Befriending Death

I sighed, setting my backpack down next to my sister's and stretching, "finally home! Now we don't have to worry about the finals," I looked to my sister who nodded happily. "They were easy enough to pass," she explained, "but troublesome." "Except for the statistics final," I made a face, "I'm just glad I was able to finish them in class, tests are the only time the others are quiet enough for me to try to," I said rolling my eyes. We then went to our small living room to play Wizard101. This game was most of what we did at home, especially when it was quiet. "You thinking about working on Icecaster?" I asked, not looking behind me to her, logging in. "Yea," she said like it was obvious, "I need to catch her up to yours." I smirked logging into my death character, Stephanie Deathtamer. "Oh?" Julia looked over curiously, "it's been a while since you've been on your death." "I know," I said quickly, "I guess I just wanted to let my friends know I haven't forgotten about Wizards or this character."

In minutes of getting on I heard several texts to me, from friends wondering where I was. I was able to see their faces so it was easy to talk to them all like I was actually with them. I laughed answering, "Sorry, I guess I just never liked Marleybone so I tend to stay away from that character in that world for a while." "I know what you mean," Cody Whisper, a storm boy answered. "It's so bland!" Cody had dark brown hair, and dark blue eyes, he often wore a hat and cotton clothing that was purple and yellow, the storm school colors. "Well," Melissa Deathdreamer complemented, "at least there isn't too much death there, you'd think there would be in that kind of place," she stuck out her tongue playfully. She had the same hair color as Cody but it was often in a ponytail or hidden by a hood, and blue-green eyes. Like me she wore tight fitting clothing while I wore red and black, she wore purple and black. "Yea, that wouldn't be good for most of you because then it'd be worse with getting me on Deathtamer," I winked. Melissa rolled her eyes smiling, amused, "You do have prisms you know." I shrugged, "anyway, I'm going to go quest, talk to you guys later."

I ran down the long, gray street trying to avoid shadowed or mechanical creatures until I got to the area I was supposed to be. It was still on that street but it was at a turning point in the road. I looked down it seeing the spiders crawling to and away from me. I shuddered, "I hate spiders," I whined, "why spiders in Marleybone? It's usually cats and rats!" I seemed to attract some of them as I walked near where the monsters usually came around most often. I sighed, "Well at least I boost against them."After a while I had managed to scare them off and battle the one's that stayed behind. Sometimes I was lucky to get it completely because of death shields and absorbs but an ice girl, Natalie came and helped me steal the shields. I smiled, "thanks, this is supposed to be the easiest thing for me but unfortunately it seems like they can read what I want to do," I grimaced as she laughed, "don't worry about it, just call me when you need me!" She left and I went to find the person this concerned. "Thank you, young wizard!" she cried happily, "I knew you would be the one to ask." I smiled, "no problem," as I walked off I sighed "Well, now they don't have to worry about a bug problem, which is work for a wizard but unfortunately they also make us do things they can do," I said taking a look at my list of "to dos." "I should go to the commons area," I said eying my health, "I don't want to get caught now."

I was bored, I did not want to go back to Marleybone just yet but I had nothing to do so I got off the game. "Stephanie, laundry to fold," I looked up to see my mom, holding a laundry basket. I groaned, "Okay, okay." "Don't complain," she scolded, "you know there's more to do than Wizard101." I rolled my eyes, "I know; you don't have to tell me. I do well in school; I'm not always centered on the game." I went into the room, mom had set our clothes on and started folding, "lights, why lights?" I complained quietly. I was done in about half an hour, so I went to my room and got into bed. "I know I said I wasn't centered on the game, but I wish it was real. It'd be so fun to wield magic. Besides its more likely I would be more into it if it was Ravenwood." I fell asleep soon, thinking of my characters, being one with them like their abilities were really mine.

