Twisted Wonderland: A New Dawn

Chapter 1

Rhyme Rosehearts, younger sister to Riddle Rosehearts, was waiting.
  Patience was not her strong suit, but for this, she had willingly sat down on the doorstep after lunch and looked out towards the road.
  "It has to come," she whispered. "If Riddle was chosen, I'd have to be chosen as well."
  Rhyme was waiting for a coveted Black Carriage to come and whisk her away to be enrolled in Night Raven Collage, the same prestigious magic school her brother had been selected to join the year before.
  As the sun continued its journey across the sky, Rhyme remained vigilant, simply sitting and waiting.
  No one was home, or at least, no one who cared what she did. Her mother, a strict rule-follower, didn't care about Rhyme like she had for Riddle.
  Rhyme could remember the long hours as rule after rule had been thrown at Riddle, pounded into his mind, having every minute planned out.
  Of course, Rhyme had been ecstatic for Riddle when he met Trey and Che'nya and began to spend time with them, but then fate had been cruel and took Riddle's happiness.
  Rhyme herself had been sentenced to the attic at an early age, where she could be forgotten about. Riddle had visited daily up until the day he lost his happiness. Then Rhyme had begun sneaking out of the house to get food.
  Rhyme looked back and forth on the road again, but no Black Carriage was in sight.
  "My magic is just as strong as Riddle's," she said to herself. "Sure, it took a few more years for me to craft a signature spell and it's less impressive than Riddle's but I have promise and talent. And a desire to go."
  Brushing a lock of red hair behind her ear, Rhyme huffed. Yes, there was a higher chance she was overlooked. Night Raven Collage had a reputation as a nearly all boy's academy, but every couple of years, they allowed a few girls to enter. Not many were chosen though...
  "I will be chosen," Rhyme reaffirmed. "I will be chosen!"
  "Chosen for what?"
Rhyme looked over as Che'nya's head appeared, slowly followed by the rest of his body.
  "Shouldn't you be at the Royal Sword Academy?" Rhyme asked, not entirely shocked by the sudden appearance. After all, it was his signature spell that allowed him to vanish and reappear.
  "In due time," Che'nya replied breezily. "But I heard you want to be chosen and was curious as to what or where you wish to be chosen for."
  "I want to go to Night Raven Collage," Rhyme said. "So I'm sitting here till the Black Carriage comes to get me. The Mirror of Darkness has to have seen the potential I have."
  "I suppose that makes sense." Che'nya said, leaning forward till his face was level with Rhyme's and smiled his trademark grin, all of his teeth showing.
  Rhyme faced him stoically and remained seated, though she was beginning to feel nervous. Being this close to a young man, even if he was a bit odd, was probably the only thing that scared her at the moment.
  "I don't suppose you have a plan for if you don't get accepted?" Che'nya asked, his grin closing off the sight of his teeth.
  "Then I'll find a way to the school and join anyway," Rhyme said. "If I can't get there by Black Carriage, the next time Riddle returns home, I'll stow away and return to the school with him."
  Che'nya withdrew and Rhyme quietly released a relieved sigh.
  "You really have planed out how to get yourself into that school," Che'nya said. "Alright. I'll indulge you. I saw a Black Carriage on my way here."
  Rhyme jumped to her feet. "Really? How far? Was it headed this way?" She demanded. "Come on! You know I have no patience! Don't hold me in suspense!"
  Che'nya laughed, folding his arms over his chest. "You know I won't keep her highness waiting." He teased, making Rhyme huff. She didn't particularly like that nickname. She didn't like keeping or enforcing all of the rules like Riddle, so it didn't seem fair to nickname Rhyme "her highness" when she wasn't like the Queen of Hearts.
  But she knew Che'nya would never let up. So instead, Rhyme balled her hands into firsts and held her breath till her face went red.
  Che'nya began laughing as Rhyme released her pent-up breath. "Alright," he said. "Yes, I really saw a Black Carriage, it wasn't far behind me, and yes, it was headed this way. I'd say your chances of being "chosen" to go to Night Raven Collage are quite high, about as high as I'll get detention if I don't hurry back to Royal Sword Academy. Tell Trey hi for me."
  Rhyme waved goodbye as Che'nya faded away, replaced by an urge to close her eyes and sleep...