Meagan's Tail

A new Universe, a New story!

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Friday, July 15 2016 1:30PM
Downtown metro Los Angeles

Both Meg and her family had taken their SUV to this meeting that GG'ma had set-up, this was for Meg to meet some representative of what might be her new boarding school and something that the family thought as a whole was best for her. One being close to home, then two learning at a facility that could help her to control the growing powers within the teen because of her being chosen to be a 'handmaiden' of the Queen.

Mark drove the family SUV into the basement parking of the very large downtown skyscraper and was passed by as 'good' by the intense security it had waiting there. In the lower most lobby of the building, Doris showed a front desk attendant their meeting letter and the instructions to the office for it. He pointed to the elevators and gave each of them a clip on pass that must be worn at all times.

"Wow heavy security here mom, almost as bad a dad's place?" David beamed out as the elevator rose along the side of the building and gave the family a nice view of the city beyond.

The elevator opened onto the fiftieth floor and a huge four story tall atrium that stretched across the whole building, at its center down a nice winding path the family found the reception desk. The beautiful girl there greeted them warmly, What can I do for you?" she asked in a sing song voice.

Doris handed the lady at the desk their paperwork and she went about logging the family in and finding out where they would meet at, then started on writing out by hand a set of new passes. As the girl went about her work on the passes, she flipped an errant lock of her very long hair behind one of her very pointed ears!

That is when Mark took notice from his side of the girl and pointed it out to his wife at a whispered, "Ahh honey...she is a elf! See the ears and the eyes, they are too big for a human and add that color blue in her eye...honey?" he asked at the last.

"Ohhh you are right she is! And this must be that building I heard about in rumor they owned in downtown LA?" she almost gasped and tried to keep both kids silent about what they were just now noticing!

The family as a whole had always knew elves lived in LA and most of the world, but you rarely saw one on the streets and if you did it was because IT wanted to be seen! Elves rarely went out amongst humans without magic disguises of some sort or glamour that made the unwary humans 'miss' what they were truly seeing!

Meg was just whispering over what their dad had noticed when the reception girl was finished with all four passes, "Yes Meagan, most of us on this floor and the ones above are elves or Sidhe we prefer to be called." she smiled over to the teen now handing her a pass written on fine cardstock with a fountain pen.

"Thanks, I think you are the first Sidhe...you said? That I have ever met!" Meg bubbled out in joy to the girl.

"I might be young one, the elevator you need is up that pathway and you need floor eighty nine. May Gaea bless all of you." she nodded to the group as they walked off.

Meg was leading the group at a quick pace that almost left them all behind, when she spotted a tall teen girl headed towards them from the elevators. The teen whisked some hair from her face, as she tried to keep a stack of files from falling from her arms.

"Sev is that you?" Meg gasped at seeing that one of her close friends was indeed an elf!

"Holy shit! Meg...you are here" Sev stuttered on, "you can see...ohhhhhh shit! Why are you here?" Sev finally asked trying hard to keep her stack of files incheck.

"Sev we are all here for a meeting, what do you do here and you're an ELF for Christ's sake!" Meg asked while waving her hand around wildly pointing out Sev to the world

"What do you mean by 'all of us'?" Sev started to ask then spotted the rest of Meg's family walking up and cussed just under her breath, "Traako!" (shit)

"Sev...what are you doing here?" Doris, Meg's mom now repeated the question at hand and looked very surprised at the fact of the teen being here, then add being an ELF!

"You are an elf...is your dad one too?" Mark asked, having worked with Sev's dad on a few projects out of country.

"SHIT!" Sev almost wailed out, "all of you can see me, see my ears?" the tall teen worried and tried covering them up with her hair once again.

Doris nodded first with a slight giggle at the sight, "Honey we all can,"

"And you're even hotter now as an Elf Sev, " David added in, as the teen boy always had a severe crush on the girl ever since they had met a year ago at one of Meg's swim meets.

"But you can see all of us...here and why are you all here?" Sev asked again.

"Honey, we are here for Meg to have a meeting and please calm down...the reception lady didn't care that we knew she was an elf or Sidhe or this was their building?"

"How did you know to come here, who invited you?" Sev sputtered out in fright, wondering if the whole school knew or would know that she was Fae very soon!

Meg took the invite letter from her mom's hand and waved it over to the face of her friend to help calm her down, "See Sev all legal, were invited and have to head up to floor eighty nine."

Sev snatched the letter from Meg's outstretched hand and read it over, "You have an invite and you are going to see them!" Sev reacted to seeing the names on the letterhead, then spotted that this was a magically enhanced letter that gave humans the right to enter the building and pass by the huge magic wards of the whole block. Then add it granted the holder the ability to see past glamours and magic disguises while on property!

"You are seeing them...why if I can ask?" Sev questioned all wide eyed.

"I'll keep your secrets if you keep mine?" Meg begged and got a nod of agreement from her friend. "Well I am here to see if they will let me attend a boarding school very near to here in LA?"

"You...You are going to my school this term!" Sev yelped out in disbelief.

"Your school, but Sev you are going to my school or Pac Palie high like I was?" Meg challenged.

"I was going to tell all of you this week, I have to go to OUR school, a school for Fae this term. We...in my family swap each term in and out of Fae boarding schools and human ones. I did 'human' last term and met you, then this term was at 'H' academy...or so I was planning?" Sev informed Meg, but kept the school's name only to one letter so as to not spill all the beans in one shot.

