"human talk"

"dragon talk"

It was a few days after the dragball match and the Penn Racing members were at the stables watching while Connor put a new bandage on Artha's wound.

"How is it going stable boy?" asked Kitt.

"A lot better, thanks."

"Yeah, you really had your scales scraped back there."Lance added.

"Exactly, but according to my calculations without further abuse of the injured region and with proper care Artha should be healed and prepared for the beginning of the Academy standard classes semester."

"Parmon is right, and that means a lot of rest for you." Connor said.

At that moment Connor's comm. beeped and a scream appeared showing Sentrus's face.

"Greetings Mr. Penn."

"Hello Sentrus, is there a problem?"

"That will depend on the Penn Racing members." Sentrus looked around the screen." I see they are already around, very well."

"What happened?" Artha asked.

"It was decided previously that you and Mr. Paynn would attend the Academy together as I am sure you remember."

"Yes." He answered, starting to feel worried.

"Given it was an unplanned circumstance both Mr. Penn and Mr. Paynn's right to bring with them a few members of their crews was affected."

At that Artha glanced at Kitt and saw she was holding her breath.

"So that means Artha can't bring anyone?" Lance tried.

"I never said so; but since this will be a shared spot at the Academy both parties can bring only one member of their crews. You have until the end of the week to register your chosen member at the Academy. Since Young Mr. Penn is injured Mr. Penn will be authorized to register said member in his behalf, am I clear?"

"Yes, Sentrus. Thank you for contacting us." Connor spoke.

Sentrus nodded and ended the transmission.

"So, who are you gonna bring with you Artha? Certainly it will be your favorite little brother right?"

"You are my only brother Lance, and I can't bring you with me."

"What? Why not?"

"Because he's already promised to bring me with him for saving his scales during the races." Kitt answered.

"Besides you are too young Lance."Parmon added.

"That's not fair! You know I can help just as much as anyone!"

Connor seeing the beginning of an argument intruded. "And that is one of the reasons it is important that you stay."

"It is!?"Everybody asked.

"Of course. Once in the Academy, Artha won't have as much time to do his Dragon Booster duty and will need our help to protect Dragon City; so while Artha and Kitt are in the Academy you and Parmon will have to watch over the city."

"We will be the heroes? Drac!"

"Urgh, I only hope the criminality rate reduces when Moordryd enters the Academy as well." Said Parm, distressed at the thought of confronting the Dragon Eyes without the Dragon Booster or Kitt.

Time passed and at long last it was the day before classes started at the Academy. Artha, Beau, Kitt and Wildfyrr were saying their goodbyes to the rest of the gang.

"Well, this is it then." Artha said."The Academy."

"Yeah, but don't forget to call us." Lance said. "Oh, and don't worry about Dragon City. We will do great taking care of it, you'll see."

"Lance, Artha and Kitt will have more important matters to attend to once classes start and they definitely won't have as much time for such trivial things. However our absence from their daily lives does not mean they will forget their friends…Right?"

"Of course Professor. And don't worry, I don't think that it would ruin our grades if we made some time to talk to you guys." Kitt assured. "We will keep in touch."

"We understand Kitt, Artha."Connor said. "I expect you to develop well your skills and face the obstacles ahead with wisdom."

"Don't worry dad, we will." Artha assured and hugged his father, joined by Beau who nudged Connor. "I will miss you guys."

"We will miss you too."

The dragons and humans of Penn Racing then said their final good-byes and the now academy racers left.

Already in the Academy and with schedules in hand Artha and Kitt debated what to do next.

"So, what do we do now?"

"I don't know about you stable brat but I want to see the dorm room we will stay in. And we could drop off our things there too."

"Alright, then we could take a look the rest of the Academy."

"Deal."

With that settled Artha, Kitt and dragons set off looking for the Penn Racing dorm. When they turned a corner to the corridor their dorm was supposed to be though, they saw Moordryd and Cain with their dragons coming from the opposite direction. Both parties moved towards one another, stopping at the middle section of the corridor. Kitt and Cain traded heated glares along with their dragons so they didn`t notice something was off about the other four, like they didn`t share their hostility.

