While the impressive scale and scope of the school grounds outside was enough to surprise me, I was even more unprepared for what the school looked like on the inside. As soon as I walked through the front doors, I was greeted with the sight of a grand hallway leading further in, with a menagerie of colors on the walls, pillars, and floor tiles. The ceiling seemed taller than the rest of the school, and flags bearing the school logo, as odd as it seemed, flanked every inch of the walls between me. If this were any other school, I would have thought they’d be showing off with this extravagant display.
The hallway was cramped with students of all different shapes, sizes, and colors. Some of them were forging ahead or standing in awe of the school itself, but most of them were talking the morning away with others, having acclimated themselves into their own little cliques. Even though Peach wasn’t too far ahead of me, I had already lost her within this giant crowd.
I was by myself now. Amidst a sea of people I didn’t even know. And I didn’t even have the faintest idea of how it all happened so fast. In that brief instant, I slowly came to realize how small and insignificant I was…
“…” Shaking off the feeling, I marched straight ahead, ignoring the presence of the people around me. My efforts would pay off once I had left the entrance and had a moment to breathe in another small hallway littered with lockers. While the number of lockers in the vicinity was numerous, I decided to carry my things around on my own; I felt safer having my things with me at all times.
All that I needed to do now was find my homeroom. I pulled out my student handbook and pulled the cover open, where I had scribbled down my name and my homeroom number on the first page. “Room 233…”
Simple enough. Just a staircase away from the main hallway. I darted between students headed towards their classes, carefully examining each room number until I finally found my assigned homeroom.
Once I got near the door to my homeroom, I paused again. Beyond this door was the home class that I would spend an entire year in. When I realized this, a lump had entered my throat; remembering the kind of people I had seen on the bus, I was suddenly concerned about what my homeroom teacher would look or act like. Or what if my other classmates were vastly different from me, and I would end up standing out from everyone else in the room?
But again I had to tell myself there was no use feeling this way. I took a deep breath, shutting my eyes as hard as I could and swinging the door open. It only took me a couple seconds before I slowly opened my eyes to get a peek of the room…
“…!”
The first thing to catch my eye was my homeroom teacher, who thankfully looked entirely normal. She was dressed in a light-blue, long-sleeved buttoned shirt, and while the cuffs were kept undone, her shirt was neatly tucked into her long, navy blue skirt and complimented by sharp, brown shoes. She adjusted her oval-shaped glasses as her long green hair gently flowed with the soft breeze from outside. She also wore an exotic, golden laurel crown on her head, but she seemed to make it look natural all the same.
“Hm?” As soon as she heard the door open, she raised her head from the sheet of paper on her desk and turned to look at me. She seemed surprised by how I had burst into the room; I froze when I saw her face, worrying in an instant about the way I had first entered the classroom…
But before long, her surprise dissipated and she gave me a heavenly smile. “Oh, you must be the transfer student. I hope you didn’t have any trouble finding this room.”
Her voice was so compassionate and her smile so radiant… I felt a motherly warmth, as if she were a goddess rescuing me from a terrible darkness. In that moment, it was hard to believe someone like her was my homeroom teacher.
I stood just outside the room, with a dumbfounded look on my face. The teacher giggled lightly. “Well, don’t just stand there. Come on in.”
I quickly snapped out of my trance. “Oh, uh, y-yeah…”
Closing the door behind me, I made my way to the front of the room only to be confronted with a sight I was unprepared for. My forceful entry had attracted the attention of the entire classroom, and now all eyes were on me. There were students of many kinds, from a dinosaur-like person with a bow and a large open snout, to a skunk with an old-fashioned cap shining his shoes; there was even a yellow starfish standing on his desk and staring intently at me. I stood stiffly in front of the class, trying not to let my anxiety break through.
The teacher seemed to notice this, however, as she stood up and introduced me to the class. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Lucina. She recently came in from out of town, so I’d like for everyone to help her get accustomed to our school.”
Even though it was a small act for her, I felt a burst of confidence from the warm words she gave me, so I gave the class a tiny smile. “H-hello. It’s nice to meet all of you.” I accompanied my words with a small, courteous bow. My classmates seemed satisfied with what I had to say.
The teacher, satisfied with the swift and proper introduction, began to look around the room. “Now, if only we could find you a seat…”
“Ooh ooh ooh!! Ms. Palutena, over here!!”
A high-pitched voice soon rang out from the crowd, catching me by surprise and seizing my attention. I could see the hand of a young, brown-haired boy waving frantically over the crowd. It was hard to make out what he looked like, but at the very least, he seemed normal enough to me.
“Here, she can sit right by the window! I’ve been saving this seat since people started coming in! And since she’s a transfer student, that means she needs a good seat, right?!”
Some of the other classmates audibly groaned while the boy was talking. But the teacher, named Ms. Palutena, only chuckled softly. “Alright, Pit, settle down now.” She then looked over to me. “Why don’t you go sit there while I finish taking attendance?”
