Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic

Subject: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:20 pm

An original character fan fiction. Hope you enjoy! It's a work in progress. Broken into smaller chunks for readability so if a few replies are the same colour they're the same chapter.

~

The old gym stunk of sweat and tears and... well... blood. The blood sweat and tears of past and present students as they tried to achieve scholarships or impress bigwigs or just pass Phys Ed. It was a cruel and vicious place that could make or break you. But wasn't everything in High School like that?

I don't know why Jay and Liam obsessed over Basketball. I like sports but my two guy friends had made it their lives. Liam was pretty bone-headed when it came to academics, so he put all his effort into sport. But Jay was an overachiever in everything. Top of every class and my tutor in every class. But Jay had double booked himself by accident today so I was stuck shouting things in Spanish at him whilst he ran around and corrected me. Maybe he was more of a bone-head than I thought.

But Dad had liked basketball, so I felt guilty dissing it. My Mum and Dad died two years ago in a car accident and I lived in a crummy children's home, where no one acknowledged my presence. No one was willing to foster me.

And if you're wondering who I am, I'm Phoebe Davidson, the dork no one wanted.

"Jay! This is super boring!" I howled at my best friend.

And, conveniently, Liam stumbled and double dribbled, so Jay threw his hands in the air in defeat and replied.

"Fine! Let's take a break!" so he picked up his towel, mopped his brow and went out the open fire exit, Liam and I at his ankles.

We walked down the fields that extended behind the school and caught up with the other kids in our year, who were having a barbeque in our favourite spot, a spot near a massive billboard, which blocked out the worst of the sun. It was a fair crowd, maybe forty of us chatting about school and our social lives whilst we munched on burnt hot dogs and cheap ketchup. It was just the same as any other barbeque I'd had with my friends. We'd done this for years and I loved it. But in recent years, when the sun had set, the moon was out and the burgers were gone, out came the beer. I didn't like drink. I didn't like it's taste and how it felt to be drunk. And I especially didn't like the way it turned even the best people into rude idiots.

"Phoebe! Catch!" called Liam as he pulled a wet bottle out of the melted ice in the cooler. Thinking quick, I got to my feet and went to talk to someone I hadn't seen before, as if they had beckoned me over. When I had a closer look I realised I hadn't seen this kid ever before but my friend Becky had mentioned the cute new guy in her Drama class called Alex who she had invited to the barbeque. This must be him.

And he was cute, about six feet with long, floppy blond hair and a fringe that obscured his forehead and half of his eyes. What was visible of his eyes were sky blue, tainted with grey. Muscular too, with a great sense of fashion.

"Hey." I said. I had always been confident with strangers.

"Hi." by the way he spoke, it appears he wasn't.

"So, you're Alex, right?" I asked.

"Yeh, call me what you like..." he trailed off, his blue eyes transfixed on the crescent moon.

Weird answer.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:31 pm

"You enjoying it here?" I kept trying, hoping for a substantial reply.

"I suppose." he said flatly.

Pretty pathetic.

I nodded my head for a bit. I'm not boring, am I? I was perfectly able to keep a conversation going. It's just weirdo Alex wasn't playing. I sighed heavily.

"When did you move?" I enquired.

"What's it to you?" he said, looking me up and down like I'd asked him to borrow his underwear or shoot him with an imaginary plasma gun. Remember when I said I was a dork?

"Sorry, dude. You looked lonely, I'm just trying to be nice." I returned his grimace and turned to walk away.

"Hey!" he said, catching my wrist and spinning me back around. "I'm sorry. I guess I am lonely, I'm sorry I snapped." he smiled apologetically.

"S'okay. Don't worry about it." I said hesitantly. "What's up?"

"Just annoyed really..." he replied.

"At what?"

"Something I have to do..." his smile widened a little, but it was one of those smiles you do when you're dreading something.

"Do you want me to know?" I offered.

"I'd rather not."

"That's cool. Erm... I suppose no one can force you into doing anything but sometimes you just have to get on with things." I said, trying not to guilt him into anything.

He chuckled. "Mixed signals, much?"

