#the grand neopian university

[mister-lucky-bunny]

The Grand Neopian University Chpt. 2

The Grand Neopian University

Chapter 2: Eating, Meeting, and Greeting

As expected with such a prestigious college, the amount of choices that Lucky had in regards to food was overwhelming, to say the least. Even though he was familiar with numerous food stand choices, having come from Neopia Central, the Acara had never seen quite an array of delicacies and fancy foods in such abundance before. Ranging from gourmet sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, salads, sushi, cheeses, and plenty of desserts, it began to make Lucky wonder just how expensive a meal would even cost.

For awhile, he decided to walk around, browsing the various food vendors and what they sold. Aside from general food items, there would also be various Neopians selling food that was well known in certain parts of Neopia. For example, one stand that made the Acara slow down was the amazing smelling stand of Altadorian baked goods. Figuring that he might as well treat himself on his first day at the school, Lucky made his way over to said stand, which was being manned by a fat, yet quite burly, Skeith, adorned in a gold Altador toga.

It took no time for the vendor to notice the curious, hungry Acara, quickly brightening up and greeting him in a boisterous, thick Altadorian accent. "Ah, hello, my friend! Yes, yes, I see that hunger in your eyes, one that can only be satisfied by the fine flavors that Altador has to offer!" He started up, getting into a sort of sales pitched. Again, being from one of the biggest shopping districts in all of Neopia, Lucky was no stranger to such practices. Even as the Skeith began showing off a large variety of pitas and hummus, the Acara couldn't help but be charmed by how genuine he was. If the amazing smell was anything to go by, the vendor had a lot of pride in his craft, and was confident that what he had to sell would certainly be worth it.

"Well, uh, let's see..." Lucky began, eyeing over everything. Once his gaze began to linger upon one of the pitas, it didn't take long for the Skeith to grin, lifting it up in a large hand.

"Ah, a pita! Filled with hummus and some very tasty falafel, no doubt!" He said, offering from a few choices of hummus that he had before him. Plain, roasted red tomato, red pepper, olives and caper, roasted garlic, and even one called "Pimento and Caviar" (which Lucky was not bold enough to try). Deciding to go with the "Roasted Red Tomato Hummus", the Skeith scooped an incredibly generous amount into the pita, not slowing down as he popped a heaping amount of falafel as well. "Yes, excellent choice, my friend!"

As he began to fill the pita with some spinach and tomato, Lucky watched with wide eyes, both impressed by just how skillful and precise his movements were, and also a little bit intimidated by the sheer amount of food the vendor managed to pile into the pita. "Wow, that's uh... quite a big pita you're making there," Lucky stated, wanting to not be a silent weirdo.

"You're a skinny boy, yes?" The Skeith joked, laughing a little as he wrapped up the pita, handing it off to the Acara. "Here ya go! Let's say, for you, eh... 150 NP," He finished up, coming up with an amount of money to be paid. It definitely didn't seem like he put much thought into the pricing, as it was a lot lower than Lucky had expected.

Resisting the urge to take a big bite out of the overstuffed pita, the Acara couldn't help but tilt his head a bit. "Only 150? I would've thought it would've been more," He said, freeing up a hand to reach into his pocket, pulling out three 50 NP coins and passing them off to the Skeith, who merely laughed and accepted the money.

"My friend, I do this not for money, but to share my food with others," He explained, puffing his chest out in a prideful way. "Besides, you'll be needing money for books and other school things, yes? I do not want food to be a problem for students," He continued on with a chuckle, waving the Acara off. "Now go eat before it cools!"

Lucky nodded and returned the wave, beginning to move away. "Hey, thanks a lot, sir!" He replied gratefully.

"Hey, call me Buddy, alright?" The Skeith yelled in return, laughing as he served another Neopian that had walked up.

After a quick visit to a vending machine for a bottle of water (for 50 np), Lucky began to scout around for a free table. As his eyes scanned the area, he began to nibble at the pita. As expected, it was quite delicious and he didn't waste time in taking a couple more bigger bites, enjoying the flavor. While the Acara ambled around for a little, May soon zipped right up to his side, also eating at a large bowl of stir fried noodles. The sudden sound of the Xweetok slurping her food made Lucky jump a little bit, making him turn to her. "Woah! Don't sneak up on me like that," The Acara exclaimed.

"Shorry!" May replied with a mouth full of food, quickly swallowing her current portion. "So where do ya wanna sit, Lucky?"

"Uhhh, not sure," He answered, still looking at the dining area. While it was very big, as expected, all of the tables were already filled up with other students. Even though Lucky was above average with his height, he still had trouble finding any seating. "Maybe there's a second area? I can't find any empty tables."

At this statement, May scoffed playfully and shook her head. "Empty tables? C'mon, Lucky, it wouldn't kill ya to make some friends. C'mon, I see a couple of empty seats right over there!" She said, hurrying off to a nearby table. Before the Acara could say anything, May had already sat herself right down, setting her bowl of noodles and looking over at Lucky expectantly. Looking over the other Neopians at the table, Lucky's enthusiasm did not seem to go up. He didn't tend to do too well around new people. Heck, he was still kind of iffy about May!

One of the other Neopains was a Kyrii, who certainly came from Mystery Island, due to the bone necklace that he was wearing and his long green hair. He also had a single tooth ear ring, and had gold bracelets on. Other than a simple, yet long, grass skirt, he was not wearing anything else. The Kyrii had pinned the buttons on the skirt hem, since he had no shirt to afix them on. He paid little attention to anyone else at the table and instead took to prodding and stabbing at a bowl of... what was hopefully food. He knew that those from Mystery Island tended to be quite odd, so he tried not to judge it too much. Still, a bowl of what looked like oily slop just didn't seem very appetizing to Lucky.

Sitting across from the Kyrii was an Aisha, who's background was very obviously Darigan, with dark purple skin and black spikes menacing their back. Their hair was short, neat, and black (obviously), and their red eyes seemed to look at May for a few seconds before returning to their meal. The Darigan Aisha was eating a salad with steak on it, though judging from the amount of blood that pooled around it, the meat looked far too undercooked for Lucky's taste. The Aisha looked incredibly androgynous at a distance, due to the fact that they weren't speaking either. Not only that, but they wore some important looking, yet large robes with a large hood (currently kept down), the lapel of the robes pinned with the same GNU button that Lucky and May acquired earlier. The dark colors of the Darigan Citadel made up the second button.

Finally, the third stranger at the table would be a blue Moehog, with a long orange mullet. Upon closer glance, it was obvious that he came from Tyrannia, due to his larger-than-average tusks. Much like the Kyrii, the Tyrannian wore very little 'modern' clothes, and instead opted for a standard speckled pelt. He also had a ring made of bone pierced into it's snout. The Moehog looked like it was the strongest, physically, as his arms were incredibly muscular, and some pecs were visible as well. He also took no notice to any of the others, as he instead opted to messily eat away at a piece of raw meat with one hand, holding a large Juppie berry in the other, snorting all the while.

None of these strangers really seemed too friendly, in Lucky's opinion, and he would've rather just sat by himself than sit with such imposing figures. However, May's giant, sparkling eyes showed absolutely no fear and kept staring intently, yet patiently, at the Acara. With a quiet, rejected sigh, Lucky slumped his shoulders a bit and stepped forwards. He shifted into his seat as silently as he could, eating his food and keeping to himself.

Of course, May took this as a cue to start up conversation with the others, much to Lucky's chagrin. "Heya! Nice to meet ya all!" She began eagerly. Lucky's ears folded down a bit as the Kyrii and the Aisha turned their gaze towards them. The Moehog, however, paid no mind and kept eating his meal. After a few seconds of awkward silence, the Xweetok took it upon herself to continue her greeting. "My name is May: Illusen's finest disciple! And this here is Lucky! He's here all the way from Neopia Central!" She said, wasting no time in introducing the shy Acara.

Being put on the spot, Lucky looked between the other two Neopians, who now turned their gaze to him curiously. He could feel his face burn a shade of red, due to the fact he hated being brought to attention, especially unexpectedly. Wanting to not be incredibly awkward, he lifted a hand up gently and gave it a little wave.

A derisive scoff was soon heard from Lucky's left, which came from the Aisha, who had crossed their arms in an important manner. "Neopia Central? What'd you do that was so important to get in? Run the most successful lemonade stand around? Maybe even have the biggest stamp collection?" The Aisha joked. Her voice was clearly feminine, yet also rough and very thick with a Darigan accent. May looked quite taken aback with the Aisha's blatant rudeness, balking at the statement. Meanwhile, Lucky buried his face into his food, taking another bite.