“Oh, sure…” I made my way over to the empty seat as Ms. Palutena’s eyes drifted back to her desk. Squeezing my way past the other students, I eventually plopped my bag beside my desk and finally settled into my seat. It was only after I had sat down that I noticed my seat was, in fact, right by the window. Though we weren’t even that high up, I could still see the track and field from the window, with the rest of the city barely visible in the distance.
First a wonderful teacher welcomed me in, and then I acquired a seat with a view. All at once I felt a sort of inner peace within myself…
“Well?! Do you like it?!” I immediately jolted in my seat when that Pit boy beside me interrupted my thoughts. This widely grinning boy wasn’t all that different up-close; he had the same uniform as me, with the gray skirt being replaced by gray pants. But I was started to make out some stranger details about him, such as the smaller laurel crown on his head, while on his back he had… wings?
“Oh, uh, i-it’s very nice…” I started to say before he cut me off again.
“It’s great, isn’t it?! You can see the whole city from here!” His excitement soon changed to a proud, almost smug look on his face. “But, ah, no need to thank me. I just happened to know someone might need that seat, so I prepared it just in case!” He leaned in closer as if he were whispering to me “You can call it my… ‘hero’s intuition.’”
To say I was weirded out was an understatement; was this guy honestly for real? I had to lean back just so his face wasn’t directly in my own. Whoever this kid was must not have understood the concept of personal space.
Before I could get out a word, a book was thrown at the kid’s head. “GACK-!” His “cool guy” act was thrown off in an instant as the person seated behind him added insult to injury.
“Yeah, that ‘hero’s intuition’ of yours sure is something.”
I turned to find the source of whoever threw the book at the kid, but I only felt even more weirded out by who was seated behind him. Sitting nonchalantly at his chair with his feet propped onto the desk was a… was that a falcon? Or no, he looked more like a pheasant. His blue feathers and the red streaks around his eyes looked closer to pheasants than falcons…
That boy Pit was having none of that, however. Rubbing the back of his now aching head, he angrily turned to face the bird. “C’mon, Falco, you’re supposed to be my wingman here!”
The bird, oddly named Falco, quickly fired back. “A good wingman lets his compatriot know when he’s getting in over his head.” He soon planted his feet on the ground, leaning forward in his seat to bat one of the kid’s wings with one of his hands. “And another thing, don’t call me your wingman when you can’t even use your own wings.”
“B-but we both have wings, it only makes sense, right?!” The kid frantically explained.
The bird simply sighed and shook his head. I could only sit there in befuddlement as I watched the whole exchange. Out of all the students in this class, I was seated next to these two weirdos. I had a feeling my first day at this school was already starting to go bad.
“You’re, uh, acquainted with him?” I asked the bird skeptically.
“Me?” The bird chuckled. “I’ve known this little twerp since Fledgling. You get used to his antics after a while.”
“I’m not just a ‘twerp,’ y’know!” The boy placed his hand on his chest, attempting to pull off a look of confidence. “I was in the running for Best Marksman when we graduated from Fledgling! Or did you forget already?”
“Please, you weren’t even close to winning that thing and you know it.” The bird smirked, but that didn’t seem to faze the kid.
“Yeah, well… at least I got nominated last year, so that means I have a shot at winning it this year!”
“That’s not how that works…” The bird had his face in his palm at that moment. I wasn’t sure how to continue the conversation; I was more content to sit there, trying to get used to the idea of spending a semester seated next to these two.
Eventually, the bird looked over at me and asked, “Your name was Lucina, right?” He pointed his thumb towards himself. “Call me Falco.”
It wasn’t long before the other kid followed suit. “And I’m Pit! Nice to meetcha!”
Well, at least they managed to introduce themselves. The least I could do was smile and reciprocate. “Nice to meet you too.”
Soon after attendance had been taken, Ms. Palutena stood up to begin the class. As everyone talked amongst themselves, she began to write on the chalkboard.
“Now then, I’d like to begin by talking about something that you may already have questions about.” The chatter among my classmates died down as she continued writing on the board. “You may have seen or read something around this school that referred to something called ‘Smash Energy,’ correct?”
Now that she mentioned it… I did remember something like that from the school shuttle earlier this morning. But what did any of that have to do with this school?
It wasn’t longed before my internal thoughts were answered. Ms. Palutena stepped away from the board, presenting what she had written down. On the board was the same symbol on my school pin and on the flags of the school – the circle with the asymmetric cross. Ms. Palutena had drawn wavy lines around the symbol, but I hardly had a guess as to what those even meant.
“Well, what we refer to as ‘Smash Energy’ is the basis of our studies here at Smash Academy. Smash Energy is a recently discovered phenomenon thought to exist inside each and every one of us.”
I, along with some of my other classmates, looked at ourselves in confusion as Ms. Palutena went on.
