"Greetings Student's and welcome to your first day of he- training. Myself and the faculty shall make sure your stay in this place goes smooth as possible." The voice rang in the head's of everyone at the area designated for the student's to wait, a small bus stop on the edge of some god forbidden town, getting there was the first test and clearly the one's who made it had passed, some had a tougher time then others.

In the distance a small yellow bus came into view, trotting along at slow and steady pace, it had an aura of manevolence to it before it stopped and the double door's swung open, a man who's face was hidden by the shadow's was their driver, without any words he gestured to hurry aboard. When the last of the student's entered the voice whispered "Try not to kill your class mates before you arrive." It said sarcastically as the bus began to move forward.

-Small timeskip of roughly 30 minutes-

As the bus crept ever on towards it's goal, it passed through a regular overpass, but in the blink of an eye the highway and the numerous cars and houses dissapeared in an instant replaced only by the harsh red desert and the mountain's in the distance, numerous shrubs littered the red sand as the sun seemed to bake everything outside the bus in a slow and painful way. All was not well on the horizon, dust was stirring but seemed at a distance too far to truly discern.

(2 different parts if you want to, a bus-stop scene and a timeskip scene. Chat amongst students, and get a feel for your character.)

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"But when one of it's baby chicks is in trouble, Momma comes a run'nin' and a squawkin and a run'nin''." -General Treistar

--Alexanre Arc:Bustop and Trip--


Alex had waited with his foot tapping away at the pavement with his arms crossed. As if it wasn't evident that Alex looked like he wanted to get as soon as possible he even explained the point out-loud. That Psychic message hadn't phased Alex in the least. He knew what to expect at this new school. It's what he had trained for. It's what he had Alpheon for. As if a guitar with a soul of its own was any indicator. He looked down at his watch.


"Geez could they take any longer getting here?" He said out-loud from the spot he had chosen (near the front of the large group). He looked up and down the street. Spotting it in the distance Alex's expression broke into a sarcastic smile. "Hurray they actually made it. Now let us get on with this stupid show." As the doors opened Alex was among the first through. Not even batting an eye at the mysteriously shrouded bus-driver (In which he actually had to force back a laugh) With his bags and suitcases in hand Alex flew down the buss to settle into a seat near the back sitting near the window. As he put his stuff up in the above compartment he sat back down and quickly put on his ear-phones. His guitar took up the spot next to him in the seat. It seemed Alex's guitar also (appeared) to work as a music player of sorts.

Which is what Alex would now spend his entire trip doing. Listening to his music. It made the trip that much faster. Alex hated waiting, and when he took long trips he'd stare endlessly out the window, head-sets in place. Alex did not even care when the setting suddenly changed. "Ha ha ha ha! It's like the benevolent force writing a story is trying to scare us!" He thought with a smile on his face.

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*WHAT I THOUGHT I'D DO WAS PRETEND I WAS ONE OF THOSE DEAF-MUTES*

--Daniel arc: bus stop and trip-- (not very talkative)


Daniel was nervous at the group of soon to be students at the same school he had only heard was to expand your views of not only the world but himself and others. Suddenly after almost a half hour of waiting someone yelled "Hurray they actually made it. Now let us get on with this stupid show." he automatically assumed this person was like everyone who had been around magic and power in all forms all their life, but Daniel was a simple mortal not unlike everyone else in the mortal part, but he had never imagined magic and powers actually existed until he was given an aptitude test over the phone and told he apparently has an "above average" proficiency in black and dark magic for someone with no magical background, other then his ghost dog staff (which he couldn't use at the time) and whatever he had read or heard of from books.

So as the bus pulled up he was at the back of the pack and loaded in dead last, after being slightly startled by the announcement over psychic wave and then laughed at by several people who he assumed must now know he isn't used to magic yet, he went straight to the back where several seats were still open, on his way staring at a large guitar with several other parts to it other then strings that he couldn't identify in the short time he had to look at it. When he sat down he took out his headphones (not earbuds actual headphones) from his small bag and put them on listening to whatever he felt like at the time. The contents of his bag included a second set of black colored mage robes and a picture of his family like the one he had on a key chain, he had his staff in hand and is already wearing his first pair of mage robes. After about 10 minutes of listening he fell asleep to his music


He awoke 20 minutes later to notice the entire bus was now in a desert with a huge storm looking cloud of dust coming for them.

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I'm good with computers, that is all

Cassandra (Casey) Arc (during timeskip)-

Casey dug her fingernails into the seat cushion nervously. She had never been this far away from the woods before. It nearly drove her crazy to be in perfectly domesticated civilization. Among the huddled bus-mates nearest her, she heard cautious whispers of "goth" and once even "emo." Oh how she wanted to punch them, to scream at them what was it like if they had suddenly came into existence. But no, she wouldn't. If it weren't for that son-of-a-gun....Be calm, Casey, be calm. You're going to high school and you're freaking out before you even get there. Just be calm. But all these years Casey had felt calm, peace, and even numb. She wouldn't have a chance to start being human now, not in the midst of nervous wrecks. No, Casey would just have to wait.....

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Meh. If I had a good avatar, this would be worth it.

Mikeal

"Phew" Panted a somewhat exhausted but satisfied Mikeal as he reached the meeting point, "Haha, I looks like I'm out of shape again, I shoul- Well hello there." He interrupted himself noticing other groups approaching the edge of the town. He noticed that some carried impressive weapons, intriguing intruments or wore fancy clothing, a massive smile played on his face. All he had was his every day gear, some spare cloths (hastily jammed into his bag), his accorion strapped to his back and a minor hang-over from his 'good-luck' party.