I laughed too.

"Phoebe!" Becky called from behind me.

"Sorry, this will take two seconds." I told him.

He nodded nonchalantly and I went off to talk to Becky.

"What? You had to interrupt me when I started making a little head way with that cutie, didn't you! Just 'cause you want him to yourself!" I snapped, putting my hands on my hips in a playful manner.

She looked at Alex behind me and shrugged. "He is cute, but I've got Alex. Anyway, I was wondering if you were gonna come to the mall on Saturday-"

"Wait. What?" I asked.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:35 pm

"Are you going to come to the mall on Saturday?"

"No! About Alex!" I shook my head at her.

"What about him?"

"You said he" I gestured over my shoulder towards Alex. "is cute, but you've got Alex. That!" I jabbed again at him. "is Alex!"

"I don't know who that is but that" she pointed over her shoulder to a boy with a black crew cut. "is the Alex I was talkin' about! The one in my Drama class! He looks rough but he's actually really sensitive..."

"Becky, stop talking. You've never seen my Alex before?" I asked.

"No!" she snapped.

"Weird." I replied, squinting back at the guy I thought was Alex, who was standing in the dark shadow of the billboard and the tree that leaned against it, almost obscured from sight.

"Cool it, Phoebe! They're probably both just called Alex. It's a common name!" she reasoned, looking at me like I was crazy.

"Yeh..." I replied. "Of course."

Just then, Becky lost interest in me because crew cut Alex had started talking to her, and she started working her 'hot stuff' routine on him. If the boy was half the player he looked, Becky would have a date with him by the time the beers were done.

And blond mop head Alex was using one finger to beckon to me.

A little cautiously, I went over to speak to him.

"Are you okay? You look kind of startled." he said.

"Something like that." I told him.

Suddenly, he stepped really close to me and leant down, almost like he was going to kiss me. I started to back away but I couldn't move, the tree was behind me, the billboard to my left and his left arm extended to rest on the tree, supporting him as he leaned closer to me. I was trapped with this creep.

I let out something of a scream.

"Hey!" Jay roared, breaking away from the crowd and sprinting at full pelt towards us.

"Stand back, human!" Alex roared and Jay stopped in his tracks.

My eyes widened in shock. Human? He wouldn't say that unless he wasn't a human, which he obviously was. Unless...

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Fri Feb 03, 2012 6:38 pm

Confirming my thoughts, Alex drew his hand across his forehead, sweeping away his hair and one heck of a thick concealer to reveal a full sapphire Vampyre crescent and an intricate spider web tattoo twisting away from it.

He stood back and said those words that would condemn me to a life of Night.

"Phoebe Davidson! Night has chosen thee; thy death will be thy birth. Night has chosen thee; hearken to Her sweet voice. Your destiny awaits you at the House of Night!" he proclaimed and pointed one long finger at my forehead.

And it was like a bullet had ripped through my skin and ricocheted off my skull. I fell to the ground with a piercing scream and watched the tracker smirk and run.

Jay was at my side in an instant.

But Jay was the only one to come to my side.

Everyone else stayed back, too stunned, too shocked, too disgusted to move.

I was Marked. Plain old me was a fledgling! I didn't know whether I was scared or excited. There was so much to be scared of! I had to go to the House of Night, I knew that. The thought of a new school was daunting. And everything would change. Speaking of change, what if my body rejected it and I died? But I would be free of that stupid children's home. I could be what I wanted to be. I would be free! But what about Jay?

"Phoebe, no!" he whimpered, pulling me to my feet. I stumbled, dropping my bag, and felt Jay's strong hands on my elbow, keeping me standing.

"Jay, what's wrong?" I sighed.

His face blanked as he tried not to yell. "You've been Marked, stupid!"

"I know... what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing's wrong with it..." he amended. "You've gotta go to the House of Night."

I sighed again. "I know..."

"I'll never see you!"

That's why he was upset. I was so relieved he wasn't going to be all 'eww vampyre' on me. So I hugged him hard.

"You will, I promise!" I reassured him. "How would I manage without you? You're my rock!"

