She slept well, it was already an exhausting day from volunteering at Judith's temple, and it was a very peaceful place as well. She felt at ease as she rested in her bed, remembering how rare and fascinating the walls she wiped were, how gold and beautiful they were when the dust was wiped off. She let out a sigh as she opened her eyes, remembering her entire journey that led to a whole new world with unfamiliar quirks and people. It was rather queer. Her eyes burned as she remembered her previous family, Mrs Starling, her father, and the little ones…They all probably miss her right now, and they're searching for her everywhere. But the fact that their beloved Sunny was in a new, quirky world that was probably halfway across the galaxy was the last thing they could think of. She couldn't sleep, even though it was midnight, the moon was her only light from the window, and she had no choice but to grab into her bag, taking out a picture of her father.
"Daddy, I miss you.." She whispered, her thumb caressing the picture frame. "I'm so sorry for being so stupid and reckless. I'm going to help out many people, and I hope you'll be proud of me."
Memorable moments played in her mind like a cel roll, and tears began to stream down her cheeks as they continued to ring a bell. Eventually, it was over, and she got up from the bed, walking over to the wall and placing the attached string to the nail that stuck out. She placed her hands against the frames so that the picture would be still, and she let out a yawn, slumping back to the bed.
***
She yawned as she rose from her bed, the sunlight tickling her face awake, her feet were cold, and she rubbed them in case they became solid ice again. She smacked her lips, her eyes blurry until she saw a mannequin by her side. It was clad and a uniform with a red tie and trousers, it was quite unusual because every girl must wear a skirt. However, she cared less about what she must wear, and she took the uniform, trying to make sure that the mannequin didn't fall over. She then headed over to the shower, her ears so lightly-functioned because of her drowsiness. Already unaware of who was inside, she slowly pushed the curtains, and to her wide-eyed shock, there was Cynoce taking a shower. Turning his head, he shrieked like a little girl upon seeing Sunny, who immediately covered her eyes and turned around in modesty. But Cynoce was still screaming, it felt as if he were re-enacting a horror movie. In fact, there were psycho-pathic strings that played out of nowhere, Sunny looked around, trying to figure out where that hauntingly beautiful music was coming from, and yet she found nothing. She lightly slapped her own cheek, she wanted to convince herself that she was just hearing things, and that none of this was happening. However, it got to the climax, Cynoce had finally stopped screaming, he had a shell-shocked stare as he started to walk out of the wet floor. Sunny looked down, and she saw a pink soap-filled sponge resting on the floor. She opened her mouth, able to call out to Cynoce, only for his paw to step onto the sponge, and before he knew it, he slipped over, his arms thrown in the air. Without a second thought, he grabbed the curtains, trying to maintain his balance, but it was no use, the curtains snapped from the mental pole, and he fell against the wall, hitting his head.
"Oh my gosh, are you alright?!" Sunny exclaimed, immediately turning off the tap water and kneeling down, not minding if her pajamas were soaked.
Cynoce rubbed his head, a bump appearing on top of his head yet again, and he groaned in annoyance as he got up and walked out of the bathroom as if nothing had happened, leaving Sunny to have it all to herself.
***
Sunny took a deep breath, she was in her uniform, and she smiled as she looked at herself in the mirror, which was large enough to reveal her whole body. With her hair fixed, she walked over to the picture frame of her father on the wall.
"Good morning, daddy." She spoke to the picture. "It's my first day at school, I'm so nervous! I know that I'm always home schooled and stuff, but this is going to be completely different!" She then took a deep breath, her arms were shivering with anxiety, but she kept her composure as she stuck her lips against the top of the picture, kissing her father. "Please root for me, alright? I'll see you later."
Sunny then walked down the stairs, and she smiled as she saw Judith, who had already prepared bacon and eggs on the table, the plates already sitting on top of the table.
