Chapter 5: Chapter 02 | Replication

"An original is worth more than a copy."

Silence. Complete silence.

Students turned to each other, loud whisperings arising. Judgment filled their eyes, but, not a single being was as captious as Athena herself.

Then, it was silent, again.

Ivy.

Ivy.

Ivy Pearls?

Where had they heard that name before? Aside from Athena, confusion clouded their minds, not certain how to feel about the sudden situation Ivy had brought forth to them. Was it a better choice to jump on the train of wrath Athena was operating and mock Ivy, as well?

Only two other students had made a decision — wealthy well-known Dillon Innis who still couldn't let go of the fact a Powerless may have attended an academy with a fake necklace, and one of Athena's lavish friends, Jade Lavender. All of her red-painted-nailed fingers clutched onto her gown, something she often did to hold herself back from attacking an enemy.

Kingdom of Albagard was considered one of the largest in Asia, therefore, having to recall a face that had been last seen three years ago appeared to not be easy. However, when the educator's dark brown eyes suddenly broadened and his mouth flung open with remembrance, Ivy was left a bit surprised on the inside. Knowledge of the man was nowhere in her head, so, how had it only taken him seconds to recognize her?

"You!" he cried out, scowling as he folded his arms. "Why are you back? Why are you here?" His voice was thick with fury and mock as he questioned the girl. "You don't possess an Amulet. What's with this childish behaviour?"

Feigning her humiliation and wrath, Ivy clenched her hands while cackles from Athena, Dillon, and Jade sounded in the background. In her mind, she couldn't help but laugh to herself at how ridiculous all three of them were going to appear when all this was finally over.

Just after Ivy stole a quick peek at Athena, taking notice of the abrasive expression on her face, she finally understood her foe's objective.

So, this was why Athena had wanted her in the same classroom. Not just to keep an eye on her, but to be there during the time Ivy's true status got disclosed. Ivy could already picture her adversary running around and filling everyone's ears with a retelling of how this moment had gone down, along with adding a few twists here and there to make the story more entertaining and attention-worthy.

Mr. Burton's icy tone when he began to speak again brought Ivy's focus back to him. "Miss. Pearls, you can no longer be a student at this academy." The man scrunched his face, no doubt revolted at the thought of a Powerless being sitting right in front of him. All of a sudden, it was as though Ivy stunk more than a dead rat. "What a waste of time."

"What a waste of time, indeed," Athena sneered as she watched their educator walk toward the door after the release of another disappointed grunt. "You are so done for now, Ivy. He's going to file in the guards."

As expected.

"Ivy," another voice spoke, the same familiar tone of the well-known boy coming back to life. "Yes, I think I remember you, now." He ran a hand through his dark bistered hair, seeming to be deep in thought. "How are you back?"

"So, she really did abandon the kingdom?" Jade was next to query, her dark-red painted lips forming a disparaging frown. The girl snapped her head to the other side, directing her gaze at Ivy. "How could you have been so unappreciative? You really left the only place that ever fed, clothed, and sheltered you. All for what? What an empty-headed pig you are."

"Hey! Jade, that's not very nice," eventually, a fourth student spoke, her big doe eyes staring at Jade with a look of concern. But, upon taking in the altercating students' ridiculing reactions, she was quick to regret speaking up. If she defended a Powerless being, she was sure to be treated as one, in a matter of seconds.

"Whatever do you mean by that?" Jade scowled, tugging a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. "Ivy should be thankful that I haven't dragged her out of this room, yet. She should have been expecting this as soon as she decided to walk in here with no Amulet. Again, she's one empty-headed pig."

You're correct. I did expect this.

"You ought to be careful with your words, Poppy," Dillon uttered next, leaving his seat and ambling over to the said girl. "I know you're a sweet girl, but, you don't want people thinking you are on their side. That would be a mistake."

