Class of 2035 [Graduation Topic]

She was nervous. Really, really nervous. A piece of her black hair was being curled endlessly around one of her figures as she sat in the crowd of graduating students, the fourth in line. When it was revealed that they were to show off what they could do. Everybody knew exactly what she could do, so what was there to show? Well, the answer had come quickly to her and now her heart hammered like she was about to go into a life or death situation.

Her eyes flickered toward Miss Davis when she appeared on the side of the stage, having been informed as well as why she was there. She was to create everything to be an illusion - so that the students could show off what they could do without any risk of harming people. It was good to know that - as she was a bit unsure of how she was going to pull off what she was going to do. Did she even have room for it in here? The stage was big...If anything, she was sure she could change her size enough when she transformed to make the room.

Her attention was ripped away from what she had been thinking as the first student was called up. She was a bit surprised when the girl made clones of herself and they did a little dance, but joined in the crowd of clapping when she was done. The same went for the next two students, until she suddenly remembered that now it was her turn. As her name was called, she swallowed as she pushed herself up from her chair and quickly hurried toward the center stage as she ran over what she was planning to do once more time - not like it was hard or anything.

Reaching the middle of the stage, her face almost paled at the sight of the hundred of students and parents - not even sure if hers were in the crowd. She had sent a letter and invited them, but seeing the rocky relationship they had been on when she had left for Beata, it was hard to know if they would even be willing to come. But it was time to show off what she had learned. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she ran over her idea once more before she raised her hands so that she made a t-like shape, before she gave the crowd a small smile before she sent herself into a small spin.

In a second, she was gone - and the whole stage was filled up of that of a dragon. She hadn't taken this form since the fight with the real one, but she thought showing the form she had once lost control of only almost a year ago, would be a perfect way to show how she had grown. She forced herself to a stop once she was facing the crowd again. Her slick black wings flapped slightly at her side - herself being just big enough to fit on the stage. Her blue eyes scanned the crowd as she cleared her throat. "Hello everyone," she started, having thought about talking before taking this form or like this but...Hey. now she was sure everybody could hear her. Her voice sounded slightly like a growl - but she was a dragon so what could you expect?


"My name is Hosa Corvina, and I have been at Beata for over two years. Over this time, I have learned more about my gifts and the limits its holds for me. I have taken challenges I never expected before such as fighting in the yearly tournament and found myself taking second and first place. But during those tournaments, I also learned that I was far from mastering my gift as I thought I was. But, under the training of the teachers here who wanted me to push out of my comfort zone to master my gift...I was tasked with fighting a dragon, and I won. It was not without pain, but it helped me face one of my fears and helped me grow - and now I am sure that if I can defeat a real dragon...Then I can protect this school from any harm as I will be doing. It is my pride, and it will be my joy, to help these students below me rise up and master their gifts such as I have, and to give them a safe place to learn."

As she had talked, she had made random movements with one of her claws as if to prove her point - something she did not realize she was doing until she reached the end and put her claw back down. She took a deep breath and let herself revert back to her normal form, before she stood up from where she was on the stage . "I thank the staff of Beata for giving me this chance," she said as loudly as she could as she glanced toward where the headmaster stood, before looking at the crowd once more as she give them the sweetest smile she could go for. "And thank you for listening," before she turned and headed down to the headmaster. She didn't pause to hear everyone's reactions to the 'show' she had put on - she was just proud of herself managing to say all of that without any stuttering as she was almost dying of stage fright.

When she reached the headmaster and she was given the diploma, she gave him a soft smile as she dipped her head to him as she reached out to shake his hand as normal graduation-custom. "I will be happy to server you as a Guardian, Headmaster Wright," she said happily before taking her diploma and strolled to where the now graduates were to take their seats. Sinking down to her seat when she reached it, she let out a breath of relief as she held the diploma tight in her grip before she stared at the stage and awaited for the next name to be called.

Wait, that was his name. It was already Richard's turn? He had like... a hundred kids in front of him. Had he really been daydreaming that long? Well, maybe daydreaming wasn't the right word. Maybe dazed from anxiousness was the right word. He was already graduating! He went from a puny little freshman who could barely do anything to graduating right now in this very class. His time at Beata was over. He had managed to survive through all of the missions and crazy treks of being thrown into the wilderness; he made it through all of his classes with good enough grades; he made it. That's all there was to it, and now he was being called on stage to show off one last time in front of a crowd of thousands all gathered to watch their children and grandchildren get their diploma and be free of the school forever... even though he wasn't quite done with the school yet. Richard was going to help other students get through like he did, and he was excited for it.

