"Welcome everyone, I am so glad to see just how many of you were interested in joining our Ballet III class. As this is a new class to the New Houston rookery we have accepted references of previous classes as a general acceptance to this level of course. Today we will be seeing just what everybody has been taught so we can pursue a few options. Option 1 being to place you in a more advanced class, Option 2 being to fill in any little gaps while in this class level, and Option 3 being to place you in a remedial class to fill in any major gaps.."

I knew I was going to stay right where I was in Ballet III. I knew this because Madam Nikki had been teaching me ballet since I was 5 and she had placed me in this class.

"We will be kind to everyone who gets Option 3 and I expect anyone who is chosen for advanced classes will be a good sport. Any bragging or bringing others down will result in remaining right where you are in this class to learn manners OR depending of the level of negativity will be placed in remedial classes to learn how to respect their masters and their classmates."

Madam Nikki may seem strict but shes the best master a winger or dancer could hope for and The Rookery brought her here just for me!

The school I was in before wasn't that great with accommodations. I couldn't learn well because the seats would dig into my wings. Depending on the teacher they might have let me sit on the ground, but then I strained my neck trying to see the board. The school lunches were not compatible with my energy needs, so my parents had to pack me lunch everyday. That may not seem so bad, but my moms a doctor and my dads a lawyer so the only real time to make me lunch is really late at night or during what time we SHOULD be spending together. It made me feel guilty and like a hassel. I already felt like I got less time with them than I wanted because I had ballet.

My parents found out about The Rookery when I was 10. They told me about it and my whole world shifted. I had had my wings for 5 years now but I had never once managed to acutally fly. It really weighed on me, and a school that was designed to teach wingers like me both regular school stuff and how to fly seemed perfect.

But they didn't have Madam Nikki. They didn't have ballet at all, but they assured my parents on a phone interview, we lived in French Canada at the time, that they would get the best ballet teacher they could find. I didn't think any other ballet teacher would have me though.

That madam nikki would take me in her class before was a feat in and of itself. I didn't really understand it at the time but now that she was older she realized that most ballet instructors were strict traditionalists. Madam Nikki had taken the time to make ways for her to hold her wings in different positions and actually use her wings while dancing. I didn't think that any other ballet instructor would ever go to such lengths so that I could dance. All I could imagine was me dancing with my wings held in close to my body so that I looked more like a human ballerina and stifling a part of myself.

I tried to express this to maman and though I'm sure I wasn't nearly as articulate I think she got the general idea and she called them again to express my concerns. They said they would work to find someone who would really fit the bill. We didn't know the rookery at that point and think all of us were a little worried that they were just going to brush it off and do nothing about it. They called us again before ballet class two days later and told us "if you're willing to wait two weeks we will have the best ballet instructor for our rookery that you all could want."

I was a very happy but also a little sad, it would mean it was one of the last few classes I had with Madam. I went into class feeling down and when I left class I was over the moon excited!

Madam Nikki had announced that she had been hired by The New Houston Rookery to lead their new ballet school, the school that I was going to be going to!!

And here I was 1 month later sitting on the floor of the new ballet room at the Rookery. Two weeks for Madam Nikki to finish her responsibilities in Canada, One week to agree on a floor plan, and One more week for it to all be built. Isn't magic great!

"We'll be starting with tendus everyone 1st positon at the barre." Madam Nikki clapped twice for emphasis and we all scrambled to our feet and a place at the barre.

Two hours later Madam Nikki had assigned 2/3 of the group to a different class and stood staring and 15 girls and boys, mostly girls though, and frowned. We were all sweating and yearning for assessments to be done so we could collapse.

"All of you have the required level of ballet techinque for this level, however very few of you are actually using your whole body. So though I would normally assign you to a lower level course the only part you are not using is your wings. I am not dissapointed in you only your previous instructors. To remedy this I will be dedicating the first few weeks of this class to the basics of using your whole body wings included while dancing. Luckily I have a previous student of mine here who can be a helpful demonstrative aid to you all in class. Madmoiselle Beatrice, please introduce yourself to the class so they will all know who you are, come class time tommorow."