That made him grin. He kissed my mark, the pain in which was beginning to subside, and let his lips linger there. "It's beautiful..." he remarked. "Liam, go get her bag!" he told my other best friend, gesturing to my bag that lay on the ground.

"Jay, are you serious?" Liam asked in a disgusted tone. "She's a vamp fledgling now!"

"Liam, what the hell? She's your best friend!" Jay snapped.

"Not any more!" Liam replied. And just like that, my best friend left.

Jay spat at the ground and picked up my bag, reaching into it and pulling out my compact mirror. He held it out for me to see my mark.

And it was. The skin around it was red and puckered but that subsided as I gazed at the beauty of the moon that would be there until the day I died. I'd always dreaded being marked, being different, but now, I guess I didn't. I was excited, and I had Jay.

"Thanks Jay, I knew you'd be there for me." I smiled up at him and put the mirror away.

"And I always will be..." he said sweetly.

"Shannice." I cut across.

"What?" he asked.

"Shannice. Call me Shannice. I'm a fledgling, I can pick my name, and I pick my Mum's name." I told him.

"Beautiful. Just like you are, Shannice." And he took a step back from me, pressed his fist to his heart and bowed in a traditional Vampyre sign of respect, all for me.

"Blessed be, Shannice." he said, loud enough for the gawking others to hear.

"Blessed be!" I cried, shadowing his movement.

We hugged again and he held up his car keys.

"I'm guessing you have somewhere you need to be!" he said, his eyes glittering.

"Yes"

"Would you like a ride?" he offered.

"I would love one!"

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:28 pm

Jay took his hand off of the gearstick for a second to reach across me and squeeze my knee, like he often did. I smiled at him, even though he didn't take his eyes off the road.

That's when I first coughed. It was dry and small, but I knew the process had begun. My body had a few hours left if I didn't reach the House of Night. But I was calm. This was normal, it just ment we had to be quick.

"And it begins..." Jay said tiredly, mimicking my thoughts and handing me a snot rag from his pocket.

"You sound peeved." I told him.

"Pho - Shannice, you just got marked, Liam turned on you and probably me for sticking with you, and to make matters worse, you're gonna drown in your own bodily fluids if I'm not fast enough." he reminded me.

"Jay, we have hours before I... before that happens. And I'm really sorry about Liam. I thought he was better than that." I said.

"So did I. And it's not your fault. Anyway, your pile of miserable stuff makes mine look like nothing." he smirked a little, so I punched his arm, making the car swerve ever so slightly. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You think this is funny! My whole world is melting away and you are laughing!" I snapped accusingly.

He sighed and put on his apology face, which made me want to slap him even more. "I'm sorry, Shannice. I guess we're both a little hysterical."

"You bet I'm hysterical, a-hole!" I grumbled and then coughed again.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:29 pm

He snickered again but caught sight of the daggers I was sending at him.

"Oh, I'm sorry. You're just funny when you're hysterical. I think we both need to calm down." He reasoned.

I bit back a reply that would only make him laugh again and took a deep breath. "You're right."

"Now might be a good time to think about what you're goin' to say to David and Fiona." he said as he slowed his car and parked it in between a shiny four by four and the children's home people carrier. As I'd been busy arguing with Jay, I hadn't realised how far we'd come from the school.

David and Fiona were the people who ran the home and took care of all of us. They were good, nice people, but they put all their energy into the babies at the home and ignored anyone older. So it would probably take days for them to realise I wasn't there. Or at least tomorrow morning when I wasn't sitting at the breakfast table. In a way, I would miss the place that had been home to me for so long. But I would love to be free of it too.

"Yeah, I'll do that." I said absentmindedly as I got out of the car, coughing into my hand. More like I would go in, get my belongings and walk out without anyone even noticing me.

As I entered the house that was home to ten children plus David and Fiona, the horrible smells of baby sick and bad cooking met me like a zombie's welcome home hug. I took in the familiar crayon marks and doodles on the faded walls and brushed the place where we all wrote out names. There were a lot of names, fifty maybe, all had been cared for in this house. All but the names of those currently living here were crossed off and had an emblem beside them. A green house meant a different children's home, a red flower meant they had grown up and moved out. A blue crescent moon meant they had been Marked. Only two had that blue moon, and I knew from Fiona that both had rejected the change.