Making sure his cap was on straight and the suit he wore underneath his gown was sitting just right, the blond took a deep breath to calm his racing heart. Trying his best to walk calmly up the stairs, he looked at Miss Davis and the headmaster one good time before taking his place on the stage where he could show off his talents. Unfortunately, there really wasn't a whole lot he could do with his power. Originally he was just going to walk through the stage and make everyone laugh about how he forgot how to use stairs or something, but that was freakishly stupid. Thankfully, he was given a better idea, but the bad part about it was that it was a bit dangerous. Richard was usually pretty confident in his powers, but for whatever reason, all of that confidence had disappeared. Sure, they had rehearsed the entire ceremony just a few nights before, but now there were thousands of eyes staring only at him. Great...

When he finally reached his spot on stage, the illusion began. Appearing behind him was a huge red and white target and in front of him at about ten feet was a person he didn't recognize standing there with a stack of knives on a small table off to his right. It was the same illusive guy that was there at rehearsal (not that it really made a difference), but it somehow relaxed Richard to have something familiar there. However, this was where it was about to get real.

Watching the guy feet away from him, Richard prepared himself. A few deep breaths here and there and a quick shaking out of his body, he stood comfortably right in the center of the target behind him. "Hello everyone," he said like almost everyone else in front of him. "Tonight, I will show off my abilities of intangibility. As you can see, there is a big target behind me and a man with knives standing in front of me. His only job is to throw all of those knives at me as hard and as accurately as he can and they will simply go right through me. Basically, this would make the perfect magic trick," he said with a small smile before turning back to the man preparing his knives and watching Richard for a signal.

Taking one final breath, Richard nodded to the man who quickly proceeded to line up his aim and shoot the first knife right at the blond, starting at the leg. Without even hesitating, one knife after the other came flying towards the Spring: two aimed at his kneecaps, one aimed at his stomach, one at his chest, and the final knife aimed right in the middle of his forehead; and thankfully, each one sped through his body with ease, hitting the target with a loud thud. When it was finally over, Richard stepped away from the target, showing where each knife had gone through himself and hit the board and that the knives were in fact real. Well, as real as they could get. Then, with a small bow, all of it disappeared leaving Richard with a small applause before he continued speaking.

"Thank you! I just want to say that I've loved my years at Beata Academy. It's been hard, but it's been fun. I've learned so much in the short time that I've been here that I can say that thanks to the help of all of my great teachers and the headmaster, I have mastered my ability and can live without any doubts of it hindering me for the rest of my life. Thank you everyone for helping me get to where I am today." With one last smile and a thank you, Richard continued across the stage, shaking several hands along the way and giving the headmaster one good handshake. "Thank you, Headmaster," he said before taking his diploma and finding his seat with the other graduates.

Of course, of course, of course... He had to be one of the graduates to go up onto the grand stage. He could practically sense the shapes of a few people behind them, their nervous shuffles in line mirroring his own.

It was stupid, really stupid, he told himself, that him of all people had anything to be worried about. Jason wasn't blind to his own status in the school, no matter how annoying it was. Everyone already knew about about him. They knew his name, his face, and exactly what to expect out of him. 'The charming Headmaster's son.' He supposed it was natural for anyone to feel anxious in his position.

Or was it something else? Was it because he didn't actually want to go through with this ceremony at all? Jace stared forward, lost in thought as the person before him finished up their own performance.

The moment he stepped out from behind that curtain, he knew, he would be leaving behind the only life he knew. He had spent his entire adolescence within Beata's gates, being an Autumn, a band leader, and Winter Formal King twice over. It would all mean practically nothing now. That life was over.

The weight of that truth dragged him down, tearing at his heart. He would have to leave his old room, his only brother, all his friends... And his Snowflake too, Jason realized in a sick, fleeting moment. What would he do from then on? What would happen to him? Where would he go?

