Breaking the Ice: Nerine's Story
Part One of Two

America was not Greece. The Institute of Magic was not my school. And perhaps most unsettling, the women and few men who moved within it were not my friends and family.

"You wanted this," I reminded myself, quietly and muttering. "You decided to ditch high school to go to America and learn magic from people who don't speak the same language as you, or eat the same food as you, or exist in the same way you do."

Taria looked at me. "You say something, Nerine?"

I shook my head, and she returned to the intimidatingly long novel she was reading (in English).

I glanced around the long hall. We were sitting off to the side, on a bench, waiting for a guide to come and show me to the actual school area. The Institute was not just a college, after all- it was Earth's major magical gateway, connecting Earth, the locked realm of Tir Nan Og, and I think they had recently added an express portal to the realm of Magix. Business was conducted in the Institute, scientists came and went... the actual school was only a small part, housing sixteen other nymphs besides myself. Taria had given me a cheat sheet of them, but had forgotten to put it into Greek. I sighed as I thought of it. I knew I should have taken that English class last year...

The crowd of nymphs and scientists parted as a beautiful woman walked through. She had messy black hair that fell to her earlobes. Her skin was pale, not just compared to my Mediterranean tones, but just generally super pale. It was a feature highlighted by dark colored clothes, all reds and purples and blacks. Upon her brow was a blue and green tiara that glowed slightly, and her face was set in a determined look- between that and her ageless features, she looked like she could be either your teenage best friend or your ancient worst enemy. As she approached us, Taria and I stood hastily. You didn't sit for the queen of all Earth nymphs.

As she saw us, her hard face softened. She definitely looked younger when she smiled, maybe around my sister Naida's age, seventeen. As she walked up to us, she waved her hand, and pink sparks transformed her from an elegant magical queen into a particularly pretty human- her hair lost a little curl, becoming a straightened black bob, and her clothes melted into a pair of dark wash jeans, furry boots, and a long sleeved red tee shirt. She smiled at my expression, probably one of wonder- I had done some magic myself, with effort... I had watched my sister do some. But neither of us did it like that, all casual and effortless. That was why I left Greece. That was why I left my family, my homeland, my new boyfriend Damien... I left to learn to be effortless.

"Hello, Nerine," she said, and I was surprised that I understood her. "My name is Nebula de Pont. I am the queen of both Tir Nan Og and Earth's nymphs, as well as headmistress and CEO of the Institute of Magic. It's good to meet you."

"Same here," I said, then immediately worried that it wasn't the right thing to say to a queen. Even if the queen looked like one of my classmates.

"I'm going to show you to the schooling area of IoM now," she said. "Of course, classes are over today and so you'll begin tomorrow, but you can still see the classrooms, the commons, and the dormitory. Taria told you who your roommate was, right?"

I held up my cheat sheet. "It's in English," I said. "I can't read it."

Taria blushed. "Whoops. Sorry. I forgot to translate."

"You can't read English?"

I shook my head. "Didn't you know, um... your highness? I mean, you're speaking Greek."

"Translation spell," the queen said. "I thought it would be more comfortable for you to speak in your native language."

Taria thought. "So, we just put a translation spell on Nerine, right? And then she speaks and understands English, no problem!"

"Nymphs come here to learn," Nebula chided. "That includes academic subjects. If we start casting spells of knowledge, why teach at all? And before you say something like, 'well she can't learn if she can't understand,' I have decided to let you translate for her and teach her English in her spare time."

Taria's mouth dropped. She seemed like she wanted to complain, but at the last minute, thought better of it.

Nebula smiled again- this time it had a hint of danger thrown in. "Follow me," she said, and we did, silently and without any thought of dissent.

The Institute was huge. Even just riding the elevator up to the school, which took up the top three floors of the fifteen-story building, I could tell. One side was glass, and I watched each floor pass. Most things looked normal, but there was one stop we passed that immediately opened into a giant purple portal; another seemed to lead outdoors, despite being about a hundred feet above ground. We got off on the fourteenth story, where the classrooms were. Only a few were open and used, as the school was still incredibly small, but Nebula told me that she hoped they would all be used before I graduated.

