Lights (Book 4)

Chapter 5: Swan

It was a rare, clear summer's day in Glaisse. The shapes of quickly moving birds, jets, and hovercrafts were easily discernible against the pristine, blue sky, and the constant blanket of clouds that seemed to contain the Lessaenite capital city had risen up, exposing the highest spires of the IAYN's grandiose campus to the view of passers by. The ever-present humdrum of the talkative children of the Imperial elite raving about their well-spent summers buzzed in the back of my ears as I walked toward my school's imposing main building. 

A school-issue backpack decorated with the IAYN colors of green and silver in addition to the Academy's official crest hung heavily from my tired shoulders, and the monochrome version of this iconic eye-of-the-horse design was etched into the bottoms of my polished, leather Mary Janes. Like every other female student, I wore a green silk blouse and a black pencil skirt, both of which were embroidered with the IAYN crest along with a silver star to symbolize my Royal status. I had brushed my thick, brown hair back into a high ponytail to keep the wind from blowing it into my face, and decorated it with uniform-mandated silvery green pins. 

The IAYN was pretty big on school spirit. 

"Hello, Swan." 

I turned around at the sound of my name, clenching my fists in anticipation of one of Lillae's Scientist Clan minions. 

Yet, the face I saw most definitely wasn't a Glaissean one. 

Despite her suave gait and manner, something wasn't right with the sight of Nemesis in an IAYN uniform. The skirt didn't hug her thin legs like it did most people's, and this gave her an awkward, lanky appearance. Her voluminous waves of pitch black hair simply weren't as impressive when put up in an immaculate, IAYN-worthy bun. Yet, I knew she could do much better than this from the perfectly put-together outfits I had seen her in over the weekend. It was almost as if she was purposefully trying to look average. As non-noble Kilaenaian trying to prove her worth the most prestigious school in the Empire, one would expect her to dress to impress. 

Why, then, did she seem to be doing the opposite? 

I decided not to waste further thought on her questionable choices in style. My own fashion sense was less than perfectly developed, and making judgmental comments about others' appearances sounded like something Lillae would do. I definitely didn't want to turn out anything like her. 

"Hey, Nem," I smiled as my roommate quickly caught up to me on her long legs. Her backpack looked almost comically small on her tall frame, and she was forced to bend her back to speak to me. 

"Are you excited for the first day of school?" Nemesis asked, her plain, blue eyes sparking with interest. A pang of jealousy ripped through my heart as my eyes fell upon hers. They were so light, so blue, so...normal. 

"I guess," I shrugged. "I mean, how bad can it really be? I'm sure high school's not going to be that different from middle school. I'm more worried for my cousin than I am for myself, honestly." 

"From what I know of her, Princess Lillae is the last person who needs to be worried about," Nemesis frowned. 

"Not her!" I gasped, my eyes bulging out of my head in disgust. "I'm talking about Sparrow. She's only six, and this is her first day at the IAYN. She's never been away from me for more than a few days before, and I'm not sure how well she'll hold up at school without me. I'm afraid Lillae might try to hurt her, and somehow make it her fault. She's really good at that." 

"Princess Lillae must be a rotten girl," Nemesis sighed sympathetically. "I get sick just seeing her fake antics on Auraview and in the news. It must be even worse having to know her personally." 

"Rotten is an understatement," I spat, pausing at the back of the mob of students that had formed around the closed gates of the IAYN's general school building. Two Ice Guards in addition to several teachers stood guard at the gates, preventing students without passes from entering the building before the designated time. 

"I'm so sorry for everything you have to go through," Nemesis whispered softly. "I'm not a noble, so I won't have as many people following me around as you will. If you'd like, I can keep an eye on Lady Sparrow for you." 

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't want you to get yourself in trouble with Lillae," I said. For the first time in the entirety of my miserable existence, I had found a true friend. I wasn't about to be the reason for her misfortune. 

"I'll be fine, trust me," Nemesis laughed. "I can be much sneakier than you would expect."

I nodded slowly, still unsure of her ability to outwit my she-demon of a cousin. Yet, this was a trivial uncertainty. It was the fact that the thought of helping me out had even occurred to her at all that mattered. In that moment, I, the half-breed letdown of a daughter of two interplanetary heroes, meant something. I was more than simply an irritating liability that the Royal family was forced to deal with. Someone had seen right through my protective facade of complacence, and sensed the pain that lurked beneath. Someone had taken the time to really care. 

A tear formed at the edge of my eye, and I blinked it back forcefully as I was shoved forward by more students behind me, adding to the mob. The impact of the milestone I had just passed hit me as I stood there, staring up at the colossal, iron framework of the gates before me. I had just forged my first friendship. Granted, it happened for me some ten years later than it did for the average child, but I was beginning to think it wouldn't happen at all. 

Perhaps, this would be a good year, after all. 

"Are you alright, Swan?" Nemesis raised an eyebrow. 

"Yes," I responded, perhaps a little too quickly. "I was just thinking. We've been standing here for an awfully long time. When do you think they're going to open the gates?" 

Nemesis only shrugged, using her height to her advantage as she peered over the crowd. "The Ice Guards are bringing Dr. Atwater a podium. She has a microphone. It looks like she's about to say something." 

"Greetings, students of the Imperial Academy for Young Nobles," Tabitha Atwater said into the mic. The crowd almost instantly fell silent at the sound of the principal's sonorous voice. "Due to an express decree by Her Imperial Majesty, Queen Tara Adrialle Arystenn, no school, store, or office will be allowed to conduct business before the hour of 11:00 today. While I am sure you are as excited as I am for what is sure to be another flawless school year here at the IAYN, it is our duty as law-abiding citizens of the Empire to oblige the wishes of our Queen. You are all free to do as you please until 10:45, when you will be expected to report back to these gates. Please remember to stay safe, and represent both yourselves and this school in a positive manner. Thank you." 

The crowd of students parted like a wave on the open sea, forcing me to retreat further away from the gates in order to keep myself from being run over. I frowned in confusion, wondering why in the world Aunt Tara would so suddenly and irrationally delay everything...there had to be more to this story. 

"Hey, Nem, do you have any idea what's going on?" I asked, turning to my friend, who had quite strategically positioned herself under a tree and out of most other students' line of sight. 

"I should be asking you that," she laughed, crossing her legs as she leaned against the tree's trunk. "You're the Royal here." 

"It's not like anyone actually bothers to tell me about the government's plans," I grumbled, crossing my arms. 

"Oh," Nemesis shrugged. "I figured as much. The government doesn't seem like a very considerate entity, in general. Anyway, I do have a theory about this, but I just wanted to know what you knew before sharing it with you. According to an obscure news source, the Royal family has just discovered something they call the 'Lights,' an unnatural luminescent phenomenon on the deserted planet Earth. It's very difficult to study a particular kind of unnatural light when there's so much of it in the sky, acting as a distraction. I think the Queen wants us all to stay in our homes so that our inactivity clears up the sky a bit, giving her a window to have the Scientist Clan record data on these 'Lights'."

"Wow...unnatural light on Earth? That's crazy! I can't believe they would keep something that big from me!" 

"Neither can I," Nemesis smiled sadly, before her lips curled up into an uncharacteristically malicious smirk. "You deserve a much, much better family, Swan."