A/N: Helloo~! This is the next chapter in my story and, yes, we are still in the past (Before prologue) and it will be like that for a while. Before I continue, I'm very sorry for updating so late. I've been kind of busy this week and I haven't had the time to really do anything. Anyway, I don't have much to say about this chapter besides that and I'm no longer accepting OCs (For now). Oh! For everyone who wrote a review on last chapter, thanks! I really appreciate them! Now, onto the story!

Chapter 2

New Friends and a Bookstore

Brianna and Serafina were walking towards a small building in the Commons. It was one of their favorite places to buy books. It was a small bookstore opened by a pyromancer named Blaze. This bookstore wasn't a very populated place, and that's why the anti-social Brianna and the shy Serafina enjoyed it there. They pushed opened the door and smiled at Blaze.

"Hey girls. How's your day been going?" he asked holding a book behind his desk.

"Fine." Brianna responded monotony, turning towards the horror section.

"We're just looking for some new books to read." Serafina stated, looking through the romance books.

"Ah, I see. Have some extra gold you want to spend on books, or did you just wanna visit me?" he laughed and smiled.

"The first one," Brianna said, rolling her eyes."I think we're a little too young for you."

Their conversation was cut short by a petite, copper-haired girl with dark brown eyes walking in and pointing at Blaze.

"The headmaster wants to see you." she said, lowering her arm.

"What does he want me for now?" he complained, throwing his arms up and making a sound in protest.

"Oh, quit complaining. He said it was something about what you did in Avalon the other day." she crossed her arms. "What were you doing there?"

"Oh great," he walked towards the door. "This'll be fun."

"Will you just go?" the copper-haired girl willed. He then walked out of the store, without another word. The girl face-palmed and Serafina giggled. The copper-haired girl turned to them, as if she just noticed they were there.

"Ah, sorry about that. I usually don't act that way. Older brothers are just a pain." she raised her arm and scratched behind her head. "Oh! I'm Stephanie, by the way," she smiled.

"I'm Brianna," Brianna said and then turned to a nervous-looking Serafina, expecting an answer. "And this is Serafina." Brianna said for her, gesturing towards Serafina. She waved.

"Oh. Well, what are you guys doing in a stuffy place like this?" Stephanie asked.

"Just looking for some new stuff to read, I guess." Brianna shrugged, turning back to the books she had been observing.

"Couldn't you just go down to the library? I mean, why waste gold on books when you can rent them for free at the library?" Stephanie continued.

"I'm never able to return them on time. I usually have to pay the fees. Plus, you can reread them whenever you feel." Brianna responded, not turning to look at her.

"Ah, I guess I understand. You must have a lot of extra gold on your hands." Stephanie ran a hand through her hair and smiled. "What about you? Uh.. Serafina, was it? Why do you always come here?"

Brianna sighed. "You sure do ask a lot of questions, huh?" She reached for a book on the top shelf and flipped through the pages. "I think I'd like this one." She held it up in front of Stephanie, while Stephanie looked at her with a blank expression. "What? I remember you called Blaze your brother and he owns the place. Doesn't that mean you fill in for him?" Stephanie looked completely confused for a second. Then, her face flushed a light red.

"Ah! I guess so!" Stephanie said sheepishly and walked over to the desk Blaze had previously been standing behind. "That'll be 100 gold!"