We walked up the steps to the dormitory and commons area. As soon as the elevator stopped, I was in awe. It was like a teen paradise. The elevator opened into a small lobby area with a check-in sheet and a large TV and stereo. Five girls were sitting on fluffy purple cushions on the floor. Two were playing some kind of video game, one flipped through an American fashion magazine, and the last couple seemed to be comparing homework, first looking at a worksheet and then shooting beams of rainbow light across the room. I gasped in awe. Everything was incredible.

As the elevator doors opened, Nebula muttered something under her breath, and I felt a wave of magic that I had not even been aware of disintegrating. We walked into the lobby, and Nebula said something- I couldn't understand her, so she must have gotten rid of the translation spell. I looked to Taria for help. "Queen Nebula is just introducing you to the others."

"Oh. Who are these?"

"See the willowy blonde model-type playing Halo? That's Verity, nymph of time, from Wales. The girl going against her is Annie Brechkovsky- originally from Britain, but she lived most of her life in Moscow. She's the nymph of dance- don't ever think you can turn on the music here and have a nice quiet listen, cause she'll be doing some arabesque or pas de chat or whatever before you can say 'I wanted to relax.' Actually she hates ballet... but I don't know hip-hop terms." Taria shrugged. "Karina's the one reading Seventeen. She's sulking 'cause she's grounded. She went to L.A. to visit her family and got kidnapped, so until she passes the defensive magic class, she isn't allowed to leave Gardenia. Then there's Kristina. Don't confuse the Kays, they hate that, even though they're best friends. Kristina flunked her Illusions test, so Mihika's tutoring her. In return, Kristina teaches Mika, as we call her, all the English slang. Mika's also just learning English... maybe you two can help each other."

The girls must have known they were being talked about, because they waved in turn, even the sulky Karina. They all seemed kind of intimidating... all five seemed confident and cool, even Mika, though she didn't speak English fluently. I felt kind of out of place, and just smiled shyly and waved back a little.

Nebula waved me on down a large corridor, and I followed. I could feel the five girls gazing after me curiously and it made me nervous, but we soon turned a corner and I couldn't feel them anymore.

Here were the dorms. The doors were color coded, which was good because while I could remember colors, I doubted I could remember names or numbers in my state. We walked all the way down to the purple door, and Nebula knocked on it. The door opened after a second, revealing a slightly chubby and short, but pretty, girl who seemed to be about three years older than me. She had light brown hair put into braids that had no hairbands, and had come partly unbraided, and her cool grey eyes stared inquisitively at me. I took another glance at Taria, who immediately gave me the scoop. "Amanda. Eighteen years old, Canadian. Has a large, fuzzy, grumpy and old cat named Mr. Bajamas who she insisted would die if he couldn't live with her, so I hope you aren't allergic to fur. They're your new roommates. Don't worry, if they get annoying, you can always make a joke about how she's not dead."

"That's not really funny," I said.

Taria laughed darkly. "Actually, it is. Trust me for now... I'm sure someone will tell you the story later."

My eyes narrowed, a bit annoyed. I hated when people hinted at a good joke and refused to tell me the punchline- or, as seemed the case here, told me the punchline but not the joke.

Amanda motioned us in, and I saw that one side of the room was completely covered in posters and pictures. The bed had grey sheets and a blue and pink quilted comforter, and about ten pillows were piled onto it, some shaped like normal, others looking like hearts and flowers and Hello Kitty. On the foot of the bed, a big orange tabby-like thing batted a neon green mouse. A desk had a sleek silver laptop and a huge pile of papers and books. It looked comfy... homey.

What I assumed was my side, by comparison, was drab and lifeless. I sighed. My room at home had been vibrant... it would take a while to get that effect here. Still, I smiled as I saw that my suitcases were already piled next to my bed. I opened a medium-sized one that I knew housed my sheets, e-reader, and other personal items and began to unpack. Nebula nodded at me, then left, and Taria stood next to my bed. "Can we help?" she asked, referring to herself and Amanda, I suppose.

