Magical Girls Unite!

Chapter 1: Was It A Dream?

As the sun poured through her bedroom window, fifteen-year-old Rinoa Heartilly reluctantly opened her eyes. It was Wednesday, her most hated day of the week due to the fact that at her school every Wednesday her gym class was held outdoors involving a lap around the school's football field. Not to mention it was April, so sometimes it would still be very cold in the morning. And sure, running warmed her body up, but what about the time she spent standing still, in her gym shorts, just waiting around as her teacher called roll?

She was not looking forward to today.

Maybe if she got up now, she could get a nice warm shower before she had to- 7:53?!

"I'm late!" she cried, leaping out of her bed and scrambling to put on her school uniform. "Why didn't my alarm clock go off? Again?! I spent good time and money on the stupid thing and it never even goes off?!"

Rinoa had half a mind to throw it out of the window, but then she'd end up with a long story to tell her dad.

"Great, just great!" she mumbled as she hurried down the stairs, hastily grabbing her backpack and swiping a croissant from the kitchen table before dashing out of the door.

Her father stared at the door, confused. "Rinoa..?"

The young Heartilly ran to school as well as she could without tiring herself out since after all she'd have to run again once she got to school anyway, but still managed to be late for roll. Her teacher let it slide "this time," since she was usually so punctual, and with that she joined all the other girls in their warm-up stretches.

She sat beside her best friend, Selphie Tilmitt, who was busy doing her sit-ups. Until Rinoa came that is, and she sat straight up.

"Rinny! Where've you been? I was worried!" she said in her high-pitched voice.

"You know, I was a maximum of five minutes late," pointed out Rinoa as she sat and joined Selphie in sit-ups. "I have no idea why people are freaking out. But, thanks for being concerned, Selph. I just got a late start is all."

"You've never done that before." Selphie gasped as she continued her exercise.

"I know. But I was having a really nice dream..."

"Ahh, dreams." Selphie reclined on the grass. "I had a pretty neat dream last night, too. There were a whole bunch of shooting stars, and a palace..."

"Whoa, that's really something- mine did too."

"Cool!" Selphie beamed. "Yeah, there was apparently some stuff going down around there, something that would usually require military force."

Rinoa sat straight up. "A knight with celestial white hair?"

Selphie nodded. "A red-haired princess..."

"...and a music box!" both girls chimed in together.

"Heartilly, Tilmitt! Quit your yapping and get over to the start line why don't you!"

"We're sorry!" apologized Rinoa, as she grabbed Selphie's hand pulling her to the start.

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"If both of us experienced it, it couldn't have been a dream," Selphie said as the two changed into their regular school uniforms. "That's not how dreams work."

"What, then?" asked Rinoa. "I'm certain that I was asleep when I saw that."

"I know, me too," agreed Selphie, sitting. "I can't think of any other explanation for it. But, that's impossible! How can two different people have the exact same dream?"

"Maybe there's a book in the library that could help us out with this."

The silence in the room indicated that both girls were considering it.

"We can go check after classes are over," Rinoa said pensively.

"Sounds like a plan!" Selphie gave her a thumbs-up.

"I guess for now we just have to not let it take over our thought process for the day," Rinoa said.

"It's not like I paid attention in class anyway! Haha~" A grin of mischief adored Selphie's face.

"Yeah, I know- and it shows in your grades. See you later, Selph!"

"See ya!" The cheery brunette waved as she set off down the hallway.