A Different Path (A Vampire Academy fanfic)

Chapter 1

DPOV
Okay. Freshmen Combat class. This could go well... or it could go terribly. Either way, they had to learn. It'd been years now since the dhampir graduation age had been lowered to sixteen and brought back up to eighteen, but that didn't mean the accelerated program had been removed. No. It was still in place, but that meant Junior and Senior were 'revision and fine-tuning' years for guardian requisite classes while math and all others were on par with their Moroi counterparts.

"Quiet!" I boomed when the time came to start class. "Okay, now, I'm Guardian Dimitri Belikov. Welcome to freshman combat. This is an intense class, so I expect you to focus. If you thought the middle-school curriculum was harsh, you're in for a rude awakening. I expect you already know the history of and reasoning behind your class format and I expect you to have passed your physiology and theory classes." The looks on their faces told me they were taking this seriously. Thank god. Unlike Roza's attitude in group practice versus in private with me. And on that note, I had to add, "I am sure you all know of Guardian Rosemarie Hathaway."

She had been the poster-child for the initial lowering, but then the face of novices and guardians globally to have Council reverse it. By the looks on all bar one kid's face, it was clear she was still in the textbooks and lesson plans. That odd child out seemed to roll her eyes, maybe one was closer to Rose's behaviour than I'd initially gauged.

"What you likely don't know, what is likely left out of the lessons and legends, was that she was my student when in senior."
An awed look took hold of most faces, except that one. She seemed to have a knowing look in her eyes. "Guardian Rose Hathaway was, at the time, known for her misbehaviour and troublesome attitude. Under that, however, she hid her true understanding of and dedication to the guardian mantra and what is expected of us. In her training with me, I pushed her to and through her limits both physically and mentally. She would not have survived the tumultuous times without that resilience and dedication. She was determined to guard Her Majesty, Queen Vasilisa. Over the course of this semester, I want you to find that one Moroi you want to guard so much that nothing else seems to matter other than becoming the best guardian you can be. Unlike others, I want you to walk in her footsteps not by how hard you train or how much you learn, but by the fire in your being and coming to understand some of the toughest decisions a guardian has to make."

They nodded solemnly and seriously. The one girl I thought would be sure to brush it off surprised me by being the most serious one there. "Okay. I'm going to mark the roll, and then send you out for laps."

Nearly all groaned. To my surprise yet again, that one girl I had been so sure would be least eager was the one with the brightest fire in her eyes. Maybe we did have another 'Rose Hathaway' prodigy in this room. Just maybe.

"Right," I checked the first name on my class roll. "Mister James Adams," I looked up and searched the group.
"Here, Guardian Belikov," called a boy at the back. He had white-blond hair and freckles, and was tall for his age. My heart and mind froze when I saw the next name.
"Miss Helena Belikova," I called and my eyes searched. They landed on the girl who responded. She looked like Rose all over again... and happened to be the one I'd considered a possible prodigy. Her face, her eyes, even her height (or lack thereof) reminded me of Rose. Her hair was all that was different. It was just as dark, but straight, just as long and in a ponytail but naturally straight. She was supposedly part of my family, but I'd never heard of her before, let alone seen her, but she looked too much like Rose to be a Belikova. So who on earth was she?

Helena'sPOV
Of course Dad would give that kind of speech about my mother. I'd say he was being arrogant and self-centered, a glory-seeker, but I knew from Mom that he was laying it out straight. I watched him with interest as he read my name on his class roll. Mom had told me he was nearly impossible to decipher behind his mask, yet she'd taught me the skill of reading the expressions no-one else would detect. And his right now showed complete puzzlement and confusion, and most certainly shock. But he hadn't figured it out yet. And if Mom was right, he wouldn't figure it out for a while because, as smart as he was apparently, he could also be incredibly thick and blind.