“What that means is, there’s a special energy deep within us that houses lots of potential.” She soon sketched out another drawing, one of a stick figure transitioning into a more muscular figure. “By training and cultivating this Smash Energy, living beings have the capability to become incredibly powerful, exceeding their original limits. But there’s a lot of discipline and hard work involved in raising this energy, something that barely any other institute can teach well. In other words-“
“So basically you need lots of fighting spirit!!” Pit’s loud, excited voice pierced out from the silent students. Pit’s interruption earned him many glares from the other classmates, but Ms. Palutena only chuckled, seemingly satisfied with Pit’s short explanation.
“Exactly right, Pit.” She then turned back to the chalkboard and continued drawing. “However, the proper use of Smash Energy has been publicly debated ever since its discovery. Since it’s still a recent discovery, many people are worried of the destructive potential it carries.”
Another drawing was soon produced by her, showing the school symbol with a graduation cap on top and a diploma leaning beside it. “That’s why Smash Academy was founded, to properly educate people on Smash Energy and to encourage its use for the benefit of society!” She seemed more enthusiastic when she spoke about the school’s founding; if I had to guess, she was probably too proud of herself for her recent drawing.
Ma. Palutena soon put down the chalk and clasped her hands together. “Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering how Smash Academy was founded in the first place! It all started with a kind and exceptional man…”
As she continued to go on, I could feel my eyelids getting heavier. While I appreciated her enthusiasm for teaching the class, I was already starting to feel the drain of listening to her speak endlessly about the subject. I could see myself lying peacefully in bed right now…
“Don’t tell me you’re fallin’ asleep now.” Falco had noticed my struggle to keep myself awake, and when I turned to him I could only see a smug smirk on his face. Seemed like he got a kick out of ribbing me in this state; I had to pull myself together quickly.
“I’m not tired at all.” I lied, placing both hands on my desk and staring intently at Ms. Palutena. Even though it was hard keeping my eyes open, I couldn’t let myself fall asleep in class on the first day. Especially not with other classmates watching; even if I hadn’t done anything yet, I already felt my reputation was on the line.
“Heh. Don’t worry.” Falco continued to whisper to me. “You’ll get woken up soon enough.”
I simple rolled my eyes. “I’d like to see them try.”
-------------------------------
“LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!!!”
After what seemed like several hours worth of class time, I was gathered along with the other freshmen into the auditorium for the opening ceremony for new students. As soon as everyone was filed in, a terrifying and loud voice boomed across the auditorium.
“WELCOME TO OUR 17th YEAR OF OPERATION, AND YOUR FIRST YEAR IN THE ONE AND ONLY SMASH ACADEMY!!!”
The source of this assault on my eardrums came from the central podium on the auditorium stage. Speaking on the microphone was a large, monstrous turtle, with horns and wild red hair on his head, and a business suit covering his body save for his shell and tail. His loud and enthusiastic voice barely needed a microphone, but now his voice carried throughout the auditorium, and possibly out to the rest of the school.
“I am your Principal, Bowser Koopa! I’ve been consistently voted “Most Awesome Principal” for the 10th year running! Don’t believe me?! Just check out my ratings!”
I could feel the onset of a headache as the principal blathered on. I had thought it was difficult to not fall asleep during class earlier, but I was now discovering that the only thing harder than that was trying to tune this guy out. Between this and my seating arrangements, I had the feeling it was going to be a long semester.
“Gods, I wish he would settle down…” I mumbled to myself.
“Hey, man, you were the one who said they should try to wake you up.” Said Falco, who was seated next to me during the ceremony. Pit was also seated beside Falco, but he was clearly enjoying the presentation more than either of us.
“I never meant it as literally as this.” I tried to explain as the Principal’s speech went on.
“Now I’m sure everyone has seen that list of all those rules and regulations and whatnot, but to me, there’s only one rule that actually matters!” The Principal leaned into his microphone, and for a brief moment, a serious look was on his face.
“Don’t kill each other.”
He then leaned away from the mic as his jolly face and loud voice returned. “Aside from that, I don’t care what you guys do! Go nuts!”
This declaration raised some exclamations from among the crowd, ranging from “Eh?! That’s it?!” to “What kind of principal is this?!” I was similarly confused to see the Principal treating his job so nonchalantly. I hardly felt that this was the kind of person to give out an important speech such as this.
“But anyways, this year I was gonna give out this really awesome and encouraging speech for everyone, but as it turns out, students don’t really like it when I try to give motivational speeches! I say they’re a buncha sissies who’re missin’ out on listening to more of their AWESOME PRINCIPAL!!”
I knew for a fact that I didn’t want to hear anything else coming out of his mouth for the rest of the day.
“But that’s why I have a special guest with me today! For all you greenhorns out there, you’d better listen to what he has to say. He is without a doubt our strongest and most capable student in the entire school, one of the best we’ve ever had! He is an example that I expect every one of you to strive towards during your time here at Smash Academy!”
The Principal stretched out a hand to his left. “Everyone put your hands together for YOUR Student Council President, META KNIGHT!!!”