As he walked towards the gathering he thought of what he should do, he could act shy something that most 'normal' people would do considering that they are meeting fellow magic wielders for the first time... "First impressions always stay with a person. He initially figured.
There seemed to be some sort of awkward silence though he noted that one student seemed impatiant, he clearly wanted to get going. A large smiled played on face, he rubbed his hands together and took a deep breath, "Greetings everyone, I'm a rather loud, care-free and appearently I've been told I'm a bard named Mikeal Jalo" His voice had a strong accent and as he introduced himself he took an ornamental bow, flicking his cap off with his left hand and subsequintly cacthing it with his right, "I'll be honest from the start, I'm a none-too serious flirt to the ladies-" He punctuated his statement by kissing his finger tips and blowing it to a group of female students, "I'm somewhat of a skirt chaser but if it annoys you, please say so and I'll try to curb my pursuit."

He gave a sly wink before he continued, "For the guys, I'm a party animal, I love to drink, dance, sing, fall on my face, drink some more and then try to sing some more! In fact I'm partially suffering from a hang-over now" He did a small jig before stopping to placing his cap back on his head, "And to everyone, if you're feeling sad, look me up and I'll try my best to cheer you up without my usual over-the-top silly antics."

He laughed and let it go at that as the group began to board the bus, My they do know how to dampen one's spirit. He reflected after hearing the whispered statement as he moved to sit near the centre of the bus.
He creafully place his bag in the compartment above but kept his accordion with him, as Mikeal sat down he left the seat next to him free for anyone to use. Personally he hated the thought of sitting alone, after all what fun would it be if you couldn't share a good time?

-Time skip: 30mins-
"Ah well, I wonder where we will be going." He said quitely to himself looking outside, "Maybe it's in the city or-" As they passed through an overpass he was stunned at the sudden change, "huh, and now for something completely different." He quipped jokingly.

At an open doorway to a little old broken-down shop, just down the street from the bus-stop, a cloud of dark wisps and a black fog erupted from the doorway and Michael and his father walked out of it calmly, Death's hand gripping Michael's shoulder tightly as he stepped on to the ground. As the darkness suddenly sucked itself back into the little shop, Death let go of Michael's shoulder and looked down at him, the two sparkling blue orbs of light that were Death's eyes stared down at their son's head. "Well son, it is your time. Are you ready for this. Michael sighed sadly as he gripped the socket around his neck and re-adjusted the satchel's strap on his shoulder. Yeah dad, I'll be fine he answered as he looked around the town and leaned around his father's chest to look at the bus. Death turned to stare at the bus and the enfants getting on to it and sighed himself, he was 2 and a half metre's tall, wrapped in a black shawl with a thin hood over his head and had a ghastly grin on his face, that being most skeleton's basic expression. Michael, strangely enough, had a much wider range of expressions on his skeletal face then Death's, being able to express clearly any human emotion. Death could give off the impressions of emotions very well, but actually being able to show them was beyond him, apart from a cold glare and an eerie smile.

"I do enjoy the sight of young children while so happy, I don't normally see them like that. Michael grinned sadly and reached up to pat his father on the shoulder. I know Dad, I know. Death turned around and kneeled down beside his son so he could look at him face-to-face. He started to straighten up Michael's tie and waistcoat as he started to say "I know that you don't want to go to this school, but I hope you also know that I'm doing this for your own good." Michael looked down at his shoes and stayed silent. "I know you'd rather stay at home with that girl Aliza, yes? yeah. muttered Michael into his shirt as he fidgeted and gripped his hands together. "But you can't hang around with Mortals like that, it's just not a good mix, especially for ones like us. I'm sure I don't have to tell you why again." Michael shuffled again and stayed unresponsive. "And after those incidents with the hourglasses, I think you're just too nice." Michael glared at his feet and muttered Isn't that a good thing that I'm nice? You'ld hardly want me to be some insane killer would you? Death sighed again and grinned some more slightly "That's true, that would be much worse, but you just get too attached to people, you heisitate, you try to put it off and then everything just get's messed up but I'm hoping this school will toughen you up a little. Now look at me, Look at me.

Death grabbed Michael's chin and forced him to look into his eyes. "I'm sorry about this but me and your uncles and aunties agreed this was the best thing to do. Now we made a deal, you're going to go to this to that school, you're going to stay there and you're going to learn what you can, that was the arrangement we made, now give your old man a hug". Michael shuffled again and put his arms around his Father's shoulders, gripping them tightly. I don't want to go Dad. he said shakily, his hands shook as he gripped the back of the shawl. "I know you don't son, but you've got to. Death said as he evaporated into smoke in Michael's arms. Michael fell forward and stumbled a few steps before falling over and skidding a little. He lay on the ground for a few moments, shaking slightly before he got up and pulling his strap back over his shoulder. He sniffed and wiped his eye sockets with his sleeve as he walked slowly over to the bus-stop.

He pulled himself up the bus-steps and mumbled a quiet hello and thank you to the bus driver as he passed him and looked down the bus. He rubbed his eye-sockets again, walked gradually down the bus and stopped at an open row of seats. He glanced at the human with the light-brown ponytail and feathered cap behind the seats and grinned shyly at him before sitting down and placing his bag on the seat behind him, pulling his legs up, wrapping his arms around them and looking out the window, resting his forehead against the cool glass. He smiled slightly as he fingered the plain locket and opened and closed it. I'll see you again Aliza, I promised.