Just as he was starting to wish he was invisible, another voice piped up across from the three. "It's awfully impolite to not finish a greeting, dontcha know?" The Kyrii asked, glaring and raising an eyebrow to the Aisha. His voice was smooth, yet high pitched, and also matched his place of origin. After another small scoff and a roll of her eyes, the Aisha remained silent. This gave the Mystery Island native the time to turn to May and Lucky, shrugging his shoulders. "Sorry, about that. Guess she's not used to niceness where she's from," He stated, taking a jab at the Darigan girl. "My name is Enele, an apprentice mystic," He began.

"Oooh, a mystic? So, like, you can tell the future and stuff?" May asked curiously.

Enele laughed a bit and waved a hand. "Kind of. I have predicted events in the past, and even helped the island prepare for a mudslide. I think that is the reason why I was invited to this school. Much much larger than the school we have on the Island, that is for sure," He added with a chuckle.

"That's even less impressive than what I thought," The Aisha laughed, earning another glare from Enele.

"And what makes you so important, eh?" He asked suspiciously.

Leaning back in her chair, the Aisha got a proud look and grinned. "I'm one of Lord Darigan's personal assistant. Name's Val, and Lord Darigan personally made sure I got in. After all, I am the one that kept him from being poisoned by a mole," She added on in a prideful manner.

This made the others curious, as they looked to each other and then back at Val. "Wow, a mole? Did it turn out to be another assistant? Or a guard? Or the butler? It was probably the butler, wasn't it?" May rambled aloud.

Val answered with a shrug. "Didn't matter. Took care of 'im the moment I saw him slip the dust into my Lord's goblet. Never saw me comin'," She snickered evilly.

For the first time, Lucky managed to gather up enough words to ask a question. "Is that what you normally do?"

"More or less," Val replied to the Acara. "Guess you could say I'm a bit of a spy of sorts. I go around the Citadel and listen on troublemakers and thieves. I make sure I stop 'em from seeing through their misdeeds and... 'take care of 'em'," She added on carefully.

"So that means you..?" Lucky trailed off cautiously, wondering if 'taking care' of someone meant what he thought. In no time, she unsheathed a dagger from a hidden pocket, picking at her fingernails with it casually.

"What do you think?" Val asked with a bit of a sneer. This quickly shut up Lucky, with him and May keeping a close eye on the dagger. "Just mind yer P's and Q's and nothin' will happen."

As May nodded meekly, the Kyrii huffed. "Put that away, Darigan. You have no need for that," Enele warned, pointing a fork in her direction.

"And are you gonna make me?" She threatened, pointing the dagger in his direction. Before the Kyrii could respond, however, a new voice at the table made itself known, beginning with a loud snort.

"Alright, you two, let's just relax a bit," The Moehog said, speaking in a surprisingly elegant, articulate voice, sitting up enough to keep Val and Enele from fighting. "No one's here to cause any trouble," He continued calmly, sitting in his seat and taking another few bites of his raw meat.

Wanting to also keep any fights from occurring, May spoke up and nodded. "Yeah, we're all friends here!" She said, which elicited another scoff from Val. "So what's your story, stranger?" She asked the Moehog, who peeked up from eating and began to speak again.

"I'm Krugg. Used to be a weightlifter back in Tyrannia. Damn good one, too," He said with a bit of a snort. "However, I soon decided I'd rather tell stories. Taught myself Common Neopian just so I could tell stories to more than just Tyrannians. After all, speaking only Ugga would put a few others off," He said with a laugh. "From myths to heroes, villains, fables, all of those types of stories, I'd tell numerous others lots of enjoyable stories. Guess they invited me here because I'm so well spoken? Who knows," He concluded thoughtfully. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"Likewise, Krugg!" May responded eagerly. "You'll definitely have to regale us in a tale sometime!"

"Of course!" He began enthusiastically, rubbing his chin. "Hmm... I've been cooking up one story about this vampire Chia-"

"Another time perhaps, eh?" Enele offered with a sheepish smile. "We don't have much time for a story right this moment."

"Besides, we still don't know anything about Lucky over 'ere," Val said, pointing in the Acara's direction. Upon hearing his name, Lucky peered up sheepishly, polishing off his pita as four pairs of eyes were currently fixated on him. "So c'mon, for real. Did ya own the most successful shop and make a shitload of money?"

"Uh... well, no," Lucky replied after finishing off his lunch. "I worked as the apprentice to someone else."

"Ugh, lame," Val replied, rolling her eyes.

"Were you a hero of any sort, perhaps?" Krugg. "Even the smallest bit of action gets the attention of the school, I've heard."

"Maybe he's keeping a few secrets up his sleeve, eh?" Enele offered, flashing a knowing smirk. "Blackmail someone, perhaps?"

"Coulda bought an invite, too..." Val said aloud.

"N-no, nothing like that at all!" Lucky insisted, his eyes wide as he accused of dirty tricks. "I swear, I just woke up one day and found the letter delivered to me," He explained, feeling quite nervous at this point. The last thing he wanted was to be treated like a criminal on the first day. He knew how rumors worked...

Fortunately for him, May seemed to come to his aid, her usual cheery tone trying to put a positive spin on the situation. "Well, whatever it was, it must have been important! They don't just choose anyone, after all. Maybe they just see something in ya!" The Xweetok offered , smiling gently and placing a hand on his shoulder. While not usually one to like being touched, Lucky didn't seem to pull away from the comforting act.

"Well... I appreciate it, May," Lucky responded, giving a small smile to her. "I'm just as confused as everyone else, though. If I knew the reason I was here, I'd definitely say so."

"Hey, it's alright! I was just pullin' your leg," the Kyrii replied, chuckling a bit. "I wouldn't know what to say in your position either."

"What matters most is that we're all here now," Krugg added, snorting with an important tone. "So we might as well see it through!"

"Yup yup! Friends help friends, so that's what we're gonna do, right?" May asked.

"Better than being alone, that's for sure," Lucky responded with a small laugh of his own.

"Certainly works for me, eh?" Enele added on, with Krugg nodding in agreement. This time, it was Val's turn to receive everyone's gaze, as she merely sat there in silence. Her arms hadn't uncrossed the entire time she had been sitting there,. She looked quite perturbed, yet also visible confused. After a few seconds of awkward, expectant silence, she finally sighed.

"Ah... could be worse Neopians to be with, I suppose... why not, I'll humor you all, yeah?" She responded, doing her best to hide a self-important grin on her face. "Just don't make me regret it, alright?" She snapped suddenly.

"Awesome!" May sang, quickly leaning over to hug the Aisha tightly, due to excitement. From the displeased look that flashed upon Val's face, it was safe to say that she did not enjoy the sudden hug.

"Gaaah!" She exclaimed, trying to pry the hyperactive Xweetok off. The three guys laughed at the sight, quickly finding good company in each other. As Lucky took a sip of his water, he felt a lot more at home, especially with new friends. It was still quite odd to him, of course, as just a few minutes ago, they were all strangers, sitting at a table and not talking to each other. If anything, he had May to thank for this, as she was the one who got everyone talking.

Of course, with how tight she was holding onto Val, he didn't want to thank her too soon. He didn't feel like getting squeezed to death right now.

_____________________________________________

It wasn't long before the group finished up lunch, as well as a bunch of other students. Now was the time to sign up for some classes, which took place in the middle of the courtyard. The GNU's courtyard, as expected, was extremely well kept, with all of the shrubbery cut to look like historical figures. Lots of very color flowers were planted in beautiful patterns all over the place, with various Petpetpets buzzing and flying around them happily. Perhaps the most noticeable art piece, however, was a large stone statue, depicting the symbol of the Grand Neopian University: a large open book with Neopia resting in the middle of it.

"Wow!" May exclaimed upon seeing the gorgeous courtyard. "They must've taken forever to make it look this pretty!"

"I hear they let some of the students take part in groundskeeping and gardening for the school," Krugg informed, which made the Xweetok beam from ear to ear.

"Oooh, I definitely wanna sign up for that program!"

"Don't sign up for too much. Otherwise, you'll have no time in the day for yourself," Lucky advised, heading with the group towards a large cluster of desks, each one of them formed by a large line.

