AN: I'm back. My school's basketball team is in the playoffs for a state championship, so we were all excused to be from school today. I stayed home so I could get this done (and I don't like basketball)!

My head was throbbing. When I opened my eyes, I saw Ancano had created another shield around himself. Leaning against a pillar across from me was Mirabelle. Other than her arm being at an awkward angle, she seemed to be alright. "Are you okay?"

She replied in a weak voice. "I'm fine; I don't know where the Arch-Mage is though. You need to find him."

I nodded my head and stood up. After the dizziness faded, I casted a healing spell and left the Hall of the Elements. When I stepped outside into the blizzard, I saw everyone huddled in a group. My breath caught when I arrived; the Arch-Mage was dead. He'll pay for this!

As I went to turn around and go back to Mirabelle, I was spun around roughly by Vilkas. "I'm not waiting around to watch you get blown up. I'm coming with you."

Before we could head inside, Tolfdir came running to me. "Whatever killed the Arch-Mage is now attacking Winterhold! Faralda and Drevis are already down there fighting the things; you need to head down and lend a hand! I'll take care of things here."

With a nod, I ran down the dilapidated bridge and into town. What looked to be ice wraiths, but bigger, were attacking the town. Vilkas and I jumped straight into the fight, and I learned quickly that magic seemed to be relatively useless against the anomalies.

Conjuring a storm atronach, I retreated and summoned a bow. The anomalies were being hurt much worse by the arrows than my magic! The anomalies were weak, offensively. We dispatched them quickly. After the fight Faralda came up to me. "Drevis and I will deal with the Jarl; you need to head back up to the College."

As we headed back up, I noticed Vilkas had blood on his side. "You're bleeding."

With a grunt, he just ignored me and kept trudging on. "Vilkas, stop. You won't be any good to me if you're dead! Let me heal you!"

Growling, he turned around and spoke through gritted teeth. "Fine."

I lifted his shirt and saw a nasty gash, presumably from the tail of one of the anomalies. Resisting the urge to trace the muscles of his abdomen, I got to work healing the wound. I put both hands onto the wound and heard Vilkas hiss in pain. "Sorry."

After a few minutes, you couldn't tell that there had been a gash at all, if you ignored the blood on his clothes an armor. He looked surprised. "I guess you have learned a thing or two during your stay here."

Smiling, I let his shirt fall back down and I stood up. "Definitely. I spent a lot of my savings here, I hope that I learned a few useful things! Now, let's get back to the College."

After telling Mirabelle about the Arch-Mage's death, she immediately gave us the Torc of Labrynthian, saying that the Arch-Mage had given it to her recently. He said she would know what to do with it when the time came.

We found ourselves heading for the ancient Nordic burial grounds of Labrynthian, in central skyrim. I was definitely enjoying the warmer air here. Which isn't really saying much, considering how cold Skyrim is everywhere!

Vilkas has been "discretely" staring at me for the majority of the trip. Deciding I didn't like the intense scrutiny, I simply looked at him. "Why are you staring at me? Is there something wrong?"

Surprised that he had been caught, his pale skin had turned pink. "Something about you is different. I don't know what, but something is."

I frowned. "What are you talking about? I'm the same girl that I was before I left. Is it my hair? It is a bit longer, but I didn't think it was noticeable."

He let out an uncomfortable laugh. "It's not your hair. You seem more sure of yourself; you walk with your head held a bit higher, your back straighter. You seem prouder."

My face burned. "So you're saying that I was essentially a slob before I left for the College?"

He looked surprised and answered in a flustered tone. "No! It's a good thing, being proud I mean."

I smiled and laughed. "I'm just teasing. I know what you meant, and thanks. I feel more confident, now that I know what I'm doing."

After that, the only sounds were the crunching of grass under our feet.

Flames were pouring from my hands onto a Draugr. It slashed and I stepped back, narrowly avoiding the sharp blade. I could hear swords clashing to my left and Vilkas' grunts as he swung his greatsword.

The majority of the time inside of Labrynthian had been spent burning Draugr. Well, except for the skeletal dragon that tried to kill us! Luckily, we followed the ghosts of past Arch-Mages through the labrynth of a tomb.

We've got to be close to the end. I'm not sure if Vilkas could feel it, but I have felt an immense source of power pulling at me the farther we go inside of the tomb. That has to be the Staff of Magnus!

Sadly, what I was feeling wasn't only the Staff of Magnus, but was also an immensely powerful Mage. We entered the final room just in time to watch two necromancers get blasted off of their podiums. The lightning was followed by a spine chilling screech. I whispered as quietly as I could to Vilkas to hide. He nodded and slinked into the shadows.

I crouched and walked in between the two platforms and went up the steps to my left. When I reached the top, my breath caught in my throat.

