I don't own Wizard 101

'Okay, calm down', I thought. 'Just take a deep breath and you'll be fine. C'mon Tiff, you've been waiting for this day for years. You can't back out now.'

I sighed and ran my hands through my hair in frustration. 'Might as well get this over with.'

I looked at the tunnel in front of me that led to the Golem Court, squared my shoulders and marched up to the entrance that showed nothing but darkness. I started walking up the tunnel that would lead me to my new headmaster, Merle Ambrose. I had been waiting for this day ever since I had discovered that I could control magic.

I probably should introduce myself right about now, shouldn't I?

My name is Tiffany PearlShard, and I am a 15 year old wizard. I was recently enrolled into Ravenwood School of Magical Arts where I would hopefully begin learning how to control my new powers.

I was a few days late, due to my parents and my own panicking about whether or not I had everything I need, which meant that I had missed the first portal that would have drooped me off here with the rest of my year. After a lot of convincing on my parents part, the headmaster had opened another portal for me to be able to attend this year. Which was why I was currently alone, as everyone on the school slept in, which meant that I would be meeting with the headmaster on my own.

So, wish me luck.

"Hello, you must be Tiffany. Welcome to Wizard City, this is where you will be staying during your studies here in Ravenwood. I hope your journey here was pleasant," I smiled and shook the headmaster's outstretched hand. He seemed like a nice enough, not at all what I had imagined. He was dressed in a purple robe with gold moons and stars stitched onto them, as well as matching shoes and wizard hat. He was also holding a staff, which made his already powerful aura pulse.

"It was alright, thank you." He smiled at me and turned to an owl perched on a stand nearby.

"I'd like you to meet my pet owl Gamma. Gamma, I'd like you to meet our newest student Tiffany PearlShard." I blinked at the headmaster in confusion. I was starting to think that the headmaster was a little bit crazy, but then remembered what my mother had warned me about. The headmaster had adopted a talking owl during her time here, and had taken to introducing him to whoever the headmaster met.

Even though I remembered this little fact, I still managed to jump out of my skin when the owl started talking to me.

"Hellooo, pleased to meet yooou." I nodded my head shakily.

"Likewise" I turned my attention back to the headmaster, still slightly dazed by the fact an owl just talked to me.

"Don't worry. Gamma is perfectly tame. In fact, I suggest you talk to Gamma if you need anything and I am unavailable." I nodded to headmaster in understanding. Although if my friends back on earth found out that I had to talk to an owl if the headmaster was unavailable, they'd send me to be locked up at a mental institution.

"I remember your parents when they were in school," The headmaster looked over my head deep in thought. "Both were accomplished necromancers. I'm sure they wish for you to join the school of death as well."

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if that's the best path for me," I shrugged. "Too be honest I'm not sure what I want to do."

"I am sure you will know what to do, once you've seen what we have to offer." He assured me. "Just follow your instincts and you'll be fine. Now, onto your enro-"

He was cut off from speaking when the ground started to shake, making me and the headmaster fall to the floor in surprise. But unlike me, the headmaster instantly stood up and looked around, a wild look in his eyes. Dark clouds rolled overhead, looking decidable ominous, causing all of the Gollum Court to fall into darkness.

"What's going on?" Before the headmaster could answer me, we heard glass breaking from above us.

Both of us looked up at the tower, only to turn to cover our heads as glass rained down on us, surprising the two of us too much to throw up a shield. Looking back up to the tower, my eyes widened slightly when I saw a light flicker on, on the top floor of the seemingly empty tower. A tall, dark silhouette walked past the window, making me glance at the headmaster nervously. But the headmaster was already marching towards the door of the tower, looking a lot angrier than I had thought the headmaster was capable of being.

"Come now. Quickly," I looked at the headmaster in shock. He couldn't be serious? I watched as he walked towards the tower's door and held it open. He turned and looked at me expectantly.

"Well?" I looked at him open mouthed. Was this some kind of a joke? Did the students who had gotten here before me go through this? Or was this a part of an elaborate prank?

I sighed, finally deciding that I might as well get this over with. If this was some weird ritual that all students ended up doing I wasn't going to back out. I pushed myself off the ground, and hurried past the headmaster and into the dusty tower.

The headmaster pushed past me, leading the way up a set of rickety stairs. With every step I took, the more nervous I became. What if I had to use magic? I have never had a single magic lesson in my life. Well, besides the basics my parents had taught me. The headmaster stopped in front of me, almost making me run into him during my musings. He placed a hand on my shoulder, and gave me a look that was probably meant to be comforting, but in all honesty made me even more nervous.

"Remember young wizard. Keep a calm head. I am not as young as I used to be, you will have to fight if it should come to one. I will guide you as much as possible, but the rest will be up to you." I nodded my head before taking a deep breath. I looked at the stairs that would take us to the top floor and summoned as much courage as I could, before following the headmaster up the last flight of stairs.

