I bet you're all very sick of these fics, but I happen to like them. So, here is the prologue, and I want at least 5 reviews. You can flame me to hell-I don't care.

I need a beta, by the way. I'm sorry if you think I'm a pessimist…really, I'm not, I'm just acting like it. Erm, yeah, that made sense…sorry, I'll shut up. Email me if you like my story and want to be my beta. I hope you do :)

~Flowergurl

Prologue

"Ohmigosh!" Kit cried, looking up quickly from packing her bag. "Oh no," she muttered, looking at the wall with eyes that were focused elsewhere. Suddenly, she tore out of her brightly painted room and called down the stairs, "Mom! I forgot to get Bella a present!"

Mrs. Hayter, a round, very pleasant woman came into view, drying her hands with a dishtowel and looking alarmed. "Well, what are you standing there for? Let's go!"

Kit was finished packing within seconds. She thundered down the stairs- literally; it is not easy to go down stairs quietly in three-inch heels- and rushed out of the front door. She climbed into the running silver minivan and shut the door.

As they were driving out of the subdivision Kit lived in, her mother asked, "What does Bella like again? Something easy, please."

Kit only had to think for a split second before it came to her. "Books! Bella lives for books!"

Mrs. Hayter turned sharply down an old road and screeched to a halt. "Here's a bookstore," she said.

Kit looked doubtfully up at the old building. In peeling letters it read: "Albus's Books: Since 1903".

"That place doesn't look very safe, Mom," Kit said, voicing her doubts.

"Of course it is, Kit! Now go! You're going to be late otherwise!" Her mother pushed her out the door and handed her money.

Kit jogged to the door and entered hesitantly. A bell rang from somewhere in the depths of the old, dark shop.

A man appeared from behind a bookcase. He was quite old and had a long white beard, wore gold glasses, and was holding a stick. "May I help you, young lady?" he asked in a British accent.

Kit raised her eyebrows. "Uhm, yes…can you show me where the young adult section is?"

The man smiled and pointed to the far bookcase. "Please, do not hesitate to call me if you need help." He disappeared again.

Kit's eyes were wide. "Right," she muttered to herself, not intending to do so.

She looked through all the books. Some were old, and some were new. She pulled an old book off the shelf for reason's unknown and stared at it. It seemed to be made of leather, and it had stones incrusted into it. It was called "Tortall," by Tamora Pierce. She was contemplating on buying it or not, when her mother's horn sounded from outside. Kit glanced at her watch: fifteen after eight. She cursed and ran to the counter.

The old man took the book from her and smiled at it. "A very good book you've picked, my dear. This will give you more adventures than you ever dreamed."

Kit had to restrain from rolling her eyes. Bella got on her nerves enough, babbling on about how she would die without her books, etc. It was enough to drive Kit, who hated reading with a passion (especially Harry Potter and other fantasies) absolutely nuts.

She paid for the book for only five dollars and hurried back outside. "Damn!" she cursed; it was raining. She shielded the book as best as she could and jumped into the car. Mrs. Hayter pulled out of the driveway before Kit could shut the door completely.

"Oh no!" Kit complained, dropping the book onto the floor in front of her, "the rain ruined my hair! Look, now it's all flat!"

Mrs. Hayter smiled at Kit. "Did you find a book?"

"Yes," Kit replied with distraction, finger-combing her brown/blonde hair.

"Change?" Mrs. Hayter asked, holding out her hand.

Kit stuffed fifteen dollars into her mothers' hand. "The book was only five dollars? Kit! Is it damaged or something?"

Kit hefted the book up and showed it to her mother. "No, Mom! I got it for Bella because you know how much of a dreamer she is! I swear, if I hear one more time from her that she wants to wear long dresses and go back in time and have magic powers, I'll scream!"

"You be nice, Kit," Mrs. Hayter said sternly, pulling into Bella's driveway. "Bella is a very nice girl! She's been your best friend for years!"

"I know, Mom," Kit sighed, grabbing her bag and opening the door. "I'll call you tomorrow when I'm ready to go, kay?"

Mrs. Hayter nodded. Kit shut the door and ran to Bella's garage, where she was greeted energetically by Bella's two Jack-Russell Terriers, George and Lucy. Kit petted them quickly and ran to the door.

~*~*~*~*

I heard from my room the sound of my mother, Mrs. McCall, greeting Kit.

"Hello Kit! My, you've grown again! How is Abingdon High School?"

"It's great," she said.

I smiled and jumped up, from my bed, eager to see my friend.

"I haven't seen Bella in a while…it's no fair she's on Spring Break already!"

I grabbed Laurie, my other friend, and ran down the stairs.

"Well, that's what comes with living at school," Mrs. McCall laughed.

"Kit!" I cried from the kitchen doorway.

Kit smiled and dropped her bag. She hugged me tightly. Kit's tall, thin, and had brown hair with blonde highlights. I am the same except for her height advantage. Both of us have blue eyes that turned green sometimes and gray other times. We have passed for twins more than once, and we always have people asking us if we are related. "Hey Laurie," Kit said to Laurie, whom she had just seen at school that day.

