Nashi gave his human friend an unimpressed look.
     “Do you ever listen to the words that come out of your mouth? You can’t possibly do it often because you sound absolutely ridiculous, Rise.”
     Rise pouted. “But, Nashi, it was a good speech. It got them riled up, didn’t it?”
     “Yeah,” said Dante’s voice from behind him. “And if you’d look out there again, you’d notice that they’re all about to kill each other.”
     The two turned around and opened the curtains. Dante wasn’t kidding. All over the auditorium, students were yelling and fighting, clambering over seats and rolling around on the floor. Some were even using magic and Abilities. Shouts, insults, and battle cries bounced off of the walls. Alvin and Tina were standing on the stage trying to get everyone’s attention back. It wasn’t working very well; Tina was shouting loudly and harshly into the microphone while Alvin’s soft, pleading voice could barely be heard over the din. Mara-Amy was nowhere to be seen, most likely watching the chaos unfold from a distance. Alvin gave up trying to calm down the crowd and scrambled backstage, hiding behind Dante and gripping the back of the werewolf’s shirt tightly.
     “They’re out of control, Onooro” he whimpered to Rise. “What are we going to do?” His pointed ears twitched nervously.
     Dante patted the elf’s head. “Calm down, Vinny. It’s okay.” He pinned Rise with a golden glare. “See what you did?”
Nashi, who knew how irritable and protective Dante got whenever Alvin was scared, decided to step in.
     “Rise, we have to calm them down. You just suggested to them that they go against everything that they’ve ever been taught about other species.”
     “That was the plan, wasn’t it?” Rise asked, scratching his head. “We were going to unite them like we are.”
     The vampire sighed. “Yes, but the way you said it was insulting. You made it sound as if they were stupid and ignorant because they believed what adults have been feeding them forever. You can’t just give them a speech and expect them to instantly like each other. Their species have spent thousands of years hating each other. We’re special. We weren’t raised like that. You’re a human who was raised by a magician. My mother raised me to accept everyone. Dante and Alvin have been best friends since childhood. They don’t have any reason to hate each other or anyone who hasn’t done them any wrong. Tina just likes people who are weird, whether they’re fairies or not. Mara-Amy is rebellious. She’s determined to not listen to anything other demons say that she should do. The only reason she doesn’t like me is because our families in specific have trouble. But everyone out there? They are expected to carry on the traditions of separating themselves from everyone else. To them, we are the stupid ones. We are breaking generations of tradition just by speaking to each other in a civil manner, let alone being friends. Listening to us is just as bad as talking to each other.”
     Alvin, who had coaxed Dante into sitting down and crawled into the bigger teen’s lap, nodded his head at the raven-haired boy’s words. “I remember when my great-grandmother found out that my best friend was a werewolf. She and my parents had a huge fight about it. It wasn’t until Dante saved my life when my siblings couldn’t help that she finally let it go.”
     “The tension whenever she and I are in the same room is still thick enough to cut with a knife,” muttered Dante, “but at least she’s stopped threatening me with the vacuum cleaner. Evil old lady.”
     “I thought that vacuum cleaner threats didn’t work on you,” said Rise.
     “The loud noise is still annoying. With my sensitive ears, it’s so loud that it blocks out the sounds of any potential threats. It makes me paranoid.” The werewolf sulked and Alvin laughed.
     “The point, Rise, is that it will take something huge and more persuasive than a fierce monologue to get them to stop hating each other,” concluded Nashi, a small smile on his pale lips.
     Before the red-eyed boy could open his mouth, Tina flew behind the curtain and grabbed a fistful of his hair.
     “Way to go, genius,” she yelled, yanking roughly. “There’s about to be a massacre!”
     “Ow, ow! Let go, you harpy!”
     The fairy tugged harder. “I’m a fairy, you hairless baboon!”
     “Uncle! Uncle!” Rise fell forward onto his knees in agony, clutching his head as the rainbow-haired girl let go. “Ow, ow, ow, ow! I bet there’s a bald spot now!”
     “Why so abusive, Tina?” asked Dante.
     “I just got hit in the face with a steel-toed boot,” she growled, crossing her arms. “I should pull out all of you guys’ hair for letting that idiot on stage. All of you except for Alvin, of course,” she added. “He probably had nothing to do with it.” She looked around. “Where’s Mara-Amy?”
