This story started as a response to the IC: Daria and the School of Magic.
One of the rules of the challenge was that in this school academic achievement ranked higher than sports or popularity. If the ideas in my head can translate into a half decent storyline it could end up being very long, but hopefully not tedious. Any and all comments, suggestions and even the occasional light flame gratefully appreciated, thanks for reading.

This is fanfiction, done for fun and no money is being made. Daria and related characters are the property of Glenn Eichler and MTV/Viacom.

The Mageborn Cynic Part 1

Under a deep blue sky, accented by puffy white clouds lit from the east by the early morning sunshine there stood a typical medieval walled town. Two and three story buildings, some of stone, others oak framed with white wattle and daub walls, their upper floors overhanging the lower crowded together on the narrow cobbled streets. The townspeople went about their business that morning, opening the shutters on the little shops, pushing barrows laden with produce and hawking their wares raucously to the passersby.

Through this throng came a pale blue carriage with ornate brasswork and a coat of arms on the door. The common folk gave way with alacrity and not a little fear. The carriage moved without horses to draw it nor hand to guide it, announcing to all who saw it what manner of folk travelled within. Many of them made gestures to ward off evil but did so in pockets or behind shawls, no one wanted to offend the mageborn.

Inside the carriage a portly gentleman, soberly dressed in a bleached linen shirt and velvet maroon cravat, black breeks tucked into shiny knee-length leather boots and an elegantly napped woolen topcoat addressed his daughters, who sat on the opposite bench looking bored.

'Now ladies, I know it is not easy for you to adjust to a new home and a new school, especially for you, am I not correct Daria?' He looked pointedly at his eldest daughter.

'Did we move?' she answered sarcastically 'I declare Father I had scarce noticed, the horse dung smells the same here... as do the people'

'Hmph!, she always says that' intruded the younger girl as she amused herself conjuring ephemeral fairys out of the air and having them fly around the carriage. 'She'll never be happy until she's on her own in a tower somewhere.'

'Now Daria, you know it will be different here, they will respect you now' replied her father waving a hand causing the fairys to evaporate.

'I'm sorry Father, what did you say?' Daria deadpanned as she waved her own hand causing the fairys to reappear, now completely real and singing their silly little songs in piping voices.

Sensing another confrontation Quinn drew back the curtain on the window and shoo'd the little creatures out into the dappled sunlight as the carriage made its way up a sweeping, beech lined, driveway to an imposing three story stone building with a columned entryway. 'We're almost there.'

She quickly scanned the students of both genders gathered around the quadrangle singly or in groups. Several reds, fewer greens, a lot in blue and yellow whom she ignored and six silvers sitting in a circle meditating. There were also several in plain black but they huddled well away from their 'betters' not wishing to be abused or pressed into service as drudges. She quickly identified three girls her own age in well made green gowns as suitable and smiled with satisfaction. 'Thank you Father' she said with a winsome smile 'I'm sure I'll do well here and bring honor to our house.' As the carriage came to a halt she reached through the aperture and opened the door, took a deep breath to prepare herself and stepped lightly to the ground sporting her best smile and quite literally radiant. She overheard her father asking her sister to stay a moment as she walked away in the direction of the three 'Creatives' she'd noted previously. Her green satin gown moved gracefully as she walked, adding a slight swish to her hips to draw the eyes of every boy in range.

'Hello there, what's your name? That's a beautiful gown, where did you get it, it's sooo elegant' enthused the first girl, a pretty brunette with a pleasant, open countenance and a sweet smile.

'Quinn Jacobsdottir, of the House Morgendorffer.'

'Hail and welcome' answered the second girl, attempting a more dignified response as she tried to counter the 'Glamor' the new girl was projecting without much success. 'This girl is a threat' she thought to herself 'She is skilled indeed and that stupid dress is too perfect a match for her red hair, oh and matching green eyes, of course, bitch.' Out loud she added 'It's always a pleasure to see another adept of the one great discipline join us here in Lawndale College of Sorcery and Magecraft.' Smoothing her own teal green gown she stepped forward and offered her hand 'Cassandra of House Gryphon, and this is Anastasia of House Rowling and this' indicating the third, black haired Oriental beauty who stood back regarding them with an inscrutable look 'is her Eminence Lady Tio Fan of the Bloom Dynasty.'