A modest clapping came forth from the crowd, with the Principal clapping his own hands as he walked back from the podium and let the Student Council President enter…
What I saw next was something I could have never prepared for. Walking onstage to the podium was a person of incredibly short stature, barely even taller than a human. Yet, there was an intimidating aura about him, from the ghastly mask on his face, to his fearsome cape, to the intense glow of his eyes. We soon found ourselves seated in silence as this man, the one the Principal called Meta Knight, leaped onto the podium and began to address the crowd.
“My fellow students.” His voice was calm, yet deep. His incredible power was made known to us in that instant as he spoke to us.
“There are few things in this life that I will pride myself upon, be it in my studies or my personal life. Yet, I find myself in the position of Student Council President, as formally recognized by both students and faculty. I am humbled that my dedication and perseverance has been recognized by those around me, and to this day I am proud to call myself your Student Council President.”
Despite his overwhelming presence, his words carried some sentimentality. I felt that these were the words of a true leader, humbling himself before those beneath him and treating everyone, even himself, as equal. It was almost hard to believe that one who looked as fearsome as him could be capable of such kindness.
It wasn’t long before Meta Knight spoke to the crowd again, with a more serious tone in his voice this time. “Now, before the year formally begins, there are some concerns I feel the need to address. You may have heard many tales about the school, including the reputation it has amassed for its dropout rate. I cannot give you a solid answer on these concerns, but what I can tell you is this:”
The audience fell silent with Meta Knight’s next statement. “These will be the most challenging and difficult years you will yet experience.”
A soft chatter emerged from the crowd, with many of the students around me growing concerned. Nevertheless, Meta Knight continued his speech.
“The primary function of the school is to accelerate the growth of Smash Energy within students and utilize this potential to bring about a new age of heroes. Therefore, starting from today, each student shall be embroiled in a curriculum that will push their mind, body, and spirit to their limits. Each student will be expected to continually train themselves in their respective areas, and bouts between students should also serve as part of that training. Furthermore, students are encouraged to form clubs and engage in extracurricular activities dedicated towards further training. Though the Student Council may step in during a situation that has gotten out of hand, we expect everyone here to be able to solve their own troubles with their own strength of will.”
I steeled myself in place as Meta Knight delivered a summation of his speech. “In other words, outside of emergency situations, you are on your own for the foreseeable future.”
His stern, powerful voice affected everyone in the auditorium. I had already resolved to use this semester to work towards self-improvement, but I could tell that the other students here weren’t as prepared for what he had to say. I could hardly blame them; it was a lot to swallow and there was an exceeding amount of pressure being placed on us from the start.
But while our worry was surmounting, Meta Knight’s next words took us by surprise.
“However, I believe that every last one of you is capable of exceeding these expectations.”
Everyone seated was stunned, myself included. What was that supposed to mean? Did he really believe that, or was he talking nonsense?
He continued. “It is my belief that those who join this school have their own reasons for doing so. A normal student would have been driven away by these stipulations or by the tales spoken about the school itself. But when I look among this crowd, I see the faces of those who wish to improve themselves, and have selected this school as part of that goal.”
Well, he was only half-right about me. Even so, I found myself listening intently at what he had to say.
“While I cannot guarantee the success of everyone in this room, I can say that your dedication has brought you here, and thus, you are already on the path to self-betterment. The road ahead may be harsh and treacherous, but if you hold fast to your resolve, then you shall see the fruits of your labor shining brightly in your future.” I could see the faces of those around me growing more hopeful as he spoke.
“Finally, I shall leave you with the words of our school mantra: ‘Take hold of your destiny, and leave luck to the heavens.’”
He bowed soon after saying this. “Thank you.”
The audience responded to his speech with a standing ovation, and I had found myself joining in with them. It was a little hard for me to buy his words, but I could tell there was a genuine and thoughtful tone in his voice. Of course, it was a little easy for him to say given that he was the Student Council President, but it was encouraging to know that he had given everyone in the room his blessings. Perhaps this semester wouldn’t go as poorly as I thought.
As I was clapping, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a small red thing moving where I was. I turned my head to look down and caught the sight of a round little creature with stubby arms trying to slip a paper onto my seat. As soon as I saw him, however, he noticed me and quickly panicked.
“Eep! S-sorry!” he squeaked out as he fled, with the audience too distracted by clapping to notice him. I furrowed my brows, wondering what his problem was, until I noticed the folded-up paper he had placed on my seat. During the applause, I quickly grabbed it and flipped it open only to see an unusual advertisement…
“Freshman Celebration Party on the Track-&-Field after school! Fun & Games! Food & Drink! Come celebrate the start of a new year!”
I raised an eyebrow as I read it. Was that kid trying to invite me to some party? The least he could do was ask me about it before slipping this on my seat. What was with this weird symbol on the top-right corner of the ad? It looked like some kind of bird with a big beak wearing a cap on its head…
Unsure of what to do with it, but not wanting to throw it away, I decided to keep it with me for now. Perhaps I could go visit this party if I really felt like it…
The roars of the crowd, the ringing of the bell; all of it seemed to jumble together into a horrible cacophony. My entire head felt like it was ringing.