"Plus, we all know the reason she came back was because she finally realized the kingdom is the best thing in her life." As the words rolled off her tongue, Athena placed a hand on her waist. "This is what the Powerless always do, after all. Fantasize about living a prosperous life that they clearly do not deserve, and then, coming to terms that what they have is what's best for them. In time, Ivy Pearls will learn, too."

Keep dreaming!

It was time to commence the next phase of her underhanded plan. Ivy had already let this drag on for too long.

It was just after Mr. Burton had finished ordering a guard to call the headmaster to discuss Ivy's expulsion that boisterous sounds of gasps crammed the room. The abrupt noise brought the man's attention away from the door, with all possible haste, and when he, too, came across the item that caused the confoundment, his perplexed eyes expanded.

"What in the world?" he barked, the beating of his heart picking up pace. Around the young girl's neck was an Amulet she'd just pulled out and put on. However, it wasn't any Amulet.

It did not take anyone in the room even a second to recall where they'd seen the necklace before. The priceless golden oval-shaped diamond pendant was hard to forget.

"That looks exactly like the Amulet the queen possesses!" Athena pointed out, in a flash, abruptly rising from her seat. "So, that's why she was so afraid to show it before. She stole it!"

"Do you hear yourself, Athena?" Ivy sneered. "I stole the Amulet? That is the assumption you are going for? Would I be foolish enough to attend an academy if I was afraid of getting caught?"

"It's just as Jade stated," Athena quarrelled. "You're empty-headed. Over the years you dwelled in this kingdom, you've shown a series of foolishness. Why do you think our friendship ended so quickly? You've become quite the infamous individual here, you know."

"Oh, have I now?" Ivy sniggered softly. Well, that's ought to make this a whole lot easier.

"Athena is very correct." Mr. Burton marched back to the girl with great speed and fury thrumming through his veins. "Only a Powerless being would do something so half-witted. Queen Matilda's Golden Amulet is one of a kind, after all. It was confirmed to us that hers is the most powerful. None other look the same or give off the same magic, and now, here you are."

Silently caressing the golden jewel, Ivy shook her head with great disbelief. Of course, every one of them had been brainwashed to think like this. She may have loathed the Royals, but, Ivy had to confess it was quite impressive how they had the entire kingdom wrapped around their fingers. Then again, it wasn't that difficult to deceive the Holders.

"I truly don't understand what your goal is here, Ivy," said Mr. Burton, presently keeping his distance as if it'd just come to mind that all Powerless beings were to be treated like a disease. "Thus far, you've only managed to make everyone despise your existence. Why do you keep doing this? Why do you keep making things harder for yourself? Do you still have the audacity to blame your good parents for your misery even now, huh? They welcomed you with open arms regardless of your unbearable status, and they were disgraced because of you."

Welcomed me with open arms? Disgraced because of me? Was that the story those monsters were telling everyone now? Ivy rolled her eyes, thinking back to the time she'd caught sight of Alvin. He didn't look at all disgraced, which was something he should have been if their parents had truly fallen from power.

Now, she wholly understood why it was so easy to recognize her face. Firstly, being raised by parents who worked in the same building as the Royals themselves brought enough attention. Certainly, abandoning the kingdom had to have attracted more of that attention.

Secondly, the kingdom must have gossiped about her leaving for a long while. News did spread fast around here, and gossiping was one thing people were quite fantastic at. That, and fabricating stories.

"Hand over the Amulet now if you know what's good for you, Ivy!" Mr. Burton ordered sternly, taking out a hand. "I will bring Queen Matilda into this if you don't."

"Oh, please do," ignoring the death glares and mystified glances students sent her way, Ivy shot back at the man with confidence. "Please call her, for this is not Queen Matilda's Amulet and I am being terribly accused of a horrendous crime I wouldn't ever consider committing."

"You have the audacity—"

"I have the audacity to have you put behind bars for this accusation if you dare insult me again!" Ivy hissed, cutting her educator off. "Making up stories over a serious matter such as this one is a crime here, you know. Plus, not calling your precious queen means you have no way of telling this necklace belongs to her."

