A/N: Sorry there's so much dialogue, it looked much better in word :(

Beautifully Dark Places
Chapter 2
A Magic-less Night

I was confused. One moment ago, I was sitting on a log in the woods behind my high school, and now I was lying on the ground beside a massive tree with people in strange clothes crowded around me. Conversations ensued in the clump of people, most of them consisted of strange questions.

"Who is she?"

"Is she Storm?"

"She must be Storm, she's wearing purple."

I glanced at my now torn and dirty purple T-shirt, and then back at the robe-and-cape wearing people around me.

"Nolan, I don't think summoning a Storm is part of your training." The boy in black robes nudged his yellow draped friend. Nolan raised his eyebrow at him, and shot back a response that I couldn't hear.

"Malorn, maybe we should get Ambrose?" The boy in purple said, pushing his white hair out of his eyes. Malorn, the boy in black, nodded.

"Shut it, Tallstaff." Nolan shot him a glare, and turned back to me, "You from Dragonspyre? You've got the crazy hair thing going on."

I shook my head, still confused, though one of my pale hands reached quickly up to smooth down my hair. Was Dragonspyre in Pennsylvania or something? As the three boys then turned and begun to talk amongst themselves, I couldn't help but to admire them. All three of them were cute. Not in the Greek-God-Abercrombie-model-cute but more of a subtle, kitten-like cuteness.

The one in purple had long, white hair and light skin. Even his strange clothes were kind of cute. Malorn had black hair that matched his robes and slightly fell in his eyes. He had very pretty dark colored eyes. Nolan, though, caught my attention. I couldn't see his hair from his hood, but the sneer on his face seemed to bring his eyes up in sharp angles.

The boy in purple was the first to turn back to me, hand outstretched. I smiled and took it.

"Boris Tallstaff." I noticed he had very white teeth, and a very strange air about him. Malorn also introduced himself, and when it was obvious that Nolan wouldn't, he also introduced him. I nodded to them, and took in my surroundings.

I was standing in a courtyard-type place, with a gigantic tree in the middle. Buildings with similar colors to what the people around me were wearing wrapped round the circular yard. I didn't have long to take everything in before an old man came pushing his way through the crowd. London? France, maybe?

"I hear there's been some sort of accident." He was speaking to Nolan, Malorn, and Boris. He didn't acknowledge me, even though everyone else seemed to.

"Nolan tried to summon a troll, and he summoned… a girl, Headmaster Ambrose." Boris explained, earning himself a glare from Nolan. The old man twisted his long beard around his finger in thought.

"Professor Drake," Ambrose turned to another man with a brutal stare and big nose, "is this possible?"

"Not that I'm aware of, Headmaster," Drake sneered at Boris, "perhaps this is a not so cleverly concocted joke?"

"No, no. I believe Boris, though I do not know how this happened." He turned back to Boris, to see that all three of the boys' eyes were on me. He looked at me and smiled. In some weird way, he reminded me of a skinny Santa.

"Why, hello there!"

"Um, hi?" He smiled at my response, and when I said nothing more, he chuckled. Scratch skinny Santa, he was an overly friendly Gandalf.

"Oh, dear me, I've forgotten my manners." He outstretched a rather wrinkly hand, and I shook it unsurely, "I am Merle Ambrose, Headmaster here at Ravenwood school."

"Kymma Dawn." His hand was relatively cold in mine, and when he let go, I had the strange urge to rub my hands together.

"Nice to meet you, Ms. Kymma." He peered at me and twisted his beard, "You're not from around here, I presume."

"I'm from Ohio. I'm not really sure where 'here' is exactly."

Ambrose's eyes widened at that revelation. A women in a red dress with bright orange hair, who had been standing in the back, gasped. She pushed through the crowd to stand by the old man's side. She looked up at him, eyes ablaze with curiosity.

"But, we haven't had contact with Earth in so long, Merle."