"I think I've got it," I said.

"Great. Hey, I'll be in the lobby. You unpack, and then come out there and I'll introduce you to the other ten, okay?"

I shrugged, and Taria and Amanda headed into the lobby commons. I started to unpack, really, I did... but almost as soon as my flowery sheets and warm pink blankets were piled onto my new bed, I fell asleep. Even nymphs get jet lag.

Sleep was turbulent. I had odd dream after odd dream, and really I shouldn't have gotten much rest. But when I woke up, feeling completely refreshed, it was seven in the morning. "Oh god, Taria is going to kill me," I murmured softly- it had been eight at night when I arrived, likely around nine when I dropped off. Not bothering to change clothes, I ran out into the lobby. As I ran, I felt the distinct shiver of powerful magic around me, but I pushed through it.

The commons was empty. Kristina's (or was it Karina's? Darn, they were going to hate me) fashion magazine lay open on the floor, and homework was scattered around. There was a big gaping hole in one of the satiny purple cushions I had admired, and something smelled of smoke. A chair was crumpled and broken in a corner.

Panicked, I glanced around, hoping someone would come out, yelling "surprise! In America, we wreck stuff to show our appreciation of new friends!" But no one did. In fact the only thing that caught my eye now that I was looking closer was a note with my name on it. I picked it up and opened it.

Of course, it was in English.

I dug my hands into the pocket of my skirt and took out my cell. I was suddenly thankful I had international calling. Quickly moving my thumbs across the numbers, I dialed my boyfriend.

He picked up quickly. "Nerine!" Damien exclaimed. "You were supposed to call me when you got in!"

"It was three AM, Damien," I said. "You needed sleep."

"Yes, you said that, my ice nymph, but..."

"Damien, everyone's GONE."

He paused. "What?" he asked.

"Everyone is gone. It looks like there was a fight. There's a note with my name on it, N-e-r-i-n-e, but it's English; I can't read it. I don't know what to do."

"Do you think you can retype it in a text?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

He took a deep breath. "Take a picture of it and send it to me. It's going to be okay, little nereid. I promise."

I quickly used my camera phone to snap a shot and text it to him. He looked over it for about five minutes before he had it. "It's not the best translation," he said, apologizing, "the English isn't textbook, and I'm still learning anyway."

"Just give me what you can," I asked.

"It is addressed to you- Nerine, ice nymph. It says, 'I don't think you read, but I think you do. I am sorry. There was no options. I can't save something something something, so I will save you instead.' Here's a whole sentence I can't translate," he said apologetically. "Something about a circle."

That sparked something in my brain. And I didn't like it.

"Who were those guys at the beach?" I asked.

There was a brief pause. "They call them the Dark Students."

"What's the English translation?" I had a hunch here.

There was a sound of swishing and flicks as he typed something into his phone. "Ah. The Black Circle Apprentices, roughly. It matches part of that one sentence."

"So, the gist is this- someone couldn't save the others, but they could save me, likely from a Dark Students attack. She doesn't think I'll read this, or maybe that I can read this? Which is right. Anything else?"

Damien muttered "yes," then elaborated in a clearer voice. "SOS. They need help. And it's signed- does the name Mika ring a bell?"

"She's one of the other girls here. I didn't really get a chance to meet her, but she seemed nice. All of them did. I bet that when the Dark guys came, she was trying to save them. And I was asleep, and I'm new, so they didn't think about me." I blinked. It was so crazy. How had my first day gone so wrong? "Damn it! I'm an awful nymph! I am stupid and cowardly and I couldn't save anyone! I can't even save myself; my sister had to do that, and now she's far away, and you're so far away Damien... I want to come home!"

"I want you home, too." His low voice seemed lonely and mournful.

"But I can't come home! I have to stay! I'm sorry. I have to not be so cowardly." My voice broke. "I have to save myself and everyone else, or I'll hate myself."