"Hey!" Laurie responded back. Laurie is shorter than both of us are, with blonde hair and green eyes. She is captain of the cheerleading squad at AHS.

I clapped my hands together. "This is so cool! We're going to have a sleepover, just like old times!"

I led them into her guestroom that had a fold out, king sized bed. We couldn't sleep in my room; I have a set of twin beds. "Okay, I know we can still do this," I smiled, gesturing to the bed.

"I hope we can!" Laurie exclaimed, sitting on the edge. "So, what should we do first?"

Kit took off her shoes and sat cross-legged on the bed. "I say we catch up, then we can think of something else!"

We spent at least an hour catching up. It wasn't only Laurie and Kit asking about my life; they hung out with different people, so they had to catch up too.

"That's enough," I said, standing up. "I say we open presents!"

Kit snorted. "You mean, you open presents, not "we"!"

I grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, your right. Bring 'em on!"

I opened Laurie's first. It was a set of soaps from Bath and Body Works. "Thanks Laurie! I was running out of Cucumber Melon. My favorite, you know."

Kit handed me her present. I knitted my brows together-it was a book. "Wow, this is heavy," I smiled. I turned the book over and gasped at its title. "Ohmigosh! How awesome! Stuff about Tortall! Thank you!" I grabbed Kit in a hug.

Kit smiled. Laurie took the book an examined it. "Cool gems! I wonder if they're real?"

Kit rolled her eyes. "Of course not! Otherwise I would have paid a lot more than I did!"

Laurie grinned. "Yeah, I guess your right. Here," she lifted the book to pass to me. I was on Kit's other side. Kit had an addiction with being in the middle. "I'm gonna drop it, help, Kit," Laurie said. Kit grabbed it as it fell, at the same time I did. The book opened, and the next thing we knew, we were falling into it.



I hit the ground, hard, with a thump. I heard two similar thumps land next to me-Laurie and Kit. I moaned and rolled onto my side. We were in a clearing in a wooded area, under a large oak tree. I looked at Kit, who was next to me, and gasped. Except, it was hard to gasp. There was something squeezing the death out of my waist. I looked down and yelled in surprise. "Oh my God!" I was wearing a gown!

I stood up, my vision going dark for a few seconds as a result of getting up too quickly. "Kit! Laurie!"

Kit moaned and opened her eyes a crack, and I heard Laurie shriek "Holy shit!" quite loudly. They were both wearing gowns too! They jumped to their feet in unison, and all three of us stood still for a moment.

"Oh my God," Kit breathed, breaking the silence. She laid a hand on her stomach and looked around at our surroundings. Laurie was breathing heavily, also looking around.

"Where the hell are we?" Kit asked wildly, finally facing me.

I shook my head, gasping for breath. "I have no clue."

"Bella," she said, staring at me, her eyes wide.

"What?!" I asked frantically.

"Your…hair…"

Laurie's head snapped towards me, and she began laughing. "Your hair! Oh my God!"

I grabbed a wad of my hair and looked at it. I had to lean against the tree for support. It was silvery blond. "What the hell happened?"

Laurie shook her head, still laughing helplessly.

"Well your hair isn't your normal color either!" I snapped. "It's dishwater colored! And Kit, you don't have highlights anymore!"

Kit whimpered. Her highlights were her life.

"What are we wearing?!" Laurie asked in distaste, looking down at her dusty yellow dress.

I shook my head. "I dunno, but I do know that I have a corset on."

Kit nodded. "I do too," she gasped. Her gown was peach colored. "Bella," she said slowly, her eyes resting on the top of my head.

"What?"

"You have a tiara in your hair!"

My eyes widened and my hands flew to my head. They touched cool metal. "What does it look like?"

"It's pretty," Laurie said, looking at it as well. "It's silver with little pearls in it."

I looked down at my gown. It was a lot more decorated than my friends' were. It was light blue with tiny pearls set into the bodice. The sleeves were tight until my elbows, where they then flared out gracefully to my knuckles. The dress was also covered in dirt. I busied myself by brushing it off, and helping Laurie and Kit get the dirt off their dresses too. When we were done, I leaned against the tree.

"What should we do?" Laurie asked, leaning next to me.

Kit plopped onto the ground in between us, ignoring the fact that her dress was getting dirty again. "Well," I sighed, looking at my best friends. "I think we should wait for someone to find us."

Kit jumped up. "We're in the middle of the woods in ball gowns! I don't want anyone to find us!"

Laurie snorted and I sighed. Then suddenly, a noise reached my ears. Someone was yelling something…I walked around the tree, listening intently.

Duhn, duhn, duuuh! People, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to review. You just click on the little button down there and write a word…or two. Don't forget, if you liked it, email me at flowergurl5688@hotmail.com to be my beta. I'll take the first offer, so get to it! :)