"...'H'...oh you must mean Hekawi!" Meg shot back instantly.

"SHIT...you know that tooooo?" Sev squealed in delight and fright that a normal human knew that name and that her close friend might be attending. That would make attending this year so much more bearable in Sev's mind!

"I should know, MY GG'ma told me about the place a few days ago...well a little bit anyway?" Meg pondered about how much did she really know about the place and that was nearly nothing right now.

"If you know and you are going there or might...then what are you? Mutant...you are not a Fae...I would know instantly! So why are you going then?" Sev asked wondering truly 'what' Meg was for real and for the first time!

"Keep secrets..." Meg asked again and got the nod she so needed right now. "Ahh that shark creature at Pac Pali...that was me?" she said and squirmed every second of admitting that the beast of the area was her!

"Ohhh shoot, you must be a water spirit or vessel?" Sev wondered out.

"Something like that and we can get into that later. But how do you make or keep on the swim team and not stand out...like I did? Most elves are far stronger than humans!" Meg asked and was angry that she personally had to leave the team and yet Sev had figured a 'way' to stay on the team...Meg's beloved team and sport!

"Ahhh you never noticed, next time read the scores or my times and you will find my numbers are the dead middle...because of a spell mom put on me. It keeps me in the exact middle all the time and not to stand out!" Sev beamed back.

Meg was about to ask one more thing, when a girl spoke from the elevator doors, "Sev please allow Miss Ler go on to her meeting?"

Meg noted the girl, a very human girl by the lack of pointy ears that appeared to be a teen about Meg's age. But seemed more mature by her speech, attitude and plus the way she carried herself. Then add her clothes said 'well off', but not showing off. A designer business suit made for a lady, a well made jacket on top, a long blowing skirt with slash pockets and to her knees english style riding boots...strangely caped by hot pink metal toe covers?

"Yes Miss Kontos, I will say my goodbyes..." Sev accepted that the whole family need to let Meg go with them and tried to shake her hand while making sure that the stack of files did not fall.

"Ahh what are you doing here Sev?" Meg asked once more as the new girl waved the family over to a waiting elevator.

"I am an interning for the summer, have to learn the family biz somewhere?" Sev smiled as the door slid closed and the elven teen vanished from sight with a wave of goodbye.

~o~O~o~

After they all piled into the elevator, the new girl asked like she already knew, "Floor eighty-nine I'm sure?"

"Yes Miss and thanks," Doris said for the family and took the introduction letter from Meg to makes sure of the floor once again.

"You don't need to check, I am very sure who you are here to see and welcome to the Alqualondë business tower." the teen smiled.

"Who are you, I heard Kontonos or something from my daughter's friend Sev?" Doris had to ask.

"That is Kontos," then the teen spelled out quickly to all for reference, "And you know Sev, she has been a true gem all this summer helping as an intern Mrs. Ler!"

The door hissed open to their floor and too Doris's shock, "You know my name or our family?"

"Yes I should and this is your floor. Bedsides every student bound for Hekawi academy, their files has to pass over my desk at least once and I loved what I have read so far...good luck!" Miss Kontos said as the family exited on the floor.

"Your desk, you look far too young to be responsible for something like that?" Mark said shocked that a teen would be in charge of a schools admissions?

That is when the woman leaned over and whispered to the family, "Well I don't tell everyone, but I am a littler older than I look! Bye..." and the door slid closed.

The now puzzled family looked at one another till David spoke up, "Now this day is growing weirder and weirder by the second, first your friend is an elf and then that girl says that she is over like fifty or something...what is this school Meg?"

"Heck if I know, GG'ma said it was for mutants and I think she said the Fae too?" Meg shrugged.

The hallway outside of the elevator lobby was long, wide and strangely well appointed in wood panels much like an older building in England might be and its dark rich wood shone how well it was taken care of.

Off at the far end of the hallway, the family walked into a small lobby where an elf girl smiled to them all from behind her large office desk, "Greetings Ler family, both of the Jabbresses are waiting for your arrival and just go in this door here and make yourselves comfortable while I call them into your meeting."

"Thanks," Mark said holding the door open for his wife, then daughter and son to enter the large meeting room.

This meeting room was large, very large and seemed to cover most of this side of the building. The main table at the center could seat over a two dozen on each side. But the room was also set-up for smaller meetings at a variety of conversation pits and a few mini ones all set up around smaller tables scattered across the room.

A sprinkling of chairs and couches covered the space, but what grabbed a visitors attention the most was the winding pond or fountain that lined the walls and had a waterfall covering the far corner of the room that seemed to flow down from the level above.

The pond's walls were fashioned into tall benches and several cushioned seating areas flowed along the path of the river of a sort along the rooms parameter. Large plants lined the walls and clustered around some meeting areas to give them a sense of privacy.

What grabbed David's attention was the buffet that laid across the room! He pointed it out instantly, "Wow they even have food laid out all the time here!" and he ran over to search over the treasures it held.

"Hey it has a nice salad bar, a few hot snacks and this is a huge ice box!" he smiled lifting up the lid and pulling out a cold soda for himself, then added, "Hey want any?" he asked.

"No hon, but maybe Meg does?" Doris said while joining her daughter looking up to the next level to where the waterfall began.