Shivers went through me. What if I followed in their footsteps? The two people, originally named Kirsty and Tyler, had scored out their names, put their fledgling names next to that and drawn a blue moon. But then someone else, presumably Fiona, had scored out their fledgling names and moon, to show they had died. It was all very hard to take in, that there was a slim chance I'd finish the process I would start, that I might die, like these two fledglings before me. But third time's a charm, right?

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:29 pm

That's when I coughed again, and the first of the fluid came up.

I realised I didn't have time to doddle, so I went upstairs, emptied by school rucksack, and started filling it with my few belongings. I was a believer in the six items or less policy, meaning I had six items of clothing, excluding shoes. Having babies in the house, spewing on their sleep suits and pooping in their cloth diapers meant that the washing machine was on all the time, so it meant having six items of clothing was easy and convenient. I'd had a few people telling me I had already worn those jeans or that t-shirt this week but I didn't care. And now I was glad I didn't have to choose what to bring or pack a massive suitcase full of all the clothes I owned. A pair of jeans, three t-shirts and my plimsolls and underwear later, I was ready to go.

So I went downstairs and headed towards the door, but I found myself drawn to the wall of names. I looked around the empty hall for what I desired and found it, a blue crayon, which I picked up and scored out Phoebe with on the wall, replacing it with Shannice and a crescent moon.

"Phoebe!" cried Fiona from behind me. I spun around to see her looking puzzled as to why I was editing the wall of names, but realisation and shock dawned on her face when she saw mine.

"Hey, Fiona." I said weakly, stepping aside to let her see the wall of names. Her eyes flickered fervently between the names and I, tears building up in them.

"Oh, Phoebe!" she said and hugged me ferociously. I patted her back and wept into her neck. I know she'd ignored me for so long but the woman had been my mother since the real one had passed.

When she finally let go, she stepped awkwardly away and wiped her eyes. "Sorry, Shannice, not Phoebe." she whimpered, making me smile.

"My mother's name." I said quietly, nodding.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:30 pm

"Well, you're mother and father are smiling down on you from heaven. Or the Otherworld..." she trailed off.

"Thanks for e-" I was cut off by a hacking cough and was forced to use Jay's snot rag to wipe the fluid off of my hand. "Sorry, thank you for everything."

"It's what I'm here for, darling. I suppose you'd better get going!" she said, her eyes betraying her concern over the amount of fluid that had just come out of my mouth. "I suppose you need a ride?"

"No..." I said, and immediately regretted it when I saw the sadness on her face. "Well, Jay said he'd drive me, but would you come with us?"

"Oh, won't his little car be awfully crowded with Liam too?" she said.

"No... Liam isn't with us." I tried not to reveal Liam's betrayal but I couldn't keep the disappointment out of my voice.

"Oh... well then I'd love to come with you!" she said happily and grabbed her coat that hung over the rail.

So we both went out into Jay's little car and sped away from the children's home. Fiona told me David was asleep but the kids would know to wake him up should they need anything. She would pass on my good bye to him and he'd see me at Parents Night.

I was starting to feel comfy in this new fledgling role, but I knew it would only last until we reached the House of Night. Then I would say good bye to those I loved and step into a world where I knew nothing and no one.

"I'm sorry." Fiona said.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 05, 2012 5:30 pm

"What?" I asked.

"I'm sorry I've been so ignorant of you since you arrived." she told me.

I was pleased to hear it but I didn't let on. Instead I did what everyone else would do, deny her totally true claim.

"Not at all! You've had your hands full with the babies." I reasoned.

"Still not an excuse. I'm very truly sorry, Shannice. And so is David. That's what he said to me the other night." she told me. "He said he was so guilty for ignoring the big kids. We're both going to make more of an effort now! I can promise you! Not that it really matters to you..."