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“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.”

Ichiro 'Chi' Bendoit

Ichiro ran, breathing heavily. He knew he didn't have to run, but the sooner he was away from the 'authorities' of this accursed place, the sooner he could go back to living on the road. He carried only his walking stick and a small backpack. A pendant dangled from his neck he ran, glinting in the sunlight, seeming to glow ever-so-slightly. He slowed to a walk as he saw the bus, he wasn't in a hurry anymore. He shielded his mind, thinking of what he had learned with the priests. The secrets kept in his mind were for nobody but himself. He walked over, tapping the bus with his staff, trying to look through any kind of illusion placed on the bus. He shrugged a bit, getting onto the bus, glancing at the driver. He raised an eyebrow, staring at the driver. Either everything was well-shrouded, or there was no illusions in place. He walked down the aisle and sat next to Cassandra, smiling a bit "Mind if I sit here?" he smoothed out his white robe, putting the pendant back under his robe.

Lysander Von Kringst - Teacher of the Bardic Arts

Lysander sat behind a desk, spinning his chair around "Nearly twenty years... I'm sure I said I'd never come back here." He got up and brushed off his front, grabbing his cape. "What's passed is past. Is it not?" He posed the question to the air. A slight shimmer in the air was the only idea of a response given. Lysander just chuckled "Right, we should ready the room." He walked around, setting up large chairs. "One...two...three...four...fi- oh dear, I should really get to eating." He turned and wandered out of the room, leaving four chairs upright in a semi-circle, the fifth sitting on it's side. He wandered the halls, looking at the walls "This damned place STILL doesn't have a map... Bah!" He hit the wall casually.

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Fenix13: Remember this well Gareth: With great power... comes hot bitches.

Garethcool: I WILL BECOME YOUR MANSLAVE.
Sam4books: That's the plan ;D

<<Kathryn & Sebastien>>

The Cloud siblings had gotten caught up in a rather lengthy line that had formed outside of the bus, listening to the telepathic voice that had interrupted their thoughts. Kathryn, though very unnerved by this, kept a cool face while Sebastien, blatantly perplexed, glanced about for this unseen speaker. It wasn't natural for people to directly address you telepathically. At all.

Sebastien stood behind his older sister like a protective, looming shadow, his hands wedged in his pockets so as to keep him from fidgetting. Though the ripples of conversation were flowing around him, he listened more to the murmurs of the minds around him. The final, ominous warning had set him on edge, and he had to make sure that no ill fate came upon his sister. Kathryn, all the while, hummed a little to try and brighten the mood. Her brother's tension was tangible in the way that he had placed himself, like a statue, inches away from her. She glanced at him, only to notice that Sebastien was glaring at the other students.

"I'm not glaring," he protested, his gaze flickering to his sister, "I'm just keeping a careful eye on them."

"Right," Kathryn countered skeptically, shaking her head. She wasn't too worried about someone attacking her brother. He wasn't the kind to go around pissing off strangers, and he looked pretty damn intimdating. Laughing at the idea of her brother being as tough as he looked, she said, "Remember, 'bastien, try to make friends, okay? Not everyone's out to get you."

"If you say so," Sebastien murmured.

Kathryn toyed with her hair, which was styled in a bunch of untidy spikes, almost like an intentional bedhead. They were almost through the door, which people were filtering hesitantly through. Sebastien looked like he was about to turn tail and run while he still could. She chuckled, bot she couldn't deny that bad, ominous aura that was looming over them. She climbed onto the bus, preferring not to look at the creepy bus driver as she went. She plopped down next to Mikael, who seemed like a very friendly guy, and glanced back to see if her brother had taken a seat. He was frozen in the aisle, his normalcy sticking out like a sore thumb. His fear, which was blatant to Kathryn, looked to be no more than bored apathy to others. He wasn't outwardly very emotional.

Sebastien shuffled to where Kathryn sat, only to notice that the window seat was occupied by a long-haired boy that was about his size. He gave Kat a short glare, which didn't even ruffle her feathers, before walking quietly to the seat behind her. A skeleton-boy sat there, his stuff on the aisle-seat and his head to the window. Sebastien stood their for a moment, mustering up the courage to speak, as the skeleton-boy studied an old locket, opening it and closing it. Sebastien wasn't scared of only the skeleton-boy, he was just scared of people in general. He didn't like anyone. He didn't talk to anyone.

"Excuse me," Sebastien finally managed to address the skeleton-boy that had taken over the two seats, "A-are you, um, saving this spot for anyone?" Sebastien could feel the stutter creeping into his voice, so he tried to swallow it back, before continuing, "'cuz, if you're not, I was wondering if I could sit there?"

He looked to Kat for approval, and he caught her expression just before she disappeared back behind the seat. She was smiling. This was a step in the right direction, her mind congratulated Sebastien on his successfully speaking to someone.

"My name is Kathryn Cloud," she greeted the long-haired boy beside her, as if to show her brother the next step in the process, "What's your's?" Having been toward the tail-end of the line, she hadn't heard his theatrical introductions as being a skirt-chasing bard.

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<<If I had an awesome quote, it'd go right here.>>

Daniel - Dream arc

While he rode on the bus he leaned over for what seemed like a look in his bag but was a convenient nap due to his needing to quote-unquote run away from home, even though the only reason was cause he couldn't tell his family of the school or the offer or that their first born (the only one with awakened powers) was a magic loony or so they would have thought.

