A/N: I'm very sorry for the long wait. Starting this week, I will be updating every other week until this story is completed. There shouldn't be too much more to write; I'm hoping to have this done by mid April.

It didn't start out as much, really, just a little cold. The Life professor had a cough and a stuffed up nose, but aside from that she was perfectly able to teach. A few days later she stayed home from class, and a student of a teaching college in Mooshu stepped in as a substitute. Many of the novices that were members of Sylvia Drake's class could be seen sitting around Bartleby's roots, drawing get-well-soon cards and showing them off to the talking trees. The older students, especially the Theurgists, would stand in small groups and talk in low voices to each other, discussing Sylvia's slowly worsening condition. Occasionally they would help the novices weave healing magic into the get-well-soon cards. The teachers gossiped as well, although they were more discreet about it, often communicating through messenger-birds.

The heavy blow struck a few weeks later. Sylvia had taken a turn for the worst, and she was being held in emergency care in the hospital. Visits were absolutely not allowed, since it was yet to be determined whether the disease was contagious. The only two admitted were Malistaire and Alex. The Legendary Necromancer kept her friends informed on Sylvia's condition- which wasn't improving. Late one afternoon, Brooke was studying for her final Pyromancy test, which she was required to pass in order to receive her helephant spell. Donna held a thick stack of flashcards and was quizzing her friend on the many fire-related vocabulary words and possible questions she would have to answer. Having already taken the test months ago, the Pyromancer knew what to expect, making her the ideal study partner. At the moment, however, their conversation was straying slightly from the task at hand to more … interesting topics.

"Have you talked to Evan lately?" Donna asked Brooke, setting aside a flashcard in her "need to know" pile.

"A little bit. He helped me study for this test while we were at your duel yesterday. Why?" The Diviner wanted to know.

"Hasn't he asked you out yet?" The Pyromancer blurted out, unable to hide her grin. She saw Brooke blush a deep red, and she clapped gleefully. "I knew he had! We were talking during Pyromancy the other day, and he mentioned it by accident."

"I haven't agreed yet," Brooke protested as her cheeks grew even redder. "I said I'd have to think about it."

"I may not be the most observant person," Donna began, "…but even I've noticed you glancing at him when you think he's not looking! You guys have had crushes on each other since novice; why don't you just say yes already?" She folded her arms, looking impatient. Brooke didn't respond. As it turned out, she never got the chance; they were interrupted as Alexandra passed them on her dragon mount's back, riding furiously towards the Commons. A young boy dressed entirely in the green robes of a hospital messenger was with her, clinging to the black dragon's saddle for dear life.

"I hope Sylvia's okay …" Brooke said softly, watching Alex disappear through the tunnel to the Commons.

The news came the next day: Sylvia Drake was dead. Professor Balestrom announced it to Brooke during her advanced Divination class, and Donna heard it from a group of Theurgists as she was doing homework near the Life School. The two met up outside the Storm School, and each knew that the other had heard the news the moment they saw each other.

The two best friends had known the Life Professor well. She had been friendly to them each time they were invited to Alexandra's house, and she was one of the most beloved teachers in Ravenwood. Her classroom had always been open to them whenever they needed help of any sort.

"She's really gone, isn't she," Donna whispered as the best friends walked slowly towards the Girls' Dorm Tower. Brooke nodded slowly.

"I guess she is."

"I hope Alex is okay. Maybe we should go see her."

"Maybe."

"I'm going to find some flowers for her," Donna decided. She smiled shakily, but Brooke could see the sadness in her eyes.

"I'll go with you. Alex likes dark flowers, right? I think I know where there are some black roses in the Haunted Cave; I can show you where they are."

"Okay." After dropping off their things in their dorm room, Donna and Brooke headed towards the Haunted Cave. They were side by side, sharing their sadness wordlessly.

-V-

During Sylvia's funeral a week after her death, Donna and Brooke were both in tears. They had each brought flowers to place on the coffin, and they had stood beside Alexandra. The Necromancer stared blankly at her adoptive mother's pale, cold face. She refused to show emotion in front of the many people attending the funeral, but Brooke knew that she had been crying when she was alone.

"You shouldn't keep your grief to yourself, Alex! If you share it, it isn't so hard to deal with," Donna had told Alex, but the Necromancer had simply given Donna a blank stare and walked away. As time passed, however, Alexandra began to heal- it was slow healing, and the effects weren't immediately obvious, but they were there. She stopped closing herself off from her friends. She returned to the lunch group, and she even smiled at Donna's antics every once in a while.

