20

That goldfish had a glowing tail.

Thor watched with an awestruck expression on his face as that fish swam inside that huge glass aquarium, the gold radiance from its beautiful tail leaving a soft trail behind. It joined its fellows, swimming around in circles.

"Thor in a dress suit? I never thought I would see a sight like this",a deep voice sounded from behind him and he stood up straight before turning around to find Tadashi standing behind him, his arms crossed over his black dress shirt and his gold necktie complimenting his eyes.

"Tadashi, hey",Thor said, raising his fist and colliding it with Tadashi's.

Thor was indeed wearing a dress suit. It was a white one with a gold shirt whose top two buttons had been left open, revealing his dog tag. He wouldn't have bothered to dress up of it wasn't for the welcoming ceremony. The entire academy had been invited and the preparations had started about a month ago.

The ballroom was filled with people; students and professors. Ladies were dressed in fancy gowns and the way their hair were tied up into delicate styles, one could guess the time and money they had spent in getting ready for that night.

The man of the night was yet to arrive though.

Rin hurried down the hallway, his well polished black shoes clacking away on the stone floor.

He closed the button of his shirt's cuffs, its blue color matching that of his clear blue eyes. Pulling down the sleeve of his black dress coat, he turned the corner and came across a pair of girls coming out of the ballroom, their matching violet dresses reaching past their ankles.

The large double doors were opened for the guest and the golden lights from the crystal chandeliers that hung from the room's high ceiling were flowing out the doors, falling on Rin's form.

He took a breath before entering the room.

The Imperial Academy's ballroom was a splendid piece of architecture. Red carpets covered its entire floor and a short flight of stairs led up to a stage, the wall behind it held the portraits of the royal elf, fairy and dwarf. The academy's flag with its emblem hung from the ceiling above the stage.

On a raised pavilion beside the stage sat a group of musicians, playing trumpets, harps and flutes, creating melodious tunes for the guests to enjoy.

Round tables lined the walls on either side of the double doors, their table clothes a pure white with golden fails. A feast was laid down on them; grape juice, blueberry pies, chocolate muffins, fried chickens, macaroons and a many more mouthwatering dishes.

The west wall was lined with glass doors, leading out to the vast terrace, pots of hyacinth flowers lined its margins, their petals dancing gracefully in the cool night breeze.

Standing near the stage were professors and the President, all dressed in well pressed suits and polished shoes. Rin's eyes met the president's and he averted his gaze, pretending that he had seen him. It was still too early for him to indulge in an intelligent conversation with him.

His eyes finally fell on the person he was looking for. Thor.

He and Tadashi stood beside one of the tables, a plate of chocolate cake in Thor's hand, the only thing that had motivated that lazy boy to come to the ceremony.

Stepping around the group of giggling ladies and ignoring their whispered remarks about him, he made it way towards the two boys.

"Look who's here? Mister Vice president", Tadashi said, greating Rin with a hug.

"Oh, it's just Rin",Thor said with his mouth full, cake crumbs sticking to the tip of his lips. Rin rolled his eyes at his words.

He was quite impressed at how properly the two of them were dressed. Their appearances were perfect if one would ignore Tadashi's headband and Thor's black combat boots.

"You still wore them in the end. You are impossible, Thor",Rin said, leaning against the table.

Thor looked Rin from his head to toe as he chewed his food. He swallowed his bite before saying,"For someone not willing to come, you are dressed up pretty well, Rin."

"I couldn't come in my pajamas, could I? Alicia would have been so mad at me. If not for her, I could have easily pulled that stunt."

"Yeah, even President would have applauded for you", Tadashi said before finishing his piece of cake and wiping his mouth clean with a napkin.

"I'll see you two later",he said, leaving the boys to go greet a girl in a green dress who had just entered the room.

Thor placed his now empty plate on the table and Rin looked at it with a raised eyebrow, saying,"How come you don't get fat with how much you eat?"

"It's a blessing",Thor said, picking up a green grape from the large silver bowl in the center of the table and throwing it in his mouth.

"Are you going to ask Alicia for a dance?",he asked and that unexpected question surprised Rin.