So slowly he drifted off to sleep and while they say it's impossible for your mind to absorb knowledge while you sleep and that it was only an urban legend, he could have sworn (all to "For Whom the Bell Tolls - Metallica") he heard most of the people on the bus converse with each other.

A slightly stuttering man trying to talk to a person who had not spoken a word since he got anywhere near the bus

An unknowing female talking to one of the only voices he recognized the Bard who he thought may have said a little too much when it came to his introduction to the others

And a nervous wreck of a woman who was quite literally tearing at the seat she sat in for a reason he didn't know or really understand

But all the while he heard murmurs of how creepy this bus was and the heavy aura it held around itself not to mention the driver, all of which he had never felt, he actually felt quite cozy in the bus probably do to his affiliation with dark magics, and the bus driver had given him no reason to spite him so he felt nothing but a driver-passenger relationship between them

Suddenly a feeling crept over him, not one of change due to the convenience of that being the moment the bus had passed the gate to the desert but one of power in the art we was so desperate to learn (in the direction he couldn't make out due to the fact he was asleep and had his eyes closed so all this was from sound and feeling) he felt a strong presence in the direction he felt the bus going, he believed it to be a woman, because for some reason he sees energies in people (when he activates it) filling their whole body to the point where he can only make out their silhouette colored correspondingly to the magic they are most prominent in, so he could make out a womanly form.

After the power got to a certain distance it woke him from his "dreams" and he awoke taking off his headphones to find the bus in a desert

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I'm good with computers, that is all

Marius - Bus Stop -

Leaning against a well, Marius looked around, trying to find the guy. You know, the big guy. The one everyone is scared of. He think he spotted him, a tall guy, beefy in black robes. It was weird though, the guy looked like he was nervous when he obviously towered over all these people. Tall and muscular. Yeah, he was the guy alright. Shooting the guy a look that caused those at his former school to freeze in terror, Marius started stretching his muscles for a fight, cracking his knuckles and never looking away from the guy. Hoping the guy had noticed him, Marius walked towards him. Then something interjected into his mind, "Greetings Student's and welcome to your first day of he- training. Myself and the faculty shall make sure your stay in this place goes smooth as possible." . Shit. What the hell was that? Looking around he noticed everyone grabbing there bags as a bus approached. I missed my chance. Well, there is plenty of time at this school for me to teach them who is boss. He turned away form the guy and headed back to where he was standing and grabbed his bags, then headed for the bus.

The guy went to the back, following Marius sat right behind him. Cracking his knuckles behind the guy, he said "Your ass is mine big guy." However, the guy had already put on his headphones. He sat behind the guy, never looking away. After a while he noticed the guy had fallen asleep. Reaching over the seat he grabbed the guys bag, pushing the contents around. More creepy robes and a picture? What a creep. He put the bag down, and leaned back in his seat keeping one eye on the guy and another on his surroundings. About 20 minutes later they went under and overpass and were somehow in the middle of the desert. Confused, he looked around to see the others reactions to this strange event.

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"Enchanté mademoiselle Cloud." Mikeal began his Finnish accent made his attempted french sound more humorous than charming and once again he took off his cap but simply bowed his head this time not wanting to invade her personal space, "My name is Mikeal 'Kultainen' Jalo, but you can call me Mikeal... or Mick, depending on which name suits your taste."

As he spoke he made sure to look into Kathryn's eyes, after all it would be rude to look any where else when introducing oneself, there was a brief pause as he considered what to say. It would be impolite for him to now brag about himself -thus making the whole situation awkward-, "Is this your first time going to this school? Haha, I admit I've never had the pleasure of being 'transport' to the desert in a blink of the eye." He waited for a second before adding with a smile, "Or threatened in the first few seconds of a bus trip."

-Where the fun time's run!-

As the truck puttered onwards the scenario never changed, even the cloud of sand storm in the distance didn't seem to get any bigger or closer yet the feeling of dread about it had only built up if you stared, as if you couldn't tear your eye's off it. Small silhouette's danced in the dust now that the time had shift forward, how long nobody could really say but it felt as if hour's upon hour's had Crawled forward, the student's were oblivious to the threat that loomed in the Desert that loomed mere feet from them.

~School yard~

Phauran was by all account's in a beehive of activity, his personal library attached to school's own impressive stack was totally open and in it was the man who was known as headmaster, for more year's then anyone could probably count this man had toiled in the labyrinth of this school but none ever knew why, surely a man with power could do whatever he wanted right?

Hundred's of different leather-bound books lay scattered on the floor, all seemed to have the working's of barriers and demonic essence vaguely related to it yet he continued to pilfer through it again and again, tirelessly since almost 3 week's before the School was re-oppened for the new semester, a fresh batch of students to mold and for once all almost the same age, but what Irked his mind was not the student's but the school itself. Closing the dark blue silk-covered book he was holding he slid it into a small satchel at his hip and strolled from the library with a rather plain face, something unusual for the often Jovial man.

Stopping in the middle of the courtyard he gave a slight whistle, within a few moment's the presence of one of his teacher's seemed to spring to life behind him. "Protect the bus, I have a feeling it won't be seeing better days." He hummed before continuing his pace toward's his office.

~Back at the bus~

The storm had died down in the distance but the feeling of dread had peaked, nothing could have prepared them for what came from the distance, within a blink of an eye the student's could only watch in horror as the front of the bus, driver and all, were engulfed searing flames, anyone close to the driver would feel the horrible agony as the bus lost control, tumbling on it's side, the front had been turned to nothing but burning metal and slag behind them, a tangled mess of burned and broken parts.

