Earning Stars; Chapter 1: The Transfer Student and her Broom?

'How do I get myself into these situations' standing outside the gate, midnight blue eyes looked up towards the building before them,

Honnōji Academy

Yes the exclaimed school that domineered and stood proudly and dominantly over Honnō City, where the school sat on top like a jewel on a crown or a ruling castle.

"I guess this is it?" with a gulp, the girl walked forward, 'So far so good' she thought taking her first steps forward into what would be her new school. As she walked along the path towards the gray school building she had the despairing feeling of walking the fine line that separated her from her freedom.

'This place is so…gray' from the atmosphere to the students who seemed to walk around with a tenseness hidden behind their expressions.

'Focus Ei you came here for a reason' she told herself, "Maybe this won't be so bad" she told herself positively, but as she was walking across the schoolyard she found herself suddenly trampled and knocked down by a group of student runners who continued to jog onwards.

"Owe!" she groaned with a cough, "I spoke too soon", standing up she dusted her uniform off, which seemed out of place with everyone else's. The school uniforms for girls were light blue and gray, hers however hers was a sailor fuku attire that was a darker shade of blue, with a yellow trim around the collar and sleeve, and her tie did not have the star, but a white cartoon like skull with three star's going along the tie. She also wore heavy leggings, the left one was blue and the right one was yellow, and black shows. Her hair was framed in large braids that had clips between each twist and became loose at the ends.

Dusting herself off, she picked up her broom

"Great no damage" she gave a relieved sigh, but as she came off her relief she saw she was missing something, "Oh no my bag!" she panicked noticing her bag was missing, "Oh crap where did it go?" she began looking for it.

"Oh no I can't believe I lost it" she wept on the verge of tears, "I can't lose it I…"

"Hey!" looking around, the girl saw two other girls standing before her. One was waving very enthusiastically at her, with short light brown hair and large happy eyes and a peppy smile. The one next to her though, the taller one with dark black hair with a red bang that was swept to the left. She had a more hardened, cooler demeanor then the other.

"Hey this belong to you?" as she looked at her had she noticed something in her gloved hand

"My bag!" she beamed quickly running up to the other, "You found it, thank you!" she thanked the other accepting the blue and yellow bag.

"Thank you! Thank you!" she repeated grateful to have her bag back

"No need for all that" the red bang girl shrugged

"Hello! I haven't seen you around before you must be new!" the short brown haired girl said very closely to the other

"Um, yeah I just transferred here" she said a little uncomfortable with the closeness

"That's so cool! I'm Mako Mankanshoku!" she introduced rather loudly her voice booming with energy and happiness that contradicted the rest of the background.

"And this is Ryuko!" she pointed to the other, pressing her finger into their cheek playfully

"Well nice to meet you both, I'm Ei Nova" she introduced herself, "I just transferred here"

"Well welcome I guess" Ryuko shrugged, "You sure got the pick of the liter coming to this place"

"Huh?"

"Listen because you're new, I'll fill you in" she began, "This isn't some preppy, feel good school. This place isn't for the weak of heart or spirit, everyday is a fight for survival!" Ei was visibly trembling, not because of what she said, but the tone of her voice.

"Ryuko-chan I think you're scaring her!" Mako intervened, "Sorry about that, the school isn't really that bad" she said, "Well except for maybe the constant fighting, executions, the four divas, and the never ending fear that today might be your last day this place is just like any other school!" she laughed as Ei only sweat-dropped

"Um…"

'This place is a nightmare, why did I agree to go here!?' she mentally scolded herself

"Anyway it's time for class!" Mako said pulling Ei's arm as they walked toward the school, "Don't worry since you're new you probably don't know your way around, Ryuko-chan and I will show you around! Right Ryuko-chan?"