I blanched my pale skin growing even more translucent and making my freckles even more prominent on my face. She must have been punishing me, did I not perfom to her level of standard, it must have been the battements, they must have been too low. I crossed the floor to her side and turned head tilted down to brace myself expecting jealous stares or resentment but all I saw when I looked out at their faces were genuine smiles. They seemed genuine anyway.

"Hello, my name is Beatrice. I went to the ballet school Madam Nikki's taught at in Montreal, Quebec. I look forward to dancing with you all"

"And now révérence, music please" Madam Nikki called.

We all bowed or curtsied and dragged out of class to collapse on the padded couches just outside.

They were really nice couches and were designed special for wingers, as I had come to discover just about everything was designed with wingers in mind. It was incredible how much difference a chair could make in my ability to focus. This particular chair however made focusing very difficult and I imagined I could stay like this for hours.

After a minute or two I decided that while the couch was comfortable, sweaty tights were even more uncomfortable, and I managed to sit up. The girls dressing room wasn't too far away but the long legs stretched out in front of me felt like cooked noodles and I wasn't sure I had the motivation to stand up again quite yet. Looking around I saw most of the others in similar positions. A two hour class wasn't really typical and if the rest of the class had been practicing ballet they hadn't been doing it in a class associated with the rookery.

I let out a sigh and in a rush of air propelled myself up and off the couch "I cant stay in these tights one moment longer" I stepped over some sprawled legs as my classmates began to move many agreeing with my sentiment and heading for the dressing rooms as well.

As I plopped down onto a bench and take off my shoes a girl from class sat next to me and began the same process.

"I haven't practiced for a year or so now, that class really made it clear just how out of practice I've been." She extended her hand to me "My names Toby by the way"

A handshake seemed pretty formal but I accepted it anyway "I'm Bea, Beatrice, but you probably already know that... I just started here recently but I think we're in the same wing? Water Wing?"

"Yeah! I started here pretty recently myself. I haven't done ballet since I got wings. I'm so not used to compensating for their weight while trying to balance."

I started to peel off my tights and said "I've never done ballet without wings, but Madam Nikki had to invent all kinds of ways for me to hold my wings in the differen't positions and steps so I didn't fall over. I think learning the ways Madam came up with will help you get your balance back."

Toby ducked behind one of the many screens in the room to get out of her leotard and said "I saw how you were holding them in class and it looked really amazing, I'm sure you must have super strong wings from doing all that on top of flying around under your own power."

She was behind the screen still so she didn't see my face fall. "I..uh.. I haven't actually flown yet." I was sure she would think less of me, after all I'd had my wings for 5 years and still hadn't been able to get off the ground. I hadn't even tried to glide from a high place, that was just one step too far for me. So it was either get off the ground on my own or not fly at all.

She peeked her head around the screen "Really? Its such an amazing sensation, you've got to try it! Because I'm part stone mostly I can only really glide but if I work at it I can make some lift on my own. Theres a big updraft in the middle of the main building, do you want to go try it out?"

I looked up and the hope must have been shining through on my face because she smiled finishing pulling on her sweatshirt and said "I'll meet you by the entrance when you're done getting changed and I'll show you the way!"

All my earlier tiredness forgotten I quickly changed into sweatpants pull on boots and a cardigan over a tanktop. I left my hair in its bun figuring if I was going to fly, FLY, I didn't want it whipping around in my face. I grabbed my dance bag and practically skipped out the door. I caught up with Toby and we rounded the corner to the entrance area where some parents were waiting to take their kids home. Mine were still at work, Toby said hers was too, and we headed off through the park.

The Rookery itself owned quite a few blocks of land, and the Rookery Academy took up some number of them. The security was enough to convince my parents and the parents of many others that it was safe for their kids to walk or wing about within the complex without escorts. The Ballet building was part of a new dance complex at the Academy and was separated from the main building by a small park filled with ponds and pretty bridges that curved upward in almost perfect half circles.

I didn't take much of that in as I was more interested in what was inside the main building. As we dashed through the sliding glass doors I had to do a double take. The inside looked what I had just passed though outside. A small pond with a round bridge and a tree carefully cultivated to hang over the water so its leaves would collect in the water.