An old man appeared in my dream this night. "Hello, young wizard. Are you ready for Ravenwood?" I looked at him oddly. "This doesn't look like an ordinary old man," I thought. He donned a pointed hat, robes, and heelless boots, all purple his hair and beard were white sort of clashing with the colors. "Who do I know who looks as weirdly dressed as this?" I thought to myself wary of the person. After a second of watching his smiling face though a thought came to me as my eyes widened slightly, "this is Headmaster Ambrose! Maybe I'm just tired still, that's why I didn't notice him!" my face lit up with excitement, "yes, please. I would like to be there on my own." He smiled, he looked a little sad at first but brightened before I could say anything, "alright, young wizard. Just promise me you'll stay strong in times of trouble." I looked at him confused at first then I thought I understood, "I guess he means in the battles, I'll actually feel them…won't I? This is a dream though…" I let the confusion go as I looked at him confidently, "Of course! I won't give up no matter what I face." "Alright then, we're ready," he took his staff twirled it lightly over his head then slammed it down and we were in Wizard City, the world I had wanted to be a part of since age twelve.

It didn't take long for me to find out everyone that was there was staring and whispering. "Hi!" I called to them. They didn't seem to want to know me in return though. They all backed up slowly before walking or running away in other directions. Confused, I looked around me before realizing I was Deathtamer, my slightly different looking death character from Wizard101. "Is it how I look?" I looked to Headmaster Ambrose and raised an eyebrow. He sighed, "I'm sorry, I knew I should have told you before we went. Most students here don't like the death school. They think they will be cursed by anyone of them if near them." I nodded, "I guess that's understandable, like the game. Malistaire turned evil after his wife died so some people don't trust the death students…I did have other friends who weren't death in the game though." "Yes," he agreed, "but that game is like the future of this world. This place was made real by that game, the only problem is, in this world it goes to the past whether it's far from the present in game or close." I nodded slowly, but surely understanding. He paused,"Sorry young wizard," he said, realizing why I wasn't understanding well. I was extremely tired having gotten teleported here depleting more of my energy. "You must be tired still as you woke up some time ago to be brought here. Good night." "Good night, sir," I still had some energy in me so I used it to teleport to my death house. It was the same as it was in the game, it is dark and dreary looking as always, but I did my best to decorate it how I liked it. "My birthday is in October so I like the way it looks being characteristic of my birthday and part of my personality," I looked over my belongings, making sure everything was in its place and as soon as I did, I walked inside to go back to sleep.

I woke up to still dim sky, "Of course it's still dark, there isn't much light here," I said looking around, "makes it a bit harder to estimate the time though." I didn't feel tired so I decided to go find someone who would be willing to communicate with me. "This is going to take a little time getting used to," I looked around at familiar scenes, "I never thought I'd be here but at least we don't have school to worry about." Many people were already up and roaming around. I watched them, "well there's a clue, I still might need to find a clock though." "After what happened yesterday, I don't think I want to be seen just yet," I said hiding behind a corner glancing around it. The next thing I knew I was jumped on, "Whoa!" I exclaimed, startled. I took the familiar hands off my shoulders and turned around to see Julia Icecaster, my sister. "Hey Steph," she grinned widely amused at my reaction, "oh, hey Julia. You're here too then?" She nodded. "Yea," she said, "and I guess in the real Ravenwood we're sorted by what we're really like." "I guess so," I looked around, "I think we're the only ones who got here just now though." "Do you think Melissa is here then?" Julia asked. I shrugged, "maybe, none of these other people look new here, including people I've seen before." "Let's go then!" We ran off to avoid being seen by our fellow students as we went in search for our friend.

We found her in her usual place, the park. We grew excited as I looked to Julia and smiled. Melly hadn't changed at all from the switch from game to real life. We ran to her and jumped on her simultaneously, she hugged us, "hey guys!" she laughed, "it's about time you got here," she said with a wink. "I guess we have to want to completely to be able to be called. That's what happened to me," I said, "I wonder why I never said anything about it before, I love magic." "I know," Julia agreed, "never knew this would happen to those who let themselves admit it." Melissa nodded, "yea, it's fun here most of the time." Julia and I stared at her, "most of the time?" we said. "Yea, unfortunately sometimes death people aren't the best, some of them have had bad lives on Earth so when they got here they were able to take revenge on people that looked like their betrayers. All the people that do this are death so that's why no one trusts any death person now. Those people often are able to get close to them and then hurt them in some way, that's why they're so wary of us." I looked to a group of students sadly, "I see. Well, we could at least try it."

