I looked around the room and quickly realized that I was the only one with an egg. Most of them had small animals. Micah had a wolf cub, Willow had a tiny white bird, it looked like a baby dove.

"They don't look like much now, the journey to the real world weakens them. They will be able to help you once they recover," Professor Bruant explained. I cuddled my egg closer to me. I was the only one who didn't have an animal. What was wrong with me? Did I not deserve a familiar? Wasn't I worthy of an animal too?

I looked over at Kat. She was petting and cooing over a tiny red and gold bird. "You should all return to your rooms to bond with your familiars. Princess, Yunalia, please stay after," Everyone else got up, hugging, holding their new companions. Kat and I stayed behind. She was playing with her bird and looked so happy, so relieved.

"I asked you two to stay behind since you both have odd familiars," Professor Bruant explained once everyone had gone. "Princess, the creature who claimed you is a phoenix. One of the powerful legendary firebirds. Yunalia, I have the feeling I know which creature has chosen you, but I will not say for certain. Keep them safe. They will both be powerful allies," With that, we were dismissed. I cuddled my egg, wondering what could be inside it. Kat babbled on and on, on the walk home about how awesome phoenixes are and how it definitely proved her worthy to be princess and how wonderful it was to have a familiar, finally. I just cuddled my poor egg dejectedly, wondering what would happen if it didn't hatch? Why didn't I deserve a familiar too?

I headed for bed as soon as we got back to the House. I knew Kat was going to stay up talking with Molia and the rest of her friends in Moliort House.

I had one message on my Dragon when I went to bed 'I'm sure it will hatch soon- Willow'

I tucked the egg in with warm blankets when I went to bed, hoping against hope that Willow was right…

Days passed and the egg still didn't hatch. I carried it with me everywhere. It went to all of my classes with me, sat in my lap when I studied. I kept It warm and safe and never alone.

After a couple of weeks, I noticed that Kat still wasn't doing any of her assignments, but was surprisingly turning them all in and getting perfect grades on her tests. I was now the only one ahead of her in the class.

After a month, the familiars had all grown. Micah's wolf followed him protectively everywhere. Willow had a large, white dove. There were other cats, dogs, even a monkey, all fully grown. And still my egg didn't hatch. Kat's phoenix grew and spent most of its time on Kat's shoulder, perfectly preened and looking haughty, just like Kat. Kat spent all of her time at Moliort House now. She had taken to teasing unpopular students when I wasn't around. She was acting just like the rest of the Moliorts. She didn't mess with me or my friends, but I knew I had lost her. I didn't know what happened or how to fix it. When she went to class, she was made up like a model. She went to parties at Moliort almost every night. She ignored me and barely even looked at me anymore.

She also kept glaring at my egg.

I wished I knew what was in the egg. I wished I knew why she had abandoned me for the Moliorts. At this rate she was going to make an even worse Empress than the Emperor we already had.

It was almost two months since we got the familiars that Kat finally lost it. I was walking with Kari to dinner one night. Willow was running late and told us to go without her. Kari and I were discussing how we were going to get her together with Sam, one of the first year Bardic boys.

Willow came in late and got stuck by Molia, Kat and the Moliorts. I couldn't see what happened. I wasn't paying much attention, since Willow wasn't with us, but I heard her yell and heard the clatter of her books as they scattered all over the ground. I looked over and rushed towards them. The Moliorts were surrounding Willow, mocking her, teasing her, and calling her names.

"Leave her alone," I snarled at them when I was close enough. Molia looked at me and laughed.

"The pink pig deserves it," she continued laughing.

"No one deserves this!" they laughed harder. Kat hesitated, looking like she didn't really want to be a part of this. "No one deserves to be bullied by mean-spirited stuck up bitches," I continued my rant as I pulled Willow to her feet and pushed her behind me where she'd be safe.

"Shut up, Commoner. No one asked for your opinion," one of them shoved me hard. I fell, equally hard, trying to protect the egg that I was still holding out of habit. I should've left it behind with Kari, where it would be safe, but I had become so used to carrying it, that I hadn't even noticed.

"Guys, I think that's enough-" Kat tried to get them to stop, but there were too many and no teachers around. They laughed as they kicked me.

"We need to teach this commoner a lesson. It's gutter trash, below us, and it needs to learn its place," Molia snarled. I curled around the egg, not caring about my own bruises. I couldn't let them hurt my egg. It was fragile and weak and needed my help. "If we let one commoner rise above its place, all of them will get the idea that they can," I didn't think to use magic. I didn't think to protect myself, only to save the egg and the helpless creature inside.

A well-aimed kick came at me, aimed right for my precious egg. "NO!" I shrieked and my magic exploded, throwing all of the girls away from me, except Kat and Willow, who were unharmed. I heard a loud crack and looked down in horror at my egg, terrified that they had hurt it. The egg was broken open, shattered into pieces. A small reptilian creature, the size of a house-cat, shook the pieces of shell off of itself. It had dark blue scales which looked nearly black and strong looking wings.

My turn to protect you she leapt with incredible speed and chased the girls away, snapping at them and breathing fire, but not physically hurting them. She swooped back to me looking incredibly proud of herself. Kat hadn't gotten scared away and was staring at us in horror.

I smiled at the little creature, dragon, my mind supplied and petted her when she settled in my lap. Willow came over slowly, as to not upset the dragon. The dragon looked up at her and made a purring trilling sound before settling back in my lap. I took that to mean that she approved of Willow. Willow used her magic to heal my injuries.

"Thank you," we both said to the other at the same time, and grinned.

"I think it's going to be a long time before they think to try to bully anyone again," Willow seemed pleased. I didn't blame her. I was all for the Moliorts not bullying other students.

"I think you're right," we went to our table as the teachers entered the room. It looked like they sensed that something had happened, but they weren't questioning it since there was no longer any evidence. I held my amazing little dragon close and joined my friends.

I had to force myself to ignore the death-glares I was receiving from Kat. I didn't understand why she was so upset. She hadn't even been hurt, not by my magic, or by the dragon. What was her problem?