"Well this is gonna take awhile," Val sighed, getting in one of the numerous lines.

"Aw, don't be like that. The lines seem to be moving quickly," Enele pointed out. Indeed, it didn't seem like the staff was taking too much time. For the most part, from what Lucky saw, they would pull out a sheet of paper, talk to the Neopian for a few minutes, write some stuff down, and hand it over to them.

The group of newly acquainted friends still had to wait in the lines for a good while, trying their best to keep small talk going. With stomachs full of food, they would've preferred to hurry up and get their new schedules so that they could take a nice long nap.

After what seemed like a half hour or so, the group managed to be called forward one at a time, talking to professors about what they would want to take. Lucky, naturally, was seperated from the others by an older Wocky professor, who eyed him over through his thick glasses. Even through the professor's large beard and mustache, he could tell that no smile graced his face. Not out of anger, just out of disinterest. Apparently, the Wocky was quite tired as well.

"Let's see... Lucky, yes?" He began, not waiting for an answer before returning to his paperwork. "Says here you're a freshman, so you'll have the mandatory class of 'Neopian History', along with the other freshmen, which will start at 9 am on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Anything after that is entirely up to you. Hmm... Neopia Central, huh? Perhaps a business related class would interest you?" He droned to the Acara, raising a big, bushy eyebrow.

Despite the obvious stereotype of him being a shopkeeper, Lucky did have a legitimate interest in economy. With a nod, he responded, "Uh, sure thing. Perhaps economy or something?" Wordlessly, the Wocky professor nodded in return, quickly scribbling the class times on the paper.

"Economics 101, Mondays and Tuesdays at 12... any other hobbies or interests?" He asked in a bored tone.

Knowing that 'games' was hardly a proper answer for this type of question, Lucky decided to think a little bit harder on it. "Uh...well, I like music..?" He said, feeling unsure of himself.

Instead of writing anything, the professor raised his eyebrow again. "What instrument can you play?" Lucky remained quiet for a few too many seconds, not sure of how to phrase 'I don't know how to play anything'. With a sigh and a small shake of his head, he wrote something on the bottom of the schedule. "I'll refer you to Doctor Finklebaum. She tends to be in her office in the evening from five to six in the afternoon. Maybe she can help you with that," He explained, writing her room and office number on it. "I do assume you have a Neophone, yes?"

Finally, a question Lucky could answer properly! "Yeah, I do. It's a little outdated, will that matter?" The Acara answered, holding up a simple, black phone. It definitely had some wear to it, but was still ultimately in one piece. Hell, the screen wasn't even cracked.

"So long as it can make calls and keep a connection, you'll be fine," The Wocky replied. He paused a moment, looking over the Acara with a more focused stare. Despite Lucky's obvious discomfort, the professor took his time before speaking up. "Say, lad, is that a real water faerie token around your neck?" He asked, showing interest for the first time in a few hours.

"Oh, this?" Lucky asked, holding it up to look over it himself. He nearly forgot that he was still wearing it. "Unfortunately, no. At least, I don't think so," He answered, scratching his head. "I got it as a gift one year."

"A gift, hm?" The professor hummed, a little bit more interest starting to show on his wrinkled, whiskered face.

"N-not from a faerie, of course. Just from my old boss," Lucky added on awkwardly.

The Wocky man stared a little while longer at the charm before returning his attention to the schedule, writing down another few classes and times. "...still, it seems like you have an interest in this sort of subject, so I've got you down for magic classes. Tuesdays and Thursdays at one in the afternoon," He rambled. Lucky smiled a little bit more, nodding in response. Magic was cool, and learning how to harness it would be nice. He just hoped he'd be good at it.

"Great! Thank you!" He said, looking over the paper. "Uh, may I ask what the other class is?" He asked skeptically.

"Our magic classes are conjoined with battle classes, so naturally I signed you up for both. After all, what good is learning magic if you don't know how to properly apply it?" The professor asked in a rhetorical manner. "These classes start at one in the afternoon on Wednesdays and Fridays," He concluded. Lucky's stomach sank a bit, his excitement dwindling. If there's one thing Lucky knew he wasn't going to be good at, it was fighting. A skinny twig like him would be utterly useless in an arena!

"I-I see..." He said with an unsure tone.

"You'll be fine, lad. After all, you look like you got a good head on your shoulder. Fighting isn't just about brawn, y'know," The Wocky replied, writing a few more things down on the paper before signing it. From the looks of it, he was referring to another sheet of paper to help come up with the book list. Each class was associated with one or two books, which would need to be purchased. "Alrighty, here you go, lad. Classes begin tomorrow, so get any last minute supplies before then."

"Thank you, sir," Lucky stated, scanning over the list quickly. His brow furrowed a bit as he read over the book list. He figured that however much it costed would be a lot more than what Lucky had in his pockets currently. "Uh, quick question, sir... what if I don't have the funds to buy all that I need?"

At this, the professor sighed, waving him off. "Lad, I'm sure you'll figure that out on your own. Now please move along, there's still more students who are waiting for their schedules," He sighed in a tired tone.

"R-right! Sorry about that, thanks again," Lucky replied hurriedly, quickly rushing out of line. Once out of the way, he kept scanning over everything, his nerves feeling a bit overwhelmed again. What if he didn't understand any of the subject matter? What if he was unable to attend a class? What if he ran out of money the first week of school?

While his anxieties bounced around his head, he was met with the familiar voice of his roommate. "Hey again! Finally get your classes sorted out?" She asked innocently.

"Eh... more or less?" Lucky responded, scratching his head once again.

"Works for me! The others went on ahead to the Book Store, so we should probably head over there," She said, walking alongside the Acara. "We can talk about our classes on the way there!"

"Sure thing," He responded, sighing gently to himself. "Well, she's helped me make friends, so hopefully she'll help keep my mind off of my worries," He thought, adjusting his glasses. At the very least, he knew he had a couple thousand NP to spend on supplies. With a new set of friends, he knew he wasn't going to be lonely, either, so thankfully he was off to a good start.

He just hoped it would continue as such.

[mister-lucky-bunny]

The Grand Neopian University Chpt. 1

Time to post another fanfiction! This time, it’s a relatively old one (one I’m not even sure I’ll continue but I’ll post anyways). It’s a Neopets related one featuring original characters. Hope you all enjoy!

Description:  The GNU was built to allow knowledgeable and talented neopets a place to sharpen and hone their skills. So how did Lucky, a simple Acaran shop assistant, get in? With the help of new friends, he learns how to come out of his shell and be more self confident. 

The Grand Neopian University

Chapter 1: Orientation

Years ago, a council of the smartest individuals in all of Neopia would form, with the intent of searching for those eager for a higher learning. King Hagan of Brightvale, King Altador, The Library Faerie, and naturally, Queen Fyora, would be but a few members of this council. They discussed for weeks about their school plans. A college for the brightest, wisest, and most talented of neopets would be formed, allowing them the opportunity to be recognized for their excellence.

The biggest topic, of course, would be where the college would be located. Of course, King Altador wished for it to be in Altador, as it would add great historical value to the school. King Hagan, however, wished for it to be located in Brightvale. After all, with as many bookshops and libraries as there were, it would be easy for any neopets to acquire any needed knowledge. The Library Faerie wished for it to be in Faerieland, as it would provide great protection to students.

Discussion of the location of the school continued on for quite awhile, a few arguments occurring. Seeking to put a stop to these childish and needless arguments, Queen Fyora decided that the university in question would be it's own city. Numerous buildings would provide not only rooms for learning, but also dorms for living, a couple of restaurants, book stores, and other amenities.

After finding an uninhabited patch of land, a group of faeries began to work on building the new land. Of course, King Altador would not forget to bring up the idea of a Yooyuball team for the new college town. Queen Fyora was certainly not against it, letting him be in charge of developing the details of it. After the place was completed, of course. It would take months before all of the buildings were completed and furnished.

The council would than begin the little finishing touches. During their meeting, they had decided that the school colors would be a mixture of gold and purple. Banners draped everyone had the school colors, a crest in the middle of each one. The crest would be of an opened book with the planet of Neopia centered in the middle, floating above it slightly. Thus, the Grand Neopian University was created. With a new land made, the only thing that was left was to find residents for the college town.