"I guess"

"See! Come on let's go to class before we get detention!" and soon the three were headed to class

"Hey why do you have a broom with you?" Mako asked curiously eying the broom on the girls back,

"Oh! This is Calcifer" she said pointing to the broom on her back

"Eh? You named your broom?" Mako asked a little surprised

"Well yeah" she blushed, "He's like my partner" that wasn't weird right

"So it's a he…right?"

"Ryuko-chan don't be like that" Mako whispered, "Don't you do the same thing with your uniform" as the teen remembered Senketsu.

"Right" she sighed, "Come on let's get class"

"Right, come on Ei-chan!"

"Coming!" though she didn't much have a choice being pulled

Once in class, Ei stood in front facing the students who would be her classmates, the room was average and rather…dead in atmosphere. Even the teacher, book in hand,

"Alright class today we have a new student joining us today" the middle-aged man with blue messy hair spoke, "So would you care to introduce yourself?"

"Yes" she said before facing the class, "Hello I'm Ei Nova, transferring from the states, but I'm originally from Japan. I look forward to being friends with all of you so please take care of me" she said with a couple of bows. The class was quite, still stiff.

"Great, anyway let's find you a seat…let's see" looking around

"OH! OH!" Mako said raising her hand and waving it repeatedly,

"Yes, Ms. Mankanshoku"

"There's a seat next to Ryuko-chan!" she chided pointing to the seat next to the red bang girl

"Oh so there is" he said adjusting his glasses, "Okay you can have a seat there"

"O-okay" walking the short distance she seated herself next to the other

"Yeah! Now were all seat buddies!" Mako smiled with a giggled happily

"Alright class if you'll open your books to…" right as the teacher was speaking snores could be heard coming from the now sleeping form of Mako.

"Is she…sleeping?" she blinked

"Don't worry about it" Ryuko yawned her chin resting on her hand, "She does this all the time" falling asleep in class, it wasn't anything strange, she actually knew a few students who did that. The girl seemed so hyper, it was rather contradictory to see her out cold, drool pulling onto the desk.

After class Ei seemed to become a part of the group so to speak, as Mako 'invited' her to have lunch with them.

"This is so cool!" she beamed, "Ei-chan if you want we can share the lunch my mom made! She packs the best stuff!" she giggled opening the large lunch box that was stuffed with food.

"Um no thank you, I brought a lunch from home" she said showing her lunch box to the other

"Oh okay! More for me then!" she declared and began stuffing her face

"Hey be careful, you'll choke again if you shovel stuff down like that" Ryuko seemed to warn as Mako mumbled something with her mouth full

"Huh?" with a large swallow Mako cleared her mouth

"Don't worry Ryuko-chan, everything is really tasty!" and then she went back to eating, "What did you bring for lunch Ei-chan?"

"Oh well nothing big, oh!" reaching inside she pulled out something from her lunch box, it was jar with blue gel inside.

"What the hell is that stuff?" Ryuko questioned eyeing the substance

"It's a special Berry Jam!" she replied, "It's really good!" she said, but as she twisted on the jar she found it rather tight

"Having trouble?"

"Sorry the jar is rather…tight!" she gritted trying to untwist the jar, "Wow it's on there tight" she sighed

"Here let me try" Ryuko offered opening her hand

"ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS!" a voice boomed shaking the school and everyone in it to the core.

"What was that?" she stammered trying to see where the voice came from, suddenly the area seemed to go dark, after only what seemed like seconds lights burst on, the heavy spotlights raising upwards as students looked to the school, their faces filled with anticipation and fear, but mostly fear.

"Oh great not this again" Ryuko groan, "Is it really time for this"

"What's happening?" she squeaked sensing something was about to happen, she would soon get her answer as figures dressed in similar light gray gakuran uniforms with a single large four-pointed star symbol decorated on the center of the jacket, and a smaller white star on its collar. They looked like clones as they lined up by rows before the school,

"What's going on?" she questioned, the student's parted as a figure walked forward. He was big, huge with a stern, domineering look like a mad dog or a drill sergeant ready to yell and bark orders. He was large, muscular young man with a darker-toned complexion and short blonde hair. His eyebrows were noticeably thick making him look mad, and a pair of small gold earrings were in his enlarged earlobes. Though as his beady eyes looked at the students in the field he stood straight and proud,

'That guy is huge! He's like a golem' the girl sweat-dropped at the thought, it was almost scary

"Who's that guy?"