"Yes. I think I will",he replied. Thor turned towards the boy and seeing someone over his shoulder, he smirked.

"Really? Will you ask Alicia for a dance?",he repeated his question and a little louder that time.

Rin furrowed his eyebrows, saying,"That's what I just said. Why are you being so loud?"

"Just between you and me, Rin? You have a crush on Alicia, don't you?"

"Huh?Why are you asking that? Are you drunk?"

"Do you or do you not?", Thor asked and his persistence was starting to annoy the other boy.

"Ok, ok. I do have a crush on Alicia", Rin confessed and Thor grinned wide before looking Rin's shoulder and saying,"You heard him, Alicia."

Never before in his life had Rin turned around so quickly, he almost tripped over his own feet. Standing in front of him was the fairy princess and what a captivating sight it was to behold.

She wore a white silk dress that reached down to her knees and blue roses embroidered delicately around her slender waist. Her blue ballerina shoes had white pearls on them and her long blonde hair were knotted back into an intricate bun.

She looked beautiful. Breathtakingly beautiful.

"You can close your mouth now, Rin", she said, avoiding his gaze as she felt her cheeks getting warm. Rin too was flustered and he threw daggers at Thor's back as that traitor left him alone with Alicia.

They stood beside each other in silence but Rin could hear the loud throbbing of his frantically beating heart.

"Were you telling the truth?", she whispered and Rin dared to look at her.

She had her blue eyes locked at the stage to avoid meeting his. The tip of her ears were colored a light shade of pink and Rin took a breath to steady his nerves. It was now or never.

"Yes, it is",he whispered.

A soft gasp escaped her thin lips before she turned her head, her blue eyes sparkling under the chandelier's light.

Rin built up the courage to hold her wrist.

"It is true",he said,"I like you, Alicia. I don't know since when or for how long but own thing I do know is that I like it when I'm with you. I like goofing around with you and laughing with you and when you are upset",he rubbed his thumb on the soft skin of her wrist,"I get anxious but I also don't want anyone else to cheer you up. I want to be the only one you share your laughters with and I want to be the only one who wipes away your tears."

He brought her hand up and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles,"I like you more than I can express."

He finally took a breath, his face red from all the ranting he had done. Blame his nervousness for that.

He looked up form her hand and found Alicia hiding her face with her other hand. Little did he know that she was hiding both her grin and her flushed cheeks.

That dork, she thought.

"Alicia?",he whispered.

"Now, I'll like to call upon stage the new Vice President of the Imperial council."

He heard his name and the audience applauded waiting for him to come to the stage.

Rin let go of her hand, saying,"I'll be back in a moment. Wait for me, Alici-"

She stood in her toes, placing a soft kiss on his cheek. Those blue eyes went wide, his heart skipping a beat inside his chest.

"I like you too, Rin", she whispered in his ear before giving him a push on his back,"Now go. They are calling you."

In a daze, he walked across the hall full of people with a hand on his tingling cheek and grinning like a fool. Back at the refreshment table, Alicia was crouching on the carpeted floor, hiding her flustered face behind her hands but one could still see her beet red ears.

That was so embarrassing, she thought to herself.

Rin couldn't find her.

He came back after receiving his badge but she wasn't beside the refreshment table. He looked around for her but she was nowhere to be found in that crowded room.

A frown on his face, he looked outside on the terrace. Still no sign of her.

"She isn't back stage either", Thor said, worry etched on his face but he couldn't be more worried than Rin.

They went out into the silent hallway, the voices from the ballroom being muffled by the its thick walls.

"Alicia!", Rin cried, catching a glimpse of something white and hoping it was her dress, he ran down the hallway, Thor at his heals.

Sure enough, it was her.

She seemed to be in a trance as she continued walking down the hallway, not responding to them calling her name.

Rin hurried his steps and grabbing her wrist, turned her around, her hair coming loose and falling in rich waves over her shoulder.

Thor said,"What happen-"

A gray magic circle appeared right under their feet, rotating clockwise.

Thor cursed but before he could push the two of them away from it, they were engulfed in a bright light and they were gone.

All three of them had vanished in thin air as that circle faded away with a gray spark.