"Mom it goes up at least three more floors!" Meg beamed, "I have to wonder how much this costs?"

Mark spoke as he peaked from a nearly hidden couch he had found across the room, "This looks like a good spot, enough room for all of us over here and the two I think we are expecting, then add it's more private too?"

Meg was grabbing a serving plate of cut fruits and some of the hot pizza snacks when two something buzzed down from the level above via the waterfall opening. Both of them looked like flying Barbies to Meg or like much bigger tinkerbells!

One hovered by her face examine her closer, while the other buzzed around the room a few times, "Are you seeing this, or am I stoned mom?" Meg wondered out loud.

"I see them hon, we all do!" Doris yelped back as one flew past her.

Both of the buzzing barbies settled down to a hover near the buffet, then POOF! Both grew to nearly human size, one was dressed in a Violet trimmed black leather armor and the other was in a lighter more Lilac trim.

One smiled to Meg, "Hi, our big sisters will be right down."

The other was busy pushing a panel on the side of the buffet that popped out and showed that is was a hidden drawer, then she pulled out a few bags of packaged snacks, "Want one?" she asked Meg in a sing song voice.

"Ahh I am fine." Meg said slowly because of her surprise at seeing what only could be called fairies?

"Awww take one, these are really minty and this one is a real nice peanut butter candy!" the fairy offered and dropped a few loose bags onto Meg's plate, "you will love them and here are a few for your family too!" she bubbled out.

The twin in the darker purple snatched a few bags from the drawer tossing the them into a small pile, then POOF back to small size she popped and then grabbed the few bags she left on the table, "Bye...cya in a bit when the Jabbresses show up, May Gaea bless you till then!" and she flew off like a rocket.

"Be well," the other wished Meg, then she shrank down to doll size, then grabbed her treasured bags and flew upward following quickly behind the other flying twin blur.

Meg was just joining her family already sitting in the nearly hidden conversation area when a panel of the smooth wood wall slid away and an elevator door concealed just behind it hissed open. Two tall dark skinned elves quickly walked out of the hidden elevator with their nearly knee length white hair swaying behind them. But what grabbed Meg's attention was that they were...twins!

"Good day Ler family, Dana sent you over to me to see if Meagan fits in with us over at Hekawi Academy. " One of the twins said as she took a seat across from the family on a couch.

The other one was busy grabbing two plates of cut fruit off the buffet and then added a plate of cookies, lastly she took two bottles of orange soda from the cooler, "I do hope that you choose us, because it would be nice for Dana to give our school favor and help out with and 'nature' issues the sea tosses at us there once and awhile?"

"Ohhh introductions first, I am Rohanna and this younger lady is Rehanna." that twin sneered at the first at hearing that jest and slid a plate over to her sister as she herself sat down next to first twin or older one?

Rehanna said next, "Just so you know, we are not dark elves, they are far different than us. We are Drow and we run the Fae section of the school training curriculum for the most part. Be that martial arts, swords and knives, the bow or lastly Fae magic...which is far different from any human crafted magic."

Rohanna took a large bite of a warm brownie off her plate and had to hold up her hand because it was so thick and chewy, "Sorry about that, I really needed the sugar rush and they are so very good! But onward...I hope you choose our school over the one back east that has been around far longer, mostly I think we would fit your lifestyle far better by being on an island and most of that is because your powers are certainly water or ocean based."

"So you already want my daughter in your school?" Doris asked.

"Ohh yes, Dana or the Queen sent over Meagan's transcripts and they show that she will fit in with our program perfectly. Though Meagan might have to drop back a grade to freshman instead of entering as a sophomore. Because we only do a four year program for all students, then add our college level coursework that we hold and is reinforced by the fine colleges around the LA area Mrs. Ler."

"I have to ask this, what is the cost per term?" Mark said taking a few fruit off David's plate to nibble on.

"Well, Dana has those costs covered for you in full. But a full ride with all included is over one hundred thousand per term and that includes room and board and let me tell you this, with some mutants...energizers, speedsters and some of the bigger exemplar students. We lose on that deal with how much they eat and even some of the Fae eat equal to that much!" Rohanna laughs.

"So I can choose where I am going to attend then and your school has already accepted me?" Meg asked to be sure.

"Flatly yes, Dana is a Queen of the seas and our school IS surrounded by water...so the board of supervisors or me do want the Queen on our side?" Rehanna giggled.

"Rohanna? What were those two fairies that flew down her to grab a snack?" David questioned the appearance of both flying twins and them not coming back down to the meeting.

"Those are my or our Pixies...One is Violet and the other is Lilac, they do have Fae names...but we keep it simple and use their obvious favorite colors or flowers. But for right now, both of them are watching a TV show and got really hooked into it for some reason?" Both Drow inwardly laughed at the fact that the 'little ones' were up in their office binge watching 'Westworld' and even spoke of getting six shooters for fun! They even started pretend 'shootouts' in the office, hiding behind the furniture or other office knick knacks.

"Humm neat, but what is the difference between them, your pixies and fairies?" Meg was just dying inside to know!

"Most fairies are a bit smaller and have a slightly more pointed wing, Pixies have a more pointed up ear and use weapons, where as fairies use mostly magic in combat and are dangerous because of their connection to the Ley lines of the world are so great!" Rohanna told the teen girl and that would be the first of her many lessons on the Fae.

