Hello, there, typically I'm an Avatar writer, but I've been thinking of doing a Black Magician fanfic for awhile so there you have it. Honestly there are so many depressing, "Akkarin is dead" fics for these books, so this is a bit more light-hearted.

Finally, after months and months of careful studying, Sonea's Healing exams were over. She had been tutored privately by Lady Vinara and what would normally have taken her several years to learn, she had mastered with fierce speed. They hadn't wanted her to be among the other novices, and to be honest, she didn't want to be around them anyway. They regarded her strangely, half in fear, half in appreciative awe. Many of them had never liked her. Those were the ones who looked at Sonea in fear.

Now she even had her own room in the Magician's Quarters. Black magic had given her this. Some days she was grateful and some days, she felt wholly unworthy. She was here because she had saved the Guild and the only way she had saved the Guild was when the man she loved had died. Sonea quickly rearranged her thoughts. She didn't want to think about Akkarin. Sonea turned to the window. Windows were old friends. She remembered the hours she'd spent by them, looking out on the grounds when she's been taught Control by Rothen. Back then she had thought that the Guild was pure evil and wanted nothing more than to be rid of her powers.

She rarely wondered what would have happened if she'd walked away. She knew what would have happened. For one thing, Kyralia would be gone. There would be no more Guild magicians and her life would be a living hell induced by the Sachakan Ichani. Those were not things she wished to think of.

Sonea picked up the folded black robes that had been placed on her bed. A servant had put them there. The servants were to afraid to bother putting them away. They knew she was of stout heart, but black magic made everyone a little bit afraid. Sonea stowed the robes away in her wardrobe. There was a knock at her door. She opened it with a small push of magic. "Hello, Rothen," she said calmly.

"So you just finished your exams," he said, entering the room.

"Yes, I'll get the results in a few hours," she said.

"Did Lady Vinara look pleased?" Rothen asked, sitting down.

"You know, I can never really tell with her."

Rothen chuckled. "You do look like you want to wait around here."

"No, but if I leave then I get an escort into the city and you know how I just love that," Sonea replied sarcastically. "Not that I don't mind your company when it's you, but really most of them hate it when I go into the slums."

"I would take you, but I have a meeting with Osen in an hour," Rothen said. "Dannyl's visiting for a bit though with his yearly ambassador report. Go harass him."

Sonea smiled. "Yeah, I think I will. Did he bring his friend, Tayend, with him?"

"Yes, I think he did," Rothen replied.

"Do you know where he is?" Sonea asked.

"His rooms probably."

Sonea nodded. "Have fun with Osen."

Sonea started down the stairs. Dannyl's room was on the lower floors of the Magician's Quarters. She passed a few magicians on her way. Most nodded politely, some of the less conservative ones waved. One or two were showing off their levitating skills. What a waste of magic.

Sonea knocked on Dannyl's door. Dannyl opened it and smiled when he saw her. "Hey, I heard about your Healing exams," he said. "How'd they go?"

"Alright, I think. But I have to wait around for a few hours and I'd rather not stay in the Guild."

"Yeah, I remember I ran as fast as I could into the city when I was waiting for my Alchemy results. You should go find Rothen to take you into the city," Dannyl added.

"Well I would, but he's got a meeting with Osen in an hour. Are you busy?"

Dannyl looked apologetic. "Actually, I am. I'm really sorry. They've loaded me with paperwork and want my entire report in writing. Too lazy to just listen to me talk, if you ask me."

Sonea laughed. "Ok. Well, good luck with the hand cramps."

"I really am sorry," Dannyl added as she turned to go.

"It's no big deal," she insisted.

Sonea sighed and headed out for the grounds. It was snowing and she quickly made a barrier around herself. It was fascinating to watch the snow just slide off of her shield. The grounds really did look beautiful this time of year. Sonea strode on, racking her brain for the name of someone who wouldn't make such a fuss about her going into the slums. She would have gone to Dorrien, but things were not only completely awkward between them, but he would want to know absolutely everything about the exams that she did not want to think about.

Osen felt bad for her and would have gone, but he was of course meeting with Rothen that afternoon. Lady Tia, the novice librarian, pretty much cried every time she went into the slums and Sonea didn't feel like consoling her at this point. Plus it wasn't like she could just shut down the library whenever Sonea felt like it. Sonea admittedly didn't have a very long list of people to ask and she didn't want to ask anyone else.

She continued onward, now becoming sullen. She'd wanted to go visit Jonna, Ranel, and her two little cousins to get her mind off things. She wanted to stop in and visit Cery and catch up with him. She hadn't seen him in weeks. Now she couldn't do any of those things. "Magicians," she muttered under her breath.

"What about them?" asked a cocky voice.

She looked around to see Regin walking towards her. "Hello, Regin," she said forcedly. He may have helped her during the invasion, but she still remembered her novice days, even though he had been nothing but kind to her ever since.

"Hello, Sonea," he said. "So what were you saying about magicians?"

His voice held none of the competitive and vain air that it used to, so she humored him with an answer. "I had my healing exams today. I wanted to go out into the slums to visit my family, but no one's really around to escort me that doesn't mind the slums so much. That would be why I was muttering about magicians."

Regin looked thoughtful. "Technically, I'm a fully qualified magician," he said, gesturing to his red robes. He's picked the Warrior art. "I suppose I could take you."

"Why would you do that?" Sonea asked suspiciously.

Regin shrugged. "I have promised to be nicer to you," he offered.

"But you see, I wanted to go with someone who doesn't shudder and all that when they see the kind of stuff that happens in the slums. You wouldn't like it there."

"I have nothing better to do," he countered. "I promise I'll keep my disgusted shuddering to a minimum."

Sonea looked at him incredulously. "You're serious? You want to go?"