The next day we went into Unicorn Way. "This place is full of plants and animals which is why people love going to this area. It's the safest street to run round on too. It's more likely to find people here." We all chose different directions to take as we looked around. I was walking near the water's edge as I saw a soft looking, white flower. It was closed. "I guess the life wizards missed this one," I said quietly. Being death I couldn't bring it to life on my own, I had to find some sort of life essence. I looked around spotting golden magic sparks in a small bottle. "They must use this when they're out of mana. They do have the power to bring life on their own," I thought picking up the bottle carefully, as it was open and sprinkled a small amount on the flower. In a matter of seconds the flower turned into a frostcaller. She was an angel, literally having silvery, white wings, long white hair, and tan skin with white streaks down her cheeks like a long upside down triangle. She looked at me curiously tilting her head slightly to the side. She then saw the bottle I was holding and her face lit up happily, she circled me to show she liked and trusted me. I watched her activities, "thank you," I said as she stopped. "I'll help you now miss." Startled I looked at her, "oh, I see you speak telepathically," I said laughing, "and I thought I was used to it by now." She looked at me, "Sorry about that," she said quietly, "I guess I should have noted it before." "That's alright," I reassured her smiling, "don't worry about it." This understanding nature didn't last for long though, someone came running from the left, near the street. She had blonde hair, green eyes, and wore green robes. A theurgist, or to put it simply, a person who brings life. "Hey! What are you doing with Lady Angel?" "It's alright, she helped me." The girl looked at Lady Angel confused then looked at me angry, "what did you do? Did you brainwash her?" I panicked, "no! I just used this to help her form from the flower," I said holding up the bottle. "Humph, yea right. You probably just want to get her as your minion so that you can get a hold on the others as well," she looked pleadingly at Lady Angel, "please," come with me, you'll be safe I promise." Lady Angel glared at her, "no, I've seen her before. She's not bad. I'm staying with her." Just then my sister and Melissa came running from their ways they took. "Hey! Leave Stephanie alone. You don't even know her so how can you say she's bad?" I looked at them and then looked at my phone device. Their faces were there. "So that's how they know," I thought looking from the phone to them. "Fine do what you want, just don't blame me," she walked off sparring worried glances at the angel. When she was gone Lady Angel looked at me and smiled kindly, "I'm sorry about that." I shook my head, "it's to be expected here I guess. Thank you again for defending me," I said softly, "I just wish they would understand me. I hate being an outcast," I said looking away. Worried, she came over to me, setting a hand on my shoulder, "don't worry," she smiled softly, "I'm sure we'll find some way to let them see." I smiled at her and changed the subject to not make her worry, "so, would you like to help me?" She tilted her head again to the side, looking at me with a confused look. I laughed, "I'm usually busy with quests that I get so I'm not home a lot when someone comes to see me. I have many quests and I think it'd be good to have you in case I have trouble." She smiled widely and nodded and I took her hand and teleported to the area.

She was great to have around. I was battling a boss who was death so I had trouble attacking and protecting myself. Whenever I was down she would try her best to heal me while I protected her from being hit. I winced as another attack hit me before I could do anything. We were both worn out but I saw her cast another sprite. It was small but it helped me tremendously, "okay," I smiled at her, "you rest now, I can finish him." She did what I said and looked behind me surprised, she didn't say anything but smiled lightly. I then cast a vampire, sapping the last of his health and healing myself a little bit then sat down on the spot, exhausted. Lady Angel came over and placed a hand on my forehead. "Do you feel alright?" she asked worriedly. "I looked at her and smiled, tired but okay, "yea, I'm fine, just a bit tired." She then look out a card. I looked at it then at her, "are you sure?" I said seriously, "don't do anything if you don't have the energy. She nodded, smiling as she cast her biggest spell. It was a satyr, a goat-like person with a whistle. He played happily, then disappeared leaving me fully healed. "Wow," someone said from behind me, startled I looked around. I saw many people there, smiling, looking at us. "You guys worked together perfectly!" the boy said. "Wait, that's Cody!" I smiled happily, "thank you," I said looking to all of them. He shook his head lightly, "no, we're sorry for not giving you a chance. We know not all people are bad, we just didn't want to admit to the death." I smiled lightly, "you had a right to. I'm just glad you understand me now." He smiled, "I'm glad you understand. Now we can show this to the others as an example. You guys will not be alone anymore I promise." We walked out and headed to the commons where the video was played of our battle, and soon the death students were treated the way they should. "We promise to never judge before we know, we will watch and understand," we wrote and I came back alone a little later to set our promise in the room where we were discovered. I smiled at it, then walked out.