On the morning of the April 6th, 1869, a great man died.

It wasn't on the front page of the London Times, like so many other important deaths were. It wasn't even in the obituary, hidden in the back. No one remarked on it in society's highest the next day. No one in the dark oppressed alleyways of the factory workers muttered it.

Yet it occurred all the same.

One month later.

"It's funny, really, Miss."

"No, dear, the equation is backwards, see-"

"Miss?"

"The- what? Oh...yes?" Tired eyes blinked out of focus as their owner looked up at the speaker. Aelita Stones forced her mind away from mathematical sums to attempt to concentrate on what her friend was saying.

"It's strange. About death, I mean, Miss."

"Yumi, please, call me by my name. And..."Aelita glanced back at the student who she had been tutoring. "Work on that, Mr. Cope," she said, firmly, but not unkindly. "You've got the knack, so report to me tomorrow, please." The small boy looked up at her, and nodded, his eyes wide.

"Yes'm."

"Poor thing," Yumi Ishyama muttered as the student scampered off. Even though her English was perfect, Yumi's voice lilted heavily, accented from her native language. "He eats faster than half of the other children, yet still looks so small you could break him."

Aelita nodded, her pale pink hair falling in her face. Glaring at the rebellious curls, she huffed, and slammed the math book shut.

Yumi winced. "The answer from the headmaster was not a good one, I take it?" Despite her shyness, the young woman moved forward and placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. Aelita sighed, and shook her head.

"It's the expected one-"

"Oh, but he can't!" Yumi took her hand back, frowning. Her dark almond-shaped eyes flashed with anger. "You've had this position for over ten years, he can't just-"

"He can, I'm afraid," Aelita replied. The insult and fury from being demoted from her position still smoldered in the back of her head, but she ignored it. The time to rage and grieve was over. "It's alright, Yumi." She forced a smile. "Things changed. Goodness knows my...my father changed positions often enough."

Yumi watched her, still frowning. "I may know little of your English ways of emotion still, Miss, but I can tell you're lying." She hesitated, then patted Aelita's shoulder again. "Your father was brave, and so are you. You'll find away." She smiled a little. "Perhaps this new teacher will be bad, and you will get your position back!"

"Yumi-chan!" Aelita scolded, but she smiled a little anyway. "Bite your tongue. The academy needs all the help it can get." She shivered slightly, and glanced at the window. It was May, yet still frost crept up the windows in the evening. She sighed, and shook her head.

"You should go home, Yumi. It's late."

"Are you going to stay and read again, Miss?"

Aelita nodded. "I must."

"In case you can match wits with the new teacher?" Yumi suggested, and smiled when Aelita rolled her eyes.

"I won't be matching anything," she retorted. "An old thing like me." Yumi laughed, shaking her head. "Oh, and Yumi?" The girl paused. "Thank you."

Yumi smiled, bowing slightly, then gathered her things and left.

It wasn't until Aelita heard the door close that she realized Yumi had never explained what she meant about death being strange.

The next day:

"It's rather strange, sir. If you'll excuse me."

"Excuse you for something you have yet to explain?"

"The school, sir. Kadic Academy."

Blond eyebrows shot up quizzically over blue framed glasses. "Pray do go on, Mr. Kingsley. What is strange about the school? Some rumor or scandal?"

The cockney man sitting across from him in the carriage ducked his head in apology. "No offense meant, sir, it was just a stray thought."

"Stray thoughts are nothing to apologize for." The blond man didn't smile, but somehow the air in the small space lightened slightly. "They bring genius when we're not looking."

Kingsley blinked, then nodded. "If you say so, sir. We're here," he added quickly when the blond man opened his mouth again.

"This is the Academy?" Glancing out the windows, the two men saw a huge structure of brick, massive spires extending high into the sun stained morning sky. "One of the first free public places of learning that accepts children of all situations." A small smile lit the blue eyes behind the glasses, and the man glanced at small gold watch hanging out of the breast pocket of his coat. The coachman's eyes widened when seeing the piece of clockwork.

"That's one of the new timepieces, sir? The ones that are meant to stay accurate without hourly winding?"

"What? Oh, yes, y-yes it is." The gentleman gave the watch one more glance, then put it quickly back into his pocket, then smiled at his companion. "I must thank you for leading me here."

Surprised by the thanks, Kingsley ducked his head, and actually blushed slightly, smiling. "Just doin' my job, sir. I'll get your bags."

Smiling now, the blond gentleman stepped out of the carriage, and into the bright sunlight. Students were already rushing up the steps to the large, ornately carved front doors of the school, muttering and yelling. The doors opened, banged shut, then opened again as more children large and small, well dressed or dressed in little more than patched shambles, hurried toward their classes.

The door creaked open again, the flash of light off the windows hitting the gentleman's glasses.

"Oh...bloody hell..."

Annoyed slightly, the gentleman winced, blinking quickly. Glancing back up, he saw a woman standing at the top of the steps, talking to one of the students. Frowning, he stopped shielding his eyes, squinting against the sunspots in his eyes. The woman moved, glanced in his direction. How strange, the color of her hair in the sunlight. How could anyone's hair be such a bright pink? Perhaps a trick of the light? He squinted, and it seemed the woman realized someone was watching her. She froze-

"Sir? Your bags."

Startled, the gentleman turned, and looked back to see Mr. Kingsley hold out the suitcases he had pulled off the top of the carriage.

"Oh, yes, thank you."

The gentleman looked back towards the door, but the woman had disappeared.