For the longest time, he had thought that Guardianship would be the easy road for him. He could move back into his parents' house in Rosebury, have it all to himself, stay close to the school, do a mission now and then for cash, and wing it the rest of his life. He wouldn't have to worry, or wonder, or guess about his future, he'd always have his home and his job to rely on; he could still be close to the school. But now, as he stood there, he realized that was never a realistic option. Jason would be stepping out into the dark. College. Europe. It terrified him.

More than anything he wished that he could go back, at least a year or two, and relive it all again; enjoy the best moments while he could and fix the ones he regretted the most, but it was too late. There was no running from this, and nothing he could do to stop it when his father's voice echoed through the Grand Hall.


A chill ran down his spine and his fingers felt numb. From where he stood, he could feel the quiet, eager murmurs of those on the other side the room. Although hardly a few seconds had passed, it had still felt like he was standing there for what could've been several hours. 'It's rude to keep them waiting,' he had to tell himself. Jason did his best to stuff away his anxieties, taking a deep breath and putting on his best smile. The Autumn took a few stiff, but steady steps forward.

Finally, he stepped out from behind the curtain and made his way to the center of the stage.

He was as stiff as a board at first and he had to force himself to take a deep breath and relax. Giving a few waves to the crowd, he scanned through for any faces that looked familiar, without much luck. The room was too dark and the rows of people were far too clustered. Every face blended into the other, making it practically impossible to pinpoint a certain person out. Maybe that was for the best.

As the noise in the room had started to settle down, he began to speak up, forcing the words over growing lump in his throat. "Hello, dear people!" Jace called, his voice surprisingly - to him - as smooth as ever, or close enough, anyways. "They say that music is the strongest form of magic. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything." His practiced smile grew as he closed his eyes and took a small bow, paying his respects to the audience. "It's my life, and I'm blessed to be able to share it with you all."

His eyes flitted open again, a perfect violin laying suddenly just before his feet. It was the work of Miss Davis no doubt. Although Jason knew that it wasn't real, it looked precisely like the one still laying in his dorm room; an exact replica down to every string, scratch, and gentle etching. He moved to pick it up, slowly enough to savor the moment, but quick enough that no one else noticed his hesitation. Once both instrument and bow were in his hands, the young decided he could breath again, tucking the violin gingerly under his chin.

Was he ready for this? No.

He played anyways. There was no other choice.

It started out quietly, the notes subtle as he quietly as he drew the sounds out, trying to find his rhythm. It was dead silent in the room otherwise, he noticed. Nobody dared to make a sound and every pair of the eyes were on him. He couldn't think about that, though. This was supposed to be easy for him, right? It just had to come to him naturally.

He paused in his playing, choosing to close his sight and allow the first tune that came to him to flow. His hands started to move seemingly on their own. The melody that followed was short, light, and sweet. It chimed of innocence, of late night whispers and the sweetest of passing glances. It made his worries disappeared, his heart light as a cloud, and his head even lighter.

Along with the growing music, a white light appeared at his fingertips, slowly but surely enveloping the whole of his body. He'd hardly acknowledged it when the first gasp came, a young girl in the front row staring out as he hands as the bright light of his spread to her, bringing all the wonderful emotions that came with it. Hardly skipping a beat, his gift jumped to another person, then another, until everyone in the room shared the effects of his sweet music.

Jason took several swift steps across the stage, faster than normal, more-so than most people; and with all too much ease. He felt as if he could soar, to run and fly from one oceanside to the next. Suddenly, as every soul in the room was caught up in her music, it changed. From a full upbeat major to a low, lumbering minor. His sweet smile fell, darkness overtaking his face and turning it into a deep scowl. The sweet light had turned a bloody, threatening shade, giving the room an eerie glow.

He began to move again, his feet stomping deliberately around to the intense, growing frenzy he played. The harsh contact he made with the ground growing louder, fiercer, until the stage under him crushed underneath him, creating a deep crater in the old wood of the stage. Seeing this example, few others in the crowd followed, pounding their firsts into the ground and hurling chairs across the room. The noise stared to rise higher, chaos just starting to ensue before Jason froze in his place.

The small riot lingered for a moment, and he couldn't help but smirk as he felt his father's glare on him, the headmaster's irritation all his own. Jace knew the plan wasn't to use their gifts on the crowd, but how else could he show himself off. After all, his gift worked best on others.