***A Few Days Later***

It was a warm, breezy day, early in the afternoon and Stephanie had just finished her classes of the day. She had gotten a lot of homework and was heading down to the library to get started on it. Stephanie liked to get her homework done early, so she could enjoy the rest of the day. Her storm homework was pretty easy tonight, while her myth homework was... not. She's always caught on to the art of Storm magic pretty easily, and maybe that was why Myth magic was especially hard for her. It's hard for her to perform the spells, and Professor Drake, being the stubborn butt he is, never feels like helping her or other students very much. There was once a time where she was even considering dropping out of the Myth School and trying out Life or Ice or something that at least sounded easier. After some lecturing from her brother and telling herself that she couldn't just give up, she decided on keeping myth as her secondary. It was a tough decision, but she has been slightly improving since then. Even being the nice person she is, she can get a little angry sometimes and it's usually about not being able to perfect myth (Or about her brother not obeying any rules and getting in trouble with higher-ups all the time). She has to continuously tell herself she has to do it, she wouldn't want anyone thinking she was weak in the slightest.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the breeze deciding to, ever so carefully, carry away one of the homework papers she had been holding.

"Hey!" She called, starting after the paper. Before she could get very far, a tall boy with pale blonde hair caught her paper before it could fly any further.

"This yours?" he asked, handing the paper back. He was quite attractive, chiseled features, dark green eyes, pale blonde hair pinned back carefully so you could see his face. He was tall, much taller than the very short Stephanie, and he looked kind of muscular too. He definitely was handsome, and he had just peaked Stephanie's interest.

"Yes! Thank you." she said, taking her paper back and stuffing it in a folder with the rest of her homework.

"Cool. I'm Ian, by the way. Ian Rider." He said as he ran his hand through his hair.

"I'm Stephanie Lionpyre. Thanks for getting my paper back for me." Stephanie said and smiled.

"Oh! Your welcome. I love helping people anyway. It was no big deal." He responded, smiling back. "Hey, it just so happens to be lunch time. You wanna go grab a bite to eat with me?" He asked.

"Sure, I don't see why not." Stephanie said. Ian led her to a nearby restaurant while he and Stephanie chatted up a storm.

****A Week Before***

It was nighttime, and Ian Rider was heading toward the small area in which he was told to meet them. Ian had never been in this area of Wizard City before, and it was quite spooky. Not that he cared. He had been sent a note and some directions by a messenger hawk from a girl named Marissa. When he had first read the name, he figured it was some sort of confession (which were pretty common for this boy) and wasn't planning to actually go, but he wondered why she had sent it by messenger hawk. Once he read what the note contained, he knew it wasn't that. The note had said she wanted him to come down to this location, for she had someone he ought to meet. Ian grew curious of this suspicious note, so he decided to go anyway.

So, now that was what he was doing, heading down to this suspicious location to meet this suspicious girl and her suspicious friend. He was starting to regret his decision, as it could be a joke. But once he got there, he realized that this was to be taken seriously. He was greeted by a redhead girl with a nasty look on her face. Standing next to her was, the one and only, Professor Malistaire Drake. This made him wonder what the hell Professor Drake was doing here. Ever since Sylvia, Malistaire's wife, had died, he became cruel and evil. Again, not that Ian cared much. But what Professor Malistaire Drake said next, is something he never expected out of his teacher.

"Join me." Malistaire's deep, malicious voice boomed. Ian raised an eyebrow.

"Join what, exactly?"

"Join my army. We will be starting a war on Ambrose and all of the Spiral. I have some big plans, and I need a few commanders for my army. I've been observing you, Ian. I know what your life was like before and I know you won't give this chance up." Malistaire explained.

"Don't think I wanna know how and when exactly you were watching me, but I will definitely take you up on your offer. Not for you or your plans, but for me. As I see this opportunity as a nice change of pace. As a nice way to have a break from all the helplessly weak and extremely stupid lifeforms I'm forced to study with every single day of my life. Since I'm always so nice and helpful to them, maybe I could help them feel a little pain." Ian smirked and cracked his knuckles.

"So I take that as a yes?" Malistaire grinned maliciously. The girl next to him stood tapping her foot impatiently.

"Yes."

A/N: So, there it was! Chapter two! Yay! Again, I apologize for updating so late, but my schedule got kind of busy and I wasn't able to. I'll make sure that future chapters are updated way earlier! I really hope you enjoyed this chapter! Alrighty then, cya~!