Toby kept going so I kept going. Much as I wanted to gawk and the peaceful scene I more wanted to test my wings out.

Toby pulled to the side for a second and told me to act natural before marching us up to a large raised wooden platform and telling the guard we with with water wing and wanted to use the updraft. The guard obviously recognized her and so he motioned us through. We shared a conspiratorial grin and stepped onto the platform together.

Immediately I felt the wind tugging at the wisps of hair that had escaped my bun during class.

"Watch what I do" Toby called and slowly opened her wings to the air to show me the way to catch the air. I watched as the winds picked her up and pulled her quickly towards the skylight at the top, currently open due the good weather.

I opened my wings trying to remember what she did and thats when everything started to go wrong.

The wind that had been tugging at me suddenly caught under my wings, and instead of lifting me up with them wrenched them upward causing a short shout of pain but mostly surprise to escape my lips. The guard turned at the noise and seeing me not flying asked "Are you alright?"

Fighting to get my wings out to cup the wind I replied "I'm Fi-IIIIIIAHHH" just as I had gotten my wings down the gusts caught my wings like a sail and I went flying up into the air. As I was in no way prepared for this I somersaulted forward in the air and popped out of the updraft one or two stories off the ground. With nothing to keep me aloft I began to plummet toward the ground. I scrambled in the air trying to get my wings under me but the floor was careening towards me faster than I could react. As I winced anticipating a crash landing I felt arms catch me around the hips and heard a grunt as I was snagged out of the air. Then I was being lifted through the air as I heard the guard shouting for us to come back.‌

I tried not to wiggle too much as I looked over my shoulder at the person who rescued me. No way did I want to get dropped now as we were well above the fifth floor by now. I heard a chuckle and the voice of my hero said "A little heavier than the usual packages but nothing I cant handle." green eyes smiled at me along with a the rest of the face under a shock of wavy red hair. I think I was still recovering from all the adrenaline that had just been dumped into my system and I just stared at him and hung limply. He frowned just a slight downturn to the right corner of his mouth and a furrogh forming between his eyebrows. "Are you alright kid?"

I blinked and mentally shook myself off "Sorry I was really sure that I was going to crash down there, Thank you for saving me" I blushed and mummbled "and thanks for getting me out of trouble"

He laughed and then said "HA, I doubt your out of trouble yet, Sals can find any trouble maker, or at least me, no problem. I'm Courier by the way"

He flew us up and up and up and as we passed by each level I was sure the next was where he was going to stop and put me down. "I know you're a courier, I can tell from the uniform, Can you please put me down somewhere."

"No-"

"What why not!?"

"NO, Not no I won't put you down, No I 'm not a courier, well I am a courier, but my name is Courier too. And I thought you'd want to be returned to your friend."

I turned my face down again so he wouldn't see my disappointment "I'm not sure she really is my friend...she just left me down there all by myself she hasn't even come to make sure I'm alright."I sighed.

"Well considering theres a girl waving me over from the skylight I think she was waiting for you to come to her." Passing the lip of the skylight courier made a graceful landing I envied, and set me down on my own feet.

I was tackled off of them again a breath later by a gargoyle hug "I'M SO SORRY!! I shouldn't have just left you down there to figure it all out on your own! We should have held hands or something to help you keep your balance..." I was sure she would go on and on like this so I hugged her back saying "Its ok Toby, I'm fine now just a little embarrassed."

Courier coughed a little for attention and said "I'll leave you two ladies to catch up then..." and turned to hop back down into the main building.

I exchanged a look with toby and we both said at the same time "Thank you for your help!" I tacked on a Mr. Courier at the end that Toby didn't though.

He looked a little affronted. "I'm no Mr. anyone, OK." he turned again "But no problem" Hopping down into building I managed to hear his "Gosh, its not like I'm some old man"

I turned back to Toby and and looked down at my hands "I'm sorry"

She looked at me shocked, "You! What are you sorry for! I'm the one that talked you into using the updraft in the first place, If anyone should be sorry its me!"

