Lunaria: Genesis

8- Quiz

The teacher dismisses the class for lunch, and I try to slip away from the other students before they can latch onto me. Thinking I had gotten ahead of them, I walk up to the rooftop. The large trees surrounding everything in this village was luckily blocking most of the blinding sunlight from me, but it was still very windy and my hair whipped in the air. I sit down on top of an air vent, looking out among the trees.  I do not care to eat, not like Lady Vino informed me or given me a lunch to have even if I wanted one. As I sit in silence I sense someone approaching from behind me. I turn around as see Kurren Galeman, surprised that I noticed him coming.

"I guess you are the first person I can't sneak up on." He says with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head as he walked up to me.
"Being new must be awesome, everyone looking and listening to you, you caught everyone's attention the second you came in the door. You don't seem like you like it too much." He smiles at me mischievously. I just shake my head slowly, I don't like this at all, I want to go back somewhere.

"Well, sorry to break it to you, but the class is hunting madly for you, they got the kids from all the other senior classes too. They will figure out you are here in about...ten seconds." He says, looking over his shoulder to the roof entrance. "I'd love to stick around with you, but I can't steal your spotlight. That would be rude of me."'he says, and then jumps upward and out of sight. A few seconds afterwards, the door burst open and students pour out, spotting me and rushing to gather around the vent where I sit. All of them seem to be wearing widely variant kinds of uniform, I'd assume differing for the colors and style of their families. As they huddle around me, they begin to chatter and ask me questions.

"Who are you?" "Where did you come from?" "Where do you live?"   "What's your last name?" "Whose family are you from?" "What's your special talent?" "Why were you in the hospital?" They ask in unison. I can hear each individual voice separately all at once, it's all overwhelming. I tied to answer some of their questions, but as I open my mouth I am drowned out by the other students. When they realize I wanted to speak, they all hush each other to quiet down and listen attentively. I don't like being put on the spot like this, but now it would be impossible to escape this situation.

"Ah...My name is Lunaria, I have no last name. I don't know where I am from... I was in the hospital because I nearly died. I have no family whatsoever. I don't believe I have any talents. I now live with Lady Vino." I say, hopefully responding to each of the questions. The students seem pleased with the new information and begin chattering again.

"Wow, no family." "I wonder how she got here?" "I heard she was with Leader Prae." "My mother says that the elders have been talking of a new girl." "She lives with Lady Vino, she is like the richest Lady in the village!" "She must have a luxurious life." They whisper amongst each other.

By now, my face feels drained and I feel worn out and tired. Just as I thought I would not be able to withstand anymore, a bell rang through the air, and the other students began gathering their things to head back to class. As they leave I begin to get up and do the same. I seem to have fallen behind all the other students who walk in clusters, and I am alone in the hallway. Outside of classroom 1-A, stands a boy leaning against the wall, with short black hair and a black and white uniform, unbuttoned at the collar, with black military boots. He has grey eyes that look directly at me as I approach slowly. He stands up and meets me halfway in the hallway, stopping in front of me. He is just a bit taller than me, looking down with a soft half smile.

"I've been waiting to have a moment with you, Lunaria." He says, smiling at me. I don't know what is going on, honesty. I cannot sense his intentions, although it appears that he means well he is much too close for my comfort.

"Lunaria,.... That's a very beautiful name. How fitting for a mysterious girl like you. I'd like to show you around. Tomorrow, save your time for me, alright?" He asks, but somehow my mind slips it as an order, and I cannot refuse. I slowly nod my head, and his smile widens.

"Good. Until then, Lunaria." He says and turns to walk down the hallway to a different class. I stand immobilized for a while before walking into classroom 1-A, followed by Mr. Miyagi.

"Alright class. I hope you had a good lunch because now you have a pop quiz." He says enthusiastically, and the classroom simultaneously groans.

"Oh, don't be so excited! This quiz will be easy. Here, I have a table of throwing knives. Each of you have three seconds from the moment you pick up the knife to aim and throw it. If you hit the target up on the wall behind you, you pass. Everyone line up here, hurry hurry." He says. The table with the knives lay beside him and the target about the size of a wheel hung on the wall close to the ceiling on the back wall above my head. All the students rush down to scramble in line, and I end up last. All of the other students pick up their knives, wait, and throw, letting go of the knife so fast that there is rarely any accuracy. Most students barely hit the edge of the target of even that, almost all of them throw so poorly under pressure the knife bounces off of the wall and clatters to the ground. Kurren happens to be the one in front of me, and he walks up to the table just as all the other students are off to the side, grumbling about how they couldn't stick the knife. His face is determined, without any of the humor that was there before. He picks up a knife, turning it over in his hand and pausing the full three seconds before throwing. The knife flew through the air and stuck solidly into the target, just two rings away from the center. Mr. Miyagi nods in semi-approval.

"Well, Kurren might be the only one to pass this one, guys. When you all go home I want you to practice doing things under pressure, no one out there is going to wait for you to focus and set up, you must already be mentally ready at all times." He says, turning to me as I step to the table. "Don't think I forgot about you, Lunaria. You have three seconds from the time you pick up a knife."

I look down at the knife, there is only one left. I reach for it and quickly throw it over my second in the same instant. It speeds through the air and embeds itself deep into the center of the target. The students all gaped in amazement, and talked amongst each other. I turn to bow to Mr. Miyagi, who just smiled and nodded.

"Good job, Lunaria. Alright, class is dismissed. I hope you will your this time to practice and not play around. Remember, exam trials are just around the corner." He says, and all the students begin leaving the classroom. I happen to be the last one in the room when Mr. Miyagi gestures for me to come to him. I do so cautiously, looking down at the floor.

"Lunaria, do you know why I made that pop quiz for everyone?" He asks quietly. I don't have an answer so I remain silent. He sighs softly, "Look behind you Lunaria." He says. I turn and look. I see first a large litter of fallen knives that failed to hit the target. Then I see Kurren's blade on the outer rings the target, and then mines, in the dead center. The blade is so buried into the target that only the hilt could be seen.

"I know none of the other students could even hope to be able to have such sharp reflexes. None of them have such speed, accuracy and power. I've been told by both Dr. Lightwood and the Elders that somewhere in you, you have great potential. And yet, when asked I heard you say that you have no talents. You are very special, so special that no one can understand what that means. Only you can realize whatever it is that you can do, nobody else has these answers for you. I expect nothing but better than the best from you, the same as Leader Prae and the elders. They invested themselves in you, Lunaria. Don't disappoint them by doubting yourself. You are dismissed." He said, and I bow to him and walk out of his classroom.  

When I get outside, I see that Lady Vino is not here to pick me up, and I didn't spect her to be here. The common ground was where the students walked, and although most were long gone, the ret of the school was to get out any second now. Crouching low I jump up to the bridges in the branches and begin my slow walk to Lady Vino alone.