An unfamiliar voice shouted over the student's cries with an alarm of "Attack on the horizon, prepare yourself!" The voice did not lie, on the horizon stood humanoid-like figure's with skin the color of the very shadow's that hid them, their clothing was red like the sand and the thing's they rode upon were monsterous beetles, talismans of strange colors chimed together on their waste's as they prepared to raid with full strength against the destroyed vehicle. The one in the front with eye's like the sun Screamed something in a voice that sounded like broken glass grinding against itself and led the others, 3 score strong, into the potential battle field.

~Back at school, once more~

"So it begin's..." The man said as he felt in the distance a resonation of powerful magic.

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"But when one of it's baby chicks is in trouble, Momma comes a run'nin' and a squawkin and a run'nin''." -General Treistar

---Alex/NOW PLAYING: Driving'to the Dead---


Alex has been minding his own business as usual. He had also been watching everyone. He even saw two other fellows who we're as interested in music as he was. And some strange guy who looked like he'd become the school bully. No one really payed any attention to Alex. Which Alex thought strange and great at the same time. Someone was even willing to ask a walking skeleton to move his stuff then ask Alex, an apparently, by all physical accounts, normal looking teenager (underneath the costume and shades) so and Alex chuckled to himself. Maybe going under the radar wouldn't be such a bad idea.


But sadly other forces we're at work. Just when Alex has settled back in the front side of the bus brew up into flames. Alex could feel the great heat created by the magic from where he sat in the back. No telling how some of the kids up front would of been hurt. However Alex had no time to think about this as everything that had been controlling the buss was now a pile of molten metal.


"BRACE YOUR SELVES!!!" Alex screamed out as the bus quickly approached the side of the road. After which it flipped. Alex had managed to hold onto the seat (and Alpheon as best he could) but he had suffered a nasty bruise (as far as he could tell) immediately after the crash. "Now, now, now, now. We are ready for this. . .NOW!" Alex scream as he quickly jumped up and forced open a window on the non-exposed side. Obviosuly Alex was extremely excited to be fighting, and he showed no signs of surprise, even acting as if he knew this was going to happen (or at least had encouraged it to happen) Before he climbed out Alex took a look behind it at everyone who was in various state of disarray.

"As I prefer giving more power to those that are more numerous (or ones that I like more) I dedicate this next song to the dark arcane. Ah ha ha ha!" Alex laughed as he climbed out with Alpheon in tow.

Once outside Alex stood up on the bus. He then began to play one of his most favorite songs. He even hesitated for a second as he looked excitedly around for an audience that was not there. Oh but he had an audience, two in fact. One in front of him riding towards the buss on some giant bugs and another audience behind him. That was all he needed. "It's time to. . . .Drive to the Dead" He said under his breath a huge grin on his face. Any undead, magician, necromancer, demon who had been in the crash would of, at that moment felt an unknown power take hold of them. It was extremely noticeable if they were Necromancers or undead. In fact should they have been dazed by the crash they now weren't as the music that was issuing forth from Alpheon would charge them up with unholy energy.


And on Alex would player, play as he swayed to the music.

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*WHAT I THOUGHT I'D DO WAS PRETEND I WAS ONE OF THOSE DEAF-MUTES*

Helios Felis - Bus stop

Helios was standing under a patch of shade that the bus stop's roof was willing to offer, he had on a simple black collar shirt, a pair of brown cargo pants and a black waistcoat to top it off. On his back was a large backpack which contained spare clothing, equipment, books and some memoirs taken from his house.

Helios seemed to be only one who was coping with the weather with ease. Not much of a surprise, he thought to himself, cats were once dessert animals anyways and the weather wouldn't be able to make a sweat out of him. A few minutes passed and more people had begun to gathered around him. Amongst the small batch of people, Helios noticed a man introducing himself to the others in a rather spirited fashion, a skeleton boy, a little girl accompanied by a monster of a guy, another girl dressed in a rather dark style and another guy with large instrument with him.

Helios yawned and said to himself in a low voice, "We look like a circus. Then again, I have cat ears and a tail so what does that make me?", he finished as he smiled to himself.

When the telepathic message and bus came by, Helios didn't seem to fazed and stayed where he was. The line going into the bus was too long and he was too lazy to go through the torture of having to wait. Instead, the cat-human spotted an open window on the back of the bus and walked towards it. "Heh, a little shortcut", Helios threw his backpack through the window, jumped up and crawled through onto a seat.

Nobody seemed to have noticed his stunt and Helios was dissapointed. Slowly as the bus drove away, Helios settled into his seat and took out his necklace under his shirt and held it above to look at it more closely, it glinted.

TIME SKIP - Dessert overpass and ambush in the dessert

When the bus went through the overpass, Helios seemed slightly surprised by the change and was reading a black book of incantations, practice, it had seemed to be his grandmother's duty to force the habit of practicing incantations into Helios and it seemed to have taken effect. He was reading through the long-ranged spells corner and was practicing the incantation for a magic arrow of sorts.

"Dang, and I thought we were actually going somewhere with people", he chuckled to himself.

Suddenly, the front of the bus was engulfed in a blast of flames, the heat seemed to go through the whole bus and hit everyone right in the face including Helios. In the frenzy as the bus rolled and skidded, Helios managed to grab his backpack and grab onto his seat while some others were probably flying around or doing better. Seeing the akward situation, Helios decided to introduce himself to the others, "Hello, nice to meet you guys. Helios Felis, royal family of catpeople. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to save us from impending doom", upon finishing, the bus had stopped skidding and Helios crashed through a window to get out.