I looked at her "I'm sorry, because I misjudged you... I thought you had left me behind on purpose, and that you were playing some mean prank on me. I can tell now that I was wrong."

She blinked and then said simply "I promise I would never ever leave you behind on purpose."

I started "I never told him what my name was!"

A thunk as a pair of boots landed behind us was the only warning we got before a voice behind us said "You can tell me your name and then follow me to the Head of the Academy's office"

Fifteen minutes later I was sitting in a chair outside of the office waiting to be called in while Toby stood talking to the Security Officer who had brought us here.

"Please don't tell my dad about this before I get a chance to explain it to him myself. You don't have to worry about me-" she shrugged for emphasis "-forgetting about it either. Ms. Felica will keep me honest ok?"

It looked like she had the guy pretty well convinced and just as Toby was finishing her closing argument Ms. Hughes stepped out of her office and rose one eyebrow, "That I will do. Both of you step inside please and you can tell me exactly what happened."

We stepped exchanged a look and stepped over the threshold and into her office. It was brighter than I expected with a large glass wall leading to a balcony opposite the door, and a plants decorating the room. The only thing keeping it from being a nice living room was that the only furniture atop the dark wood floor and was a glass and wood desk carefully piled with papers and two matching chairs all atop a fluffy area rug. Three chairs if you counted the one behind the desk which was where Ms. Hughes took a seat and looked at us expectantly.

Toby and I sat in the only other chairs available, and Toby said with a glint of humor and a completely straight face "I'm now invoking my 5th amendment right to remain silent" and quirked her eyebrow at Ms. Felcia in a what are you going to do about it kind of gesture.

I belive I was openly gawking at Toby when Ms. Hughes chuckled and turned her computer around to show a cctv recording of me and Toby walking up to the platform, Toby flying up and away and me nearly face-planting before being scooped up in midair and flown after Toby.

She faced me and said "Let me know if I've got this right dear, You and Toby went to the updraft with the intention of giving you your first experience with flight, as you have not yet managed to get airborne, proceeded past the guard. Who may I mention is put there to keep people safe from having harm either done to them or done to themselves. And after making it to the platform you failed in your attempt and were rescued, whereby you attempted to escape repercussions by fleeing the scene of the incident."

I think my jaw hit the floor. How did she know all that!

Tobys face lit up in a huge grin and said "You never fail to amaze Ms. Felica"

She raised her brows at Toby with a smile and said "Anything you say can and will be held against you." Then turning the computer screen back around said "We take the safety of our charges very seriously at the Rookery Academy, what you did was very dangerous and you're lucky that you weren't hurt. The entry level flying course, in which you are enrolled Miss Bennet, is designed to give you experience flying in a controlled and much safer environment so you have the necessary experience to fly safely in other less safe environments like the Central Building Updraft." she straightened some papers on her desk "Now then, no one was hurt in this incident and even if St.Claire hadn't shown up to rescue you one of the security staff would have been able to get to you before you were harmed. And as its your first infraction Miss Bennet, I don't think parents need to be involved-" I straightened in my chair hope rising in my chest. She gave me a pointed look and continued "IF you can prove to me that you understand why what you did was dangerous to yourself and potentially others and why it shouldn't be a repeated event." I hunched again "You can do this any way you see fit, as long as its done by a week from tomorrow, at which point if you have not convinced me that you understand the dangers of your actions I will involve your parents in this matter."

"Now Toby, I'm sure you are aware we have video of this event" a wicked grin spread across her face "but did you also know that one of the office staff is deaf and has become quite adept at reading lips"

Tobys eyes widened with shock

"I'm willing to offer you a plea deal now or you can accept the consequences if it is revealed through video analysis later that you were involved."

"What are the terms of the deal" Toby asked

"Same as for Miss Bennet, prove to me you understand why your actions were dangerous and why they shouldn't be repeated again by a week after tomorrow"

"I accept full responsibility for my part in these actions and your generous deal" Toby replied with a smile

"How do you prove that you understand a concept to someone!" I through up my wings in exasperation.

