A Wizard in the Works

I checked my bags again. I always travel lightly, putting unnecessary things in my bank or simply selling them. I had all four gear sets with me, some extra clothes, some pet snacks. The only thing left was my pets.
I've always been a bit of an animal lover, and back then I already had four pets. Cosmo my fire elf, who was handy in battle, Tiger the firecat, who I just loved to death, my black dragon Midnight, and my white Unicorn Lady Shadow. Lady Shadow didn't like getting her hooves dirty, and Midnight rarely left the house, which meant I had to put them in my bank with all my furniture. They must have been so cramped... I apologized profusely, watching them disappear into the... place where bank items go.
Hoisting my bags up onto my back, I looked back at my old room one last time. It was semi-circular, with a high ceiling. The tall windows looked out to the busy Marleybone street, and at night, if I stood in the windowsill, I had a perfect view of Big Ben, all lit up. I was almost sorry to be leaving...
But I reminded myself that I was going to Ravenwood, the prestigious school of magic. Marleybone was nice, but I couldn't learn anything new here. Wizard City was going to be my home for the next few months- just like my sisters, who I'd get to see after so long.

I walked into the bathroom. Taking off my hat- a beige beret-like hat with a pink feather on top- I ran a comb through my red hair. (Not orange, mind you. Properly red.) Sparks at the tips of my fingers traveled thgouth the brush, helping it pull my hair into its trademark side swoosh and freeze it there, no gel required. The bracelet on my left hand- nifty little gadget, you know- whirred, and the gold gem shifted around to a deep blue one. The hat on the counter sparkled away, and my nice blue sunhat appeared on my head. My nightgown and slippers changed to my everyday outfit- a blue dress with a white front, and a golden cross in the middle; and my nice matching boots. My wand appeared in my hand last- a pretty blue rod with a crystal snowflake on top- before the sparkles died away. I felt around in my left pocket- yep, still there. Ever-prepared me, I guess.

Down the stairs, through the living room. Mom and Dad greeted me, and my little sister Diana dashed forward and wrapped her arms around my legs. I ruffled her blonde hair, in it's usual twin lightning-bolt ponytails. I think I'd miss her the most out of all my sisters once I had left- my oldest sister hadn't even met her. I was afraid she'd be lonely without me there... But this was important, and she'd come to Ravenwood before long. I picked her up and spun her around in the air a bit as she laughed.

When I set her down, I pulled out one of the two things in my pocket- a spell card. It was kind of a tradition with us, that whenever one of us left for Ravenwood, they'd give everyone else that had yet to leave a spell card. I had thought this decision through thouroughly, and decided on a spell that wasn't quite powerful, but was still quite useful. The Freeze card. As I handed it to her, she beamed at me, gently tucking the card in her pocket. Her smile filled me with warmth- not a sensation I usually appreciate, being a thaumaturge, but still.

Saying my goodbyes, I stepped out the door of my house. The busy streets suddenly seemed intimidating, despite my having lived here all my life, but I pressed on, staying to the sidewalks. My neighbor waved at me, and I waved back. She was an elderly poodle, who liked flowers. Making a right turn, I entered a deserted street. No dogs, no cats, and certainly no humans, with only the backs of buildings facing into the street. The only door was at the back of the alley- rusty and old, with a faded spiral sign engraved on it and a small tag that said 'one use only'. Approaching the door, I pulled out what was still in my pocket- a small bronze key with the same spiral sign on the hilt. I inserted it into the lock, and the door swung open as the key disappeared.

Space. All I could see inside the door was endless space. Multicolored, twinkling stars; comets with fiery tails and asteroids without; and planets- chunks of land surrounded by bubbles of air. I took a deep breath, and stepped into the door. An air bubble formed around my head as I passed through the door, which I heard slam shut. I looked back, but all I could see was the beginning of the bubble that protected Marleybone from the outside.

I turned away from my home planet, and looked around. There were so many worlds- ones that I'd heard of, ones I hadn't. It was so tempting to just go everywhere, but if I went anywhere other than where I was supposed to, I'd be stuck. I held tight to my things, and focused on the far-off bubble in the middle of the galaxy- Wizard City.

When I started moving, it was a wonderful feeling, zooming through the cosmos, watching planets and stars fly past me. As I was about to collide with the air bubble that surrounded the planet, a doorway appeared, and I fell through.