Throughout Neopia, many leaders would help with this search. Naturally, they started by sending over known heroes, not only to learn, but to teach if they so wished. Aside from them, accomplished fighters and well known authors were next. For awhile, it was almost as if only celebrities were allowed there. Soon after, as more and more neopets began to show true skill and knowledge and power, they were soon offered an invitation to the GNU.

Of course, not everyone was as earnest about attending. A few neopets who received the offer decided to instead auction the invitation off to any other high paying neopet, willing to spend all their neopoints on an opportunity to attend. A few others were desperate for attendance, but were not given the offer. Many times, this often resulted in thievery, which many rulers couldn't catch or apprehend.

After a few semesters, though, there became a larger balance of well meaning neopets, usually outweighing the ones who merely bought their way in. Soon, many neopets would work as hard as they could, wanting to get the chance to move to this place. Gaining skills and knowledge that wouldn't be given otherwise, chances to meet various heroes and celebrities, and even free tickets for future Altador Cup games! Who wouldn't love that?

Years passed as more and more neopets joined attendance with each new semester. While many often graduated into very high paying jobs, it wasn't unusual for graduates to remain in the GNU, if only because alumni were allowed to live there as long as they needed. Many often said an infamous phrase of the GNU: "If you're brought in, you'll be set for life." It was quite true, indeed, as it was quite rare for graduates to leave the campus. Those that did, however, were often shown to have vastly superior knowledge and skill than anyone else, even if they had lots of it beforehand.

_____________________________________________________

...so how did I get here?

A lone blue Acara stood near the entrance of the GNU, glancing over his papers and ticket in his paws as he thought to himself. He had to adjust his glasses to examine his ticket once more, making sure that it wasn't a phony dropped off by some prankster. The papers that came in the envelope he received had congratulated him on being one of the few neopets selected to be allowed residence at the university. While he was certainly thrilled, he felt like he shouldn't even be there.

Of all the rumors that surrounded the great college, one of them would be that there would be little to no residents who came from Neopia Central. It made sense, though. Neopia Central was more well-known for it's shops than it was it's residents. Anyone who happened to live in that place would most likely be keen to stick to shop keeping, rather than pursue higher education. The Acara, named Lucky, would be the assistant of one of these shops. A game shop, to be precise. He helped stock up shelves of various cards, board games, and sometimes video games. It was a nice little gig, though he never really felt like he would be able to keep this as an actual career. After all, the owner himself, a chubby, yet joyful, Kacheek, didn't seem like he would step down any time soon.

Education was quite limited for residents in Neopia Central as well. The only school building would be a single room building, teaching bare fundamentals of maths, reading, history, and history. While it certainly wasn't much, Lucky took in as much as he possibly could. A few times, he felt like he just barely passed by tests and quizzes, a few other students showing more skill than he. Not that he cared too badly, since he was used to being blended into a crowd. Nothing too special about him. Even in his own small group of friends, he tended to stick to the sidelines, staying quiet and listening to them converse.

One morning, after brushing his shaggy brown hair and getting dressed for another day of work, Lucky was greeted by the Kacheek, who had a wide, surprised look on his face. He said nothing, but handed him the letter. On the front written in gold letters, the purple and gold emblem stamped on the side, was addressed to him.

From the Grand Neopian University.

It wouldn't take long for him to rip open the letter and quickly read through it, his heart just about ready to beat out of his chest. The shop owner was excited as well, wanting this letter to be confirmed. With a single nod from the blue Acara, the man let out laughs of happiness, eagerly gripping and shaking his hand. He rambled on about how proud he was of his assistant, not only happy to see him be able to accomplish more than a mere shopkeeper, but the fact that someone from Neopia Central actually managed to get in!

After allowing Lucky to get his stuff ready, giving him his final pay (with a little extra for good measure), the game shop owner let Lucky leave the store, giving one last handshake before sending him off to travel to the GNU. Of course, many other residents of Neopia Central came up to him, asking if the rumors were true. With such a tightly knit community, it seemed news traveled fast. The sudden wave of popularity made him feel quite... uncomfortable. It was not something he was used to, and with everyone flocking to him, he merely felt like getting to the university as soon as possible.

Of course, he would still wave and smile politely, carrying his bags and pouches with him as he moved towards the edge of the city. A few neopets looked on in envy, wondering how someone of such little importance could get into such a prestigious school. His friends were the most happy for him, though, each one pulling him into one final group hug, wishing him the best of luck. With tears, cheers, and laughs of great fortune, Neopia Central sent Lucky on his way.

Now he found himself at the gates. Even though his excursion would last for quite a few days, it wouldn't be until now that the whole weight of the situation came down on him. How had he managed to get an invitation? Not only that, but he was way out of his element. So many neopets around him, talking to each other about classes they would be taking, as well as Yooyuball practice, fighting practice, study sessions, and other such similar events. It made his head spin a bit.

Lucky caught his breath as he rested against a fence, inhaling a little to mentally prepare himself. He was here now, wasn't he? He might as well see this through. He looked down over his attire. The Acara had dressed himself in a plain blue jacket to match his fur, as well as a plain white t-shirt and regular khaki pants. Around his neck hung, what he called, his good luck charm. It would be the bright blue symbol of the Water Faerie. A present he had received one year for the Holidays. He figured it was just a fake, but wore it nevertheless. Lucky liked water related things, which made sense his species tended to be attracted to water anyways.

He gripped his charm in his paw as he looked around at all the other students. Some looked just as surprised and lost as he was, being fellow freshmen. Of course, plenty of them would be carrying more bags, and sometimes would have rather fancy colors for their fur or scales. Personally, Lucky didn't mind being blue, though if given the chance he wouldn't mind being purple. Or a faerie. He was a fan of those wings.

The Acara gathered up everything and made his way inside the main building. A banner was set up that said "Freshmen Sign In", showing newcomers where to go. Lucky followed the signs before he came up to a large table. Three lines were formed as three different neopets helped get everyone signed in. After waiting in one of the lines for a bit, he finally made it to front, where he was helped by a friendly pink Nimmo lady.

After showing his letter, his envelope, his ticket, and his ID, she looked everything over. At one point, her eyebrow seemed to raise, looking back up at the Acara. "...where did you previously reside?" She had asked simply.

Thinking it was a standard question for them to ask, he answered, "Neopia Central." He kept his voice low, but even then, a few standing around murmured in curiosity. Again, quite rare to have someone come from there.

The Nimmo blinked and smiled politely, holding up a finger. "One second, if you please." Soon, she lifted up a giant binding folder, quickly turning to a certain page with a brown colored tab. She scanned her finger over various names, which were sorted by alphabetical order, as well as region. She stopped in the shortest section of her binder, reading the name.

Neopia Central

Name: Lucky

Species: Acara

Gender: Male

Age: 20

Unsurprisingly, his was the only name in that specific section. She gave a surprised smile, shutting her book and grinning. "Well, we're glad to have you here, Lucky. Living up to your name quite well, aren't we?" She continued, giggling a bit. Lucky chuckled politely, feeling a bit awkward. It was just a region, he didn't feel like it made him special or anything. Nevertheless, the Nimmo reached behind her and handed him a large parcel, a key and number taped to the top of it. "Here's your dorm key, as well as a welcome gift. I hope you don't mind having a roommate." Without waiting for a response, she reached back under the table and handed to ribbons to pin on his jacket. One would be the purple and gold emblem of the GNU, while the other would be the rainbow emblem of Neopia Central. She smiled brightly at him as she waved him off. "I don't get to hand those out often, y'know. I suggest you get to your room to unpack: orientation is in a couple of hours."

With that, Lucky walked off with the package in his arms. Like usual, he blended into the crowd rather well, not being too special to pick out. It was relatively easy to pin him down as a freshman, though, since he carried the parcel in his arms. Since it covered his ribbons, not many actually knew where he would come from, though in all honesty, they wouldn't care. He was just a freshman, after all. The Acara didn't mind that no one bothered him. He had gotten used to being a bit of a loner.

A small trip to the dorms later, he stood in front of his room. He had to go up a couple of stories, managing to get up to the 6th level of the large building. He looked at his paper to make sure the room was right. "Room 6-D..." He muttered to himself, double checking. Lucky reached for the key and began to unlock the door, stepping in. Inside, he'd see someone already starting to unpack their stuff. From the clothing they wore, it looked very... nature oriented. A vine and leaf covered green dress with matching leggings, to be specific. They also wore a flower in their hair, which was a grassy green. For that matter, they themselves had a fur texture that almost looked like... wood!