"Can we take a tour of the campus?" Doris asked.

"Yes and I would insist that you did before firming up your daughters attendance. But here is a guide to tour our grounds, please follow it to the letter and be on time...or you might get left behind? AND this thumb drive has all the schools enrollment documents and rule book. We used to print that all out, but when the rule-guide book hit over five thousand pages and maps. We felt it was better to go full tech and you must read it all Meagan, because obeying this is life or death...yours. Some areas of the school are very dangerous because they are research areas or abandoned for numerous reasons."

Meg picked up the small sliver tab off the table and looked at the engraved school crest, "Haaa you got homework and before school even starts!" David teased his sister.

Meg studied the Drow for a second as she was dying to ask, "I have seen you somewhere before?" she pondered aloud.

"Yes...in the Lord of Thrones movies...we play the villains or at least the assassin lackeys of the main one?" Rohanna smiled.

~o~O~o~

Saturday, July 16 2016 12:40PM
Metro Los Angeles subway station

Meg plus the rest of the family had followed the directions on the instruction letter step by step. Doris thanked God that the letter and its guide had include a very accurate timetable of the LA Metro transportation system. He kids knew it by heart, but getting anywhere on it on a set schedule was done only with practice.

The family had boarded a smaller street level rail car near the home and that had taken them all down to one of the port of LA stations, this one was a three level affair. Street level was the light rail, above that was a line of very fast monorail running across the city and beyond, then below street level was the vast network of subways that had been around since the 1920's.

Once at the station, the family exited the light rail station and wormed their way through the weekend crowds going to the beach or the ports shopping center. A young man dressed in a nice pair of slack topped off with a light blue dress shirt tried to hand both of the kids pamphlets as they passed by "Get tested, join the Church of the Untainted and belong to something beyond your personal lives!"

Doris shook her head to the young man as she gave both teens a motherly shove away from his presence, "No thanks..." she trailed off.

David bristled angerly at both young men, "Stay away from my sister!"

But a calmer father pulled him away, the small boy was just being over protective of his sister, "Let the nuts have their place Dav..." he whispered.

Then the mother thought about them...that organization. The Church of the Untainted...it had been around for about two hundred years, so said the literature and commercials, they preached that humans must remain pure and free of any deviant mutant genetic taint.

LA might be a very free city for mutants and they were a protected class here, but there were still dangers. This church being one of them, the church had never had a full blown legal case against them for hurting mutants...but there were several ongoing rumors!

Being a legal church and a fully legally recognized religion for so very long by the federal government, that meant the city of LA or the state could not shove them out or ban them outright. Although it seemed that almost every large gathering point for citizens in the city had one small temple or storefront center at it or near it and several throughout the city at large.

Then add the two huge blue painted religious centers in Hollywood, one of which was their 'celebrity center' that catered to the cream of Hollywood and who were followers in the church or not? But still received the best of a five star resort for free and then some!

Meg hopped into the long escalator going down into the subways station and Doris pulled the large manila 'invite' envelope from her back pack and started fishing around for all four ID badges the family had to wear. She handed out each corded badge as she told them, "The rules state...must be worn at all times, these will let us onto the campus and is the only way onto the grounds...without them we can not get on or see the way...so it says?"

"Can't see the way mom?" David questioned the explanation.

"Magic I'd bet! Remember our meeting yesterday, elves, Drow and Pixies!" Meg beamed.

"That makes sense, this place might be like that magic school movie...but real?" Mark wondered.

At the bottom of the long ride down, Doris pulled a small map from the envelope and pointed over to the next set of escalators, "We have to go down one more level."

Once on the last step of the ride down, Meg turned back to her mom, "Where to now?"

"Ahh the instructions say...go to end of the platform to the right, have ID on at all times and walk to the far end past the blue gold speckled line of tiles on the floor...Then stay on that side of the line at all times until your subway car arrives at its scheduled time of 1:25 PM..."

"Strange instructions dear?" Mark said as he glanced over her should at them.

Meg led the family on and found the blue line the letter spoke of and crossed it...nothing happened? She had expected something to happen, but nothing? "Well no magic sparkles or 'poof!' mom...what now?"

"Wait till it's time I guess?" the mother sighed back and took a seat on one of the benches.

All of them stood or sat there waiting and strangely even though the platform was somewhat crowded with weekend shoppers. None of the other Metro riders walked pass that simple nearly unseen blue line, they all acted as if it was a very solid wall?

As the family waited, a set of three giggling teen girls came up, passed by the line and strolled over to the far end of the platform. The knot of them spotted the family, then started giggling once more as they all glanced once and awhile over to them. One seemed to be slightly older, via her being far taller than the rest, plus the obvious leader and she walked over to the waiting Ler family.

"Hi I am Aerendyl, are you going to 'H'?" she asked pleasantly.

Doris spoke up with a smile, "Yes, my daughter Meagan and she is touring the campus today for maybe attending next term?"

"Nice, this is my last year and then I graduate. I am going to USC to study magic and metallurgy so I can get my full doctorate." the older teen smiled.

The other two drifted over and Aerendyl introduced them, "This is Nelaeryn my sister and this is her last year in the junior high program...This grrril.." she purred out, " she is Nancy and she is in the third year of her program or a junior this term."

"Hi!" Nelaeryn squeaked out seeming very much the twelve or thirteen year old she must be.