"Oh him, that's one of the student council president's lap dogs"

"Huh?"

"His names Ira Gamagori, one of the elite four of the school, one of the Four Devas who works under Lady Satsuki!" Mako said really quickly, amazingly while still eating.

"He's head over the Disciplinary Committee" Ryuko said with a bored expression as she looked forward

"LISTEN UP!" he yelled as the students seemed to become more quiet than before if that were possible, "I'm Disciplinary Head! Ira Gamagori!" the gakuran students saluted as the large muscular body of the council member stepped forward looking down sternly with a sharp gaze at the figures below, those who saluted her and those who refused to move of fear of punishment. As he looked through the students he noticed the form of a familiar and annoying student standing off to the side,

"Ryuko Mutoi" the juvenile student kept her stance as the other walked or rather marched forward until he stood before the three.

"Ira Gamagori" she spoke looking him dead in the eye, "What do you want?"

"Still disrespectful as ever I see" he narrowed, "That tone will not be tolerated!"

"Yeah, yeah you say that every time, it's getting boring" she mumbled, "You can save your high and might talk for Satsuki"

"That's Lady Satsuki to you! You will show her the proper respect!" he bellowed offended by the others tone and somewhat disrespect at how she spoke about the student council president. As the two exchanged 'words' Ei was still working on trying to open the jar,

"Almost there! Come on you!" with one good tug the lid popped off, "I got it!" unfortunately the force of the pull was enough to send some of the jam out of the jar and flying. It was like a slow motion moment in a film, sadly it was one of those moments that would lead to something bad happening right about…now

The jam landed on the ground, or rather splattered over someone's foot, there was a silence of shock, fear, a mixture of emotions that gave off a grim feelings.

"L-Lady Satsuki!" Gamagori gasped in utter horror and shock, stern eyes looked to her shoe before leering upwards.

"WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS!" all eyes seemed to fall accusingly on Ryuko and her group, or rather at Ei who looked around frantically, the evidence however all over her hands in a since.

"YOU!" he roared as the group was now surround

"M-Me?" she pointed to herself nervously

"You dare dirty Lady Satsuki!" he accused

"Um…oops" the larger male seemed to grow in size as the anger radiating off him, suddenly she found herself being picked up by the head by the larger male, his eyes burning with fury. The last thing she heard was Mako and Ryuko calling after her.

'I'm gonna get it' she trembled, she didn't know how but someone how she had been hulled off and was now standing inside what looked like a giant stone arena, the seats filled with students who either looked sorry for her, angry at her, at just plan sadistic in seeing her get punished.

"This is bad, really bad" she said to herself, she had that 'I'm about to be burned at the stake' feeling.

"SILENCE!" a voice boomed, upwards stood the man known as Gamagori standing on a high platform

"Ei Nova! You stand accused of the crime of blatantly disrespecting Lady Satsuki!" he roared as murmuring filled the arena further condemning her.

"But it was an accident" she defended, "Isn't this a bit over the top. Look I'm sorry really"

"As head of the disciplinary committee, I, Ira Gamagori will take great pleasure in punishing you for your utter disrespect of the council president"

'I'm dead' she grimaced, wasn't it enough they bound and shackled her, what more could they do

"Hey back off!" someone said, all eyes turned to the arena floor

"Ryuko? Mako?" the two girl seemed to be blocking them? But why?