"What do we have here? Slaking off so soon stable brats?" Cain teased.

"What is that now, Cain? Hopeful that I won't kick your tail in the next race?" Kitt snapped back.

"We will just drop our things in our dorm before looking around." Artha intruded before the argument heated up even more, but not without a glare from Kitt.

"We're ahead of you. We came early to figure out our way around. You better make sure you know your way to the classrooms and the cafeteria, this place is a maze." Moordryd answered, earning a bewildered stare from Cain.

Before Kitt or Cain could ask what was going on Moordryd took out an electronic key and unlocked the door to his right. "Let's go Cain."

The inside of the dorm was actually like an apartment. The door opened to a living room big enough for their dragons to stay around, had four bean sacks for them to lay on, a couch, four separate and empty shelves where the students could put their text books and the rest was just a few decoration items. To the right there were two doors, to the left too and in the opposite wall to the entrance there were four others.

Decepshun and Coershun made themselves comfortable while their humans inspected the other rooms. Moordryd went for the rooms on the left, one bathroom and one laundry room, and Cain for the two on the right, another bathroom and a kitchen.

"Look at this Moordryd. This kitchen has everything! I can bake my cookies!"

"Right, and they gave us a laundry room too so they want us to look after ourselves."

Next they walked over to the four doors of the farther wall. Each door opened to identical bedrooms, all with a bed and a bed table in a wall opposite to a wardrobe and a window that took the whole extension of the wall opposite to the door.

"Hey Moordryd, why did they give us four rooms? Do they want our dragons to sleep here or something?"

"Of course not, Cain. There was supposed to be only one winner at the final game and each new student can bring three members from his crew to attend the Academy, that's why each dorm has four rooms. As for the dragons, they are allowed in here but by bedtime they have to be in their own stables."

"Hmm, I see. I wonder where they will put the Stable Brats, though. They seem to make use of every room here."

"Well…" Just as Moordryd started to give it some thought there was a sound from the other side of their door, outside the dorm.

Artha looked absent mindedly at the number of the room Moordyrd had walked into, and then looked away only to snap his head back, his mouth hanging agape.

"Oh, scales." Kitt voiced his thoughts, and they stared at each other for Magna Darconis knows how long. When the spell was broken she walked over to the door, which was locked again, and used her own key to unlock it. It worked.

The door from the hall to the living room of the dorm opened drawing the attention of the two humans and dragons already inside.

"What is the meaning of this!?"

"We were given the same dorm, Moordryd!"

"WHAT!? That is…"

"…true Paynn. My key opened the door."

"And here's mine." Added Artha. All four teens held their respective keys; all with the number for the same room.

Soon at the Academy's Students Support…

"Here it is." Said the attendant. "Both Mr. Penn and Mr. Paynn acquired scholarship when it should have been granted to only one new student. This is an extraordinary case therefore you had to be registered as the same crew, as designated by our superior staff.

Also, by the rules of the Academy, all members of the same crew must share the same dormitory, even in case said crew changes to another wing of dormitories within the Academy for whatever reason."

"BUT WE ARE NOT THE SAME CREW!" Snapped Moordryd.

"Maybe not outside" stated the unfazed attendant "but while in this institution all of you will be regarded as the same crew; with all the rights, duties and consequences unless either Mr. Penn or Mr. Paynn wish to reconsider his stay for the next two years as well as the member brought with him."

Artha sighed. "Well, at least this could be worse but it isn't."

"Could be worse? We will have to stand each other two scale-scraping years Stable Brat." Snarled Moordryd.

"And if we can't they might kick us out." Sighed Kitt.

Artha still didn't give up. "C'mon guys, we just need to be nice to one another. It can't be that hard."

They all gave it a thought, and all members of the 'crew' groaned at the prospective.

"O.K., so 'nice' isn't the right word…"

"Stable Brat just… shut up."