"It means everything to me!" I said and hugged her. I tried to put everything I couldn't say into that hug, I tried to tell her I loved her and that I would miss her.

But it was over all too soon.

"Final stop, the House of Night." Jay said as he pulled into the castle like building's parking lot.

This was it.

"Good bye." I said to them and got a hug from each.

And with a deep breath, I got out of the car and faced my destiny.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:07 pm

The Edinburgh House of Night was amazing. I remembered the story in the news a few years ago, when the super rich vampyres had bought out the historical Edinburgh Castle and converted it into a House of Night. It was beautiful.

As Jay and Fiona drove away, I felt all desperation and anxiety flood back into my body. I didn't know anyone, I didn't know where anything was. Heck, I didn't even know the head teacher's name. There must be hundreds of fledglings attending the school.

"Just marked, eh?" came an amused voice from behind me. I spun around to see a fledgling standing there. She was tall and slender, with ringlets of golden hair falling to her underarms, making her sapphire mark stand out. She wore a black blazer, with the sleeves rolled up, that carried the golden crest of a woman on a chariot that emitted a trail of stars. Under it she wore a purple t-shirt and navy shorts, with tights underneath them that had holes in the shapes of crescent moons and stars. That with tan high heeled boots. She was pretty to say the least.

"Yeh." I replied. I felt insecure just looking at her.

"Well, welcome to the House of Night, third former." her voice sounded mocking and smug.

"Shannice." I snapped. Then I realised that was a bad move. "My name's Shannice." I said softly, hoping to redeem my bad temper.

That made her smirk more. She started to circle me, looking me up and down as she went. "Shannice, eh? Nice name... 'god is gracious' isn't it?"

"Yeh, something like that..." I murmured. I didn't have any idea what the name meant, nor did I know how Miss Head-up-her-butt knew that either.

"I'm Sapphire. I learn a lot of things about you just by looking at you. Pretty cool, eh?" she stopped in front of me to gauge my reaction to her goddess-given gift which was very impressive.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:08 pm

But I could tell saying it was cool would just make me look like a suck up. She wanted me to flatter her so that she could pass me off as a wannabe, and therefore make herself look better than me. "Sure." I said flatly.

Suddenly, she drew very close to me, bending her head over mine, her eyes twinkling dangerously in the moonlight. "You dare insult a gift the mighty and gracious Nyx has bestowed upon me?" her lip curled in contempt, a move that would make most girls look ugly, but only accentuated her dark power and might.

"No, I am respectful of the goddess I now call my own. I dare insult the ho who is using her gift to apply authority over her peers and abuse her powers. Now back off." I hissed.

Her smirk widened to uncover perfect white teeth and she stepped back, looking me up and down once more. "Fine. You're a firebrand, I like that. Come on newbie, I'll get you to Moneta." her smirk lightened to something resembling a smile and she turned around, stalking off in her heels. She was definitely queen of the castle. So what did I do? I did what any intimidated teenager would do and followed her. And who was Moneta?

She led me through the massive oak doors of the majestic castle, into a dimly lit stone corridor. Much of the castle's medieval interior had remained untouched, especially the dim oil lamps that were kind to our eyes. It was odd that the vampyres would pick here off all places, a historic castle situated on top of castle hill, looking down on the famous Princes Street Gardens, in the view of the Scottish public. Like all humans, they were wary and scared of Vampyres.

I tried not to think about how inferior I looked compared to Sapphire as she led me through the corridors. There were only a few people buzzing about, as all of the fledglings would be in their classes by now. The few fledglings who were late were dressed in a very similar way to Sapphire, in darkly coloured expensive items, all marked with a golden crest. Now I felt inferior to everyone, they were all dressed so much better than little old me. All of them had long perfect hair and glowing eyes, compared to my frizzy caramel hair and dull blue green eyes. Even a lot of the guys had long hair.

"What's with long hair in this place?" I asked fervently.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:09 pm

"Our hair grows really quickly, so it's easier to let it grow out than to go to the hairdresser every weekend." she explained.