"Stand down Matoi, this has nothing to do with you?" the council member seethed

"Feh" she scoffed, "Maybe, but getting working up over a little spilled jam and ganging up one student, really commendable Mr. Head of the Disciplinary Committee" she smirked angering and annoying the male further

"This is a complete waste of time! What happened was an accident, not some disrespectful act" she commented before folding her arms

"Ei-san is an innocent new student, so please forgive her! Pretty please with sugar on top! Oh and sprinkles, some whipped cream, and a cherry!" Mako pleaded, "Oh we should get some ice cream after school!" she added

"That is enough!" he bellowed silencing the three, "The matter is she still disrespected Lady Satsuki! A punishment must be handed down!" he declared as everyone waited to see what punishment would befall the new student.

A smirk formed on the man's face, "As punishment for your offense…your punishment will be Academie Royale!"

"What the hell is that!?" Ryuko demanded

"Simple, Ei will fight against students of the academy and from the various teams around the school! And it is here where she'll do battle!" he stated, "If she manages to succeed and win her fights she will be allowed to remain at this school"

Ei gulped,

"And if she loses?"

"If she loses even one battle, she will be expelled from the academy!"

'Expelled'

"And she'll be executed" he added grimly

"E-Executed!" she grimaced, "Couldn't I just be expelled" she did not want to be killed for something as small as a spilt accident, it was just jam!

"I'm gonna die" she wept

"Don't worry Ei-san!" Mako said, "Ryuko-chan and I won't let you get killed or executed! We'll help you! Right Ryuko-chan!?" she said confidently

"The fight begins tomorrow! That is the ruling!" he declared

After the incident and ruling in the arena Ei was weeping on a bench in the slums of the city, Mako had been kind enough to invite her to her house.

"Well that wasn't so bad" Mako said

"Are you kidding? I have to fight random students or else I'll be expelled or executed!" she grimaced feeling the lines of despair around her sinking her into darkness.

"Yeah it's pretty bad" Ryuko added as tears pelted from the girls navy blue eyes, "Listen, Ei, I told you this school was tough"

"I thought you meant something like studying, I didn't think I had a chance of getting killed! What kind school is that!?"

'Maybe I could run away'

"Listen Ei-chan, don't worry!" Mako intervened, "Me and Ryuko-chan are going to make sure you win and stay un-killed!" she exclaimed

"Wait, why would you help me like that?" she questioned rather curiously at the others motives

"Easy because we're all friends now!"

"Friends?"

"Yep, best friends! And friends don't let friends be executed or expelled, but mostly not killed because that would be unfriendly! And since you're are friend we don't want you to be killed!" she rambled on

"What Mako is trying to say is you got a bum deal, so we're helping you whether you like it or not" Ryuko added, "So stop crying"

"I…thank you!" she became teary eyed, wiping away the hot tears, "I promise I'll do my best!" she promised

"Alright!" Mako exclaimed happily before tackling her into a hug, gripping her tightly in a bear hug as Ryuko stood back.

The Next Day,

For the second time Ei Nova stood before the gate of the academy, once she stepped through the gate, it was going to be an all or nothing battle.

"Ready?" Ryuko and Mako stood right beside her, showing support both morally and physically prepared to help her, as Mako stated they were all friends.

"I guess so" she gulped looking at the gate, "Are you guys sure about this? You don't have to help" she said

"You keep saying that, bottom line we're helping you" she said, "Besides it'll be fun adjusting the 'student council'" she smirked

"Alright then…I guess it's decided"

"Yeah! Forward March!" Mako added as they walked toward the gate

"Ryuko-san wait!"

"Huh? Senketsu what's up?" she asked noting the urgency in his voice

"I don't know, there's something about that new student"

"Heh? You mean Ei? What about her?"

"I can't say for sure, there's something strange about her"

"Says the talking clothing" she joked

"I'm serious Ryuko-san!" he stated, "There's an energy around her, just be careful"

"Ryuko-chan!" Mako called, "Hurry up! Come on!" she called to the other

"Coming hold up!" she called back

"Ryuko-chan…"

"Listen I'll be careful, we'll talk about this later" she said to her uniform, once they passed the gate the school yard was packed. All eyes staring at the three who just walked in.