I lay there, weak and frail, unable to deal with the ringing in my head or from the crowd. My entire body was limp, and my will to get up was at an all-time low. The noise all around me seemed to push my consciousness away from me, pulling me into a darkness that would relieve me of this suffering.
I would have easily dozed off, if not for a sharp, ugly laugh filling my head. I could feel the floor vibrate as the source of the laughter approached me, looming over my limp body. A nasty grin was plastered onto his face, and sharp words were spat out of his mouth.
“Whassa mattah?! Couldn’t handle tryin’ t’ play tough, girlie?!”
Ugh, shut up. Your voice is the worst thing. I hate your voice. I hate your fat mouth. Shut your mouth already. Shut up and leave me alone.
I gritted my teeth, my mind boiling over with frustration. Every word he said was like a knife to my throbbing head. I couldn’t even pass out in peace with this obnoxious blowhard screaming in my ear.
I was prepared to ignore him and let my grip on the world fade away, but another, even louder sound was screeching through the entire building.
“The challenger has been knocked down! Will she be able to get up in time?!”
Gods, he was just as irritating. I silently cursed the fate I was given, being stuck between two impenetrable, horrendous walls of sound.
All the while, the crowd was getting louder. They infected my hearing, making the ringing in my head even more unbearable.
“ONE!”
It was so infuriating.
So relentless.
So annoying.
“TWO!”
Maybe if I just ignored it all, everything would go away…
“C’mon, hang in there! Be strong!”
Wait… That voice…
“THREE!”
From the depths of this sound-ridden nightmare, there was a familiar voice calling out to me. A voice that I knew all too well…
“FOUR!”
Suddenly, I felt life returning to my arm. My hand was firmly planted into the ground, trying with all its might to prop me up.
“FIVE!”
I could feel my leg stagger awake, setting my foot on the floor. Soon, my other arm followed, grabbing one of the ropes in my line of sight.
“SIX!”
As I slowly crawled up the ropes, I remembered what I had told myself in that instant.
“SEVEN!”
This was the year I told myself that things would be different. This was the year where I wouldn’t run away, where I would resolve my trouble with my own strength and will.
And I was prepared to give up just a few moments ago. How pathetic could I be…?
“EIGHT!”
I couldn’t let this sit by any longer. I had to make sure my resolution stayed strong. I had to show everyone the kind of strength I was capable of. I had to not hide away and prove myself to the world.
Clutching my sword in one hand, my other hand reached out to the ring post.
“NINE!”
I had to wake up.
-------------------------------
My eyes shot wide open, my senses returning to me all at once. The first thing I noticed was my arm, which had reflexively shot forward to stop the ringing of my alarm clock. I slowly came to realize that I was back in my room, and away from the chaos from before…
It was only a dream. I sighed with relief as I sat up, looking around my sparse but homely room. Light was pouring in from the spacious window, and several orange birds were chirping calmly outside. I felt a sense of peace as the soothing sounds of morning eased me awake.
So grateful was I for the gentle sounds outside my window that I immediately missed them when a shrill but familiar voice called out to me.
“Lucyyyy, are you still sleeping in there?” The door creaked open, and whose head should be sticking out to greet me but her’s – my younger sister, Cynthia – bouncy and bubbly as ever.
I smiled. “Of course not. I’ve been up this whole time.”
“Yeah right!” Cynthia always seemed to know when I was bluffing, but she had a huge grin on her face regardless. “Did you just forget that it’s the first day of school?”
“I didn’t forget.” I assured her as my bare feet touched the floor. “In fact, I was just dreaming about it.”
“Well instead of dreaming about it, you should be getting ready to go there! Sleepyheads don’t make good first impressions!”
With that, she took off into the kitchen, leaving me without a chance to respond. As annoying as she could be, I was grateful to her for looking out for me like this. We had always made sure to watch each other’s backs, but she particularly excelled in that area.
She was right, though; it was the start of a new semester of school; my first year in high school, in fact. I had bounced around so many different schools that it was a miracle I was even going to a high school at all. Maybe I should take her advice and try to make a good first impression…
But first, I had to change out of these pajamas. I couldn’t impress people with these on.
-------------------------------
I could smell the eggs cooking in the pan and hear the familiar sounds of the morning news on the television as I came into the living room, prim and proper in my new school uniform. It felt a little stuffy, but I admired the dark blue button-down shirt, the shiny gold buttons on the shirt, and the gray skirt that came with it, with the white undershirt being adorned with a cute, red bow. There was also an unusual pin that came with it – a golden circle with an asymmetric cross wrapped in fire – that I put at the top-leftmost corner of my uniform. If my headband weren’t enough to impress people, surely they’d take notice on how I had neatly dressed myself to the point of tucking my shirt in and making sure there were no creases to be seen. I was nothing if not thorough.
