Zodiac

ONE

It looked ancient and beautiful as the sun shone on the grey stones of Zodiac Academy.

"Just like a fairy tale," Thirteen-year-old Willow whispered. Her large, grey eyes widened at the view. The building was the ruin of a once great castle, now a mixture of old and new. Willow could picture white knights climbing the orange and yellow leaves of ivy that danced up the large towers. Those princesses with long golden hair would ride off into their happily ever after. Every story ended that way. Willow knew that from the tattered Walt book Willow hid under a loose floorboard in her room. She would secretly read it with her best friend, Poppy. So Willow knew that Zodiac Academy was the kind of place that lived fairy tales. Broken leaves scattered across the large grounds between the old buildings in the middle of the academy and the new houses for the Zodiac students. It was all encompassed by a tall stone wall that blocked reality from entering; it was perfect. In the distance, she could see a glimpse of the famous statue of Quintessence, a symbol of the Queen of Zodiacs. Willow would have loved to have seen it all in the spring when the grounds would smell of freshly cut grass. The blossom trees would be in bloom and rain pink petals. The flowers of every kind would awake from a long sleep and spread a rainbow of colours and life everywhere; a heaven for Willow, who took comfort among her mother's flower bed at home.

"Willow, what have I told you. Fairy tales don't exist. They are stories created by adults to make themselves feel better when their lives aren't all that exciting. I mean really, Prince Charming? Now stop thinking like a simpleton, I raised you better than that." The shrill voice of her mother broke Willow's beautiful daydream. Willow knew that of course, and her mother knew that she knew, but it was just like Juniper of Woodland to say the obvious.

"Yes mother," Willow whispered, looking down at her shoes. They were dirt brown and made of suede. The shoes were ugly things, and they hurt her feet. "Put them on Willow," She remembered her mother saying, "This is the fashion. Lavender said everyone in the capital is wearing them." Willow glanced over to her mother's feet. She too wore the ridiculous shoes. Not one person had Willow seen since arriving into Ether, the capital of Eden, was wearing the shoes. Why would they? It was September. Willow's feet felt clammy. She had stepped in a puddle on the way to the academy causing her shoes to shrink and rub against her little toe every step she made. It was probably already bleeding. Her eyes gradually looked over her mother's outfit. They were identical; the same knee-length blue skirt, the same long, pink cardigan that buttoned up to the neck, even the same chin length haircut. The haircut looked awful on Willow's angular face. Even if they dressed the same Willow and her mother looked nothing alike. Where Juniper was all curves, brown hair and blue eyes, Willow was sharp lines, warm blonde hair and grey eyes that seemed to capture everyone that looked into them; or so people told her.

Willow's small hands clung to the bars of the main gate as she peered in. The gate itself caught the eye of onlookers. Four different colours in three different shades intertwined to represent each house of the Zodiac. The greens and yellows and blues and reds blurred together in an explosion of colour. It was beautiful. In the middle was a plaque with the joined letters ZA, Zodiac Academy.

"Nasty place, I don't like it. But don't worry darling you have nothing to worry about. Poppy went home yesterday thank goodness; crying with joy, poor girl. You'll be home with her soon enough. Ash was asking about you too, I told him he could come over for tea when we get home tomorrow." Willow blushed when she heard Ash's name. It was no secret that their families were already planning their wedding.  "I just hate that I have to go through it all again in four years. Your brother shouldn't have to be put through this." Willow sighed happily when the guard interrupted. A slight blush tinged her cheeks when she realised what she had done.

"Welcome to Zodiac Academy Miss," he said to Willow in a dull voice. She wondered how many times during Initiation he had to say those words. She nodded shyly. From inside the grounds, the guard glared down at Willow. His blonde hair was cut short. A jagged scar ran across his face, from forehead to chin and over his left eye; his fake, completely white, left eye. He was huge and scary. That was probably why he was at the entrance, to stop any unwanted visitors from entering. Willow wondered how much danger the Zodiac Academy faced. There must have been some; it was a building full of Zodiacs, the most powerful people in the word. If there was any trouble though Willow bet they could more than handle themselves, they had power over the natural elements.