"Are you being serious?" Molten anger flowed through Athena like lava, nearly consuming her. "You still dare to act high and mighty even after you've been caught? Give it up, Ivy Pearls. You're worthless — a sad excuse of a living being. That's all you'll ever be."

Silence for the third time. It was an unavoidable nothingness — a quiet that was deafening.

"What?!" the enraged girl cried out again upon seeing the eyes she'd brought to herself. "Every one of you should be just as upset as I am. This is the queen's Amulet we're talking about."

Only after those bitter words did Ivy take a long, good gaze at her classmates. She forecasted dirty and taunting looks from all of them, regardless, was met with a surprise when she took notice that only three students had formed a glare — Athena, Dillon, and Jade. When Athena perceived this, too, the girl pounded an arm against her desk, her face turning red.

"What is wrong with all of you?!" she wailed, her chest heaving as she took deep breaths after her deriding question. "Do you not care for your queen? The Royals are the reason you're still alive, especially Queen Matilda, who's put her heart and soul into bettering this kingdom. And, this is the thanks she gets?"

The students cast worried glances at each other, some of them almost appearing irritated. Eventually, one of them spoke.

"Ivy, give the Amulet back." Yet, his words sounded forced. Athena scoffed at the attempt.

It was almost as though either the rest of the class weren't certain how to react, or were on her side. Nevertheless, Ivy knew better than to get her hopes up for something she found unbelievable.

Dominant Holders on her side? A Powerless being? No, it couldn't be. Absolutely not.

Mr. Burton cleared his throat. "It's alright, Athena. I'm sure I can handle it from here."

How does it feel, Athena? Ivy leaned back against her seat, waiting for the man's following argument with a small grin. How does it feel knowing I can effortlessly provoke you?

"You may think this is hilarious now, Ivy, but, I sincerely hope you understand the many punishments you can receive for this crime," Mr. Burton attempted to reason again, this time, much calmer.

"And I sincerely hope you understand the many punishments you can receive for wrongly accusing someone of something so serious." Ivy raised her eyebrows, a part of her mind taking her back to three years ago — back to the time she'd been forcefully taken to the Royal Palace over an enormity she was indicted for.

Mr. Burton opened his mouth to utter out his defence, but, bit back his tongue. He acknowledged Ivy was correct to a certain degree. If it was any other Amulet and it turned out this was nothing but wrongful accusations, his penalty was sure to be severe. But, this wasn't just any Amulet. It was the queen's. Surely, Queen Matilda would appreciate him fighting for what was stolen from her.

Shaking his head with dismay, the man headed for the door once again. As he did so, students turned to one another and chatters built up amongst them, confabulating over what had just occurred. What was meant to be a peaceful class of getting to know each other altered into a quarrel over whether or not Ivy was a thief. At the sight of this, Athena threw her arms up, a fresh swell of rage rising within her.

"Oh, so now, you speak," she taunted.

Yet, this time, her cries were ignored.

"You really think that Amulet belongs to her?"

"Well, she couldn't have stolen it. The Royals have many men guarding their palace. How would she get inside? I assume it's a fake."

"Why would anyone bring a fake to an academy and not expect to get caught? Only a mindless person would do such a thing, and Ivy does not appear to be a mindless person."

"No? She doesn't?"

"No. She looks as though she's got every little thing in her life under control."

"True. She is behaving very courageously, like someone who's not afraid of punishments. But, I'm awfully concerned for her. Queen Matilda will not go easy on that poor soul. She's sure to be executed for even being this bold."

Ivy stayed in her seat wordlessly, both ears picking up the loud discussions. From the look on Athena's face, she could tell her foe was listening to every word, as well. Her classmates would often take peeks at her, but, Ivy refused to give them any attention.

She watched Mr. Burton exit the classroom, and with the door wide open, everyone could overhear the man ordering a guard to have Queen Matilda brought to the academy straight away. How they were meant to bring such a busy woman here, Ivy did not know.