Nancy purred out cat like, "Nice to meet you all and very niccce to meet you?" she smiled more than invitingly and shook David's hand.

"Down girl," Aerendyl laughed, "you all have to forgive Nancy, she is having one of her more 'furry' weeks and is really boy crazy during them.."

"Furry?" David questioned while he stared at Nancy and was still holding her hand.

"Ohhh!" Nancy grinned and pulled a necklace off over her head, "furry as in this!" she smiled on and her body shimmered to show that she had cat like eyes, teeth and ears on her head...then add a long tail swished about on her butt.

The much younger Nelaeryn gushed out, "Isn't that way cool!...Nancy is a werepanther! A real kitty girl and so fun to be with...give her a pet?"

"David...none of that!" his mother warned and he instantly snatched his hand back.

Aerendyl laughed once again, "Yep we have to keep an eye on her at times, she really loves boys and we don't need trouble coming from that?"

"I see what Nancy is, but what kind of mutant or what are both of you?" Meg asked the sisters.

"Ohh," Aerendyl swept her hair away from her ear and quickly wiped at her eyes to dispel the magic covering them, now showing both as a very insanely bright green, "I am a Sidhe or humans call us all...elves."

"TOO Cool you're an elf, my BF Sev is one too!" Meg smiled.

"Ahh Sev, Amazon Sev?" Meg nodded back at the question, "she is attending 'H' this term and I first met her...ahh three or so years back at a summer camp for our kind."

"Cool I am thinking that going there is getting better and better, now that I know a few more students!" Meg bubbled out.

The younger Nelaeryn blurted out her next question, "So what is your mutation or deal with going to 'H'?"

"Aww mine is ocean based and let's not get into to it please?" Meg squirmed.

"I get it...it's all new to ya and it does not matter in the long run." Aerendyl smiled and gave Meg a quick hug of friendship.

"Ohhh I can feel the train is coming!" Nancy yelped.

"You feel it?" David asked.

"Yep... I feel the vibrations off the ground, us Were are real sensitive to the world around us and we have to be!"

"Were you born a Were?"

"Me, Yes...But some are and most aren't...But with the right situation, you can join us David?" Nancy smiled very invitingly!

Aerendyl barked instantly when she overheard the offer, "Now Nancy, you know darn well you need tribal approval and the parents too! So stop that right now you boy crazed kitten!"

"Awww but he is so cute and with nice ears...HE will be even cuter!"

That is when the subway train arrived and this one train was a bit different from the rest that had pulled through the stop over the last half hour. It had six cars instead of the normal five the last three trains that came through and the sixth car stopped right in front of the group just shy of the blue line in the tile.

The whole family took note of what the crowd past the blue line did next as all the trains many doors slid open to all. Even with a crowd, not one person made their way over to the almost empty section of the platform, they all stayed to one side and left the seven of them all alone...like they did not even see them or the sixth car on the trains end?

Mark pointed it out, "Why are they not coming over here?"

Aerendyl giggled to the question, "They can't see us, there is a magic barrier, then add a high tech 3D hologram backing it all up right at the blue line and all they see is a wall. Not the train car, US or even this whole end of the platform. The school did this to a few stops in the metro system so we can get around the city with ease."

As they all walked onto the last car, the door slide closed and a person came out of the hidden drivers station up at the front. He was tall with crazy white hair flying all about and had a funny hat on his head. "I am Professor Von Braun, I run the trains for Hekawi and I always do the runs with our new guests on them, so I can check ID's...and you all pass." he said sort crazy like, as a small blue robot dog rolled up the aisle, it was a very boxy looking dog and it stopped at each new person on the car seeming to be checking ID's somehow?

The students that the family was talking too just seconds ago, grabbed the first set of four seats facing each other across the aisle and waved to them to have a seat across from them. Mark nodded at their intent and guided his family into the waiting seats.

"Hang on, the Prof loves to drive the train very fast!" Aerendyl warned as the blue boxy dog bot spoke in an english accent, "All aboard and seated master!"

On that Que, the crazy gray haired man closed up his drivers cab. After about a minute the car bumped and seemed to lurch off to one side and speed up with a bit of a 'down' attitude.

"That bump was us coming off the rear of that train and being transferred into one of the schools many lines. Most of them are older abandoned lines from the oldest of the metro system...but of course we keep them up!" Nancy purred out.

The car leveled out and hit a few bumps, "That was us hitting the line that comes from Fort Mac and used to carry ammo or personal out to the island during the war years. Now we really start to speed up!"

Now the car was flying down the tracks at high speed and the kids seems to be loving it all like a roller coaster ride. Soon enough the trains slowed down and then rolled to a gentle stop, "Ohh ya the Prof gets us here fast, normally that trip takes twice as long with the other drivers!" The younger Nelaeryn blurted out.

The doors slid open to reveal a very nice looking station that was decorated in 1920's art deco tiles and chrome accents, that alone showed when it was built! There was a very modern set of at least ten large elevators lined up along the far wall and one was very large meant for cargo it appeared.

"Aerendyl, your the oldest here, please show our guests to the admin building and have a nice day...Ler family" the gray haired man said exiting his drivers cab and the older teen Sidhe bowed to him slightly..."Yes Prof, I have it all from here and goodmarrow." she added.