     “Somewhere in the shadows watching the fun,” muttered Rise. He looked behind him as an exceptionally loud scream sounded throughout the auditorium. “I’m all out of ideas. What do we do?”
     Nashi’s eyes glowed blue. He took off his hat and handed it to Rise. “Let me handle it.” He turned and pushed the curtain aside, stepping out onto the stage. Alvin and Dante stood up and watched with Rise and Tina. Nashi’s eyes narrowed and he grabbed the microphone stand.
     “SILENCE!”
      The four teens behind the curtain covered their ears, Dante making a noise that sounded like a cross between a whimper and a growl.
     “Damn you, Nashi,” he whispered. His Elvin friend squeezed his arm sympathetically.
     All of the students in the auditorium immediately stopped what they were doing. Some were in mid-wrestle on the floor while others were floating in the air. The chairs were destroyed. The floor and walls had holes and burn marks littering them. There was blood scattered around various places, but no one seemed terribly injured. Nashi’s disappointed frown was displayed for all to see.
      “Is this really what happens when someone even suggests the possibility of all of us getting along? Are you all really that uncivilized? Starting a riot because Rise asked if you could even possibly talk to each other in a civil manner. I admit that he did not do it very professionally, but he did not mean to offend anyone. Yet, you act like barbarians, nonetheless.” He crossed his arms and blew an impatient huff of air out of his nose. “You guys must be colder than my dead, non-beating heart. What would your families think?”
     “You’re one to talk, Nashi Hibari,” cried one brave vampire with blond hair and blood red eyes. “What does your family think of you associating yourself with a magician, a werewolf, an elf, a fairy, and a demon?”
     Nashi’s eyes flashed in his direction and the other vampire let out an involuntary squeak.
     “My family,” said Nashi, coolly, “is nearly as prejudiced as yours, Wyatt. My mother, however, raised me to know that I should not discriminate against anyone who has not wronged me. That includes werewolves, humans, magicians, demons, fairies, elves, angels, druids, trolls, half-bloods, or any other species. I like to believe that everyone is allowed their opinion as long as they do not use it to harm another person. Now, we all know that everyone here could have been sent to a school where they would be with only those of their species. But, instead, your families chose to send you here, to an academy that bundles you all together. Have either of you actual wondered why that is? Did any of you think that maybe they were trying to tell you something?” He scanned the angry and confused faces of his audience. “No? Shame. I figured that you all would be smarter than that.”
     Wyatt stood up. “Why should we be listening to you? You’re a disgrace to all vampires!” His friends, who were all scattered around the room, yelled in agreement.
     “If you would shut your face for five minutes, you pitiful excuse for a creature, I would be able to continue.”
     A few other students snickered and Rise let out a quiet “Go, Nashi!” that went nearly unheard by anyone. Wyatt, a look of embarrassment on his face, slumped down in his seat, looking nothing like a proud vampire.
     “Now, before I was so rudely interrupted, I was asking a question. Has anyone thought of a possible answer?” Wyatt wisely stayed quiet. “Maybe they wanted you to think for yourselves. The people who created this academy two years ago wanted to bring us together for a reason. Why? Maybe they wanted us to see that being united isn’t exactly a terrible thing. Now, I know that a simple speech won’t change your minds about each other. Just think about what I have said.” He let go of the stand and turned to walk away. Right before he disappeared behind the curtains, he turned to look over his shoulder. “If you don’t like thinking about it as breaking tradition, think about it as being the first generation to be different. Remember, it’s the 21st Century. It’s the time to be different. Not just for the sake of being different, but to prove that it’s not a bad thing.” He tossed the curtains aside and it stayed in the air long enough for the crowd to see him, Rise, Dante, Alvin, and Tina standing together before it fell down to conceal them, again.
     The students started talking loudly again and Nashi’s eyes stopped glowing. Rise laughed and dropped the hat back on his friend’s head.
“Way to go, Nashi! I think you got through some thick skulls today, my friend,” he yelled.
     “We can only hope so, Rise,” said Nashi, rolling his eyes.
Dante clapped the vampire on the back. “Nice job! You didn’t even have to bare your fangs.”
     “I’m glad he didn’t,” said Alvin, smiling at Nashi timidly.          “You were great. I think you may have actually convinced some of them.”