"Malistaire!" I looked at the headmaster startled by his exclamation. "What are you doing here?"

"You know him?" I looked at the dark looking wizard nervously."

"Know him! Ha!" I jumped back, startled once again by the headmasters exclaimation. "He's been trying to bring Wizard City down to its knees for two years."

"No need to sound so angry Ambrose. I am simply doing what should have been done years ago. Besides it's not just Wizard City, when I am done, all of the spiral will bow down to me, and there is nothing you can do about, I don't know why you don't just give up now when you can."

I glanced between the two wizards nervously, before finally settling in Malistaire. He was definitely someone you could pick out in a crowd. His skin was pasty white and his face was etched into a permanent scowl, and his long greasy hair brushed his shoulders. He wore black robes with golden intricate patterns that just seemed to make him look even more threatening.

"Leave the city Malistaire, you know just as well as I that no good will come of you plans."

"That's the point," He chuckled. "I'd like to introduce you to my friends. They, unlike the many before them, have been very efficient when it comes to finishing jobs I'd like them to complete. And lately they have been itching for a fight."

I looked in the direction he indicated and gasped. There were two red dragons, dressed in what looked like green and orange kung fu uniforms. I racked my head hoping to remember something about these creatures that I might have read about them before coming here.

"Hurry young wizard, take these," He thrust about five cards into my hand. "The spells you will need are on those cards, eventually you will be able to remember them without the cards making fights easier, but for now they will do."

"WHAT?"

"Go on, I shall guide you." He didn't give me any time to object as he had pushed me towards Malistaire's minions who had stepped into a circle that had been carved into the ground by magic. As soon as I stepped into the circle myself, a shield automatically went up around us.

"What's going on?" I called out in a panic.

"The shield stops anyone from leaving the circle, people can only enter. You cannot leave until the fight is over."

I looked at the red monsters worriedly, which they must have took as a challenge as they moved into defensive positions. I gulped before shakily moving into position myself. I studied them carefully trying to remember something my books would have said. If I remember correctly they were called Draconians, quite powerful opponents for someone of my skill.

"Quickly, chose a spell." The headmaster called.

I looked at the cards in my hands and didn't even bother to look at what the card was as I recited the first spell I saw. A troll entered the circle with us, and instantly swung his club at one of the Draconians, sending him flying back into the shield. The spell ended up causing a lot of damage to the draconian closest to Malistaire but unfortunately for me, it also made him and his partner quite angry.

As revenge, the one who the troll hit instantly sent back a giant scorpian, who instantly stung my arm. I watched in pain as a few drops of blood fell down my arm, which unfortunately gave the other draconian an advantage as he sent a skeletal pirate at me. The pirate swung his sword, which I only just managed to being sliced in half, but was still a little bit too slow as he managed to nick my arm.

It carried on in the same manner for a while, me successfully conjuring a Fire Cat and a Blood Bat but it still wasn't enough. I was getting weaker, and by chance, I noticed a unicorn spell in amongst my deck. Acting quickly, I cast the spell hopping it would do some major damage to the enemy, only for it to heal me. I sagged in relief as all the pain and wounds the Draconians so kindly granted me had disappeared.

"You idiots!"Malistaire yelled, not sounding the least bit pleased. "You let the brat heal!"

Not wanting to upset their master any longer, the Draconians sent powerful and incredibly painful spells at me, a Minotaur and a Centaur. Any health I had gained from the unicorn quickly evaporated, and I could only just manage to hold myself up.

"Use the Meteor Strike, it will help!"

I did as the headmaster instructed and cast the spell quickly as I could, not wanting the Draconians to be the first to cast a spell. I sagged in relief when I saw that I was fortunate enough to see that my spell worked and ended up killing both of the Draconians. I collapsed in a heap on the floor, exhausted from my efforts.

"You got lucky this time Ambrose. But as I already got what I came here for, I guess there is no need for me to hang around." Here turned and faced me with a glare on his face. "This won't be the last time we shall meet young wizard. I promise you that." Then with a flash of light, he disappeared.

"Well done young Wizard. You did exceedingly well for someone of your magical standards." I felt myself swell with pride at the compliment. "Here, I think you have earned this." He handed me a spell book.

"You should record every spell you learn; this way it will be easier for you to remember them. At the moment the Fire Cat spell and the Blood Bat spell are the only ones recorded. And as well, take this wand, the teacher of your chosen school will grant you with the one you shall use during your studies. But for now, this will do, I need you do a few things for me first before I send you to visit the schools."

Headmaster Ambrose walked back to the stairs we had walked up, what felt like years ago, and smiled warmly at me.

"Are you coming?"

"As I told you in Gollum Tower, I am afraid I need you to do a few tasks for me, while you are doing those tasks I will fill in the forms of your enrolment."