Nelaeryn held the door open to one of the elevators as one other slid closed taking is small load of what seemed to be student up into the island academy above, "Come on, I go this one for all of us!" she waved and the family quickly walked over into the waiting elevator.

The elevator car door closed on the subway platform and opened a few second later onto a large lobby that was styled much like the Union stations was in LA. A southwestern pueblo styled affair of stucco walls and red tiled floors, with lots of dark wood trim.

"This used to be the main admin building decades ago, most of it is now a student gathering point with a set of stores we all use." Aerendyl pointed out to the family as they walked through the building, then over to a line of shops ranging from clothes to snack food and more than basic needs for a student...personal needs, class supplies and other needs. A small mall unto itself!

Aerendyl pointed down a long set of ramps as they came to the building's main exit, "That is the main entrance on this side of the island to the tunnels system, we use it when its really hot or raining like mad! But don't wander off the main parts, you can get lost down there...it has well over fifty levels below us and miles of tunnels!" she warned all of them.

The Sidhe teen smiled as both of her friends ran off towards the far north end of the island, "Where are they going?" Meg asked her guide.

"Ohhh nearly the whole north end of the island is set aside for the Fae and some of the native tribal students and the Grove that covers that whole end. We Fae have our own student dorm that fits our needs for not having human made or artificial components and interior appointments."

"Why is that?" Meg asked once more.

"Most Fae can get skin burns from plastics and nylon carpet exposed to bare skin and then add good old cold iron burns us all like fire!" she admits.

"I just thought that was some old wives tale?" Mark shrugged to the teen.

"Most old tales, they are based in truth somewhere in their long history?"

Aerendyl stopped them all at the front of a large Spanish style building, "This is the admin building and that statue is of the Hekawi medicine man of tribe..." she giggled.

The huge bronze statue was of a man dressed in fine tribal garb of a traditional medicine man, a headdress covered his head made of buffalo and he was covered head to toe in beaded leather with lots of long fringes. He was leaning off a tall cliff seaming to be stretching out to reach something in mid air...

"What is he reaching for Aerendyl?" the mother tried to say the teens name,"Knowledge, hope, the gods...what?" Doris asked studying the large art piece.

"Mrs. Ler, you can call me Andy too if my Sidhe name is too hard? But the teachers say that...He is stretching out of Knowledge or something like it? BUT US students all say, that he is falling off the cliff because he is a moron!" she laughed out.

Andy pointed up to the main doors, "I'll wait here if you want, but from here on it's normal for new families to go alone to see Mrs. McMann head mistress of the school. Just head in, turn left and go up one flight and the Head secretary's desk, Miss Walters will be right there...please...you don’t want to make her angry...she will set you up from there."

"Thanks dear, but I think you can go and well will be just fine."

"Can we trade cell numbers!" Meg smiled, Andy nodded back instantly and they matched up phone ports to trade up info on the spot.

"All done and good luck!" the elf wished the family with a wave as she walked off towards a large building front inset into the side of a far cliff, resting on the pacific side of the island.

The whole family entered the Spanish style or some call 30's California style building that ohhh so many state and federal buildings of the time repeated. Inside was a large lobby area with several staircases shooting off in four directions.

They took the left one just as Andy had pointed out and found on the next level was a lobby balcony overlooking the whole island for the most part. Meg ran out to get a better look at the sight of the coast laying off to the east, the cliffs rising to the west and the school campus laid out all over the bowl of the center of the island going back down to the beach to the west.

For the most part the island was a large 'C' with the opening of the crescent facing the east and the mainland, thus making a very well sheltered port from the pacific storms or weather that might rise in the west!

Meg beamed out over the sight, "Nice place mom, I might be able to stand this and look at that beach. I have to wonder how they have a clean white sand beach like you'd find out in the islands or Florida?"

"Don't know honey, but that beach is not normal for this side of the states?" Mark said, giving his opinion on the matter and he should know having a degree in oceanography.

"Well lets get moving on," Doris suggested and gave Meg a little tug on the shoulder to get her daughter moving once again.

David pointed out the office that Andy said they needed, "This is the one!" he smiled.

"It is," Meg said back and walked up to a large wood counter that separated the office working area from the public meeting or greeting area.

"Ahhh you must be Meagan and the Ler family?" a tall lady asked form the room's largest desk.

"Yes ma'am," Meg said as she noted how tall the lady was and that her hair was a dark black and strangely had some dark green accents. The desk's large name plate read...'Jen Walters, head of student affairs'.

"We were told to report to you for our appointment by a student?" Doris stated, as she pulled out a large envelope and slid it over the counter to the lady.

"I'll go over all of this paperwork to see what may need to be done and you all can go right in Mrs. McMann is waiting for your arrival..." the tall secretary smiled and waved over to a large set of double doors across the room...'Mrs. McMann, Academy Head Mistress' was shown on its face with gold filigree.

David was first at the doors and pulled one open for his family to enter, inside they found an older lady, very well dressed in a top of the line business suit, nice face, great long blond hair, about forty just standing up from behind her large modern styled wood desk and she waved a full series of holo displays away that had hovered over its surface to greet them with a warm smile, "Hello Ler family and Meagan nice to meet you. Please have a seat." the woman offered waving to four large chairs facing her desk.

Doris was the first to sit and started off instantly, "So we are here to tour the academy and see if my Meg will be attending?"