"You are so full of it, you know that, Ivy?"

Ivy's lips shaped into a small smile. "That's alright. The opinion is coming from you, Athena, so I really don't care to listen to it."

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"It's not just coming from her!" another voice suddenly shouted. It was Jade. Now that Ivy extensively thought about it, she was certain she'd seen Jade at Athena's little tea party yesterday. So, Jade was one of her minions.

Being a minion of Athena's wasn't as bad as it seemed, that is, if you subtracted the girl's wicked character. Minions were frequently given whatever they wanted only if they followed orders now and then. Ivy took in Jade's figure. The girl was attired in a long gown with sleeveless tunics — one of the expensive kinds, too. Athena had been spoiling her, no doubt.

"Nobody's going to believe such a good-for-nothing like you, not even your own kind!" Jade carried on, ignoring Poppy's pleads to stop furthering the dispute. "You'll only look insane in the eyes of—"

"Holders," Ivy finished for her with a slight nod, somewhat agreeing with the girl's minor insult. Jade was correct, after all.

"Why are you doing this?" Athena's arms folded, a puzzled expression replacing her scowl. "What will you get from this, Ivy? Please, do tell."

Ivy stared into her eyes, wishing to discern — even for a swift moment — the same friendliness that'd been there before news of her Powerless status became released. It'd started off as a rumour, Ivy could recall. The troubles had really begun when one of Athena's friends from back then asked her to show off a magic or two. Athena had come to her rescue, only for a moment. She'd told the girl Ivy was too shy to do as requested, but, then proceeded to inform them Ivy was going to be one of the participants for the Talent Show next week.

Not only was her true status known, but, Ivy was left humiliated in front of an audience.

Athena may have been a lot to handle, but days before the Talent Show had been the best times for Ivy. She was not mocked in school, she was a part of a group that cared for her, and, she still had two beautiful and healthy best friends.

The sorrowful part of the problem was that it wasn't just Athena. More than half of the kingdom was blind to what was in front of them. Holders were too unwilling and empty-headed to accept the fact that the Royals were filling their ears with fabrications every day — deceiving them into making them even more loyal. To convince these people to open their eyes and become sharper would take serious skills — ones Ivy believed she possessed now.

"Alright, students, take your seats and quiet down!" Mr. Burton called out once he stepped inside the class. "The situation is under control. Queen Matilda will arrive shortly."

As soon as the class had finally settled down in their seats, Mr. Burton picked up a box, which had been resting on his neat desk since the very beginning. "We've already wasted ten minutes of our time. Let's not waste anymore, alright?"

As he carefully sauntered around the room with the heavy item in hand, the man stopped by each desk, pulling out dark red hard-covered books from the box and handing them out. "These books are filled with a multitude of notes on how you can better your abilities," their educator clarified. "We'll sometimes go through them in class." In the end, only Ivy's table was left empty as Mr. Burton had moved past her.

He placed the box back on his desk before his eyes shifted over to Ivy. "We have to be certain you possess a real Amulet first. Until then, you're not regarded as a student here," he said. "Your Amulet could be a fake for all we know. I hope you understand, Ivy."

"No worries." Ivy shrugged.

The man huffed in annoyance. Ivy's serene reaction wasn't what he'd at all wanted to see. He wished for nothing more but to watch the girl throw a fit, so, he'd obtain a reason to officially have her kicked out regardless of whether or not her Amulet was a lie.

Mr. Burton cleared his throat as his eyes averted to the rest of the class. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes!" He raised a finger. "The book you have in front of you is automatically yours. Your name will appear at the top once you've touched it. Due to this only being Day Zero, however, we will be pushing the books aside, for now.

"Remember I said I wanted to learn more about your powers? Therefore, today, why don't you stand up, one after another, and present to the class what your Amulet has got to offer?"