The sound of someone entering the room made them quickly turn their head, blinking their big brown eyes at the Acara as their tail twitched. Upon being able to see their face, Lucky immediately recognized his roommate as a Xweetok. He noticed on the front of her dress, besides the GNU ribbon was a blue and red ribbon, adorning the Meridell colors.

Before the Acara could make an awkward greeting, the Xweetok straightened themselves up and faced him, smiling brightly and waving excitedly. "Oh my goodness, hiya! You must be my new roommate, right?" It was apparent with the high pitched, rather squeaky voice, this was a girl. It wouldn't be long before she bounded up to him, her tail twitching eagerly as she shook his hand vigorously. "I'm May! It's such a pleasure to meet you!"

Lucky was a bit taken back by her sudden burst of energy, but smiled and fixed his glasses, which were knocked slightly askew. "L-likewise..!" He began, grinning to her. He felt somewhat uncomfortable, since she was really close to him. Still, he managed to back up a bit and gather his bearings (which didn't do any good, as she quickly stepped forward to refill the gap). "Well, uh, my name's Lucky. I take it from the ribbon, you're from Meridell?" He said, breaking the ice.

"Yup yup! That's my home!" She said, nodding eagerly. "I'm one of the biggest followers of Illusen, y'know! I think that's why I was allowed to come here!" She rambled on, her large eyes looking directly into his. This put him off a little, but let her continue. Soon, her eyes went down to his jacket, gasping as she saw the rainbow ribbon. "Woah... are you from Neopia Central?" She asked excitedly. He merely nodded, rubbing the back of his head. "Wooooah! That's super cool!" May continued, hopping up and down some. "I've heard that it's, like, really rare for someone from that region to be admitted. You must've done something super big and important!"

The Acara shook his head, trying to side step his overeager roommate and set his stuff inside the dorm. "Well, no not really. All I really did was help run a game shop." He explained simply. Her face seemed to fall a little, though more so out of confusion.

"That's it? Hmmmm..." May hummed, putting her hand on her chin as she looked thoughtful. She soon shrugged and giggled, skipping over to his side quickly. "Well, whatever the reason, it's great to have you as a roommate, Lucky!" She quickly pulled him into a tight hug, which surprised him. The Xweetok's tail twitched a little as she finally let go, beaming up at him. "So hey, we got some time before orientation! Let's talk while we unpack!" She said, going back to her bags to pull out clothes.

Lucky shrugged and unzipped his bag, nodding with her. "Okay, sounds fine with me," He said simply. Was this girl always this energetic?

______________________________________________________

At one point, Lucky and May opened their welcome gifts, revealing a book guide to the school, a free copy of The History of GNU, a purple and gold hoodie and matching scarf. Getting into the spirit, Lucky replaced his jacket with the hoodie, pinning the welcome ribbons to the front. May had taken to pulling it over her dress, not bothering to place the ribbons to the hoodie.

After a bit of a time to unpack and talk to each other about various topics, May quickly realized that they only had 20 minutes before orientation started. She told him to follow before zipping out of the room to the auditorium. Lucky blinked at her speed, shrugging at this as he soon followed, running after her. He certainly wasn't as fast as a Xweetok, but that didn't really matter to him.

In no time, he finally made it inside the crowded auditorium, May waving him over with a large grin. It seems she had saved a seat for him, which he gratefully took with a smile. Beats having to spend too much time looking for a free seat, that's for sure. Soon, a stout, red, elderly looking Yurble stepped out onto the stage, moving his hands up to get everyone's attention. The noise quieted down and he spoke.

"Freshmen, welcome to the Grand Neopian University! You have all been selected by the council because of your outstanding performances and your accomplishments," He called, speaking in a loud, regal voice with a very noticeable Brightvale accent. Lucky shifted a little in his seat, knowing that he did not have such accomplishments, but the Yurble continued.

"Today, you will all be given the opportunity to start your days in our prestigious society. Schedules will be mailed to your dorms by tomorrow morning, along with a book list, a map of the campus, and a set of rules. Be sure to follow them, as we are quite strict about them," He warned, looking out upon the crowd. He gave a smile as he went on with his ramble. "You will meet some of the strongest, most intelligent, accomplished individuals during your stay here, in hopes that you will rise up to the occasion and be like them. You will make new friends and partake in activities that only you will be allowed to join in on."

Lucky listened to him, taking a bit of time to look around. It was quite clear that there were some very interesting neopets attending. Various colors, different regions, all of whom dressed quite differently. Soon, the Yurble was finished with his rather long winded speech, waving them off. "Go, young freshmen, and see what your new home has to offer you!" With that, everyone began to speak up, starting to stand and walk out. May joined Lucky's side as she talked excitedly about potential classes she would take.

"Yooyuball practice team for sure! I've always wanted to join in on that sport, but never had the opportunity back in Meridell. Oh! Agriculture also! There are so many choices to pick from!" She squeaked excitedly, the Acara smiling at her eagerness. As usual, he kept silent, willing to listen to her. The wooden Xweetok's ears twitched a little as she looked up at him. "What about you, Lucky?"

He gave a simple shrug. "Not too sure, at the moment. Maybe magical arts, or something like that." Truth be told, he had no idea what the school had to offer in regards to magic. Such a prestigious place was bound to have something regarding magic. The thought was quite exciting, though, since there was so much to sign up for. The big question in his mind was whether or not he would actually be good at anything.

"Ooh, cool! Maybe some battle related classes could help us out too!" May squeaked on, skipping eagerly beside the Acara. "For now, though, let's go get somethin' to eat, I'm starving!" With a nod, he followed the Xweetok to a nearby food court.

With a little grip on his good luck charm, the thought of what an interesting year it would be filled his head. He already had a new friend, so to speak. Before he could get lost in his thoughts and doubts again, he shook his head and kept walking. Food first, thoughts of classes later.

[mister-lucky-bunny]

New chapter of The Grand Neopian University is up! Come take a look! 

[mister-lucky-bunny]

The Grand Neopian University Chapter 3: Haggling and History

Lucky and his friends take a trip to the book store and prepare for their first class: Neopian History.

"Sheesh... I always forget just how much books actually cost," Krugg the Moehog mused, looking over the cover of a textbook titled Evolution of Biology.

"Yeah, we got this fancy thing called 'paper' in these parts," Val, the Darigan Aisha, snarked, idly scanning through another textbook. After a quick look, she added it to her small, growing collection, seemingly unfazed by the cost that they would all total out to.

"Uh, yeah, I've heard of paper before, thank you very much," Krugg replied, rolling his eyes. "Just because Tyrannians use stone for everything doesn't mean we're uneducated."

"Ah, don't let her get to ya, man," Enele the Kyrii stated, standing next to Krugg as he scanned over his own book list and schedule. "She's probably bitter that these books aren't bound in gold," Enele chuckled, making Krugg laugh along as well. Naturally, Val rolled her eyes, again unfazed by the other twos' comments.

"Ha ha," She replied coldly, turning her attention to another shelf with a stern frown. "Have you guys got everything, yet? I don't wanna be here all day," She continued on, changing the subject.

"Nearly have," Krugg replied, looking at his own future purchases. "Problem is, we may still have to wait. The other two haven't shown up yet."

"Probably got held up in the line," Enele suggested as Val rolled her eyes to herself. "Hang on a sec... I see em now," He said, pointing to the Xweetok and the Acara as they made their way into the store and towards the others.

As Lucky looked around the store for a bit, admiring the various displays and books, May laughed a bit, nodding. "Sorry we're late! Took my advisor awhile to get a schedule that worked with me! She said that I applying for too many options at once, so we had to mark my days down to be 'less impossible', as she put it," The Xweetok girl rambled.

"Jeez, how many did you try to sign up for?" Enele asked with a perked eyebrow.

"Uhh... at least 10 of em..." May said, thinking aloud. "I had to settle for five classes for my first semester," She said, sighing in slight disappointment.

"Well, at the very least we all have at least one class together, right?" Krugg suggested with a big smile.

"Hey, yeah! Don't we all have that Neopian History class?" May asked, her tone once again eager.

"Yeah, I look forward to waking up early," Val added on with a sarcastic tone. "That class sounds easy anyways. Everyone already knows the main points, anyways."

"Well, maybe we're missing something," Krugg suggested. "After all, this is a prestigious school. No doubt we'll learn something we've never heard about before!"