"Good morning, my darling!" Judith walked over and embraced her. "I can't believe you're growing up so fast! When I first saw you, you were a helpless 12 year old girl, and now you're heading to one of the most prestigious schools in Humanica!"
Sunny nodded, her cheeks pink, "Yes, I know..But I wonder, why do I have trousers instead of a skirt?"
"Well, in this school, all genders are equal, hence the equal uniform. You look quite handsome in that suit!"
Sunny blushed even more, her hands folded together as she looked down, her entire face pink and sweaty.
"Come now, darling. You have breakfast, a crusader must eat her meal."
Sunny nodded, shaking her head so that her face could turn olive again, and she walked over to her stool and sat down next to Cynoce, who grumbled as he played with the tender, shiny yolk.
"Oh, that little brat!" Judith snarled in disappointment. "He ripped my curtain apart and wandered around nude!"
Sunny flushed red upon realizing this, but Cynoce gave her a glare, and she kept her mouth shut, unable to speak the truth.
"Anyways, my dear. Once you're finished with your breakfast, go to school." Judith reminded her as she washed the dishes.
***
Walking down the street as usual, Sunny smiled as she carried her backpack, her smile turning into an excited ear-to-ear grin when she saw the Academy. She watched as the other students arrived there, some of them were girls the same age as her, and it made her feel more secure and safe about herself. However, a grimy hand was placed on her shoulder, and when she turned around, she found herself face to face with a shaggy black-haired man with a menacing smile on his face.
"Hey there, sweet cheeks." he said, giving her a small pinch on her cheek. "What's a doll like you doing in trousers?"
Despite being stunned, Sunny had a polite smile on her face, but to the shaggy man, he thought of it as the most adorable thing on the planet.
"Hey there, dollface. Wanna hang out with an awesome guy?"
"I love to! Where is he?" Sunny said, excitedly, even though she didn't know that she had sarcastically outdone the shaggy man.
Infuriated, he tried to remain calm, and he spoke in a low tone, "Come on, come with Daddy."
Sunny's smile faltered, but her politeness didn't, "But…I don't have a father, he died when I was little."
The shaggy man's eyes widened, but he rolled them, "Alright then, forget about the old fart and move on! I'll adopt you!"
Sunny gasped, her eyes widened with shock and dismay, "What did you call my father?!"
"An old fart, what else?" spoke the blunt shaggy man.
That was the straw that broke the camel's back, and she protested, "You can't talk to my father like that! He wasn't an old fart, he was a wonderful, kind man who loved me so much! He would work hours as a single parent just to put food on the table…at least that's what I remember."
"Ha!" The shaggy man mocked. "You don't even remember what your daddy's like! Come on, let's go to my house, I have lots of toys that you can have that he probably doesn't give you!"
He then gently grabbed Sunny's wrist, and he began to pull her forward, she smashed her feels against the concrete floor to keep herself from being dragged along, she wasn't going to let him take her easily.
"Let me go!" she yelled, attracting the attention of a few passerbys, but they did nothing to help her out. She watched, but she didn't blame them, there were bystanders everywhere, but she was hopeful that someone will help her.
But out of nowhere, the shaggy man had his head whacked by an umbrella, causing him to release Sunny, who landed on her rear on the floor.
"Shame on you, you brute!" An elderly woman with the same star emblem in the form of her necklace, exclaimed, fidgeting with her umbrella like it was some rifle. "Picking on a little girl and her dead father like that! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"
"And he was hurting a Meimon schoolgirl!" shouted another old woman, who this time had a bat in her hands.
A little elderly lady approached, and she huffed in rage. She didn't have a weapon like her female friends, but she revealed fists with bulging veins. She was silent as she was deadly.
"What did your mother tell you about harassing younger girls?" The first one said, twirling her umbrella. "She clearly doesn't want to be your daughter. In fact, she could do better, but she chose her real father, so she doesn't need a new one. Now come along, girls! Let's go get this nutjob!"
