Chapter 1: Chance Encounter or Fate?

"Autumn-Autumn! Wake up! the house, it's on fire!"I hear my father say with panic chilling him to the very bone while still shaking mother.

"W-Wha... The baby!" Mother cries, rushing over to my crib the whole while, I'm smiling as if I'd done nothing. A pain in my hand shows me a sign, glowing and swirling it then stops and points up my arm to my elbow. Father starts climbing out the window, seeing as all other paths had collapsed from the fire. He stands in a bed of Nightingales as mother passes me over the threshold right before the ceiling collapses.

That is my only memory of mother, father later caved in from grief and the hardship of raising a son alone. No one knows the truth behind my mother's death, I plan on keeping it that way.

I now live in a great orphanage that goes by the name of "The Gray Ducklings". Everyong here supports me the best they can: raising money for my tuition to become a white knight; sparring with me even though it's only for muscle memory by now. A few can use magic, but I try not to hate them, they don't know my secret after all. They can't even help with household chores either.

The last ophanage I was at I tried to connect with people there, making friends and living a life of careless fun. The "friends"ended up just prying into the death of my mom. they assumed that my father went crazy and killed her cold-blooded then killed himself. when I protested the just started abusing the title of being a friend, using it to steal the only things I have to remember the stories of mother my dad would always tell me. If I resisted they would promptly beat me to a pulp. That is the truth behind why I can't make friends here, I lie by telling them that I get transferred too often to make connections. All I have left to remember my mother by is a simple pendant, silver and oval, a key hole in the side.

Well anyway, now that I've told you my backstory, now it's about time to get to the present.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh! Help! Somebody please!"Some girl cries out. It came from my right and sounded like it came from open air. there's only building to my right. climbing from windowsill to windowsill.... 5 stories high, if I fall from this height I'll surely break something."GULLLP"

"Gotchya!" I below while standing on a pipe about eight feet off the ground. "Three sketchy perverts against a little beauty? That's unfair if you ask____!!" The pipe broke....

"Oh, a mouthy one aren't ya?" Thug one says brandishing an awefully heavy looking pipe for how scrawny he is.

"What shall we do? Sell em? Maybe we should play with her a little bit first? What'll it be boy?"Thug two says crouching, tail swishing behind ears perked towards the girl.

I jump for him pounding him in the gut with the pipe, stepping back I upper cut the pipe into the lungs of thug one. Thug three, standing at least three feet taller then me, tries to grab me. Ducking I try to sweep his legs but he's too big.

"Tch. Run!" I say, upper cutting him as well and bolting to the girl. When she's slow to move I pick her up, slinging her over my shoulders military style. When we finally find our way out of the alleyway I put her down as we blend into the crowd. It's not over yet, grabbing her hand I jog through, weaving in between bodies and stalls. We finally make it to the school.

"What did you have planned today? This place should be safe enough, but you might wanna stay a while until they forget about us." I say while she gasps for air.

"What.... in... Rosemary's hell was that for!?" She says taking a step further into my face with each word, hands planted on her hips, furious glare prying deep into my inner soul. Only then did I realize how cute she was: her strawberry red hair put into a ponytail at the back covering the rest of her hair. Green eyes blazing with energy, puffy cheeks filled with amazement. What was that smell called? Sakura Cherry Blossoms? Realizing what I had been thinking, I blushed and turned away.

"S-sorry!..." I try yelling but only a wisper escapes my lips.

"And by the way, I am NOT a little girl! I am turning 14 in two days time! .... wait... what was that?" It was then that she went from fuming volcano sulfer to cherry blossom sweet, "Who is this person?" I ask myself.

"I didn't introduce myself properly. I'm Arlinn. Arlinn Maraleaf." I say holding my hand out, smile wide and still blushing a little, feet tapping together in salute.

"Pffffftt! Bahahahhahahaha!" She clutches her stomach keeling over from laughter.

"What?" I say slightly confused.

"I'm sorry I blew up on you. That was rude of me." She says wiping a tear. "I'm May. May Bloom." She says grabbing my hand. At that moment a spark flew through our hands and throughout our bodies.

"This" She says while she looks around at all the Nightingales. "is actually where I was headed before..." May then walks past me before stopping in sync with her sentence.

"Are you an aspiring mage?" I ask as there's not many knighted girls. She then pivots around on her heels and looks me in the eye.

"No. I'll be a knight," She pokes her cheek "with magic potential." My eyes widen.

"Are you sure!? I mean, I'm only barely passing as average!"

"Oh, I'm sure. Besides I have you for moral support, and maybe even training?" She then gets real close and looking up with puppy dog eyes "Plzzzz?" Why the puppy dog eyes? I step away, blush, and kick the air.

"Fine." I turn, feet click and jab my thumb into my rib cage. "You can count on me! Just don't think it'll be easy!" I start walking, as I walk past I grab her hand and pull her just a little. "Come on, we'll be late!"

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