I was still nervous and agitated. I thought about the goddess the vampyres followed, the goddess I had to follow. I'd never been religious as a human but wasn't it compulsory to fledglings?

Well, er, hi Nyx. I thought sceptically. Er... I don't know if you're real or not, but if you are, you couldn't lend me a little bravery, could you?

And that was the first time I was touched by my Goddess.

Her response was immediate, first came laughter that was so sweet and beautiful it sounded like music. Then, Oh daughter, of course I am real. Would you bear my mark if I were not? came a voice that sounded like no other. Of course you may take a little bravery, child.

It was like electric currents ran through my body, getting rid of all of my anxiety and nerves. I felt alive and at peace, as though bullets and arrows would bounce off of me. The height of the feeling left almost at once, but my nerves didn't return.

Thank you, Nyx. I thought.

It was then that Sapphire stopped at a wooden door. I'd been paying little attention, indulging myself in this new found faith and bravery. So I almost walked into her, earning a disapproving headshake before she knocked on the oak door that carried a brass plaque that read 'High Priestess'. So Moneta was the High Priestess. Was that like a head mistress or something?

"Come in." came a sweet, enchanting voice, similar to that of Nyx. Sapphire cast a look at me over her shoulder, ensuring I was prepared, before she opened the door and strutted in like she owned the place. That girl has some serious attitude problems.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:11 pm

"Ah, Sapphire! What brings you here?" the woman said.

I followed Sapphire into a lovely circular room made of the same stone as the rest of the castle. It's walls were hung with violet tapestries decorated with five golden emblems. The first was a labyrinthine maze, the second was stitched with wings that twisted to form a heart, the third was the woman on the chariot, like Sapphire's crest. The fourth was of three figures, all positioned around a pair of scissors, and the final one was of a woman reaching up to cup a crescent moon with her hands. The floor was covered in a circular violet carpet that was enamoured with stars and crescent moons.

The woman that had talked was sat behind a mahogany desk. She looked incredibly young, with flowing chocolate brown hair, a slender figure and piercing grey eyes. She was bent over some papers, a golden fountain pen in her left hand. She wore a glittering black dress that cut off above her knees and tights similar to Sapphire's.

"Moneta, this is Shannice. She's a new fledgling." Sapphire said proudly, like a mother presenting her child to their teacher on the first day of school.

Moneta's beautiful face lit up and she flashed a dazzling smile at me. "Merry meet, Shannice." she said, getting up to come forward and bow before me, her hand pressed to her chest. I noticed that her dress was also decorated by a crest like Sapphire's, except this one was identical to the woman cupping the moon tapestry.

"Merry meet, Moneta." I said, mirroring her movement.

"Welcome to the Edinburgh House of Night! The best of Scotland's three fledgling schools." she said with a great sense of pride.

"Thank you for having me." I replied, flashing my own smile. "I'm really excited."

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:12 pm

"I'll bet you are. Tell me, do you take a last name?" she asked, pulling a tablet off of her desk and typing something into it.

"No." I replied. Having my mother's name was a name enough.

Her smile only widened. "Well, you are now an official fledgling of this House of Night!" she said as she pressed something else on the tablet. I returned her smile. "Would you like to sort out your timetable right now? Or later today?"

I was about to point out that there wasn't any of today left when it occured to me Vampyres treated night like day and day like night. "Er, maybe later. I'd like to settle in first, if that's okay."

"But of course!" she said. "If you can come back at 2:30 we can get that sorted out. That means you have this period to settle in and unpack before you have lunch and then a half hour to explore before you join me here. You will begin your classes tomorrow. And you Sapphire will show you to your room."

"Which is?" came Sapphire's smooth voice.

"353" Moneta answered. It was like she knew I was coming.

Sapphire's face split into a grin. "Come on then, roomie!" she said.

I swear, my jaw nearly hit the floor. "What?" I asked, outraged.

Moneta's laughter was like music to my ears. "You will be rooming with Sapphire. Does that displease you, Shannice?"

I wanted to yell YES, bang my fists against the walls and scream the castle to the floor. But I also wanted to remain dignified. "Not at all." I said quietly.