"Is everything alright?" He sighed and worry lines appeared on his forehead.

"Not particularly no. There is a problem down on Unicorn Way that I'm afraid cannot be ignored. I am afraid Malistaire is behind this disturbance."

"Oh." I was a bit upset that I wouldn't be able to go and look around the schools, but I couldn't control what went on. "What do you need me to do?"

"Thank you for understanding my dear. Take this to Private Stillson at Unicorn Way gate, this way he will let you through the gates. Not long ago I had to close the gate so that no one could get through. Only those who live there have access now."

I grudgingly took the letter from him and went to leave the room. "Thank you for doing this Tiffany, I know this isn't how you expected to spend your first day. And should you get lost have a look in your spell book, there should be a map in there of Ravenwood. And I promise that your enrolment papers will be finished by the time you get back."

I didn't say anything, just nodded my head to him and closed the door behind me slightly harder than necessary. He was right, this wasn't how I expected to spend my first day.

When I found Unicorn Way Gate, after quite a few wrong turns and being reduced to ask a few of the students and residents that had already woken up on where to go, I eventually found the place.

Private Stillson was a little rough around the edges, and really didn't really want me going down Unicorn Way as he explained; the place was crawling with ghosts. But eventually, after reading the letter from Headmaster Ambrose, he ended up telling me to go and talk to Private Connelly just inside the gates.

As promised Private Connelly was standing by the grassy area just inside the gates, attempting to look intimidating when he saw me walk through. Be he ended up being a lot more understanding than Private Stillson, especially when I showed him the letter from the Headmaster.

"You know you're brave to be doing this don't you?" Private Connelly's gruff voice stated. "Lately ghosts and other sort of creatures have decided to take refuge here, and no matter how much you try to get rid of them they always seem to keep coming back."

I gulped, that didn't sound good.

"Your joking right?" I asked, hoping he wasn't serious about the ghosts. Ghosts terrified me, which I guess was on of the reasons why I didn't think the School of Death was right for me.

"I'm afraid not." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck with the hand that wasn't holding his spear. "I don't know much about what's going on, but I suggest you go and talk to Ceren NightChant if you want to help us stop all this mayhem. He should be over by the band stand; he never leaves that place." I nodded my head, still a bit peeved that it seemed that I had hardly accomplished anything.

Private Connelly pointed over to a boy who looked slightly older than me in green robes.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. If anything, it should be me thanking you. You just saved my butt."

I trudged my way over to meet this Ceren NightChant. I had a feeling that I'd be running around this place all day, if I get a moment of peace it would be a miracle.

Ceren NightChant seemed a bit too happy for my taste, like he had decided to eat and entire bag of sugar for breakfast. He asked me if I could defeat and collect a few dark fairies and try to figure out what was wrong with them, something that he should have been doing.

He told me that a professor here, Professor Moolinda Woo, had asked him to find out what was wrong with the fairies, but that he didn't feel comfortable with all the ghosts floating around.

Telling him that I would find him once I had caught about two, I would return to him. I headed through the band stand and walked down the small road that led me down past all the houses that were on unicorn way.

As I was looking for some Dark Fairies to fight, I began to notice these weird cages that hung from each lamp post I passed. It looked like the bars were made of bones and there where little balls of white light were floating around inside of them. I shrugged them off as some sort of Wizard trend and carried on walking

Fighting the Dark Fairies ended up being a lot harder than I anticipated, but I passed that off as the fact that the wand I held was really old. Although I was a bit disappointed that there seemed to be no change in how they looked or acted. I walked back to Ceren thinking over what could possibly be causing these fairies to act like this.

"Are you positive nothing happened?" Ceren asked me after I reported back to him about what I had managed to find out, glancing at the unconscious fairies I had brought with me.

"Positive."

"This is bad. Really bad."

" Maybe they turned that way by choice." I offered helpfully, but Ceren shook his head frantically

"No. Fairies are peaceful creatures, they wouldn't ever think about hurting any living creature, they live for nature. The only way they could have turned, would be because of dark magic."

"Then what should we do?" Ceren seemed deep in thought for a while before looked at me with hope.

"There is one person who might be able to help us. But I think it would be better if you went to see her."

"See who?" I asked, I wanted to help these people more than ever now. It seemed like they were really upset by what was going on down her. And if this place was going to be my home for a while, I may as well help out.

"Lady Oriel the Seraph." I looked at him expectantly but he just looked at me.

"Are you going to tell me where I can find her?" A look of realization crossed his face.

"Oh right, yes of course. Try the hedge maze at the end of unicorn way, that's where you can always find fairies, and Lady Oriel is always with the fairies. She's bound to know what is going on. She's like their queen of sorts." I thanked him and gave him a wave.

"See you later then."

"Good luck."

I walked away leaving Ceren behind. Time to find the Seraph.