A month later, the old Alexandra was back- for the most part, anyways, since there would always be scars from what she'd suffered. Malistaire had been causing her quite a lot of stress, but when she was with her friends, the young Necromancer seemed almost like herself again, especially during lunch.

One day during lunch, Brooke walked in with a happy smile on her face.

"What's got you in s-such a good m-mood?" Heather asked, grinning as she pulled Brooke's chair out for her.

"Oh, nothing," the Diviner replied, glancing at Evan. He winked. Brooke didn't need to tell everyone that she had a date after school.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't get to go on her date that day; tragedy struck during their free period. Alex had gone to the library again. She swore that she had research to do on some project for Advanced Necromancy, although everyone knew that she simply wanted to read in peace. None of them begrudged that to their friend. She needed the peace. Heather had brought her younger sister, Sadie, to Unicorn Way. They were spending the free period studying for tests in the beautiful park on Unicorn Way.

Brooke and Donna had gone to relax in the Commons, enjoying the break after a long day of work. Brooke had taken and passed her helephant test, and Donna had just finished presenting a large project in Advanced Pyromancy. While Brooke sat under a shady tree and read one of her favorite books, Donna danced in the shallow waters of the Commons Pond. She laughed happily as she splashed in the water. The Diviner smiled as she watched her best friend, and then glanced at her watch. The two friends had told Alexandra that they would meet her in the library halfway through the free period, and then the three of them were heading to the Shopping District to help the Necromancer find a present for Erica.

"Hey, Donna! Come over here! It's time to go meet Alex!" She called. The Pyromancer waved and started over. She pulled her brace on over her boot and tightened the straps as she told Brooke all about the birthday card she was making for Erica.

"…and it's going to be glittery with lots of blue flowers since she likes flowers and there will be butterflies except not blue ones since those are mean and scary-"

"Hey, slow down!" Brooke laughed. "Do you need any help walking, since Sasha has your crutch still?" Donna had accidentally left her wooden crutch on her tiger mount's saddle.

"Nah, I'll be okay! I'm getting better at walking on my own, remember? Anyways, I asked Sasha to come and bring my crutch back; she'll be here any minute." Sure enough, the Bengal tiger came bounding towards them a moment later, immediately licking her owner's face as she paused in front of the two girls. "Hey, stop it, Sasha! I need to get my crutch!" Donna laughed, pressing the tiger's face away with one of her hands. She quickly undid the strap that held the crutch to the saddle. "Thanks, Sasha!" The tiger licked Donna once again before bounding away. The Pyromancer tucked the crutch under her right arm and hobbled off towards the Rainbow Bridge. "Come on, slowpoke!"

Brooke followed alongside her, smiling happily. "I can't wait until after school," she sighed, sounding for all the world like a normal lovesick teenager.

"Your date's today, right?" Donna grinned. Brooke nodded.

"We're going out to dinner in Marleybone and then going for a walk," she informed her friend.

"That sounds fun! I'm going to stay up until you get back, and then you have to tell me all about it," Donna declared. Just then, a massive explosion sounded in Ravenwood, rocking the entire ground beneath them. The Pyromancer was thrown to the ground roughly, and her crutch clattered across the stones.

"Donna! Are you okay?" Brooke gasped, hurrying to help her friend stand. Donna nodded slowly, reaching for her crutch.

"I'm okay, but we'd better go find out what happened in Ravenwood. It could be something really bad and someone could be hurt or something and that wouldn't be good and they might need our help-"

"I'll call Storm," the Diviner interrupted. She whistled sharply, and a moment later her swift shark appeared in front of them. "Storm, we need to get to Ravenwood as fast as possible," she informed the shark, helping Donna climb onto his back. She handed Donna the crutch and jumped onto Storm's back in front of her. The shark raced off towards the school.

-V-

The two friends stood side by side outside of the Fire School, watching as Patrick Firesong, the professor, raced towards the Death School as it broke away from Ravenwood. Donna clutched an envelope bearing the Firesong family seal tightly to her chest. It was a letter from the Fire professor to his daughter, Alexandra, and Donna was to give it to the Necromancer only after there was definite proof of Patrick's death.

"What do we do now?" Donna whispered, staring at the gaping cavern with wide eyes. Brooke didn't get a chance to answer before a whisper message rang in her ears:

Brooke, meet me in the Commons in three minutes. Bring Donna.

"We go to the Commons," the Diviner replied slowly.