Chapter 1

It wasn't until the summer before she would turn fifteen that Luna suddenly realized how different she truly was. She knew she was the most beautiful girl in the school. With her delicate features framed by gleaming black hair, glimmering brown eyes shining out against clear, dark skin, and a dancer's thin body with gentle, feminine curves, she was the most beautiful girl everywhere she went. She also knew her family was wealthy, but she was used to that. It was when she realized that she was the best dancer, not just because of natural ability and being favored as a rich, beautiful girl, that her world changed.

Luna's mother, Lily, had no family. Lily had appeared at the school when she was two, a full year before students were generally admitted to the Madame's classes. One night, the Madame had been walking back to her room from instructing a class when she realized a small child holding an envelope was sitting on her stairs. Madame opened the envelope and pulled out a paper reading only, "I'm Lily. Yesterday I turned two." She also saw enough money to cover the first month's tuition. After Madame had inspected Lily, she knew the grubby toddler would grow to be beautiful and would be an excellent dancer, thanks to her tuition.

Standard tuition only covered the basic classes, but, were a wealthy family desperate to have talent in the family, they could pay more and be guaranteed more instruction from the teachers, more time to practice, and favor when their child auditioned for a role. However, if a student was abnormally beautiful, they were generally already granted these benefits. Lily's mysterious benefactor had paid enough that, despite that Lily was trained with children a full year older than she, she was the top student. From that point forward, a letter came to Madame on the first of every month with tuition until Lily graduated at sixteen, the youngest in the school's history. Due to her extra instruction, natural talent, and blossoming beauty, Lily had been offered benefits all over the world. She chose to become an entertainer for other dancers of only the highest caliber, guaranteeing her a wealthy existence.

When Lily chose to have a child, she coaxed her richest male patron into fatherhood. Luna was born on the day of the autumn equinox, as beautiful as her mother. Lily decided to enter Luna into the academy at two, as Lily herself had been entered. In Luna's nearly thirteen years at the academy, she had become beloved by all the students and teachers, though she only trusted three people in the world: her mother, Madame, and Sofia.

Sofia was considered plain, and, because of that, her family refused to sponsor additional class time. Sofia was always too tall and muscular, with long, brunette hair she never bothered to style or even cut. She did have charming eyes, though they gleamed with intelligence, and a lovely smile, though it seemed mischievous. Sofia was simply too clever for her own good. Despite this, the perfectly mediocre Luna and Sofia had been best friends since the first day of classes, when a two year old Luna helped a three year old Sofia with stretches in dance class, and then, an hour later, Sofia helped Luna with the alphabet in knowledge class.

Now Luna was only a few months from fifteen, when she would graduate early because of her immense superiority in dancing. Everyone, even Sofia and Madame and Mother, believed Luna was such a talent because of her teachers' extra help. Madame personally trained Luna for several hours each night. Luna was certain this extra practice was responsible for a portion of her skill, but her true talent was one she had only just realized existed.

Whenever Luna even glanced at a judge or potential client, she could see their soul glowing from within them. She didn't understand this, and she didn't realize no one else saw these mysterious lights.

Reviews

[Tai Ryens]

Nice start to this. I do hope to read mpre, I'm curious to where this will go. Not many mistakes were spotted by me, but that may jist be because I simply wasn't scouring for them. Great job, keep it up.