The shaggy man eventually found himself surrounded by a group of bloodthirsty elderly ladies, all of them wielding fists or weapons, they were even ready to use their legs to beat him with kicks!
"Wait! Ladies!" he yelled, raising his hands in surrender. "I'll take it back! I don't want the girl! She can get the hell out of here!"
"Too bad, son." the littlest elderly lady in a low, rage-filled tone as she held out her slipper.
Together, the elderly ladies whacked him with their weapons, all the while the shaggy man could only place his hands against his head and scream at a high-pitched tone that was comparable to that of a little girl, even Sunny could scream more seriously than him! Sunny watched, having a smile on her face, she admired those elderly ladies, they didn't seem like crusaders, in fact, they were too fragile to be one, but they were so inspiring. They don't let anyone push anybody around, they made sure that they were safe, it was the least they could do. However, she didn't have any time, she was about to be late, and as her heart raced, she sprinted down the street, trying to make sure that she didn't bump into anyone while trying to make it there. The gates were about to close, and it was the race against the clock. However, Sunny was determined to get on them, she needed to get there on time.
3 seconds…
…2 seconds…
1…
She leapt straight inside, and the gates finally closed. She panted heavily, she was knelt on the ground, and her heart had calmed down, returning to its normal rhythm. She raised her fists, and she yelled with glee,
"YES! I did it! I made it here!"
She then ran straight inside, and to her relief, there were still people there. She looked around as she walked into the crowd, once again standing apart because of how she is one of the rare young ones.
"There you are!" Hiro approached her, patting her head. "I thought I wouldn't see you!"
"Oh, Thank the…Thank the Creator..?" Sunny found herself saying these words, but she smiled nonetheless. "Say, that phrase has a nice ring to it!"
"It sure does! Are you ready for our training? I heard that we all have this power called a Leistung. It's basically based off of elements like fire and water, but there are also awesome stuff like death and life! I heard that the most legendary one is the power of the Stars!"
Sunny's eyes twinkled upon hearing that, and she had a smile on her face, "That sounds fantastic! I wonder what my Leistung will be like!"
Hiro snickered, but then he turned around, and his eyes widened in modest surprise.
"What is it?" Sunny inquired, taking notice of his sudden mood swing.
Hiro couldn't help but point out a red-haired girl who was taller than they were, she had a calm and collected face, and yet she had the most beautiful appearance ever seen. Sunny couldn't help but feel entranced by the girl as she noticed them, but her expression remained blank.
"I have some knowledge that I can share with you." she said as the sunlight radiated her dark, tan skin. "In fact, I can be your tutor. For some reason, I could see potential in you."
"Why thank you!" Hiro smiled.
"No, not you." The girl instead pointed to Sunny, who's eyes widened and her cheeks turned pink.
However, Sunny kept her composure, and she nodded her head, smiling, "I'm Sunilda Tournesol, but you can call me Sunny!"
"I'm Anala, Anala Irene Ashley." the girl introduced herself. "I'm 15 years old, but my age doesn't matter here. What matters is that I'm trying to find people who are truly worthy of being a crusader."
That was when Anala winced, her hazel eyes suddenly turning flammable red for a moment, but she suddenly sweated when she remembered that there were people watching her, so she closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths. Sunny furrowed her eyebrows, slightly bewildered about what she just saw. However, she shook the feeling off, it was probably some effect from the Non-Law.
"There you are, sis!" a soothing but loud voice exclaimed.
Sunny and Hiro both looked behind Anala, and they saw a short dark-skinned girl who was clinging to her back like an annoying, little sister.
"What do you want, Imani?" Anala silently fumed. "You can just run around like that, and no, you are not my sister. We are not related at all, and yet you are acting like one."
Imani put her hands on her hips, "Oh, come on! I'm just making friends here! I just want to show what an awesome gal I am!"
"I think you're awesome!" replied Sunny, who had an ear-to-ear grin as she looked at Imani.