"Yes, that is the plan. The Leigh twins wanted to see Meagan first and they passed on their personal approval. But I, as head mistress have last and final say on the admitting of any new students. Whether the twins who run the Fae side of our academy say or don't say they approve...We humans do outnumber them for the most part and I have to think of the well being of the majority of my student base."

"Okay, but they implied Meg was all set?" Mark worried out.

"She is at this point, but lets do introductions. I am Mrs. McMann, you are Mark, this is Doris and that must be David, then finally the reason why we are here...Meagan." she nodded to all in turn.

"Yes Mrs. McMann, " Meg nodded back.

"You say there is a Fae only side of the academy, there is no real mention of it in the brochures?" Doris asked, now wondering about what else might be left off!

"Yes we do have a whole section of the island they claim, the north quarter of the whole island and they tend to be quiet and keep to themselves. Their students do mix with ours and some of ours do attend their classes for Fae magic or languages among the more common courses we share." Mrs. McMann stated.

"Will I be attending those classes, I already have one good and close friend that I found out just days ago was an elf. Then add we met Aerendyl or Andy on the way in from the mainland...she was nice!"

"You might, we have to test you out before hand to see what Fae subject might be good for you and ask your GG'ma Dana what subjects or where you should be trained in from there? Then of course, you can choose coursework about anything Fae related as your person options?

Meg nodded back in agreement, "I would love to study magic if I am able too? It sounds like real fun and a challenge!"

"It is," the headmistress insisted, "But please do keep in touch with Aerendyl, this term she is a senior and she can show you how the academy works, just so you know her housing is on the west side of the island in the senior section. The Freshman dorms that you are joining with, they are housed in the islands center for the most part and that makes it easier on all to be nearer the teaching facilities for that first term."

"So is my daughter a student here now?" Doris asked.

"I think it's best, we or I heard about your outburst or loss of control at your high school swim meet. I know that you were attacked and might have bee sexually attacked if you did not defend yourself, but none the less you nearly killed the boy and wrecked the school's locker room, then add scared the life out of dozens of students. We can't let you run around a normal human school untrained or uneducated in your new powers or skills...now can we?" McMann smiled very cat like and kind of creeped out Meg for the most part...like the woman was not human or a 'good guy'?

Meg gulped at the thoughts and the woman, "So what is next?"

"Tour the campus, call Aerendyl if you need to. Or just walk about taking in the campus at your leisure, you will have time over the next four years to learn about all that it holds. But right now, Jennifer will give you a map of the campus and an 'App' for your phone that links into the main information system and give you a self guided tour and please listen to any warning s it gives you...this campus can be and IS dangerous...AND it can or will KILL you in some off limit areas." the older woman warned harshly.

"Thanks Ma'am, we'll take the tour and get going if you don't need anything else?" Meg offered quickly.

"No, Meagan I don't need anything else, you have a prepaid tuition for here or any school you choose via Queen Dana's generosity and I already have your paperwork on file. But here is the new student package, please read all of the rules and warnings, then sign." McMann said while sliding a package across the table and opening it to revile a small thumb drive to the teen, "That drive has all the rules once again,"

"I already have a copy?" Meg wondered about the reason behind being handed yet another one.

"I know, but this one makes sure that I personally know you have a copy and understand that you must read it. But for now, please have a great day and don't not miss a fine meal at the cafeteria!" McMann smiled while standing up to lead the family out her door and making sure that Meagan took her welcome package along.

After the double doors closed slowly, Jennifer the head admin secretary handed Meg an envelope, "That dear is your last paperwork and starting ID's if you choose us here. Then add, it has a internet link that compares our school to the three others available in the world for mutant or supernatural kind...like you or the Fae."

"Humm so I still have a choice in where I am going?"

"That is what Queen Dana wanted for you, that you should have the final choice and remember this...we only know she is a Queen, so don't tell others hon?" Jennifer smiled.

"I had to ask and maybe I should have asked Mrs. Mcmann this? I heard that the east coast academy was run by an ex-hero, so what or who was McMann...I have never heard of her?" Doris pondered over to the now busy secretary.

"Mrs. McMann is not a hero per say or a famous cat petting evil villain, but she was chosen by a large board of people who know what or whom they wanted running the school and the Leigh twins you met approve of her, so that gives McMann the crucial Fae endorsement."

"Well that told me nothing?" Doris huffed.

"And that is what McMann is or does...She runs the school well and we are still here after several years and we do turn out the occasional 'hero' now and then, plus a few villains. Neutrality is this schools motto and the same of the others, except Japan's! That one is a state funded government run school that trains mutants for serving the nations industry or national protection. "

Mark nodded to that, "Yep Japan is ringed in by China and its superpower, plus its superpowered soldiers or servants."

"Or slaves dad!" David added in a small nearly hidden fact of the nation. That was no longer simply communist, but rather a near dictatorship run by a few empowered individuals and an ultra rich hierarchy!

Meg was reading over the newest of her pamphlets, one of them being a guide to the campus in general and her attention to the colorful fold out map was drawn away by a familiar sing song voice, "Heya Meg...McMann called me over to give you all the full dollar tour and I get a citizen credit for it!" Andy smiled to the family, she the oldest of the three students the family had met on the subway out to the academy.