"So they waited for us" Ryuko conclude seeing all the students in the field, eyes glued on them as they stood there. Soon the three found themselves surrounded by one star students

"So many of them"

"Here they come!" soon they attacked in a blitzkrieg of students toward the three

"Damn it!" Ryuko roared unsheathing her red scissor blade

'That blade? A giant scissor half'

"Get outta my way!" with a slash she sent the students flying back, all while blocking other students fool enough to continue to attack them

"Go Ryuko-chan!" Mako cheered

"She's strong!" Ei rather amazed at the girls physical strength as well as her handle with the blade

"Keep going! That's the way! Ryuko-chan!" as she continued to fend off students she found herself holding off a group of them, pushing them back as they grew in numbers.

"Ryuko-chan!"

'There's to many of them' she could see the pressure adding up, her boots digging into the dirt

'She can't handle them all" gripping her fist, her eyes flashing with resolve she sprinted forward

"Ei-chan!" Mako called as she watched the girl sprint forward, jumping and dodging other student's, using one of them as a lift she jumped upwards.

"Ei!" Ryuko saw the girl above her, with a swift movement she grabbed the broom on her back, with a series of spins

"Ryuko-san!" suddenly a blue energy form around the broom, with a quick chant she moved the broom back, "Take this!" with a 360 spin/swipe the a pulse was released,

"Release; Magical Strike Full Rotation!" the unknown force sent the students flying back

"Whoa! That was so cool!" Mako awed

"What kind of attack was that?" Ryuko questioned as she saw defeated students

"Are you okay Ryuko-san?" Ei asked

"Fine, what was that attack just now?" she questioned

"Ryuko-chan! Ei-chan! Look out!" Mako yelled, the two gasped jumping back as something bombarded from the sky, breaking the ground.

"What the hell!?"

"Heheh! Long time so see!" a voice chuckled

"It's payback time Ryuko Matoi!"

"Damn it not you guys again" Ryuko groaned

"Um who are they?" Ei asked rather confused

"Just some club captains I beat" she sighed, "Seems like they didn't learn their lesson"

"Don't act so cocky, things are going to be a lot different!" Takaharu Fukuroda , the boxing club captain declared back in a two-star uniform.

"Prepare to be served up a brutal and humiliating defeat!" snickered the girl's tennis club captain, Omiko Hakodate smiling her shark teeth also adorned in her two-star uniform.

"Ryuko-chan their uniforms!" Mako noted nervously

"Damn it, yeah I see" she growled lowly, "How did you get your uniforms back, I shredded them to mere fibers!" she demanded

"You naïve fool!"

"Lady Satsuki gracious bestowed us our two-star uniforms back!"

"All so we can defeat that disrespectful ingrate!" one of them said pointing to Ei

"But it was an accident!" Ei said, knowing it wouldn't make a difference

"You can make as many excuses as you want!" the club captain said, "But we've been given strict orders to take you and anyone who gets in our way down.

"But that's not fair! Having so many two- star captains gang up on no-stars is low, foul I say!" Mako rambled unhappy with the situation.

"Don't even worry, I took these clowns down once, I can do it again" she stated with a spin of her sword, pointing the blade at the captains

"Don't forget me" Ei added

"Ei-chan?"

"Listen Ryuko-san, Mako-san, thank you for trying to help me" she holding her broom tightly, "This is mostly my fight, I don't want to stand on the side lines and watch others get hurt because of me" she explained

"So if you're going to fight, I'm fighting too" Ryuko looked at the girl and gave a small smirk

"Have it your way" she said, "These guys aren't pushovers like the these student's, stay on your toes"

"Right"

'I won't back down, I refuse to be defeated!'

To Be Continued…!

Next Time; The Word is Determination Resonating From Deep Destruction

'These wounds or nothing, when you've stared Death and Fear in the face, wounds like this are nothing!'