"Ah, yeah! Now that's what I'm talking about!" Imani smiled and ruffled Sunny's hair. "Looks like I finally got a new friend!"
"Don't mind her, she's jazzed on java." Anala said. "She wants to be hyperactive and energetic all the time so that she could be strong enough as a crusader."
"Well, that's the effort that we need as crusaders!" Sunny smiled. "Everybody loves energetic people!"
"You catch that on quick, gal!" Imani replied. "We're going to be the greatest crusaders in the world! I swear on it!"
"I doubt that!" Raldir appeared, his hands on his hips as he rolled his eyes. "Ugh, so many girls! They should be in their homes cooking lunch or something!"
Anala looked at him with a stern look, "And I thought that men are supposed to be garbage disposals. But I guess that would be murder of your own kind."
Raldir growled, his hands clenched into fists as he hissed at Anala, "Who gives you the right to speak like that, woman?"
"I have every right." Anala clutched his collar, leaning into his face so that they would be eye-to-eye. "It's best if you watch your damn tongue, little boy. Because you might be burnt to a crisp someday."
Intimidated and even frightened for the first time, Raldir gulped, and he backed away, trying to maintain a straight, haughty face, but it was no use. He turned around, and he ran back into the crowd, shrieking like a little girl.
Hiro cackled like a maniac, finding pleasure in watching Raldir get told off, he clutched his stomach, his heart swelling up.
"Too much laughter will cause you to lose your breath." Anala pointed out. "Stop laughing."
Hiro was also intimidated, and he immediately shut his mouth, even the girls were stunned by Anala's sudden reply. Sunny then took a look at Anala's appearance, she really wasn't like any of the other girls. At first, she thought that this may be because she was older, but she suddenly remembered a picture of Mrs Starling, her youthful and feminine appearance in the picture frame was on display. She thought for a moment in the present, and she made it to the conclusion that Anala may not be what she appears to be.
"Anala?" Sunny inquired. "Are you really a girl?"
Anala just glanced at her, and Sunny immediately regretted what she said, she could only smile nervously as Anala leaned closer, almost as if their lips were touching. But thankfully, (To Sunny), that didn't occur.
"Does who I am really matter to you?" the tall woman asked, her voice almost deep yet yearning for the feeling of acceptance. "Just don't think of that question, just accept me."
Sunny thought of her suggestion, her face already pink from her blushing, but she nodded in agreement.
"Good." Anala told her, having a small but firm smile.
However, everyone went silent when a stern young man in his 20s with short, blonde hair appeared. He was led by the priestesses, and he spoke in a firm tone,
"My name is Gamaliel, and I am the Muscle of the Lordly Quartet. I run this school for its training purposes, and I have come in representation of that purpose."
Everyone paid attention, they were imitated by his stern demeanor, he appeared to be someone who wasn't taken lightly, so nobody spoke a word out of sheer obedience and fear instead of actual respect for the member.
"I want you all to know that we crusaders are warriors of protection, compassion, leadership, and most of all, resilience. Resilience is an especially important virtue, it's how we remain strong even in our darkest times. We must agree that there is no darkness without light, and no light without darkness." He then cleared his throat, and he continued his speech, "If you have been to school before, this is rather different than what you think it is. We all have different Leistungs, and they all come from within, it's your heart's duty to discover your Leistung. There is water, earth, fire, wind, light, darkness, and so much more. However, your heart is legendary and destined to be a child of the Creator if your heart bears the stars. You will all be starting a test in the Testing Room." Then he took a deep breath, and he called, "Priestesses! Lead the recruits to the room!"
A group of priestesses walked over to the crowd, and they gestured for them to follow. It was finally time for the first part of training to begin.
"YES! There it is!" yelled Imani, who was shaking the equally excited but more meekly Sunny. "Come on, everybody! Let's go!" She pulled Sunny's limb, and she began to drag her down with the others as they headed to the Testing Room with the priestesses.