"Well, then I will see you soon, child. Blessed be!" she said cheerily as I stood up and followed snarky Sapphire from the room.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:12 pm

"Blessed be." I replied and shut the door.

"Oh, this is exciting!" cried Sapphire as she led me through the castle. "I haven't had a roomie since Alice changed last year!"

"Sorry, aren't you forgetting something?" I hissed.

"What?" she asked, the picture of innocence.

"You were a total b*tch to me outside!" I snapped.

"Oh, that's what I do to all the new fledglings. I don't like sheep." she said.

"Sheep?" I asked.

"Yeh, people who just follow the crowd. I've already told you, you don't do what you're told, so I like you." she said, as if it was as easy as one add one.

"Okay..." I replied.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Just let it slide, would you? I like you, and I'd love it if we could just start again." she told me, offering me a hand.

I took it cautiously, not sure if I could trust her or not. "Okay, fine."

"Great!" she wooped as she led me down a tighter corridor than the other, spacious ones. "This is the dorm wing. Left for girls, right for guys." she said, taking me left at where the corridor split. She led me into a stone hall that had numbered doors leading off of it on every wall. It started at two hundred, with one hundred rooms on the bottom floor. The hall was massive and admittedly cozy, with plasma screen TVs and comfy sofas. Six fireplaces heated the place and another doorway led off into a massive kitchen.

A few TVs were turned on, with groups of older looking fledglings crowded around them.

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Sun Feb 12, 2012 1:13 pm

"These are upperclassmen, or fifth and sixth formers. They all have free periods. Say hi!" Sapphire told me. I waved and smiled at the intimidating people, who, for the most part smiled and waved back.

Sapphire led me up a well concealed stairway to the second hall of dorms, which was really just a balcony running it's way round the hall with more doors leading off from it. The common area was visible if you stood at the rail.

When we reached 353, Sapphire pulled a chain off from around her neck and put the key dangling on it into the lock. When we were inside, she handed me a second necklace, identical to hers, which also carried a key.

The dorm was quite big, with normal walls and floor, unlike the rest of the castle. It was painted a soft lime green and the carpet was white and swishy. Both beds were made up, with white frames and patchwork covers that were greens and oranges and browns.

"Your bed and closet is there, the bathroom is through that door." she said, gesturing to the bed and white closet on the left and the door on the right hand side of the room. "Any questions?"

I thought of everything I wanted to ask and brought up the one that burned most deeply. "What are the crests on your clothes for?"

"Oh, thats easy. They just show which forms we're in. The Maze is third, your form, the Wings are fourth, the Chariot is fifth, my form and the Scissors are sixth, the last year here. And the picture of Nyx cupping the moon is the teachers' crest." she finished.

"Oh... okay!" I said idly.

"Is it okay if I leave you here for a little? It's just I have got to get to the Media Centre to finish up some research." she told me.

"Of course. Some alone time would be good." I assured her.

"Great! I'll be back before lunch to show you to the Dining Hall and what's mine is yours! By the way, there's a spare copy of 'The Fledgling Handbook' on the bookshelf, so that's yours." she told me and then she was gone.

I sighed and dropped my bag on my bed. Everything was so different. I was so different to everyone else! I probably looked like a real mess, so I went for the shower.

Whilst I waited for the water to heat, I had a look at myself in the mirror. And let me tell you, my mark wasn't the only new thing about my face. My hair was actually much more glossy and not as frizzy, which I thought was probably normal for the fledglings here, because their hair was effortlessly straight and long. So I could say good bye to frizzy hair. Yay! But what about my eyes? They were oddly speckled with blue, but fledgling eyes got brighter, didn't they? My skin was clearer and my nails were healthier. According to 'The Fledgling Handbook' this was normal, but surely it shouldn't happen so quickly?

I was showered and dressed when Sapphire came back.

"Are you ready to meet the other fledglings?" she asked.

I sighed. "As I'll ever be."

Subject: Re: Branded Black ~ A HoN Fanfic Mon Jul 09, 2012 9:30 am

*Abandoned*

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