Apparently, he wasn't alone. The guy that Helios had saw with the large instrument when he boarded the bus was playing some sort of song, a mix of rock and something else. Helios was excited, the bus ride was getting quite boring and he could try out a few spells with a little field test.

Dropping his backpack onto the ground, Helios clapped both of his hands together in front of him with arms extended and slowly opened them to reveal a beam of light, extending more and more as he took apart his hands from each other. The light faded more and more to reveal a large and white longbow in Helios' hands. "Time for some fun", Helios laughed as he ran up next to the man playing the instrument which he noticed was a strange combination of a keyboard and guitar.

"Nice theme song, bro", he smiled as he walked up beside him and readied his longbow. "Let's just hope it doesn't get drowned out by me, kay?", Helios pulled on the longbow, a line of light began forming into an arrow, and began chanting an incantation repeatedly.

Oh gran dios del fuego,
Gran mí el poder para hundir mis enemigos,
En llamas!
Fuego Art. 24: Spitfire!

Upon finishing the incantation, Helios' released the string and a large beam of light shot out of the bow, heading straight for one of the figures approaching them. As the arrow flew on however, it began to change, small flickering embers were trailing out and the arrow began turning into a raging fireball and hit it's target, engulfing it in flames.

"Come on!", Helios taunted his opponents with a smile on his face.

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Captain of Innuendo Strike Forces & Founder of Innuendo Striking Technique

Daniel - Bus crash

He had only woken several minutes before and was awed by the nature in both a creepy and fascinating way. But almost as immediately as he woke the bus had been engulfed in flames and disintegrated up to the drivers seat.

Just then the bus as he realized had no driver (or front wheels) and so he thought it inevitable to crash, and just as the bus turned off of the road he grabbed his things and held on tightly, as the bus turned and crumpled slightly he was overwhelmed by fear to the point that as soon as the bus stopped he called his dogs name (Megan) and a opaque celestial Rottweiler (her soul) came out of no where and calmed him.

He heard someone yelling to the rest of the bus something about magic for undead, and magicians of the dark arts. Not 2 minutes later he felt something huge he wasn't sure what except it had something to do with that guy and his guitar. Then suddenly he felt as though the only way to survive this was to do what he felt he was meant to, he went into what could be considered a calm rage(what he thinks is the most dangerous state to be in) and his dogs' spirit had also grown, she had already been to the bottom of his rib cage with the tip of her head, but now he was looking nearly eye to eye with her (keep in mind he's 6'0" tall) and at that moment felt unbeatable with this strange overwhelming feeling and his 5'8" dog ghost.

So along with 2 other students (so far) he climbed out and sent his dog after several of the attacking riders, while he tried to amass the shadows around him (not easily done in the desert) so that he may launch them at the enemies (hes' had no formal training yet so this is all on feeling, and confidence instilled by Alex's playing)

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I'm good with computers, that is all

Her Room - Eluveitie

Eluveitie Woke up suddenly feeling a dark cold claw running in her back, she had a nightmare but nothing but senseless and bizarre images, the woman cursed very softly and looked around her room filler of dusty old tomes, trinkets and strange apparatuses found in any mage's quarters, she could not explain it but she had a very bad feeling about the upcoming semester...if only she was powerful she'd have a better idea...Power, power and control is what made the world go round for her you'd always needed more of it that was her goal but for now she just had to worr about the shapeless minds of the students that were coming today...Today!...Ugh! i overslept! The woman quickly stood up and took a few tomes piling them up on a table until she had a tower of nearly 15 large leather clad tomes, she then took one of her robes, Electric blue with silver and white details and left to bathe.

Nearly fifteen minutes later she came out of her bathroom fresh and ready to start the day, she got dressed up put on her trinkets and then she took a round metallic plate that was hovering all by itself on one of the corners of her room and placed every tome, trinket and contraption she would need for her class over it and pulled it simply by a thin silver thread, She walked around the hallways for a few minutes until she saw the headmaster sitting in the courtyard immersed in his thoughts...maybe he wishes to be alone...then again it is always nice to say hello to sit and chat with the old man she approached the man softly as he closed a dark blue book Ah, Such beautiful colors one sees at this hour...Good morning to you my lord
For a moment Eluveitie had the feelings that things were going bad for the old man so she was about to turn her back and leave him to his thoughts

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Hiryu: *Hey, when life makes you bitter you tag along with it =3
Hiryu: *Gurl, you freaky

Casey (upon seeing weird humanoids)

When she saw the weird humanoids Casey gasped in horror. She had seen something like that before pass the forest. But that was long ago, and it could had been the shadow of any traveler. But still...

"Call me Casey,"she said the guy sitting next to her as she unzipped her guitar case. Better get ready, she thought and looked into her travel bag for her armor. The chance never came.

The bus crashed and smoke from the ruined engine filled her lungs and Casey struggled to breathe. She had never been this close to pollution, and it drained her energy. With pieces if energy remaining and her lungs burning, she stroked four strings on her acoustic oak guitar. The guitar sang with beautiful majesty, and all paused to admire its music. Casey tried to hide a small smile from its enlightening notes, but couldn't and so was filled with energy again. Before someone could ask her, Casey simply interrupted: "No time," and went outside into the scorching desert.

It would have to wait later.....

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Meh. If I had a good avatar, this would be worth it.