Quinn gave a minimal curtsy to the ennobled girl who nodded in acknowledgment before returning to the close scrutiny of her fingernails.

'You'll have to meet with us this evening to discuss dressmakers' said the first girl excitedly 'I've only seen designs like that on the ladies at court, have you been there?'

'Yes, my sister and I were presented to the Archduke and his Lady at a ceremony last month. I couldn't believe the grandeur and sophistication of the noblewomen and I made sure to purchase plenty of the latest cloth and laces before we left the Citadel.' Quinn answered 'I'm sure I have plenty if you'd like to take some to have gowns made for yourselves.'

'Do you think we cannot afford our own material? Do we look like country bumpkins to you?' Cassandra asked, her eyes flashing with anger.

'Oh no Cassandra, that's not what I meant at all, I just thought it would be nice to get together and mix and match. That teal is beautiful with your hair, the way it shimmers, mmnnnh, I'm soo jealous.'
When the battle came, it would be on ground and at a time of Quinn's choosing, not this snotty harridan's.

She was distracted then by shouts and cheers from a boisterous group of boys in the blue and yellow of the 'Kinetics' who were playing some silly game with an inflated pig's bladder, using their ability to seize control of it and cause it to fly at high speed into the face of an opponent who waited til the last moment to deflect it.

One of the boys, a big handsome lunk with curly brown hair and flashing white teeth, called out to his fellows 'Hey men, look at the cripple' he snickered, pointing toward the blue carriage. 'She can't even walk properly much less qualify for a color. Watch this' he winked as he seized control of the ball telekinetically and shot it toward the slim figure in dusty black robes who had stumbled as she alighted from the carriage and was leaning heavily on a long plain wooden stick.

'Oh no!' Quinn thought to herself 'Not already, please Gods let her not kill him' she prayed silently.

The diminuative girl by the carriage now stood straight as she recovered from her fall. The flying ball came to a stop inches from her face, spinning in place. She reached up with her left hand and pulled the sable hood down from her head, revealing a mane of chesnut hair. On her face in a frame of polished ebony rested two diamond viewing crystals, obscuring her sightless eyes. An uncomfortable ripple of apprehension ran through the watching students, they knew what secrets those crystals allowed the blind to see, and what gold it would cost to pay an archmage to fabricate them.

The more astute among the students realized something else, the oaken shaft in her right hand was no crutch. They all carried wands to channel and focus the power they possessed but only archmages carried staves which were robust enough to withstand the enormous power which could be brought to bear by a master of the craft.

The signifigance of the black robes now became apparent. Only two classes of mageborn wore black, the humble apts (apprentices) and the mighty adepts, versed in all four disciplines.

But no one their age had ever been graced with a staff, except... except her. Some bowed their heads and some looked at the boy with fear and sympathy, some of the brighter boys started to edge away from him as he stood grinning foolishly, oblivious to his impending doom.

Daria scanned the crowd with augmented senses. Literally tasting their strengths and weakness. 'Nothing there could even begin to challenge me' she thought, a little disappointed. She turned her attention back to the ignoramus who had tried to belittle her.

'What is your name, boy?' she asked, her quiet voice carrying across the now silent quadrangle.

'Why do you want to know?' he joked 'Are you looking for a date?' he looked around grinning, wondering why no one was laughing with him.

'No, no, not at all. I merely wish to know what to engrave on your tombstone.'

Daria could sense her Father watching the scene. He would not interfere but she knew he would be disappointed in her if she handled this badly. She could also feel the unspoken thought 'pathed from her sister 'Please don't, please don't, I want to make friends here.'

Now annoyed the boy said 'My name is Kevin, son of Thomas, of the Guild of Tailors. Who are you?'

Without a gesture or incantation Daria caused the ball to disappear and rematerialize in front of Kevin's face. 'Do you like to play with your balls? She asked seductively, smirking slightly.

'I sure do' he leered in reply.

'Know what I like to do with balls?'

'No, what?'

With that the ball contracted as if caught in an invisible vice and burst in Kevin's face with a loud bang, making him jump back and fall on his rump to much ribaldry from the assembled mob.

Gathering her skirts and with a polite nod to her sister and her trembling companions, the Archmage Daria, known as Hellsbane, walked like a queen to the entrance of her new college and the start of a new academic year.