"If you'll let me," Regin said. "It's your decision."

Sonea blinked at him for a minute. "Fine. But you'd better not complain."

"Oh, I'd never complain. You're a scary black magician after all."

Sonea snorted. "Let's go."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Sonea knocked on her aunt and uncle's door. It took them a few moments, but Jonna eventually came to the door, looking a little tired. She instantly brightened when she saw her niece. "Oh, Sonea, come in, come in," she said, ushering them out of the cold. "Ah, who's this one? Haven't seen him before." Jonna leaned in and whispered in Sonea's ear, "He's cute."

Sonea blushed. "Honestly," she said, shaking her head. "This is Lord Regin."

Jonna gave him a little bow. "Welcome," she said formally.

Regin nodded and watched them quietly. He was never this close with his aunt and uncle. Jonna treated Sonea like her own daughter.

"How're my little cousins doing?" Sonea asked.

"Oh, they're coming along," Jonna said, leading them into the kitchen where the two tots were playing on the floor.

"My they've gotten big," Sonea exclaimed.

"You wait here," Jonna told them. "I'll go get Ranel." She started up a staircase. "RANEL! RANEL!"

Sonea smiled. "This is bigger than their last house," she told Regin.

"Bigger?" Regin slipped.

"It's ok to be shocked," Sonea told him. "Even the less arrogant ones are. Jonna and Ranel finally got a house with a second floor. Personally, I think a decent house in the slums like this beats out the stayhouses in the city."

Regin was saved the discomfort of responding by the arrival of Sonea's uncle. "Hai, Sonea," he exclaimed. "Look at you!"

"I look exactly the same," Sonea said laughing. "Now your little ones there, they've really grown."

"They have," Ranel agreed. "How have you been?"

"Well enough, and you?"

"We're doing fine," Ranel said.

"I wish you'd come live with me," Sonea said. She said that every time she visited.

"We really can't," Jonna said. "It's not you. We just don't want to move the little ones around."

"I know," Sonea said. "It's just lonely with all the magicians."

"Hai, who's this?" Ranel said, taking notice of Regin.

"That's Lord Regin."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

They stayed with Jonna and Ranel for a few hours. But soon her aunt and uncle had to get back to work, so Sonea left after tucking a few of her coins in random places for them to find. Jonna wouldn't take it if she gave it outright. Sonea and Regin rode in the small carriage they'd been given at the Guild gates. "They're nice people," Regin said after awhile.

"Yeah, they are. They've had a hard life, but they've made the best of it. They're honest people."

"Is that why you hid all that money?" Regin asked.

"You noticed?"

He nodded.

"Jonna won't take it if I give it to her. Ranel used to but she got on his case about it, so now I have to hide it for them to find. Then they can pretend that they didn't realize there was money hidden there or something."

"Where are we going now?" Regin asked.

"We're looking for someone," Sonea said evasively.

"Ah, your Thief," Regin said.

"Maybe." She signaled for the carriage driver's attention. "Stop here!"

They climbed out in front of a worn looking bolhouse. "In there?" Regin asked, trying to hide his distaste.

"Yes. You promised," she reminded him.

Regin steeled himself and followed her in. The atmosphere wasn't as bad as he feared. No one bothered to really look at them. They couldn't see their magicians' robes with their heavy winter cloaks on. Sonea headed straight for the counter. "Two," she said, passing the tender a coin. He nodded and gave her two warm mugs. She handed one to Regin. He looked at it questioningly. "It's good," she said. "Dannyl likes it."

The possibility that a magician could like it reassured Regin and he drank it. It was good. It was warm and had a pleasing taste about it.

"I told you so," Sonea said, drinking hers. She turned back to the tender. "Is Ceryni around?"

"Who's asking?"

"Sonea," she said.

"He's upstairs, third door on the left."

"Thank you." She turned to Regin again. "Come on."

o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Cery had been pleased to see Sonea. He'd recognized Regin as well and had a hearty laugh about it. His business was doing well, even though his main connections with Akkarin were gone. He had a lot of sway among the Thieves after the invasion. They talked for an hour or so, but by then, it was getting dark out and Sonea decided she'd better head back to the Guild. Her exam results were bound to be ready and she didn't have anyone else to go see.

They were back in the carriage again, almost out of the slums. "I like him," Regin decided. "He's alright."

Sonea regarded the somewhat enlightened Regin. "Maybe you are too."

"Really?" Regin looked a bit shocked. He wasn't expecting to be forgiven, only tolerated.

"Yeah, I think so," Sonea said thoughtfully. "You've grown a little less arrogant, I think."

"I'm glad you think so. I was awful to you. I realized how wrong I was during the invasion. Everything changed. Everything I thought was right turned out wrong." He caught sight of Sonea's expression. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's ok."

There was an awkward silence. "So, you'll get your exam results back," he said quietly.

"Yeah."

"Do you think you did alright?"

"I hope so. As soon as I'm a Healer, I want to start a hospice in the slums."

"That's fantastic," he said.

"It's a start," she said cynically.

"A start?"

"I'm going after the Purge next," she said almost wickedly.

Regin nodded.

The carriage rolled to a stop. They were back in the Guild grounds again. Regin and Sonea walked quietly up to the University. There was a bulletin board in the entrance hall where the exam results were posted. Regin followed her even though he didn't have to. Sonea walked up to the board and scrolled through the list to her name. And next to it…

"I PASSED!" She spun around and somehow found herself clutching Regin in an embrace. Time seemed to stop. He was taller than her and he was strong. Her aunt's words echoed briefly in her mind. He's cute. They stared at each other and in that brief moment they leaned in and kissed. Hmm… I guess he is a bit cute.

I don't know, the irony of it all is funny. Review if you've got a moment.