"Yeah, maybe we'll learn if Dacardia is a real place or not..." Enele suggested with a thoughtful tone.

"What do you think, Lucky?" May asked, turning her attention towards her roommate now. The Acara was distracted, however, as he found more interest in the assortment of books that filled the shelves. Currently, he was skimming through a book titled The Faerie Index.

"Hm? Oh, sorry!" Lucky replied after a few seconds of not responding, laughing nervously as he set the book back. "Was just having a quick look around."

"Yeah, there's no shortage of supplies here!" Enele chuckled. "Nothing new for a someone like you though, hm?"

"Well, I have been in plenty of bookshops before, but none as big as this one," Lucky replied, scanning the shelves. "Besides, I've never even heard of some of these before."

"Me either! I've heard that the University is the only place to buy some of these!" May added on.

"As long as you can afford it, of course," Val said with a small smirk.

"Of course we can!" May replied with a wave of her hand, looking towards a shelf as she scanned through it. "Illusen granted me a small bonus so that I could afford my initial costs! Besides, how much can a copy of... 'Neopian History For Freshmen' cost?" She asked, reading the cover as she lifted it up. As she turned the book around to check the pricing on the back, her eyes widened as her ears fell back, clearly alarmed by the price. "Ah. That much, huh?"

"Good luck," The Aisha said, continuing her own shopping.

"Maybe it's a good thing you only have five classes then, eh?" The Kyrii said with a small laugh.

As Lucky picked up a copy of Neopian History For Freshmen (since it was part of his book list), he said, "Yeah, this is what I was worried about." After checking the price on the book and confirming just how expensive it was (6,500 NP wasn't exactly cheap, especially on his budget), the Acara held onto it and sighed. "Well, maybe I'll find a job on campus somewhere to work part time. Earn some food money, y'know?"

"That's not a bad idea," Krugg replied with a nod. "So long as you have time to work, as well as do schoolwork and attend classes."

"No one ever said the college life was easy or cheap," Enele said, shrugging his shoulders in a casual way.

"Either way, a job would definitely help with finances! Though, I may have to haggle for now... haha..." May said with a sheepish laugh. With that, the group continued further into the book store, gathering up anything they needed (or said they needed, in a couple of cases), as well as admiring the other various books. Soon, their conversation began to lead towards each others' classes.

"While I doubt I need it, I feel like Beginner Magicka is a good way to stay sharp on my skills," said Enele, taking a copy of The Mysteries of Magic. Lucky and May did the same, with the Xweetok nodding.

"For sure! Illusen would be right cross with me if she found out I wasn't practicing!" She laughed, now holding a sizeable stack of books, much like the others.

"I just wish that we didn't have to take Battling class with it," Lucky said with a small groan. "Doubt I'll last even a minute in the Battledome, let alone a whole semester!"

"Hey, look on the bright side," Val began, patting his shoulder in a semi-comforting manner. "Maybe if you run around screaming, they'll have a harder time hitting you," She laughed, the Acara's nerves not being settled in the slightest. This caused Enele to roll his eyes and May to shoot a scornful glare at the Darigan girl.

"Oh, quiet you," Krugg shushed harshly. "I'm sure plenty of other freshmen won't have any idea of what they're doing either. It'll be a learning experience, as it should be."

"Are you doing the Battling class, Krugg?" May asked, turning her attention to the Moehog. "Surely you'd do well in it!"

"Well, thank you, but I have no interest in fighting," He said with a shake of his head. "I'll stick to Yooyuball when try-outs open up." This brightened up the Xweetok once again.

"Oh I love Yooyuball! I'm definitely gonna join you at try-outs!" She beamed, turning to the others. "What about you guys?"

"Well, I'll certainly watch," Enele replied.

"Yeah, I'm not really a sports person, if ya couldn't tell..." Lucky added on with an unsure tone.

"I'm out, too," Val said. "Besides, I'll have enough fun showing you guys up in the Battledome," She continued with a wicked grin.

"Well, we'll see about that," May responded, sticking her tongue out. "Have some faith in your fellow friends!"

"Yeah, because I don't have any in myself," Lucky muttered, finding his last book. For the time being, he'd skip out on buying the book he required for Music Class. Mostly due to the fact that he didn't know if he would actually be allowed to sign up, but also because he was now starting to scrape by with what little money he already has.

He and May were done a little bit later than the others, but it didn't take long for all of them to start walking through the line to check out. Unlike the lines where students have to make their schedules, this one was taking a lot longer than it probably should have. While certainly annoying, the reason was due to the fact that a few other students were trying their luck at haggling down prices for their items. As Lucky grew closer to the cashier, however, he realized just how much of a process it actually was. For one thing, it wasn't exactly normal for a student to be screaming at a cashier, yet it seemed a bit weird to Lucky that they weren't even budging in regards to lowering any prices.

"Listen, sir, I came all the way from Kreludor! I've read more books than this store carries, I assure you! There's no reason these books should cost this much!" shouted the angry voice of a Grundo, a pile of books laid out before an unimpressed looking Shoryu, who looked to be a few years younger than the Grundo.

"Well, tough luck," He answered in a cold, bored tone. "I don't set the prices on these books, the professors do. So unless they all decide to change their minds at the exact same time, the price of all of this is still going to be 35,000 NP."

"Feh! Fine! Of all the... rip-off artist..." The Grundo began to mutter, pulling his Neophone out and scanning it across a small machine on the counter. With a small 'beep!', the Shoryu bagged everything up and passed it across to the disgruntled Neopian, who took his purchases without another word.

"Have a nice day," The Shoryu cashier added on in an insincere tone, turning to the line. "Next, please."

As the next student went up, the group looked between each other curiously, wondering about the exchange. Lucky, however, had a different thought in mind as he pulled his phone out and examined it. "...can my phone do that?" He pondered aloud, referring to the instant digital payment.

"Oh fer- of course it can, as long as it's connected to your bank account," Val answered with a sigh, also looking over the Acara's phone over his shoulder. "...well, I think so, anyways. Yours looks like it's about to go extinct."

"It's still in... useable shape," Lucky insisted, pocketing it with an embarrassed look on his face.

"I think our bigger problem is getting past that guy," Enele said, pointing to the Shoryu, who looked to be refusing another attempt at haggling, this time from a glasses wearing Lenny. "He seems to be a real stickler for the prices."

"Maybe we oughta just pay without making a fuss about it..." Krugg suggested, rubbing the back of his head.

"You can, but I'm gonna try and cut a deal!" May said with an enthusiastic tone, puffing her chest out.

"Yeah, hold us up even longer for the same result, sounds like a fun idea," Val snarked as she rolled her eyes.

"Next, please," Called the Shoryu, his gaze turned towards the group of friends.

Giving a smug smile to Val, the Xweetok whispered, "Watch and learn." The girl stepped forward and placed the books on the counter, standing on her toes so that she could lean over it in an appearance to seem casual. "Hiya! This'll be all for me today, good sir," She greeted to him. The cashier wordlessly scanned everything in a rapid manner.

"Terrific, you're total is 30,000 NP," He stated to the Xweetok.

"Wow, that's a lot!" May began, the Shoryu beginning to sigh gentle, knowing where this was already going. "How about this... since you don't seem to have a shortage on these here history books, and also because all freshmen need them, maybe we can shorten it to-"

"30,000 NP," He stated again, much more firmly this time.

"Ah, right! Makes sense," May yelped out, quickly losing her nerve. Looking into her money sack, she quickly pulled out a large stack of Neopoints, passing it to him with a sheepish look on her face. "Er... will this cover it?" The Shoryu quickly pushed the coins into a nearby sorting machine, which clattered and rattled around loudly for a few seconds. The noise didn't seem to bother him, though, as he soon nodded and bagged up her purchases.

"Here, have a nice day," He finished, with May nodding and quickly running back to the group. Her smile was obviously one of embarrassment, as the others looked at her in both confusion and disappointment.

"...wow, uh... that was an experience," The Kyrii said, unsure of what to even say to her.

"Okay, s-so I gotta work on my haggling skills, so what?" The Xweetok said, slumping forwards.

"Next please," Called the Shoryu, glancing over to the group again.

"You give it a shot, Mr. Confidence," Val said, pushing the quiet Acara forward a bit.

"Hey, what..?" Lucky began, resisting a little.

"You're from Neopia Central, I'm sure it'll come naturally," She added on.

