave them. They sat there for two hours, Blake taking sips of soda through a straw every once and a while between flipping pages, she had finished her meal. *Abenzio, the dog, would take occasional laps of warm milk from a bowl on the table, or gnaw on a pig bone. Blake straightened her back and lifted her gaze from the magazine, "Well, until we find something we can always pitch a tent on top of a building...Nothing much we can do for-"*She was interrupted by their waiter approaching the table, "Is there anything else I can do for you, miss? Dessert perhaps?" the young man asked her, he was tall and a bit gangly, about seventeen, with honey blond hair, light freckles dotting across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose, and light brown-nutmeg eyes. An idea popped into Blake's head. She put on her prettiest smile and tossed her hair skillfully over shoulder, "Yes, could I have a strawberry shortcake, and a little question?"*The waiter looked a little taken aback, but sold, "Yes, of course," he said eagerly."Well, you see, I'm new here and the city is unfamiliar to me.*I'm looking for a place to live, would you happen to know any nice apartments around here?" she asked politely, batting her long eyelashes at him.*The waiter blushed, "Uh, y-yeah...M-my uncle, he's selling his--but it's a loft. It's unfurnished, but has a full kitchen and looks over the harbor, it's in good shape too--I hope that's okay!" he said quickly.*Blake clapped her hands together and grinned, "Sounds perfect! When can I see it?" she loved the fact it was close to water--her elemental alignment. She would be perfectly happy living in a cave behind a waterfall...Blake absently wondered if there where any in the area.*"Well my uncle is on a business trip right now, he should be back tomorrow. I'll go call him and get your shortcake, miss.""Thank you," Blake said kindly and gave a smile. The waiter rushed away. She turned to Abenzio, "That was easier than expected..."Abenzio looked thoughtful, "What color is his heart?"Blake shrugged, "I'll have see when he comes back, I didn't even think to check," She rested her elbows on the table and propped her chin up on her fists, "Hey...Ab...do you think humans can see their hearts *after we take them?""I don't know...Possibly, I don't think they would understand what they were besides a crystal." Abenzio answered, full of wisdom and logical insight as always.*Blake nodded thoughtfully, then said, "Humans are obsessed with that kind of stuff, shiny, beautiful, and sentimental...It would be the ultimate business, taking a customers heart and putting into jewelry--I'm sure the humans would feel some kind of attraction or bond to it and would buy it. The problem is, the humans can't know--so it's probably a bad idea. A great income, but too time consuming...even with magic--plus I can't create gold or precious metals-Urgh, I'm rambling. Tell me to stop next time, Ab. I sound like a fool..."Abenzio shrugged, "Pishaw, you don't sound like a fool, I don't even know if it 'would' work. You should only worry about that if you didn't already have a job.""True, guess we should focus on finding a place to live here," Blake sighed.*"Who are you talking to?" the waiter asked, he had just appeared again at the table.*"My cat," Blake answered without thinking."Cat?" he looked at the other side of the booth where Abenzio was lounging across the whole seat, tongue lolling out of his mouth.*"Cat...?" Blake echoed. Oh crap. She put her hands on the table and leaned across it, squinting slightly with a confused expression. "would you look at that, you are a dog..." she sat back, still holding the same expression for a moment, then it cleared and was replaced with amusement and Blake laughed. "Yeah, I call him a cat. He doesn't like to be called the 'D' word." she whispered the last part, and as if to prove the fact, Abenzio let a low rumble escape his muzzle like he where moaning at the thought of being called a dog.**The waiter looked slightly taken aback but forced a hesitant chuckle, "Oh...how odd...""Oh, I haven't to introduce myself--My name is Blake Everard, by the way." Blake told him. She held out her hand.*He shook it, "David Furling, nice to meet you,""Thanks again, when can I meet with your uncle?""Oh, yeah, right! He said he would be back in town around one, he drives in from the country where he bought a farm and it's about the time my shift ends, you could meet me here, and we could meet with my uncle at his loft?""Sounds good, I look forward to it." Blake smiled.*"I should get back to work, or else my boss will have my hind end...See you tomorrow!" David said somewhat reluctantly. Blake waved, then tucked into her strawberry shortcake, it was sweet and creamy soon it was gone and she wished for more. She paid for the meal and she and Abenzio left.*She ducked into a nearby alley and pulled her broom out of her pocket, she swiftly changed it into a retro-style bicycle with a large basket on the handle bars and two travel cases on either side down behind the seat--kind of like the ones on her broom. Blake then turned Abenzio back into his Savannah self, he jumped lightly and settled himself comfortably in the basket. With her Miniturized backpack already in her pocket, Blake mounted the bicycle and started to petal.*She rode down the streets, glancing in storefronts on the way. "Where are we going?" Abenzio asked her curiously. "Well you heard the man, he said the place was unfurnished. And I saw a pleasant little antique store outside the city that would work to our needs nicely," Abenzio nodded, he appreciated old things--something that has a tale to be told--and with character and fine craftsmanship. Blake liked the challenge of designing, it would be fun for her, hardly to be considered a chore at all. "We'll have to see the place first, then decide if we need to go to a hardware shop next for anything else," Blake added.*Abenzio was quiet for a minute. "Did you see his heart?" he asked after a bit. Blake shook her head solemnly, she had forgotten in the moment of excitement over the new loft. She was lost in her thoughts, thinking of an extraordinary way to encountered water into her loft design. One of her ideas struck her as the most elaborate, and that would be the one she went with.*She kept to her thoughts of structural design while she absentmindedly petalled out of the big city and into the suburbs of the little town. Blake was a little tired from biking in the heat so she bought a large bottle of ice cold water from a gas station. She downed half of it then boarded her 'bike' again, wandering aimlessly through the town.*She came upon a girl who seemed to be traveling with her cat. There was a sensation in her gut when she recognized the kind of aura that followed the girl--one she hadn't been around since she had departed on her journey. Blake smiled and cocked her head slightly and glided towards the girl. Abenzio peaked his head curiously out of the basket--he had sensed it too. "Hello!" Blake said cheerfully with a wave.*


--- Merged Double Post ---


>>Sorry, the stupid thing won't space--plus I get pretty bored in the mornings... ^_^
 
"Ladies, Tea." Rhys said, her code word ringing through the 'troops' as they tried to dodge the kickballs and charged forward onto the field, a few of them tackling a couple boys. Smirking, she had to laugh a little, watching the kids play and having fun. With a light heart, she stared at Jasper and mouthed, 'Your mine' to him, as she unfolded her arms, a handful of bouncy balls in her palm, a smirk playing across her face.
 
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