The words brought the class back to life, immediate enthusiasm and determination replacing the awkward tension. Only Athena was left a bit uneasy as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Ivy — and anyone else who dared to look — could discern the displease and wrath scribbled on her face.

Ivy watched with intrigued eyes as Dillon stood up to begin. The boy grabbed his own desk and positioned it on a spot where every eye could see it. He then placed the palm of his hand down on top of the table, and in a wink of an eye, the non-living object was walking on its own four legs as if it was human.

"Animation?" Mr. Burton gasped. "Astounding."

"Not that impressive." Jade rolled her eyes with legs crossed. "We already know Dillon possesses the power of Animation — he shows it off all the time. But, that's all he has. Nothing else."

"Exactly," Athena added. "I'm certain everyone else here has got more than one power. . . Well, except her." Her eyes turned to Ivy. "Oh yeah, and her." Then, they flicked over to Poppy.

Was this what was going on now? Holders attacking Holders based on how many powers their Amulets gave off? Ivy could hardly believe what she was seeing. She really had missed a lot.

Dillon clenched his hands, attempting to stop his face from forming a glare. It was best he didn't show the insult had wounded him. But, times like this, it was hard not to. "Whatever object I bring to life will only listen to me, as well," he forced a grin, touching the desk for the second time and bringing it back to its original state.

"And what are you going to do? Attack your enemies with your walking desk?" a new voice spoke this time, taunting the boy at the front.

"Shut it, Goran!" Dillon glowered. "Just a few minutes ago, you were unwilling to speak up. Now, because I'm the center of attention, you can't keep your mouth from running."

"O-okay, stop it!" Mr. Burton stared daggers at the girls who'd created the dispute. "Dillon, you're going to do very well in this academy with that power," he said, watching as the boy headed back to his seat with the desk in hand.

"So sad his father doesn't think so." Athena snickered.

"And here, I thought you two were on the same side, teaming up against Ivy like that," another student derided. "The enemy of your enemy is your friend, are they not, Athena?"

Before the educator could enunciate a response, the door opened, a guard's head poking inside.

"Queen Matilda has arrived."

Mr. Burton frowned. "So soon?"

"It turns out she was already heading to the academy before you requested for her." The guard shrugged. Ivy did not bother hiding the smirk her lips had spread into.

Phase three.

"Where is this child everyone is talking about?" the celebrated woman's aggravated voice sounded outside of the classroom. "And, what is this about the Golden Amulet?"

At the same time that Mr. Burton widened the opening of the door for the queen, Ivy's posture straightened hearing Queen Matilda's voice again. "Please, make this worth my time. I've heard of other bored, fat-headed children fake things just for the attention. It's displeasing."

The prominent woman entered the classroom, but without delay, nobody failed to perceive the Golden Amulet hanging around her neck, yet, they'd still needlessly questioned her about it.

"My Amulet. . ." the queen's voice trailed off as her eyes diverted to the girl at the back, the familiar necklace catching her attention. Of all the lies children had told, this one truly took the cake, she believed. "My Amulet has not been taken," she finally finished, clearing her throat. All assumptions of her necklace being stolen were cancelled, the woman claiming she'd had it by her side for as long as she could remember. Saying this was the only choice she had.

If she stated otherwise and called Ivy a thief, then others were sure to gossip about how easy it was to break into the most guarded place in the kingdom.

In spite of her claim that her Amulet was not swiped, Ivy could, without fail, espy the anxious look on the woman's face. Yes, the necklace around the girl's neck was the exact replica of her own, but the queen dared not utter any other word as she turned to exit the class.

Several apologies filed in for having wasted her time, but Ivy doubted the queen saw it as squandered time. The woman continued to take various, brief glances at the young girl, as if terrified Ivy was about to do something she wouldn't appreciate.

Well, she wasn't wrong.

"It's obviously got to be a fake, then!" Athena cried out. Ivy picked up murmurs coming from the other students, however, made no attempt to comprehend what they were saying. Her concentration was only on the hot-headed girl. She watched as Athena bolted up from her seat and began approaching her table. "Ivy, what were you thinking? Was this your plan all along? To humiliate yourself in front of us?"