Sorry for bieng so late (Hoono Bus stop and trip)

Hoono had gotten on the bus at the last minute,he'd managed to get on right before the bus driver closed the door,Hooono looked around and saw that most of the seats were taken so he just sat at the back,quiet and content with his comics, he noticed some of the other people on the buss's robe looked a little like his,some of the kids on the bus were eyeballing him strangely,but he didn't mind he was used to it he started looking around and noticed there were only a few girls he started imagining what it would be like to go out with one but as quickly as the notion came it went away and he went back to his comics.

A few seats in front of him he had seen a girl who seemed to be quite tense with a guitar case,he decided "It's best I leave her be"He'd begun observing all the other students and finally came upon a strange boy with black robes then finally just looked back down and read his book again.

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I got friends on the other side ~

<<Kathryn & Sebastien>>

Kathryn chuckled at Mikeal's theatrics, pretending to be charmed by allowing a hand to flutter delicately over her mouth, upon which a small smile rested. She could already tell what of kind of guy he was, it wouldn't take a genius to figure it out. She listened to the cadence of his voice, inclining her head at him. Kathryn assumed, by the control of his tone, that he could very well be a bard. Or, at least, be around them a lot-- Sebastien's soft tone was a direct result from his familial upbringing, so he also spoke quite well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mikeal," Kathryn said with a chuckle, smiling at his attempt at French despite his contradictory accent, "Yes, it's my first time at this school, too. But I've been to other schools, kind of like this." Every school, especially magical ones, was a little different. Kathryn wondered if the school were as spooky, if not more, than the bus.

--->>TimeWarp<<---

Though neither student had yet to bring up their "bard" status, as it often happened with a collection of bards, the conversation that Kathryn and Mikeal had been sharing led back to music. Such things were inevitable. Kathryn, as she was rather enjoying herself, hadn't given her brother very much attention, and she didn't really even know where he'd gone to. Hopefully, wherever he was, he was enjoying himself.

Kathryn turned to look for her brother, and as she did so, the bus lerched as the front end was consumed by flames, throwing the small girl from her seat. Kathryn's blow was cushioned by the hard bars of the seats across the aisle, and she gasped, inhaling too much smoke. She coughed and, flute in-hand, managed to fight the haze and find a skyward window to climb out off. Kathryn practically fell off of the bus, gasping in fresh air and distancing herself from the smoldering mess. The hot, desert pavement warmed the soles of her shoes, the sun beating down on her as she glared against the brightness, towards the ensuing men on beetles, if they could be called that.

A voice called out, claiming that it was an attack. Kathryn glanced back towards the bus, only to see her brother worming his way out a window. He was having a good deal more trouble maneuvering through, as he was much more broadly built than his sister. Once free, he leapt off of the bus and ran to his sister, embracing her tightly. He was obviously more shaken than she.

"Seriously, Sebastien," Kathryn hissed, squirming in his constricting, muscular arms, "Now is not the time, we're under attack.--" his hug was unrelenting. With a sigh, Kat put on her "influential" bard voice and pleaded, "Sebastien, I'm okay. Please let go of me?" Sebastien complied, unable to go against her gentle order, and he drew his staff, his face still set in an expression of worry.

"That's better," Kathryn smiled, drawing her flute, "Now, Sebby, how about you be offense, and I be defense, okay?" Sebastien nodded dutifully, his muscles tense and ready. "Okay, don't let them lay a hit on me. Understand?"

"Understood," he simply and slowly, still frowning. Kat nodded, pleased with her work, and raised her flute to her lips. She did not yet play, however, and instead listened to the other bards that were already at work, to what they were trying to achieve through music. She waited, patiently, for the fight.

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<<If I had an awesome quote, it'd go right here.>>

- Marius - Bus -

He didn't even see that coming. Someone had yelled something, but he was too focused on the robed guy. Waking up, blood was in his eyes. Reaching up, he felt a cut on his temple. Wiping the blood from his eyes, he looked around. Somehow the bus was on it's side and somehow was missing the front half. Reaching into his bag, he grabbed his gloves and put them on. Punching what was once the roof of the bus, he unconsciously activated the power of his belt and blew a human sized chunk out of it. Jumping out of the hole he had made, he saw the humanoids riding beetles. WHAT THE HELL?"
He looked to the members from the bus already assembled. One of them had a guitar out and another a Keytar. Unsure, what the hell they were doing, he walked up to them. "Those freaks are picking a fight with us, aren't they? Another thing, why are you fags playing music?" Cracking his neck in preparation, he ignored his classmates responses. "LET'S FUCKING DO THIS YOU FUCKING FREAKS!" He started to charge out towards the one with Eyes like the sun.

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"Urgh." Mikeal groaned as he began to wake up, the smell of burning metal started to seep into mind. His chest hurt that was the next thing that came to his mind, that and his forehead was wet, most likely from the heat. "Probably said something to upset Kathryn, though normally I'd expect my face to hurt." He chuckled, blinking as he realized he was in fact on his back and not in his seat.

"Wha? What's going on?" He asked himself as noise filtered in from outside, the sound of battle, the sound of music being played to encourage brave fighters. As Mikeal got up to his feet finding that he was somewhat woozy, as though he was drunk. Again.
Smoke was filling the inside of the bus, he needed to get out of there. He looked to find his piano accordion he was a bard after all and he'd need it for the battle. To his surprise it was close by and largely undamaged.
He began to make his way out when he noticed some of the other students still in the bus, "Come on, we got to go." He calmly stated to the group, helping the out of the bus. Someone asked him something he didn't full hear it over the roar of the fire and the battle outside, "I'm fine, I'll go once everyone else is safe. After all I'm the oldest amongst us, I think, so it's my responsibility." -Unless the skeletal boy was- He reflected humurously, he had no clue since he only caught a brief glance of him.