"Wh- okay fine," He said, sighing and stepping forward. His nerves already felt like they were made out of dung jelly, but he couldn't back out at this point. Either way, he had to pay for his books, so it was now or never. As the bored stare of the Shoryu seemed to drill into him, the Acara placed the books down and cleared his throat. "Uh, hello," He began simply.

"Hey," The Shoryu said, scanning everything. "Find everything alright?"

"Yes, I did," Lucky said, fiddling with his necklace a bit. "Well I mean, except for the fact that it was awfully hard to find 'used' books that had all of their pages..." He said, trailing off. This comment caused the Shoryu to pause momentarily, glancing upwards to the Acara, his facial expression changing from 'bored' to 'slight confusion'.

"Oh? What do you mean?" He started.

"Well..." He began, scratching his head as he put on a concerned tone. "I'm on a budget, so I always buy the secondhand stuff," He said, pointing to a cover that had a bright red 'USED' sticker on it. "However, with a few of them, I had to take some time in making sure all the pages were in tact. Heck, I'm pretty sure one of them is still missing a couple! Not to mention the writing inside of them..." He prattled on.

The Shoryu's eyebrow lifted a bit more as he looked over the cover of one of the books. The books had definitely seen a bit of usage, as they weren't in the best shape. "Well... we usually do a good job of making sure the books aren't damaged when we buy them back," He said.

"That's good!" Lucky said with a small smile. "Guess other students must've been a bit too rough while they were looking them over then," He sighed. "Hopefully it won't impede my work too much."

The Shoryu began to flip through the pages of one of the books carefully, quickly shutting it as his eyes grew slightly wider, a bit nervous as well. Was the Acara correct? He couldn't see any missing pages, although there was some blatant graffiti on a few pages. That wouldn't be good for the book store's reputation if he told others about the damages. Leaning in a little, he whispered to Lucky, "Alright look. I know what you're trying to do... but at the same time, I can see where you're coming from. I'll get you a set of new books, and won't charge ya. Just keep it a secret alright?"

Lucky merely winked and gave a small grin. "So how much do I owe?" Lucky stated, discreetly writing his room number on a note and sliding it to the Shoryu, who secretly pocketed it.

"For these used books... 20,000 NP," He answered. Lucky nodded and began counting out coins from his sack. Thinking a bit, he looked back to the Shoryu.

"Are.. you the only cashier here?" He asked. The Shoryu sighed and nodded.

"Well, aside from my manager over there, yes," He answered, pointing out a tired, yet eager looking Scorchio. "I'm just trying to get through this shift. And the next. And the next," He said with a groan.

"Well, I am in need of a job..." Lucky began with a smile, which perked up the Shoryu. Not only that, but the Scorchio quickly hurried over, sliding an application sheet and pen towards Lucky.

"Say no more!" He said with a boisterous voice, watching as the Acara signed his name, as well as writing down any information they needed, and skimming through the fine print of course. "Come by the store as soon as you can, son, and we'll get you started on training right away!"

"Wow, uh, thanks a lot, sir!" Lucky said with a friendly tone, watching as the paper was taken up.

"No problem at all, uh..." The Scorchio replied, looking at the sheet. "...Lucky! Hope to see ya soon! Now excuse me while I ring up these folks over here!" He said, darting away.

"Is he always that fast?" The Acara asked the Shoryu.

"Oh yeah. He's just looking to get through the line as fast as possible, too. Still, that was cool of ya to sign on with us. It'll certainly help," He said with a gentle smile.

"No problem! I need the money anyways," Lucky said. "Anyways, don't I also get an employee discount?"

"Oh, right, of course," The Shoryu replied, typing something on the register. "Your new total is-" He paused suddenly squinting his eyes to the Acara. "...oh you're good." Lucky merely replied with a wink and a grin.

After paying a discounted fee of only 16,000 NP, Lucky collected his purchases and walked towards the group. "Well, I just barely scraped by, but at least I got a job! I'd say that went fairly well," He said.

The others were both shocked and quite impressed with how he managed to walk away with a good discount on everything. "Woah, you really are a natural, Lucky!" May exclaimed.

"Yeah, gotta hand it to ya, that was impressive," Val added on, crossing her arms with a small grin.

"Too bad it won't work with us... I don't think, anyways," Enele said, a hand to his chin.

"Wouldn't hurt," Lucky said, turning back to the cashiers. "They seem really understaffed..."

"Next, please!" The Shoryu called out, apparently having yelled that a couple of times previously. The Kyrii quickly stepped forward to check out as he was called forward.

_______________________________________

The next day soon arrived, with the sun just starting to seep through the blinds of the dorm's windows. Lucky was laying face down in his bed, his top half exposed from the blanket. After all, the Acara slept much more comfortably wearing only a pair of simple briefs. He snored gently as his arms wrapped loosely around the pillow he was sleeping on. His glasses and phone rested on the nearby nightstand, his phone staying plugged in so that it could charge.

The Acara's peaceful sleep was soon quickly disrupted, however, as his Xweetok roommate quickly opened the door to his room, stepping in. She was already fully dressed, her hair still a bit wet from her shower. Funnily enough, the flower she chose to put in her hair also seemed to be as bright and chipper as she was, being a bright orange marigold today. "Hey hey, Lucky, get up! Classes start today!" She sang cheerfully, quickly startling the boy awake.

"Guh?!" He grunted out, lifting his head off of his pillow, wiping some drool from his mouth. Blinking a bit, he quickly reached for his glasses, fixing them as he turned around and sat up in his bed. "Whuzzat..?" He groaned sleepily, stretching a bit. It took him a few moments to realize that he was still at the college. 'Guess I'm still here, huh..?' He thought to himself, still groggy from being woken up so suddenly. It also took a few seconds to realize that he was essentially half naked in front of his roommate, who didn't seem to take notice. Lucky's face flushed a bit as he yanked his covers up to hide himself. "H-hey, knock next time, May!" He exclaimed. It didn't appease his embarrassment when the Xweetok began to giggle innocently, turning to head out of the door.

"Aw, relax, I didn't see anything!" She reassured (quite unsuccessfully, if the frown on Lucky's face was any indication). "Besides, it's not like I haven't seen someone's chest before. Now c'mon and get ready! Class starts in a couple hours and I wanna see what the food court has for breakfast!" She continued eagerly, moving out of his room. Lucky groaned as he sat up, putting on his glasses and trying to move past the semi-embarrassing incident.

"Jeez... this place is definitely more interesting than Neopia Central, that's for sure..." He'd say to himself as she shuffled towards his room's bathroom to take a shower. After drying himself off, he moved to his closet to pull out and put on a pair of jeans. As he began to fit into a large, comfy t-shirt, May opened his door and stuck her head back in, alerting him yet again.

"Oh, by the way, your books came!" She said before quickly closing the door behind her.

"Thanks..." He groaned out, quickly shuffling his shirt on before she gave herself another opportunity to interrupt him.

The rest of the morning went by without too many events. Lucky managed to collect his new set of books from the package he received before he and his roommate went off to find themselves some breakfast. Soon, the two found themselves looking for the rest of their friends.

"Mmh! I didn't even know they made pumpkin hazelnut coffee!" May exclaimed, taking another big gulp out of a paper cup. In her other hand, she was holding a delicious looking strawberry crepe with whipped cream on top.

"I still can't believe a cup of coffee here is only 100 NP," Lucky stated, taking a sip from his own cup, which contained salted caramel flavored coffee. For breakfast, the Acara decided to go with a simple granola, yogurt, and fruit cup. Even back home, a simple meal would've costed around 500 NP.

May couldn't help herself and took a bite out of her crepe, starting to talk with her mouth full. "You worry 'bout money too much..!" She replied, gulping down her mouthful of food. "Don't feel guilty about buying something you want! Especially if it's food," She explained eagerly. Lucky nodded, finding quite a bit of agreement in her statement. Soon, she waved to a table, where Enele and Krugg were currently sitting. "Oh, heya guys!" She said, hurrying to join them, with Lucky tailing behind her.

Krugg waved back before going back to eating at a giant mushroom and cheese omelette, leaving Enele to also wave and greet the other two. Oddly enough, today the Kyrii was wearing a clean, yet fashionable white and blue stripped polo shirt. "Morning, you two. Hopefully you slept alright? I know everyone tends to be excited and anxious on their first day, making it hard to do so," The Kyrii said before taking a bite out of a breakfast sandwich. Lucky hoped he was imagining the fish head sticking out of it...