     “Like I said before, a speech will not change their minds. The right words, however, may get the ball rolling.”
     “Interesting speech, Hibari. I was actually a bit moved,” said a dark voice from the shadows.
     Alvin yelped and jumped away from the voice, Dante moving to stand protectively in front of him while glaring in the direction it had come from.
     Nashi, completely calm, bowed toward the shadows. “Why, thank you, Mara-Amy. I must have done well to get a compliment from you.”
     Mara-Amy, in all of her demonic glory, glided out of the shadows, fixing Nashi with an obsidian look of amusement.
     “Must you be so dramatic?” asked Dante irately. “One of these days, you’re going to give Vinny a heart attack. And then I’ll have to kill you.”
     Mara-Amy rolled her eyes at the werewolf and looked at Alvin.
     “My most sincere apologies, Sir Alvin,” she said, curtsying dramatically, “I did not mean to frighten you.” She batted her eyelashes playfully.
     Alvin snickered behind his hand. “Apology accepted, Lady Mara-Amy. My apologies to you for being so skittish.”
     “Apology accepted.” She turned to look at Rise. “That was some fun you started there. I was enjoying the show. You should have seen the other demons.  Nightmares and mind games. Their faces were awesome to watch as they were slowly tortured inside of their heads. Oh, the horror.” She snickered ominously.
     “I’m curious,” said Rise, “Did you participate in any of that mayhem?”
     “Maybe.” Mara-Amy flicked hair out of her eyes and brushed dust off the bottom of her Gothic-Lolita dress. “If I did—and I’m not saying that I did—it would have been because I couldn’t help it.”
     Tina grinned. “And this is why we get along so well. That chaos was almost too fun to pass up.”
     “Jeez,” Rise whispered to Nashi. “The only two girls in the group and they’re both psychotic.”
     Tina reached over and grabbed his hair again. “I can hear you, you moron!”
     “Naughty, naughty,” snickered the demon girl. “You don’t actually agree with him, do you Nashi?” She grinned maniacally at him.
     “Of course I do,” Nashi stated bluntly. “That goes without saying.”
     “I have to agree, too,” said Dante. “You two are scary crazy.”
     Alvin nodded. “But you can be nice when you want to be,” he added quickly.
     Tina wrapped him in tight hug. “Aww, you short, adorable elf, you!” She glared at the other three boys. “Why can’t you be as nice as Alvin?”
     “Cyrus doesn’t sugarcoat anything,” said Rise.
     “My mother’s a vampire,” responded Nashi.
     “I was raised by the wolves,” shrugged Dante.
     “Excuses, excuses.” Tina let go of the elf just as Mara-Amy latched on to him.
     “I’m bored,” whined the demon. “What’s next on the fun-genda?”
     “Fun-genda?” asked Rise. “What—”
     “Don’t ask,” interrupted Nashi. “Whatever answer she gives you won’t be worth the headache.”
     Mara-Amy pouted and squeezed Alvin. “You guys are so mean.” Her face turned demonic and scary. “Remember, I know where you idiots sleep,” she growled darkly. Then, with another squeeze to the snowy-haired boy’s torso, she grinned evilly and sank backwards into the shadows. Alvin shuddered and stepped behind Dante, once again gripping his shirt.
     “Every time we encounter her, Vinny has nightmares,” snarled Dante.
     “I think that those are due to his overactive imagination,” said Nashi, patting the gold-eyed teen on the shoulder.
     “It’s like she has two different personalities,” said Alvin.          “One’s playful and the other is creepy.”
     “To me, she’s creepy either way,” said Rise. “Do you know that that psycho snuck into my room once and stared at me until I woke up? That’s how mentally disfigured she is.”
     “That’s because you stole and hid her lockbox that morning and refused to give it back,” deadpanned Nashi.
     “It was a joke!”
     “One that she took very seriously. Imagine if someone had done the same thing with your padlocked spell book.”
     “Oh.”
     “Yeah,”
     “So, guys,” interrupted Tina. “What do we do now? Or did you two forget about the crowd of teenagers on the other side of the curtain?”
     “Well, the teachers should be back soon.” Rise clapped his hands together and grinned brightly at them. “Who’s up for a trip to the Genie’s?”

                               TO BE CONTINUED