Gasps echoed throughout the small courtyard, followed by whispers of slightly different versions of: 'she's a non-magic!'

"I know, Falmea. It's been hundreds of years since I walked on Earth's soil." The headmaster seemed to be in a world of his own. He must have been remembering things that had happened a very, very long time ago. Malorn silenced the gossiping students with a hard look. I rubbed my arm and avoided looking at anyone who might have been looking at me-which was just about everyone in the courtyard.

"But, if the Spiral key to Earth is missing, how did she get here?" Falmea looked back at me, "and how will she get back?"

"Wait," I held my hands up, and both Ambrose and Falmea looked at me. "What do you mean that you haven't had contact with Earth in so long?"

"Dear, do you know where you are?" Falmea's intense gaze softened as she looked at me. I shook my head. Obviously not. Ambrose sighed, and told Nolan, Boris, Malorn, and me to follow him to his office. Nolan let out an infuriated sigh at the order, but didn't argue.

I followed behind Boris and Malorn—who both made sure I was alright before following Ambrose—with Nolan following so closely behind me that he kept stepping on my heels. I turned to look at him before we walked through a tunnel that I assumed was the exit, but I was met with a sneer. After we walked through the tunnel, I could feel Nolan walking beside me. Anger prickled off him in waves.

"This is all your fault," Nolan glared at me from behind his hood as he spoke, "I was Professor Drake's star student, and look how badly you've messed that up."

"My fault?" I stared at him in confusion, "How is this my fault? I don't even know where I am!"

Nolan smirked at me, "I wish I didn't know where you were."

"Go to hell, Nolan." I trudged past him to stand by Boris and Malorn, once again ignoring the need to punch Nolan in the face. He was beginning to remind me more and more of Ariel, and I was beginning to hate him.

"Hell? What in Bartelby's name is that?" Nolan's voice was confused, then mocking. Somehow he had caught up with me, because I could feel his face close to my ear. "Stupid girl," He whispered, and then turned back to the group. My eye twitched a little with the strain of not punching him in his pretty face. I yearned to make him much less beautiful, maybe blacken his eye or break his nose.

I realized that we were standing in front a nice sized building. Ambrose led us inside, and motioned to several seats. I quickly stole the seat between Malorn and Boris. Ambrose sat behind his desk and sighed.

"Kymma, there isn't an easy way to say this. You've been taught that magic doesn't exist, correct?" I nodded, and felt Malorn's eyes on me.

"Ravenwood is a school of magic, along with Pigswick Acadamy. We have seven schools of magic: Storm, Ice, Fire, Death, Life, Myth, and Balance." He nodded to the boys, as if it was some kind of secret signal.

"I'm Storm," Boris smiled, and motioned to his clothes, "that's why I wear purple."

"Death," Malorn grinned, much bigger than Boris's smile, and raised his chin a little, "I teach the beginners their first spells."

Nolan let out an overdramatic sigh, "I'm a Conjurer." At the look on my face, he preceded to rolls his eyes and explain that a Conjurer was a student of the Myth school. Malorn shot him a look, and Nolan, once again, rolled his eyes.

"You see, Kymma, six of the seven schools harness their power from other things in the Spiral. The elemental schools—Fire, Ice, and Storm—pull their powers from the first creatures that roamed the Spiral. Fire pulls from the Dragon titans, Ice from the Frost Giants, and Storm from Tritons. The spirit schools—Death, Life, and Myth—pull their magic from themselves. The Balance school pulls things from each of the schools." The Headmaster explained slowly, giving me time to take it all in."

Nolan picked the dirt from his nails, and muttered without looking up: "Why should she know? She's non-magic."

Ambrose ignored his comment and continued, "Can I trust you four to keep a secret?"

Boris, Malorn, and I nodded. Nolan's head jerked up at the mention of a secret, but he said nothing. I looked at him for a moment, only to be glared at.