"I know," he told me. I could hear a slight, sad smile in his voice. "You and Naida say you're not anything alike- Naida is confident and bossy and smart and pretty, and you are sweet and kind and innocent and lovely. But you two sisters share the same determination, the same power. It is what will rescue your friends, if you let it carry you through this."

Part of me wanted to ask if he ever liked Naida better- just to be reassured that she was his best friend, but I was his girlfriend- but now wasn't the time. He was right.

"I've gotta go now. You're right," I admitted.

Damien laughed. "I am right. Just promise me, nereid, not to do anything stupid. Get some of the older ones to help you, don't just rush off."

"Got it. Love you," I said, then hung up. I shoved my phone back into my pocket, then transformed with a thought. Ice crystals swirled around me, some turning into barrettes to pin my hair back, others becoming more snow-like and settling down as glitter on my floaty two piece Charmix outfit. Lavender ribbons weaved through my loose and curly dark hair (now twice as long as normal), and fell onto the large, translucent blue fins that served as my wings. I took a breath as the light disintegrated. "Damien's right," I told myself again. "I am Nerine, nereid of ice- and I may not be so brave, but I am determined, and I will not let some awful monsters kill my happiness!"

With a couple beats of my wings, I lifted myself from the ground and flew down the flights of stairs- the elevator was on the first floor, and I knew every second I waited would be a second that I would convince myself to turn back, or that the Dark ones would spend harming the others. I had grabbed the note left by Mika when I transformed, and I planned to show it to Nebula, Taria... some adult I knew. Not like there were many.

As I swooped overhead, people yelled at me. I got the distinct impression that flying indoors was a no-no; but this was an finally I hit the first floor, I took to the ground, running towards the throne room that had been the first thing pointed out to me. I hesitated- I knew bad things happened to those who burst into the throne rooms of royalty, but this was important. So I opened the door, yelling the only English I knew (not counting "Where is the ladies' room?")- "FIRE!"

Nebula and about twenty others I didn't know stared at me, then Nebula muttered something, and began talking rapidly. "Where? In the school? Is it magical?"

"No, no, no fire. That was the only English emergency word I knew. I... everyone is gone! It looked like there was a fight. And... here." I handed her Mika's note.

Her eyes scanned the page, then something flashed in them- something glowing and raging and dangerous. Something that made me know that she was a thousand times scarier than the Dark Students. "Do you know what this says, Nerine?" she asked, and her tone was razor-sharp.

"I... I think she tried to save everyone, but couldn't. Does it say I didn't help? Oh, I'm sorry! I really am! I didn't know!"

"No, that isn't it at all," Nebula said. "It says that Mihika was a spy for the Apprentices. Or, well, she was. She helped them kidnap the students without knowledge of the adults. However, from the note, it was reluctant. Maybe she thought they would betray her. In any sense, she betrayed them- she didn't tell them about you, the new student. She saved you. And maybe by doing that, she saved everyone."

"But... they're gone!" I said, angrily. "And the Dark Students nearly killed my boyfriend, nearly mauled me! She didn't save everyone, she only made me madder!"

The queen of nymphs shook her head. "Nerine, how brave are you?"

"I'm not brave," I said. "But... I'm determined to help."

"Good, because we need you. The girl who escaped the Apprentices twice... Nerine, you are going to be the perfect bait."

Author's Note: This chapter brought to you by an update pact with Akela (author of the fabu story Gems of Arcelia, a Season 4 AU to Fly or Fall's Season 5 AU), an on-sale jar of Nutella, and the coldest Diet Coke I ever drank. Special thanks to my younger brother, who had minor surgery today that was cancelled last minute, so I got to take a day off and just focus on my writing. And instead of sitting for hours in a hospital now, I get to do it next Wednesday.

Anyways, this is a two parter with another character that has already been introduced, but will this two parter continue next chapter? Or in like ten chapters? Is this subplot popular enough to merit attention? And why is Mihika a traitor? Stay tuned to Fly or Fall's sporadic updates to find out!

Now I am going to eat more Nutella bye.