"Hi Andy, McMann said I should keep in touch with you and hope that you would guide me through me first days in school here...If I do go here that is, we have not decided just yet?" Meg said and eyeballed her parents that were very busily reading a map of the campus.

"No prob GIRL...lets just start walking that way," the tall Elf pointed and started off in that direction herself, "This is the Froshie section of campus, kinda of like keeping all your fresh eggs in a small basket and keeping them closer to the admin, plus teaching buildings." she giggled.

David was taking up the rear and taking in the sights on his own. The beautiful girls on this campus walking past them all took the young boy's breath away, he had heard that mutants were for the most part good looking? But this was utterly nuts! Everyone that had passed by them or the small family group, was a hotty or 10 in his book!

Both Meg's parents took up the rear and kept taking mental notes of everything Andy said or mentioned or finally pointed out, "Over there are the two oldest dorms and the last ones to be scheduled to be rebuilt, the ones next to them are the newest and one or the other floor plan is in the running to replace most of the campus dorms in a few years. The academy has been on a building streak to make itself ready for an inflow of new students from the US and most of the world.

As the group walked across a large wide and very long strip of grass and compacted gravel that was sidelined by several football field, a few soccer pitches and baseball diamonds Mark stopped to ask, "is this a park or greenspace or left over for future development?"

"Ohhh this is the school's airfield." Andy smiled nonchalantly.

"Airfield big enough to land a jumbo jet, but where is or are the hangers?" Mark had to ask, as his company had access to several small jets and he could use one coming over to grab Meg for a long weekend with the family or something?

"Ohh them, the hillside flips up and the jets go into there!" Andy points over to a far away barren hillside a mile off down south of the main school grounds and it appears the landing strip is not only well hidden, but cuts across the campus in such a way not to endanger the buildings or students in anyway...the island is just that big.

The island being so large strikes Mark once again, he had swam, sailed and flown over this section of the ocean many times...but the island...he never saw it in his twenty plus years living life in the area. It was very much like not seeing the twin towers of the world trade center till they fell in his mind!

Andy leads them through he student housing sections of the island one at a time, one being the freshmen. Them being closer to the schools teaching facilities made sense that first year, then the buildings were placed farther and farther from the campus center as the student grew.

The farthest and best among them was the senior class sections, most were beautiful single unit condos lining the pacific side of the island and had great views. But all the dorms had one thing in common! They grouped four or six students in groups that Andy explained "made team building a matter that could not be ignored!" and the school did this randomly...but with plans! Most teams were well thought out to balance a team in many ways and that might change or did change student dynamics year to year.

Andy pointed off into the distant before leading the family into one of the buildings lining the small hilly range lining the ocean side of the island, the height advantage finally let her point this feature out to them, "Over there is the Fae area of the campus, for the most part only Fae students allowed over there...unless you are studying magic or one of the many Fae languages AND note...all the magic classes are taught and only taught in a Fae language, so you have to learn one before the other, AND no cheating is allowed!"

"So are you staying over there this term?" Meg asked.

"Yes and no...I have a set dorm room over there and one on the human part of the campus with my set team this coming term. So in reality I have two teams, one human or mutant and one Fae. It's a bit harder, but it is required and I have coped with it over the last term. We Fae only have to do both during the last two years or we can split them, but never both for the first year or term without extreme approval by the faculty boards on both parts...both human and Fae."

~o~O~o~

The last part of the tour was Andy showing the family the huge student administration building and cafeteria.

It was an enormous complex of several stories of student meeting rooms, student administration and other club areas cut into the largest of the island's hills or small mountains. It rose up several stories and was cut into the island several more.

But the best part was a huge cafeteria that was a glass dome sitting on the cliffside pointing its tallest or farthest part of the dome out into the vast pacific. The dome itself was bubbled out from the cliff, going up to the top of the heights and then several stories under the ocean's breaking waves deep into the water. One could walk down to sea level area and watch the waves break against the very clear glass all day, or go even lower and watch the fish or other sea creatures that lived on that side of the island while eating.

"Here is the best place on the whole island, we have a student activities area on the tops most floor and most of the time it is set up like a small disco for weekends. As you go lower from there, the school's 'Clicks' or groups or some of the top teams have their dedicated spots or turf.

The center most levels are some mix of student activities and the main cafeteria and its little cafe's, or other small shops. This place can serve any of your food or nutrition needs...If you need meatless like me, that is no problem or if all you can eat is bloody fresh meat, they can chop that right up for ya! " the tall elf pointed over to a butcher area that was just setting up a small display, that was hidden from the main waiting lines.

"Heck I have even been told that their is a list for those that have to eat 'live' only food or as simple as vegan or 'Gluten' free," Andy yeched out, most likely sick of hearing about it all and she herself can't eat even half what most humans can being a Sidhe!

"Well let all of us go grab something and Meg honey you pick the spot to eat at?" Doris smiled and waved over to the several levels of seating under the sideways dome.

"Let's eat on the lowest level mom, I want to watch the fish and maybe...you know 'B' might show up?" Meg bubbled out, as she eyeballed the huge bakeshop and dessert area! Meagan was mentally referring to Bruce her new mentor, that he might swim by just to get a rise out to the students and say...'Hi!'

~o~O~o~

~o~O~o~
Shadowsblade here.

But I have to thank, Both Branek and Nuuan for their vast input and the ability they both have to 'bounce' off ideas and improve them!

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