I'd been trying to think of ways to do just that with toby for the past half hour after we had left Ms. Hughes office and went to one of the places in the school designed for hanging out. We'd come up with: write an essay, too easy to be interpreted as insincere; make a presentation, Toby said it was more of the same showing we know the concepts isn't the same as showing we understand the concepts.

Maybe we should simplify it... get to the root of why this specific incident is dangerous, which would then prove to us why it shouldn't be done.

So lets break it down to its bare bones then

Toby held up a finger as she went down a simplified list of the things that occurred

1. "An experienced flyer, convinced a non experienced flyer to try out their wings in a non supervised and not crash safe environment.

2. The two flyers intentionally bluffed their way past a guard put in place to stop events like this from happening.

3. Upon reaching the updraft area the experienced flyer did not remain close to the non experienced flyer to ensure their safety."

"Did I get everything?"

4. "The two flyers resisted arrest."

Toby lifted another finger. "Ok, can we break any of these down further?"

"The first one seems to be about peer pressure and recklessness"

Toby put down that finger and nodded to signal she agreed "The second seems to be about how we know the guard was in place for the purpose of stopping such activity and knowingly chose to continue in the face of this."

I frowned "Is there a simpler way of putting that?"

A twinkle of humor lit Toby's eyes and a smirk pulled at her lips "You could say we flew in the face of the rules." a grin breaking out as she finished

"OH TOOooooOOBY!.. Thats bad! I dare you to say that to Ms. Hughes" I said a similar grin lighting my face. "OK Ok ok, how bout the third one?"

"I think that ones mostly about me, I didn't take full responsibility, I was careless" She said with a grim face. "Hindsight being 20/20 I got really lucky that you didn't get hurt. I'm really glad you didn't get hurt" she flashed a weak smile.

"I'm glad I didn't get hurt either, so don't feel guilty about something that only might have happened. The last one is pretty clear, In knowing we did something wrong we didn't take responsibility for our actions."

Toby leaned forward "Alright then, the simplified events are as follows. I recklessly pressured you into flying for the first time in an unsafe environment, flying in the face of rules we went past a checkpoint meant to stop such reckless behavior, I was careless and left you to fly by yourself and then we didn't take responsibility for our actions."

"SO the only thing we can do anything about now is to take responsibility for our actions which we can do by proving we understand this to Ms. Hughes......." I threw myself into a chair and my hands over my face "which puts us back at square one"

"Maybe and Maybe not..." I peeked between my fingers and saw the beginnings of a plan in her eyes. 

Toby had told me her plan and we had both gone to bed promising to meet tomorrow after school. Now it was afterschool tomorrow and Toby and I stood outside Ms. Hughes office waiting to be called in.

Toby turned to me and said "I made us an appointment earlier today so we shouldn't have to wait too long"

As soon as the words left her lips her assistant told us we could go in. No being ushered in this time, I guess they thought we were a flight risk before, now we were here of our own volition.

Ms. Hughes faced us as we entered the room and said "Well to what do I owe the pleasure girls?"

"We have come to prove to you we understand why our actions were dangerous and why they shouldn't be repeated again, Ms. Felica"

"We disected the scenario to its bare bones and came up with the understanding that; It was reckless to pressure someone to fly for the first time in an unsafe environment, flying in the face of rules we went past a checkpoint meant to stop such reckless behavior, Toby was careless and left to fly by myself and I recklessly attempted to fly on my own without backup, and then we didn't take responsibility for our actions"

"SO first" toby began and then we both said "We take full responsibility for our actions and will do our best to ensure they don't occur again."

"To this end-" Toby finished "We would like your permission to guard the flying checkpoint afterschool for one hour during the weeklong period you extended to us in order to stop any reckless actions like ours from taking place."

Ms. Hughes raised her eyebrows in a thoughtful manner then after a pause said "That is a very elegant solution girls, I will give you permission to guard the checkpoint and put you under the supervision of the man you you so convincingly duped yesterday." She entered something into her computer "Alright you may go now, you're late for your first shift. Maybe you can teach our guard how you pulled the wool over his eyes so it won't happen again" She said with a wink.