“Oooh, looking fancy~!” Cynthia giggled when she saw me. Her outfit was nothing to scoff at either, with dark reds all around and a purple bowtie adorning the front. She hadn’t reached the same grade as me yet, so she was stuck in middle school until then, but she seemed more prepared than I was. “You’ll probably get the attention of every boy in the school!”
“Mm, I doubt that.” I said as I sipped the tea that mother had prepared for me. “I hear that boys nowadays like girls who are young and cute.”
“Ha! They can try all they want!” Cynthia held her hand to her chest and exclaimed proudly. “But there won’t be a boy alive worthy enough for Cynthia the Mighty!”
“Now now, let’s not get carried away.” Mother urged, handing us our breakfast of eggs, toast, and sausage. “You never know, you’re bound to find someone who you might fall in love with someday. It’s how I met your father, you know.”
“Aw jeez, mom…” Cynthia blushed a little, which got a soft giggle out of mother. It had been a while since all three of us could enjoy eating at the table together, but every time we could, I treasured those moments. If only moments like these could have lasted forever…
At that moment, the babbling TV stationed right behind me began mentioning the school I was to go to. With toast in my mouth, I turned to get a good look at the news, where the ever-familiar host Nikki was explaining the details.
“Moving forward, a new semester is scheduled to begin at Smash Academy, with many students both new and returning signing up for classes. Many of the citizens of New Destination City are growing increasingly concerned with the dropout rate, having grown from 23% to 27% in two years, making it the school with the highest dropout rate in history. We turn to our correspondent for more information.”
27%? I raised an eyebrow. They made it sound like the school curriculum was particularly brutal, either that or most students who went were all too eager to drop out. In that moment, I earnestly wondered how I was able to get in so easily.
As I turned back around, I saw the look on my mother’s face. After hearing the news, her smile was quickly replaced with worry. “I wish it didn’t have to come to this…”
She must have been referring to be signing up for that school. I merely shrugged my shoulders. “Not much we could have done. They were the only place who’d take me.”
“I know, but…” Mother sighed as she went to clean her plate. “There’s a lot about that place that worries me. The dropout rate, the fighting… It’s enough to make me worried sick.”
I smiled wistfully. Mother was always the type to worry over someone, whether it was something minor or a major incident. I couldn’t tell you the number of times that she was scared of something disastrous happening to me… I had to do what I could to ease her worries.
“I’ll be fine.” I said, looking over to the front door, where a sword wrapped in its sheath was leaning against the wall. “If nothing else, I’ll always have father’s keepsake.”
That sword was called the Aether. It used to be one of my father’s most valued possessions, but ever since he passed away, we’ve held onto it ever since. Mother was hesitant about letting me take it with me to school, but I assured her I would only use it when I needed to.
“I suppose you’re right…” Mother sighed wistfully as she looked over at the clock on the wall. It read 7:24. “Shouldn’t the shuttle pick you up around this time?
“Oh no, you’re right!!” Cynthia panicked when she heard this, shoving the rest of her food into her mouth and dashing away from the table with her bag in tow. I followed suit, carrying my bag and half-eaten toast with me.
“We’ll be back later, mother. Take care of yourself.” I said to her.
“I will.” Mother put on a smile and waved at us. “Have a good day at school!”
“Seeya, mom!” Cynthia excitedly bounced towards the front door, almost passing by the portrait of father on the desk without saying goodbye, but she managed to do just that before she opened the front door. “Later, dad!” She flew outside after that while I stopped to get a good look at my father’s picture.
He looked so young and full of life even in that photograph. We had kept it with us even after his passing, treating it like it was actually him whenever we left or came home. I’m sure if he saw me now, he would’ve been proud that I was still attending school even now, especially after all the trouble I went through before…
I smiled, throwing his Aether over my shoulder and waving to the portrait. “Goodbye, father.” I said as I headed outside, finishing my toast.
It hadn’t been long since we moved into our small little apartment in New Destination City, but every time I went outside I was amazed by the city. Gone were the rustic, worn-out, but nostalgic old huts of the places I lived in prior; this new city was large, sleek, shiny, filled with brand new sights that a country girl like me couldn’t even fathom. The buildings seemed to endlessly stretch into the sky, and the numerous railways provided a space for the sharp but inviting shuttles to carry people throughout the city. Bridges connected the buildings with each other, and there were just as many people wandering above ground as there were on the surface. Such a place made me feel like it would be all too easy to get lost.
Fortunately, Cynthia and I only had a short bridge to walk across before we reached the shuttle stop. We only had to wait a few minutes before a shuttle came into view; while most shuttles here were white with red borders, this shuttle was blue with black borders, and on the side was the same symbol as my school pin.
But that wasn’t even the strangest thing about the shuttle. As soon as the shuttle door opened, we were greeted with the sight of… a sharply dressed sea turtle at the wheel. He looked at us and tipped his hat.