As the last student wiggled free of the wreckage, Mikeal did one last sweep before he too slowly escaped. The blazing sun was the first thing that he noted, it really made his forehead sweat as he climbed to the side of the bus. Carefully he jumped off but although he landed softly he stumbled and fell, sand sticking to his face.
"Haha, I'm really more of a winter person I guess." Trying to make light of his fall wiping the sweat and sand from his face.
He went to fling the stuff from his hand when he noticed something odd, it was red. Sweat isn't red. He gingerly felt his forehead and discovered a nasty gash, likely received from the window he was sitting next to.

Before Crash.

Michael looked up nervously at Sebastien, he grinned shyly again and quickly grabbed his bag and positioned between his legs and chest, gripping it tightly. He nodded at the empty seat and turned to look out the window again.

Crash.

Michael blinked uncertainly as he came back to consciousness, he could here some strange music coming from somewhere and he groaned as he tried to stand up. He winced as he pulled a bit of metal from his arm and inspected the wound, it had gone right into his lower left arm, but thankfully hadn't gone through, nothing serious for him. He poked it a few times, just to see how painful it was and decided that it probably wasn't serious. Michael looked out through the broken window at the rest of the student and the strange beetle-people. Well, everybody seems fine, I suppose. he murmured as he picked up his bag and patted out the small fire on it and wiped off the ash. He looked down the middle of the bbus to where the bus-driver should have been and winced at the carnage. Oh dear, I wonder if he could have survived that...I hope he did. He turned away from the wreckage and climbed out the window, kicking some of the glass out of the way and trying to ignore the driver's apparent death. He noticed the boy with the brown ponytail near him and walked briskly over to him. Hey, could you tell me what is going on here please? he shouted as he closed the distance between them. He then noticed the blood on the boy's hand and sped up to reach him. Are you okay? he asked nervously as he got close. Is that blood, do you require medical assistance?

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“One day you wake up and realize the world can be conquered.”

Helios Felis - Battle in the dessert

In front of him, Helios could see that the beetle-riding humanoids were slowly closing in on them and his arrows didn't seem to be able to take them down no matter how many attacks he rained on them. Suddenly, he heard a loud yelling guy insult the bard playing beside him and ran off towards the enemies without even pausing for a reply.

"The idiot, doesn't his mother teach him about patience?", Helios said in disgust. He would interfere with Helios' arrows if he rushed in with melee and Helios didn't want to risk any casualties. "Dammit, I can't do anything now", Helios put his bow down and it dissapeared in a flash of light in his hands. Looking back at the bard beside him, still playing his song, he said to him, "Hope you'll do well enough with Mr. Offensive out there. Look, we need to get somewhere safe and you know it too. Hold them off while I tend to the others back at the bus, kay?", Helios ran off before the bard could even reply.

On the way back to the bus, Helios grabbed his backpack and opened it to find the medical supplies. Arriving at the wrecked up bus, Helios saw the skeleton boy standing near another student, offering assistance. He could see a wound on his left arm and went to him quickly. "Dammit, I wasn't trained for bone surgery", Helios said as he grabbed the boy's arm and wrapped some bandages on it after applying some medicine from his backpack's medical supplies. He didn't look up even once when he treated the wound, feelings were to be set aside for later, what mattered was the lives of the students and that they got out of this situation with it. Once finished, Helios said to the boy, "Look, I don't care if your afraid or anything. Just help me get all of us out of here. Lives are at stake". Mikeal was near them and Helios saw that he needed tending to his head as well, Helios worried that he wouldn't have enough supplies for everyone. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out another vial of medicine and tossed it towards Mikeal, saying "Hey! Use it for your head and help us when you're done!"

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Captain of Innuendo Strike Forces & Founder of Innuendo Striking Technique

Daniel - Fighting

Daniel had sent Megan out to attack the riding humanoids and was given a look by the cat guy shooting arrows but he look back at him in such a way that translated to "It'll be fine" and both continued with what they were doing until a muscular guy came charging in.

Daniel had to tell Megan to not kill him and that cat guy seemed to not wanna shoot anymore arrows if that guy was out there so he went off to help the injured.

All the time Daniel had amassed a large enough ball of shadows to shoot so he threw it and after it went about 40ft he took control of it and sent it out to destroy one of the riders and as soon as he did he sent it to the next and did that several times until he couldn't control it anymore. Where after he did that he had to leave everything to Megan and the others as he rested.

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I'm good with computers, that is all

-In the school-

A figure sat motionlessly in the center of a dimly lit room. She could be barely seen under the slight purple glow that came from the ceiling as the only light source. Completely motionless and silent, sitting upon the floor in a deep trance within that circular and odd looking room. There wasn't a single noise to be heard, even the woman's breathing would fall upon deaf ears. It would have been easy to assume that there was no living being within the room because of how deathly silent it was, perhaps the figure that sat in the center of all this silence and darkness wasn't really a person at all.

However the woman's head tilted slightly towards the sky, and although her eyes were covered with bandages it was obvious that she was clearly alive and alert now. Slowly and gracefully the woman pulled herself off the ground, her head still facing the same direction that it had turned towards earlier. Without uttering a single word or making sound the woman walked her way out of the room.

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