What looked to be a Draugr with fancy armor was floating on the platform across from me and holding an odd looking staff. That's a dragon priest; Tolfdir told me that they usually guard tombs. I bet that is the Staff of Magnus.

Creeping as close to the edge as I could, I stood. Its head immediately snapped towards me, and it growled something out in the same language as the dragon that attacked Whiterun. "I don't understand you, ugly, and I don't care to. Hand over the staff, or die."

Instead of replying, it cast a thunderbolt at me. I barely raised a ward before it hit me. "Fine! Have it your way!" I began to pelt the thing with my own thunderbolts, while trying to dodge the dragon priest's volley of spells. Something weird happened next; our spells connected.

The spells met in the middle, and I began trying to push my magic back onto my opponent. The force of the collision was causing tendrils of unstable magicka to shoot out and cut into the walls around us. It seemed like hours before the dragon priest began to weaken. I quickly used the last bit of magicka I had left to win the fight. When my magicka finally reached the dragon priest, it let out a shriek and flew into the wall before turning to ash and leaving a mask and the Staff.

The explosion sent me skidding backwards where I slumped against the wall, drained. I had my head between my knees when I heard Vilkas running up the stairs. Before saying anything, he had my head turned up and was pouring a magicka potion down my throat. I spluttered, but immediately began to feel better. "That was amazing. I've never seen anything like that; I didn't know it was possible!"

Weakly, I smiled. "That was pretty awesome, if I say so myself. We need to get the Staff and get back to Winterhold."

Vilkas held out a hand to help me up. "We should get going then."

I stood when he pulled, causing me to stumble into his chest. I looked up at him and began to blush. I backed up and quickly as possible, walked to the edge of the platform. I cast a telekenesis spell on the staff and watched as it flew towards me. "Let's go. We have a Thalmor to kill."

We returned to Winterhold in record time. There were people in the streets, pointing towards the College. What I saw made me stop breathing. A huge barrier had surrounded the College and I could see a group of Mages on the bridge. I began running towards them, and had to push a few towns people to get through.

I saw Toldfir leading the group. "What happened? Where is Mirabelle?"

He looked miserable. "She died. She gave up her life to save ours. We have to get back in there and kill Ancano!"

My blood was boiling. I readied the Staff of Magnus and began firing it towards the barrier and watched in satisfaction as it fell apart easily. I led the group farther and farther into the College. We shortly reached the Hall of the Elements.

Tolfdir stepped up and yelled at Ancano. "Stop this at once! You haven't a clue what you are doing! You'll kill us all, including yourself!"

I watched Ancano get ready to attack us all, but this time I was ready. I fired the Staff at the Eye. "Not this time Ancano. You lose!"

I began spraying him with fire until he reconnected with the Eye. The others were steadily fighting anomalies that kept appearing. Surprisingly, the fight was relatively easy. I attacked the Eye with the Staff, attacked Ancano, and repeated.

Ancano fell. After he fell, I began to drain the Eye with the Staff until the anomalies died. Not missing a beat, the Psijic monks appeared again, except to all of us, instead of just me. They addressed me. "You've performed admirably. You did just as we asked, and saved the world from the Eye. It isn't safe here at the College; we will dispose of it. The world isn't ready for the Eye of Magnus."

The leader continued. "Without you, Ancano would have gained unlimited power. We thank you. For your efforts, you shall become the new Arch-Mage."

I heard gasps behind me, and I felt light-headed. What?!

The monks then turned to the Eye and I watched as they sent the Eye away. Without a goodbye, they disappeared with the Eye. Good riddance.

Tolfdir made my position official. I assigned him as Mater Wizard, as he had been here the longest. I was given the key to the Arch-Mage's quarters and the Arch-Mage's Robes. After being assured by Tolfdir that he could handle the day-to-day happenings of the College, I retired to my new chambers.

It wasn't long before I heard a knocking on the door. I was pleased to see Vilkas on the other side. "Congratulations. You're the Kodlak of the College."

I laughed at his phrasing as I led him to a seat. "The funny thing is, I just came here to train a bit. I didn't mean to become the Arch-Mage."

He laughed, but something seemed to be off. "Something's wrong. Again. What is it?"

He looked up at me with surprisingly sad eyes. "You aren't coming back to the Companions, are you?"

Surprised, I sent him a confused look. "What are you talking about? I may be the Arch-Mage, but the Companions are my family." I added softly, "I couldn't stay away, even if I tried."

Happiness filled his eyes, and a smirk graced his face. He seemed to be trying to save face after his vulnerable admission. "Thank Talos. I don't think Viranus would be able to survive without you."

I groaned. "I forgot all about him!"

We laughed all night, and in the morning, I would be heading back to Whiterun, where I belong. *With a new set of awesome robes. *

AN: Done with the College for now! Thanks for reading; we'll get more into the Companions story line. I butchered the College quest because this story is supposed to be about the Companions, not the College. Don't forget to review and favorite!