“Ahoy there, me hearties! Are ye ship-shape an’ rarin’ to go?” Needless to say, this was just one of the things I was not prepared for today. I found myself staring at him oddly, but then Cynthia broke the silence.
“Aye aye, captain! This ship is ready to sail!” Apparently she had less difficulty acclimating to his dialect than I did.
“Yar, excellent! Then hop aboard, me lass, and let me darlin’ cruiser take ye on a grand adventure!” Cynthia had already launched herself onto his shuttle before he was done talking, while I followed at my own pace.
The sight of the other people on the shuttle were… well, it was certainly a diverse bunch. There were all sorts of different people, most of them of different species and different sizes. The two of us almost felt out of place as we walked down the shuttle, bypassing the various different people until finally, we found an empty seat for us to occupy. I opted to sit near the window while my sister sat just beside me.
“Man, there are a lot of different people here.” Cynthia said, her eyes flying every which way to stare at the passengers onboard. Normally I would have admonished her for staring, but I couldn’t help but look around myself.
“I didn’t even think there’d be this many people here.” I admitted, scratching the back of my head. “And all these different kinds of people too. It really makes you wonder.”
“Yeah… it does.” I looked to Cynthia, who suddenly got quiet. I could recognize that tone of voice and the look on her face; she must have been realizing how unprepared she actually was for her new school. I couldn’t blame her for being scared, since it was the fourth or fifth time we’ve had to transfer schools completely, but she seemed to take it a lot harder than I did. At times like this, I never knew if anything I could say would be enough to ease her worries…
Soon enough, the shuttle door closed, and as the shuttle slowly started moving, the shuttle driver turned on his intercom. “Strap yerselves in, lads! ‘Course, on this ride there be no seatbelts, but that be beside the point! We’re goin’ to-“
Suddenly, something hit the shuttle door, and while we couldn’t see it, it was enough to catch the shuttle driver off guard. “Shiver me timbers!!” He immediately slammed the brakes before the shuttle could pick up steam and, after getting his bearings together, he cautiously opened the door, allowing the latecomer onboard.
“Ye be a right scallywag, lass, makin’ me go and slam the brakes and delayin’ the whole voyage!” The shuttle driver was going all out with his scolding. “Do ye enjoy fergettin’ everythin’ from yer previous semester, or are ye just that fergetful?”
“Sorry, sorry! I must’ve slept through my alarm!” An embarrassed yet cheerful voice responded to the shuttle driver’s frustration, and it didn’t take us long before we saw the source of the voice. She was a human, same as me and my sister, but while she bore the same uniform as me, she had long, blonde hair, and a tiny crown on her head. Her face seemed as pure as snow, and her smile was as bright as the sun.
“If ye got time to be apologizin’ to me, then ye got time to be findin’ yerself a seat, lass!” The shuttle driver admonished her one last time before turning back to his wheel.
“Aye aye, captain!” The blonde girl saluted before she went down the aisle, looking for a seat. Along the way, she greeted many of the passengers onboard, all with a cheerful smile on her face. Seemed she was popular with a lot of the students already.
She eventually found her way to our seat, where a look of surprise came across her face.
“Oh! Are you two new to Smash Academy?” She asked excitedly. Cynthia didn’t know how to react, but fortunately, I managed to speak for both of us.
“Oh, uh, it’s really only me. My sister’s going to Fledgling Middle School down the road.”
“How exciting!” The blonde girl suddenly decided to sit with us. “It’s been awhile since we’ve had anyone move in to New Destination City! You two must have come a long way!”
“Aha, I guess you could say that. We’ve never actually been in a big city like this before.” Despite how nervous I was speaking to someone new for the first time, her presence felt soothing and inviting. I hadn’t even noticed that the shuttle finally started heading out once the blonde girl had sat down.
“Oh wow, that is far!” She seemed really surprised by such a casual mention. “You must’ve really wanted to come to Smash Academy, huh?”
I looked away slightly, not comfortable in telling her that it was the only other option I had left. “Well… that’s one way of putting it.”
The blonde girl nodded. “I think you’ll like it a lot! It takes a little getting used to, but it’s one of the most famous schools here for a reason!” I didn’t have the heart to tell her it might have only been famous for its dropout rate.
She then turned her attention to Cynthia. “And what about you? Are you excited for your first day?” Cynthia had grown awfully quiet since boarding the shuttle, so it took her a bit for the question to register.
“Huh? Oh, u-um… yeah, kinda, I guess…” Cynthia fidgeted awkwardly in her seat. “I-I’m just a little nervous is all…”
The blonde girl’s face grew quiet, before she gently placed a hand on Cynthia’s shoulder.
“It’ll be alright.” She spoke softly and calmly. “I know it seems scary now, but you’ve already made it this far, right?” Cynthia took in her words and nodded silently. The blonde girl gave her a warm smile.
“So don’t be scared. I know you’ll do just fine.”