To finish, before anything shameful happened in the hall that day, he took his bow to the strings again, this new song completely the opposite of the one before it. It reminded him of sunshine, of green grass, of laughter and singing in the shower, and the joy of gifting others. The color before had quickly disappeared, turning to the warmest yellow of all.

Jason couldn't tell for sure how long he was playing. Once he had started that beautiful song, he never wanted to stop. It was only when he finally decided to open his eyes again, and he saw the beaming faces in the crowd, that he remembered the same thoughts from before would haunt him as soon as he put the instrument down. Couldn't things stay so simple? If only he could play forever.

The young man played his final note, going quiet and letting his hands fall to his side as the crowd broke into an applause again. The violin disappeared from his grasp. "Thank you." Jason smiled warmly again, waving to the crowd one final time before stepping off the stage and making his way to his father. They both tried their best to keep things formal, saving the cheesy congratulations for later.

The blonde reluctantly took his diploma, shaking the headmaster's hand, giving one last look to the audience before stepping off to the side to allow the ceremony to finish.

She'd lived her whole life as a ghost, but this was the first time she'd ever felt like a corpse.

Sitting there was the worst feeling she'd ever known. It was like she was stuck in a bog, like there was a thousand ton weight resting in the pit of her stomach. Dread, apprehension, helplessness, even a dash of fear that pinned her in place. What am I gonna do now? It was such a sad and pathetic question that she couldn't help but smile at her own piteousness, even when it felt like tears were going to spill over at any moment.

Evelyn was numb through the whole procession. None of the Headmaster's words, or any of the graduates', ever reached her ears. Hosa Corvina, Richard Sanford, half-remembered names of future Guardians. Did it even matter? She didn't care about any of them. This whole thing was supposed to be a celebration, but it felt more like a funeral for that summer she'd spent with Jason. Jace, Jace, Jace... It was a bittersweet name that rolled too easily off her tongue. Her eyes stung. She knew what was coming next, but she wasn't ready for it. How could she? Just the idea was a fucking joke. No, she wasn't ready. She wasn't ready to give it all up.

A part of her wanted to be angry. Angry at him, angry at anybody, angry at the school, angry at the whole fucking world. It would've been gratifying to have a reason to really, actually, seriously be pissed. But she didn't. That was the worst part. She was helpless, and it was her own fault for blinding herself to something inevitable. In the back of her mind, she should've known that nothing good would last forever, but she wanted to ignore that. Evelyn had wanted to be happy. She could whine to herself all she wanted about how he should've warned her sooner, but that wouldn't have done anything. Even if he had, she'd still be sitting in this exact same place on this exact same day, wondering why it all had to end so soon.

Nothing lasted forever, right?

It was just a stupid highschool romance.

She was the idiot for believing it was anything more than that.

Evelyn just stared blankly when he came out on stage. It didn't even hurt that his eyes seemed to scan right over her. The crowd roared for him like he was some kind of celebrity... She wished she could've laughed. He'd always been popular. How'd he end up with someone like her? She'd never understood. Maybe it was best if she didn't know. He started to speak, but she didn't even hear. His words were just noise. All that left was his voice.

He'd forget her. She already knew that much. That was how her gift worked, after all. Evelyn would just be erased like marker on a whiteboard. A faded memory, an afterglow. How long would it take for her to forget him?

She didn't know when the tears had started to streak down her cheeks.

The violin seemed to appear out of thin air. Was that there the whole time? Had she not even noticed? Every move seemed deliberate, measured, rehearsed. Was that intentional? He'd always been so natural at that kind of thing. All that social grace was just instinct to him.

When the bow met the strings, Evelyn broke. The worst part was that she couldn't even tell if it was his gift. White light formed at his fingertips, and it became a soft glow that enveloped his body, before washing over the crowd like a tide. A warm, light sensation that filled her head with clouds. It was a familiar feeling. He'd done it before, once, back in the lounge. That seemed like a million years away now, a distant memory of another life.

Then it was like it shifted, from blue skies to dark blood. There was a rush of emotion, all her pent up fury and frustration and resentment, and finally it all spilled over. There were people standing up, hurling chairs, shouting. A riot. She just wanted to scream, but instead she just started to sob, doubling over and burying her face in her hands.

She really was pathetic.

The music slowed to a gentle lull, sweet and kind and joyful, but she never lifted her head from her hands. Then it was over. Just like that, it all ended.

"Thank you."