The two sat themselves at the table, with May stretching and nodding. "Mm-hm! The beds here are suuuper comfy! I could've slept for hours!"

"Yeah, you can say that again," Krugg said in between mouthfuls. "I almost slept in!"

"Same here," Lucky responded as he began to scoop some granola and yogurt with a spoon. "Guess I better set my alarm a little bit earlier next time."

"That would definitely help!" Enele offered with a smile. "After all, a rested, healthy body begins with a rested, healthy mind."

"By the way, Enele, where did you get that shirt at? It looks so good on you!" May asked suddenly to the Kyrii.

"Oh, this? I got it at the clothing store on campus. They have some pretty nice choices here," He answered, looking over his own attire.

The Xweetok gasped out as he answered. "They have a clothing store too?!" She asked, visibly excited by the prospect of it. "Oh, we've so gotta check that out, Lucky!" She squealed eagerly. The Acara laughed gently at this, wondering if they'd actually have anything that would look good on him.

"Well, couldn't hurt," He said with an unsure tone. "I've got plenty of clothes, though."

"Aw, but you could get some cooler and cuter stuff!" She replied.

"Damn, what's with the yelling?" Said the tired voice of Val, who had just walked up to the table. She was only holding a paper coffee cup, and from the smell of it, it contained some very very strong black coffee. She wore her usual robes, though her eyes looked a lot more tired than they did yesterday.

Enele couldn't help but snicker a bit as she sat with the group. "See, Lucky, this is what happens when you don't get enough sleep." The Acara started to help but quickly held it in, due to how peeved Val appeared. Krugg snorted a bit while May openly laughed at the joke.

The Aisha merely rolled her eyes and sipped her coffee. "Whatever," She grumbled. "Just not used to being up this early. More of a night person, y'know?"

"We do all have our own internal clocks," Krugg said as he soon finished up his breakfast. "Also, unrelated, but do you have a roommate, Val?"

"No. Why?" She answered a little too quickly, raising an eyebrow to the Moehog.

"Just wondering," He said with a shrug. "It's just that Enele and I are roommates, and Lucky and May are as well."

"Yeah, don't tell us you managed to luck out with a single?" May said as she leaned towards Val.

"Yeah, I did," She answered after taking another sip of her coffee. "Lord Darigan made sure I got a good room. Nice and big, spacious, and no roommates."

Despite this, only May seemed to be the one to believe her, as Enele, Krugg, and Lucky shared a look between each other, confirming that they all figured she was hiding something. Of course, the Acara looked to his phone, perking up as he looked back at everyone. "Class starts in about 15 minutes, we should make our way to the room," He announced. Everyone quickly finished off their food and drinks before throwing away any garbage and heading to the building.

Thankfully they didn't have too far to go, and they were fortunate enough to get into a good row of seats that accommodated all of them. Many other freshmen also filed into the room at an even pace, with conversation being abundant.

Right at 9:00, an older, smartly dressed, green Kougra man walked in. He wore a nice button up with a green tie and nice slacks, as well as a set of glasses. He stood in front of everyone, setting down his bag and a large three-ring binder. The moment he cleared his throat, every student turned their attention to him, slowly quieting up.

"Good morning everyone," He began gently, a large warm smile on his face. "My name is Dr. Katzbury. Welcome to Neopian History," He began, turning towards the giant dry erase board and writing out his name. "Before we get properly started, I wanna go ahead and go ahead and go around the room and see what everyone knows about general history," He started. This confused quite a few students, as they began to murmur to each other. What exactly did he mean?

It wasn't long before he randomly pointed to a checkered Gelert in the front row. "Anything come to mind, mister..?"

The Gelert quickly sat up, not expecting to be picked immediately. "Eh? Uh... well, there's the war between Meridell and Brightvale," He said hesitantly. Dr. Katzbury seemed pleased by this answer, giving a simple nod.

"Ah yes, of course. This oughta lead to another easy answer..." He said, pointing right at Val with a small grin. "Especially for you, Ms..?"

"Valyssa," She said, not bothering to straighten up. "And I believe you're referring to when Kass overthrew the Citadel?"

"That's right! Common knowledge to everyone, I should hope," The Kougra said, scanning the students. Val smirked to herself, rolling her eyes a bit. Of course everyone should know that. "Anything else? Doesn't have to be a war or a battle, you know."

"How about the Volcano on Mystery Island?" Enele offered with a hand raised.

"Would the finding of Altador count?" Called out a random Gnorbu girl.

"Don't forget about Maraqua's curse!" Hissed the voice of a Hissi.

"And King Coltzan's death!" Stated a Nimmo.

The teacher lifted his hands up to silence everyone, an impressed smile on his face. "I see, I see! You all know quite a bit about current events. Of course, it wouldn't be fun to re-teach you everything you already know... but what about the stuff that isn't' talked about?"

"What about the citizens of these cities that lived through these events? How was the rest of Neopia affected due to the Citadel? How did the death of King Coltzan III change how the Lost Dessert was run? You see, the fun in learning about history is in the small details. To truly appreciate what had happened, it's always in your best interest to learn everything that you can."

He began to scan through the students again, thinking aloud. "I know some of you guys know something obscure. Come on, impress me!" He challenged, pointing to an Eyrie, who from the looks of it, came from the Lost Desert. "How about you, Ms..?"

"Rasha," She greeted bluntly. "As for something obscure, not a lot of Neopians know about the Scarab infestation. Left us with a famine so horrible, we could barely recover," She stated, sounding quite bitter as she brought up the bugs. The teacher looked sympathetic, but kept a polite smile.

"Ah, what a terrible occurrence. I do remember reading about that, though. I would love to hear more about it sometime, if it's no trouble?" He asked simply. The Eyrie didn't answer, instead sitting with quite an intimidating look. Lucky was personally scared to look in her direction.

After a few seconds, he continued on, pointing to a rather... strange Cybunny girl, who was dressed in tattered clothing and looked almost like a zombie. "Perhaps you have some information to enlighten us with, Ms... uh...?"

"Ehehee, yes!" She giggled in a creepy manner. No doubt that this girl was from the Haunted Woods. "I'm Elvira! One time, the Esophagor got so hungry, that it wouldn't stop groaning and shrieking, no matter how much anyone fed it!" She cackled. "It took everyone a whole month before it was even satiated... ehehehe... they say they had to feed it other Neopians... but I never saw anyone go that far..." She said, finishing her sentence with another creepy giggle. There was something about her that was definitely weird, even if the Acara didn't want to stereotype. He wasn't the only one freaked out, though, as a few other students noticeably squirmed when she laughed. May couldn't help but cower a bit, Enele stared at her with a wide, unsure gaze, Krugg couldn't even look at the Cybunny, and even Val slumped in her seat a bit.

Dr. Katzbury was the only one not put-off by her strange appearance, who merely nodded with a wide, interested gaze. "Now that's something! Little stories that no one else would probably know! Let's see here..." The Kougra pointed to the Acara suddenly, an eyebrow raised. "How's about one more, Mr..?"

Lucky jumped a bit, not having a story prepared. Being quiet, he had to clear his throat and speak a little louder than usual, which made him uncomfortable. "Uh... L-lucky," He stammered. "Uh... nothing really happened back where I lived..."

"Come now, anything will be alright! No such thing as a bad answer, after all," He reassured. Lucky felt a few eyes fall on him, which only made him more uncomfortable. It took the Acara a few seconds to even think of anything that happened.

"...uh... one time I saw a bunch of merchants go on strike," He said simply. "I think they were unhappy about a store that was trying to buy them out."

"I see! I told you there's no bad answer," The Kougra said happily. "After all, how else were we supposed to know if someone didn't tell us? It could have lead to something big, after all!"

The teacher now spoke to everyone as a whole. "You see, there's no such thing as an insignificant event. Everything always matters to everyone. Of course, there is no way of knowing everything, at least not without witnesses. That is why we're all here," He continued. "A vast knowledge of how our nations exist and came to be is the first step in coexisting peacefully," He concluded.

It was quite an important lesson for sure, even if it was a little standard. For the most part, everyone followed along, and it relieved Lucky quite a bit when he felt the pressure of everyone go away, turning back to their educator. Of course, that was only the beginning of their first class.

The Kougra moved to his desk and opened up his binder, stating, "Open your copies of Neopian History For Freshmen, please, and let's get started."