"There is a saying in Tibetan, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.'

No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster."

― Dalai Lama XIV

Jace's Perspective

The arrogant dark haired man broke the silence glancing at Clary and Izzy "What on earth are you two wearing?"

They looked down at their outfits Clary was wearing short shorts and Izzy was wearing a plaid mini-skirt. Izzy shot him back "What's it to you?"

"Americans I see. Tessa would leave seeing some more Americans around." The silver man said. "And Will means no disrespect, My name is James Cairstairs, you can call me Jem." We all shook his hand. Although I couldn't help but notice Jem blush as he shook izzy's hand.

"My name is Will" he said arrogantly," I don't trust these strangers with my last name."

"As if your last name was prize not to be touched." Jem chuckled.

"See! Jem understands me. Right Jem. That's what it means to be parabati."

Alec and I showed him our parabati runes. "I'm Alec, this is Jace my parabati. This is Clary and Izzy my sister."

"Izzy?" Will asked.

"Short for Isabelle." She said simply.

Will chuckled as he looked into her eyes. "I see you are destined to become an Iron sister. Who put you up to it?"

"I did!" Izzy snarled, "Now, if you please. We are here in an alley! It's freezing cold! And it looks like it's going to rain! So take us to your institute!" she coughed lightly then silently said "please."

"Very well then." Said Jem. Leading them off.

"And by the way, it always looks like it's going to rain in London." Concluded will.

Izzy's Perspective

Back at the institute, they gave us each individual rooms. I was placed in a room with light pink tapestries and bedding. I set down my gear on the dresser and glared into the mirror. I quickly threw a blanket over the mirror, and hastily dropped down on my bed. It was so old here. I don't know how people lived like this. I glanced across the room where there was a screen and a wash bin. I won't survive the night I thought to myself. Maybe clary can make a rune for indoor plumbing. I almost chuckled at the thought. Me and Clary haven't spoken like friends for a while. It would be strange to start talking to her now.

I hear a knock on my door and then a figure came shuffling in. She had a terrible gash running down the side of her face, I tried not to gasp. "My name is Sophie, I've brought you some proper clothes. Will told me to bring you some. In the state that they found you…" She stopped herself. She was bustling around the room like a worker bee. She was looking at the mirror that was draped with a blanket. She paused as if in deep thought and in a swift movement she took off the blanket. "I used to do that too you know."

She brought me behind the screen and started helping me get into the scarlet dress. I was used to these kinds of dresses, they were like the ones in idris. "Do what?" I asked.

"Block up my mirrors because… of my scar." She began to tie up the backing "I don't see how you don't like looking at yourself. You're tall and beautiful."

"How did you get that scar?" I asked rudely and hastily.

She sighed sitting down in a chair behind the screen. "It happened a long time ago. I refused my previous master. He had a reputation you see, with the serving girls. Beautiful serving girls. I used to be beautiful, but he never wanted me to be beautiful again. So no one would love me. You are very beautiful."

I turned around and I looked her in the eyes. She gasped as she saw the color of my eyes. "Forgive me…I" she turned and began to go.

"No." I said. "You don't need to apologize. We have been loved and then broken, destined to never love again."

Sophie turned around and smiled "We will be loved. I know it." Then she turned and retreated. There was only one person I could think of at this moment. Simon.

Clary's Perpective

I was placed in a small room with blue, almost green curtains. I couldn't stop thinking about my sketchbook, or my rune, or jace. Jace. The name almost seemed like a thing of the past. The way he reached for my hand as the vortex consumed us. I knew we could never be like that again ever since Simon died.

I heard a knock on the door. "come in," I said.

A women with a petit frame, much like mine, walked in. Her eyes were bright green and her hair was a light red. Pale freckles were dotted along her skin like stars. I couldn't help but compare herself to me. "Hello, my name is Charlotte, welcome to my institute." I awkwardly shook her hand ,"I hope that we may talk more about the situation that you are in at dinner time. But first we must give you some new clothes." She was holding a nicely folded evening dress that was green. "I figured it would fit you because I wore it myself when I was younger.

"Thank you," I said. She smiled, there was something strangely familiar about her. I wasn't sure whether it was her uncanny resemblance to me or something else.

Jace's Perpective

Clary. Clary. Clary. Clary. Clary.

Her name sounded through my head over and over. I wasn't sure if it was my love for her or my worry of how we got into this mess.

Suddenly the door opened and Will stepped in. "Here are some clothes, get dressed, meet downstairs in half an hour for dinner, goodbye." He left rather brashly, as if trying to avoid conversation.

Then another figure stepped inside, it was Jem. "Sorry about that. Will isn't really good with introductions. I hope that we can get to know each other better over dinner."

Jace only nodded. Jem began to back out of the door and then Jace said, "Jem, Thank you."

Jem smiled and departed. He wondered if Jem loved anyone, he would surely be better to that person than the way he was with Clary. Ever since Simon died they have become more separate. Simon wouldn't have wanted that.

Now he's thinking about what the bloodsucker would've wanted. Great. In a way he did respect Simon, for being a friend to Clary, to take his place when he wasn't there. But now Simon is not here. Clary was wrong, he did like Simon, as a friend, he just never found it in himself to show it.

Alec's Perspective

I looked at myself in the mirror. Victorian attire did not suit him at all. He chuckled, thinking of Magnus wearing this. Suddenly a thought occurred to him, Magnus was here! Magnus lived in Victorian london! with Camille. He sighed.

Camille Belcourt. She was the reason that they broke up. A sudden vindictive overcame him. WHY?! was all that he could bring to himself. He had to find him. He had to find Camille.

He looked into the doorway to find a lady looking at him. She was average size with beautiful bronze hair. "So, you're the Shadowhunters that Will and James picked up on the streets."

"I don't live on the streets you know."

She giggled "Of course not. You're a Shadowhunter, you have institutes all over the world to accommodate you."

"You're a Shadowhunter too."

"No. I'm a Downworlder. Which kind, I'm not too sure myself."

"I'm Alexander but you can call me Alec."

"I'm Teresa but you can call me Tessa," she said echoing his tone.

He chuckled "Nice to meet you Tessa." He paused "There's something familiar about you, I can't quite put my finger on it."

"I would've remembered a face like yours."

"Do...do you know a Magnus Bane." he said.

"Of Course. Met him at a party."

"Oh." his face dropped. She was probably a girlfriend of his. Just like Camille. His eyes wandered.

"Are you?" she paused "In love with him."

Alec looked up into her eyes, with a bit of guilt.

"I don't mean to intrude in fact I..." she got up and started to leave, "In fact, if you want to talk about love between a Downworlder and a Shadowhunter I would be pleased to share my own experiences."

Suddenly he understood. She was in love with a Shadowhunter not Magnus. He nodded and merely replied with a smile.

Tessa walked out the door eagerly awaiting dinner, hoping to meet all the Shadowhunters from the street.