Ivy scoffed at her last question. "In front of you? Athena, not a single soul in this class is worth it. Throw all the insults you want at me. I don't feel the slightest uneasiness around any of you."

"But you did make a mistake!"

Ivy tilted her head sideways. "I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

A harsh, loud, and decisive laugh shot out of Jade's mouth. "You have a lot of guts, I'll give you that, Ivy. But guts aren't going to get you anywhere. A brain is. I suggest you use yours."

Mr. Burton folded his arms with a small shake of his head, glad everything had finally been confirmed and it was just another Powerless being so desperate for attention. "Do you actually expect us to believe someone had willingly bestowed their Amulet to you?" he queried. "And, even if that's what happened, how could it look exactly like the queen's Amulet? Please, explain that, Ivy Pearls."

"I would, but I fear we're wasting precious time." Ivy smiled sweetly at Mr. Burton. "How much of that do we still have left, by the way?"

The man sighed. "You know what? I actually want to see where this goes. I want to see what your plan is. You still sound so confident, so please, Ivy, why don't you go next?"

Ivy raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"Please, come show us what your Amulet has got to offer." After the man uttered the word 'Amulet', chuckles could be heard. "Step to the front of the class and show us."

Everyone had all been waiting for this moment, Ivy could tell, and now that it was finally here, most of them either sat back against their seats or leaned forward. Regardless, the same look of interest was in all of their eyes. They were waiting for her to either embarrass herself or prove to them that they'd been wrong about her so-called Amulet.

Their eyes followed the girl's every move as she rose from her seat. Ivy turned her head from left to right, trying to select her target for the presentation. They did not know this, but, she was quite ecstatic about being the second student to present. It moved her ploy faster.

"Hurry it up already!" Athena shouted.

My pleasure.

Eventually settling on the boy sitting right next to her as the target, Ivy made her move. She was oblivious to the boy's powers, yet, that didn't seem to bother her, in the slightest. It wasn't going to ruin a single bit of her thought-out plan.

Disregarding her chosen mark's turmoil, Ivy selected one of her own powers to showcase before placing a hand on his shoulder. She could already feel her Amulet begin to glimmer its bright, golden light as soon as her palm came into physical contact with the boy, and so could she visualize the bewildered expressions on everyone's faces. After all, glowing was something Amulets did to showcase a power was being used.

A fake Amulet was not supposed to glow.

Ivy's focus shifted down to her hand, which was still resting on her target's shoulder. Golden rays of light shone around her hand as though they'd turned into the sun itself.

Ah-ha! This boy possesses the power of Invulnerability. The power she was using allowed her to understand her target's abilities, as well. Not every detail of them, but, just enough to make her decide whether a certain ability was worth taking or not.

In a matter of seconds, it wasn't only Ivy's hand that gleamed. Her target's eyes did, as well, as if golden electricity was flickering inside of them. When it finally died down, Ivy knew she was ready.

Phase four.

She took her hand off of the boy's shoulder and turned to face the front. When her eyes landed on the glass vase that sat beautifully on her educator's desk, Ivy scrambled over to it. Every eye observed as the girl grabbed the item and unexpectedly smashed it against her own head. Yet, not a single sign that she'd been wounded showed afterward.

"Invulnerability?" Ivy's target gasped. "That's my power. Invulnerability. Did she—?"

The class was left in a daze as Ivy took a small bow of satisfaction before strolling back to her seat without a single word uttered.

"Power Absorption," Mr. Burton choked out.

"Actually," Ivy speedily corrected, "the ability I just performed is called Power Replication. You see, when I made physical contact with my mark, a replication of his power was sent to my body, therefore, I was automatically able to do what he could do."

"You thief! You liar! You wretched little thing!" Mr. Burton proceeded in an accusing tone. "You did steal the queen's Amulet!"

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