"We found that younger Wizards had a hard time harnessing their magic, especially in the spirit schools. So, some of our professors and myself created crystals that Wizards could draw power from. Only our professors know about the crystals and where they are stored." Ambrose paused, looking worn down and worried. He sighed, and continued, "It is possible that Malistaire corrupted the Myth crystal in hope to stop his brother from helping defeat him. This could cause our young Conjurers to summon children of Earth instead of their Myth creatures."

Boris grinned, "So, Nolan doesn't have enough mind power to drive his own magic?"

Before Nolan could smart off to Boris with some incredible insult, Ambrose intervened, "One must be a very talented and wise Wizard to cast without the assistance of a crystal. I'm afraid Nolan just hasn't progressed far enough to not need a little help."

Ambrose continued rattling off about how young Wizards needed these crystals and the reasons why people of Earth thought it necessary to forget about magic. I was more interested in the muttered fight between Boris and Nolan. It was certainly more entertaining.

"Journeyman." Boris whispered behind me at the Conjurer.

"At least I can get a girl."

"At least I can cast a spell."

"Do you know what you're messing with, Tallstaff?"

Boris smirked, "A journeyman, who cannot cast a troll."

"I will ha-"

The two immediately fell silent and still, though their eyes rolled around franticly. I could see Malorn chuckle a little bit from the corner of my eye. "So, Headmaster, is it possible to fix the Myth crystal if it is corrupted?"

Ambrose nodded, and smiled a little bit, "Are you young Wizards ready for an adventure?"

I walked out with Malorn, while Nolan and Boris still sat in their chairs. He laughed when made it outside, and explained when he saw my confused look.

"Ambrose heard them arguing, so he stunned them."

"Stun?" I blinked, "Is that a spell?"

Malorn smiled, suddenly he seemed… softer. His face was no longer pulled up in tight edges and rigged corners. He seemed almost boyish, though I could tell he was a little bit older than me. He patted my back, and nodded.

"You're going to need to bunk with someone, since you don't have your own dorm."

That made me panic a little bit. I couldn't stay with Nolan, because he was an egotistical smart-ass and he annoyed every nerve in my body, and Boris didn't seem like a good choice. I could stay with Malorn. Bad idea! I thought to myself.

Sensing my uneasiness, Malorn whispered: "You could stay with Nolan's sister. She's nice, and likes new people."

"What if she doesn't like me?"

"Trust me," Malorn smiled a little bit, "If she can live with Nolan, she can like anybody."

I admired the way his cheeks formed little dimples when he smiled, and how his eyes were so soft even if they were a dark chocolate color. He blew a stray piece of black hair out of his eyes.

Oh, this is bad idea.

Ok guys! I hope that was better :D Unfortunately, I still don't have a beta. So, if you see an error, just tell and I'll fix it.

Cookies to Momoko Nakamura, fanficreader137, Firestorm Nauralagos, and half a cookie to DeathySophia because she missed one.

Ok, as for the OCs. Everyone has sent in some really good ones. A few of them need work so I thought I'd tell you.

Momoko Nakamura: I like Susan, but can you change her last name? I realize that you probably really like it, but it doesn't seem very believe able to me. Yes, W101 is a game, I know, but I'm trying to kind of make this realistic. Just a little :)

BlackRoseNecromancer: I love Ryan's name and tattoo thing, but I'm not sure I can incorporate the whole black blood/ banshee curse thing. BUT I am in need of a few little earthlings, so what do you think about her being one the ported students? I can definitely put her in that role.

DeathySophia: Stephen DEFINITELY has a part in the story! Thank you sooo much for all the detail.

yin-yang girl12: Ok, she can be a Earthling too. Read BlackRoseNecromancer's message above is you need to know more.

Hour 13: Ok, I think I can fit him in, but he probably won't play much of a part until the around the end or the next book. Also, a more vivid description would be wonderful.

Annnd if Momoko Nakamura doesn't respond there is a life position open. Thanks to everyone for submitting OCs!

Well, R&R!