Cynthia looked at her in awe. Actually, it wasn’t just her; I was giving her that same look. She hadn’t even known us for more than a minute, but she was already trying to help us and encourage us. This was honestly one of the most welcoming approaches we had in a long while…
After she said her piece, the shuttle driver turned on the intercom once again. “Ahoy, lads! Hope yer not gettin’ too comfortable and wishin’ ye were back in yer own bed! Yer faithful Kapp’n’s got ye a little somethin’ to pass the time with, so turn off yer phones and quit talkin’ all wistful-like about yer summer vacations and take a gander at this!”
At that moment, the monitor that hung over the shuttle driver’s head sprang to life, and we were treated to a slide show with pictures and imagery I had never seen before. These pictures were accompanied by a mysterious voice that seemed to encompass the entire shuttle as we began passing through a tunnel.
“It all began with the discovery of Smash Energy…”
“Early this century, researchers from all over the world confirmed the existence of an energy source found within all living beings. Because of its tendency to react to the strength and willpower of its bearer, this mysterious power came to be known as Smash Energy.”
“Many were unsure of what to do with this power. Some wished to utilize it for their own needs, but others were afraid of the destructive potential it carried.”
“One day, a great man came up with a solution: He decided that this power should be embraced for future generations to inherit.”
“Using his own personal wealth, he began research on Smash Energy, intending to use it for the cultivation and growth of heroes within society.”
“And, after several years of research, his efforts resulted in the founding of one of the most prestigious schools the world has ever known…”
At that moment, the shuttle had finally gotten out of the tunnel. “Look! There it is!” The blonde girl said excitedly, pointing outside the window we were seated by.
What I saw next was something beyond my imagination.
“A school made to bring about a new generation of heroes: the Smash Academy!”
Right before our eyes was the very same Smash Academy I had seen in news outlets and televisions, but never up close. It made use of every amount of the immense space it had been given, with the large school building itself being situated with a track and field, a large stadium, and a wide-open space for students to wander around. The insignia on my pin and the shuttle was displayed vividly above the main gates, both on the large, golden carving and on several flags. In the center of the plaza stood a gold statue of a short man with a bulbous nose, a well-kept mustache, and plain, almost homely clothes, pointing straight ahead with an endearing smile carved on its face.
The incredible sight amazed everyone on the shuttle, including my sister and me. We had all huddled over to the leftmost side to take it all in, which resulted in the shuttle driver angrily crying out “Arr! No tippin’ the shuttle!”
I noticed Cynthia was looking on as well, her eyes filled with wonder. She was looking much better than before, though it seemed like everyone, myself included, felt uplifted by the sight of the school. Just the mere sight of it seemed to fill me with hope, not only for myself, but for my future as well…
Cynthia glanced at me with a smile. “Man, you get to go here? I’m almost kinda jealous, Lucy!” Whenever she said that, I could tell that she was secretly proud of me. I gave her an endearing smile, happy to know that I always had her support.
“’Lucy?’” Seemed that the blonde girl had picked up on that nickname, which I would have to rectify as soon as possible. “Is that your name?”
“Ah, well, it’s more of a nickname.” I clarified. “I usually go by Lucina.”
“Oh gosh, that’s such a pretty name!” She grasped my hand between hers and gave me a warm smile. “My name is Peach. I hope we can have a good semester together!” Her words were so bright and charming that I hardly even knew how to react, but I soon gave her an affirmative nod. At the very least, I had made one friend before the start of school.
Once the shuttle had come to a stop, the students that were to head to Smash Academy slowly disembarked. I said my goodbyes to Cynthia and followed Peach off the shuttle. Standing in the central plaza of the school somehow made it even livelier than seeing it from a distance.
My observation of the campus was shortly broken by Peach giving me a pat on my shoulder. “I need to find my homeroom, but I’ll see you later!” With that, she took off towards the school with a confident stride. I was amazed by how much energy she seemed to have this early in the day.
Before I made my way over, I noticed Cynthia in the shuttle out of the corner of my eye. She was staring at me, probably worried about me; she would have never admitted to my face but I could tell just by looking at her’s. As I gave her one last look, she gave me one last wave, and I returned the favor as the shuttle closed its door and slowly drifted away.
After that, I turned towards Smash Academy. I had heard many things about this school; it was a school that fashioned itself as a tough, no-nonsense institution that routinely pushed its students to their limits, which was probably how it attained a dropout rate of 27% in the first place. If it weren’t for the fact that this was the only other option we had left, my mother would have immediately objected to sending me here.
And yet, as I gripped Aether’s sash tightly, I knew what I had to do. This was the year that things would be different. This was the year where I wouldn’t run away, where I would resolve my trouble with my own strength and will. Whatever lengths I had to go to prove myself to the world, I had resolved to finally commit to bettering myself. Attending a school like this would only strengthen my resolve.
With my resolve firmly in place, and my father’s keepsake watching over me, I marched over to the main building, with every ounce of confidence I could muster.
This was how my first semester at Smash Academy had begun…
