Author's Note

Hellooo, this is my first story and I'm kinda thrilled about it since I've loved Wizard101 for years and years and have always thought about something like this. I'm really inexperienced with writing though so if you wanna critique or point out some errors, go ahead. Beat me up with your mean words. Gimme them black eyes and cut lips.

Chapter 1 - Beavers

What.

I was just doing my normal routine on a normal, if somewhat slow, day.

I live in a pretty nice neighborhood that's close to my school where I walk to. My room is kinda always messy with me being too busy to have any time to clean it but I don't mind since it's only me using it. It's something to clean too, on a bad day.

I'm one of those stress-cleaners, so what? What's more important though is that I somehow got teleported or whooshed somewhere else. What.

When did I close my eyes?

I have to get adjusted to the light before I see anything at all, and hold myself up. A large, oval-shaped spring sparkled brightly in front of me, circled by the cobble sidewalk I woke up on.

The water was so intensely bright blue that I can hardly believe my eyes. Loads of people in colorful clothes are walking to and fro, and talking with each other.

Beyond the sidewalk, there were some houses that looked like they were from medieval times. All the buildings, including the houses, had an identical style.

Behind me was a gate with a path leading to a huge castle and a fountain in front of it. Trying to look farther in the distance, I saw that the cobble sidewalk leads to multiple tunnels burrowing into darkness.

Taking my eyes away from the background, I look in front of me, finding a pair of strange boots. Realizing I was still on the ground, I immediately stood up, looking into the impatient dark eyes of an equally strange-dressed guy.

"Hey, what were you doing on the ground?" he groused, looking like he had been waiting for me to notice him. Oops.

"Sorry! Erm.. I dunno? Who are you?" I ask, "where are we?". I tried to sound like I'm not panicking but probably didn't succeed.

"We're in the Commons", he looks at me strangely, then his eyes open a little wider in realization. "Are you from Marleybone? Or Krokotopia? Ooo, or Dragonspyre?" he says the last part a bid loudly.

I blink a couple times and answer him. "I'm from Beaverton." He brightened up pretty fast. Last I checked I was sitting at my desk in Beaverton, Oregon. Am I not even in the state, or the country right now?

My answer didn't deter him. If anything, it looked like it interested him further.

"Oh wow, I've never heard of that world. Is it full of beavers?"

"Yup, we get lots of squirrels and beavers and deers. It's a nice city." I emphasize the word city, trying to tell him that it's not a world discreetly. "How about you?"

"Born and raised right here in Wizard.. City. Yours truly, Mason Thunderstone", he says as he smiles and comically bows. I chuckle. No one bows like that anymore.

"So what brings you here?" Mason asks.

Implying that I meant to be here purposely, but he wouldn't know that I didn't have a clue how I got here. If I was freaking out about it myself, I'm not sure if he would believe me if he told the truth. "Oh, you know, just taking a stroll hahahaha".

I think he caught onto my white lie, he looked a bit suspicious but for some reason still decided to be a good sport. "I can show you around since you seem a little lost."

"Yes!", oops, tone down the enthusiasm, me. "I mean, please?"

"Sure. Well this is the Commons which is the most popular hang out here since it's like a crossroads to everything else. There's a library where you can check out books and stuff if you're into that", Mason says as he excitedly grabs my wrist, previous suspicion forgotten thankfully. "C'mon, let's go to the fairgrounds!"

I managed to glimpse bright green leaves in one of the dark and foreboding tunnels that was closest to us. This place is so flipping populated, I tell you. We passed by a lot of people and I caught onto some of their conversations, they seemed a bit strained.

"My father ... barricaded …. guard …. undead …. Unicorn Way …. Malistair".

Mason starts talking again once we reached our destination though and I forget my train of thought. "This is where all the festivals happen, and some other events. The summer festival is pretty close actually and I'm helping prepare it too. It'll be good to cheer up people right now. You gotta come to the festival though, it's going to be amazing!" He looks at me with big doe eyes. I can't believe those eyes are actually real. They need to be banished from existence.

"Ummm-"

"Lots of food and desserts!"

"Ah well-"

"Minigames and rides and prizes!"

Wait. "Will you have a roller coaster?" I ask him.

"We'll have the baddest roller coaster in the whole Spiral."

I can't stop myself. "I'll go."

Mason fist pumps the air upwards, downwards, vertically. He looks like he's punch-massacring ghosts.

I have a feeling no one's ever bored around him. He's scary when he's grouchy though. "Sweet, wanna come with me and my friends?" he asks.

Wait what?

My situation comes slamming back to me that was previously pushed back by Mason's abruptness. The festival's close, he said. I'm not sure I will be here for any period of time. Why even consider it when I don't have anywhere to stay? Why even consider staying here in this scary land of unfamiliarity? I need to go back home, safe in the comfort of my room.

Teleportation please commence.

Woooshhhh.

Weeoashhh.

There's that damning tell-tale sign of my eyes starting to water. Shoot. I need to go, anywhere. Just not here in the open. Not now. There are some tents in the fairgrounds.

Oh, there's Mason too. He's looking at me weirdly again. "Hey, look" he starts cautiously, "you don't need to come if you don't want to-"

"No, it's just that I don't have anywhere to stay", I say hurriedly, then take a moment to think how to best explain. "I really like fairs, I just came here unexpectedly and I'm kinda lost.. and I don't know how to get back home.." I will the tears to go away, and they do. No way was I gonna rub em out of my eyes like a pansy.

Mason looks a little less uncomfortable now. "Oh. We should go talk to Headmaster Ambrose, he's the kind of guy to go to about travelling and housing and stuff. He leads the wizarding school here, Ravenwood, and fits people into dorms. Maybe he can do something for you", he offers.

He said wizard again, I can't ignore it now. The clothes people wear look wizard-ish now that I think about it, but right now I'm focusing on going back home and nothing else.

"Okay, where is he?"