A/N: Like so many of you I have become obsessed with FanFiction. I started off as a guest reviewer and had the crazy thought that maybe I could write my own FanFiction stories. I am somewhat of a fraud, I am not educated having left school at a very young age. I know that my stories will not be the greatest and I will mess up "A LOT", however I am eager to learn and basically just enjoy.
If I offend anyone with my writing I apologize in advance. I also want to acknowledge the real authors who bless us with their free work, you're the reason I feel inspired enough to attempt writing.
So here's the thing. I LOVE Divergent. I haven't yet read the books but plan to start those very soon. I had no knowledge of this site and when I found out, lets just say I've been glued ever since.
Oh and if you're wondering about my name...I love guardians of the galaxy :)
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Divergent Collection. Those belong to Veronica Roth, I am simply borrowing some of her characters. Original characters belong to me. I will try to stay true to the original story as much as possible but I don't plan on staying canon...sorry.
This story was actually kind of inspired by Natalie. I couldn't help wondering how much the story could have changed had she trained or told Tris about Divergents. Then that got me thinking, had someone been born Erudite and divergent and unable to hide that divergence at a early age, what would happen to her.
"Day is over, night has come. Today is gone what's done is done. Embrace your dreams, through the night. Tomorrow comes with a whole new light"
Chapter 1
Welcome to Dauntless
Every day of my life had been gearing me up for this moment; it felt like it had come too soon, time was no longer expanding but ceasing. Part of me was ready for this day, the part that had prepared mentally and physically for it; however the bigger part of me was so emotionally conflicted. This day would not only shape the rest of my life, but the lives of others. It comes at a great sacrifice but it's something that myself and my family had accepted so long ago.
The morning of the Choosing Ceremony had finally arrived, this was the day most dependents dreaded and few hoped for.
Society was not kind to those who did not fit into a faction. The decision we make today would not only free us from our confines, should we feel trapped, but imprison us in other ways, forcing us to conform in to our chosen faction. This is the cycle that has continued for 200years...however the decision I make today will either afford us more opportunity or bring Great War upon us.
"Lillian sweetheart breakfast is ready" My mom called from the kitchen,
"Okay won't be long" I called back, truth was I was stalling. As I looked upon the person in the mirror all I saw was a terrified little girl. Almond shaped green and yellow eyes that used to look so unique to me seemed so out of place now. There was nothing unique about them where I was going, nothing special. Here they held meaning and burned with life, here they held similar resemblance to my fathers and connected us. Where I was going they would just be the eyes of another person, nothing of substance just the eyes of yet another child forced to face independency. Pale skin that would usually have rosy toned hues on the high cheek bones that I inherited from my mom, along with her heart shaped face, poignant nose and pouty full lips. My raven thick tresses slicked back in a high pony tail and fell below my shoulder blades. I looked more confident than I felt, though I learned early on how to hide behind the facade I put up. Suffering in silence was something I'd just naturally adapted to.
Out of habit I adjusted the lapels of my royal blue blazer before I made my turn to leave. Routines are what I live by here in Erudite after today the future is unknown.
As I entered the room my parents and little brother settled into silence, we all knew this day was coming yet it still felt a bit surreal that it had. Words did not need to be spoken to know exactly what we were feeling.
"It's time" My dad said, he had spoken the words so softly yet I felt as though they had been shouted at me. Behind these doors I was free to be myself as we all were the moment we step out we will no longer be US anymore. Before leaving our apartment I hold my family in a tight embrace forcing the tears back, it becomes increasingly difficult when my dad speaks
"I love you for all that you are all that you have been and all that you are yet to be. My life is nothing without my children and my beautiful wife. I am proud of you...no matter what you decide to do" he whispers lowly but we all hear it and it finally breaks my resolve, as I shed a few tears. I know he's letting me decide here that no matter how much we trained together this is still my choice to make
Entering the hub for the first time was a lot more daunting than I would have ever imagined. Sure I knew this day was approaching but I never really thought about how the actual event would take place. I guess I had been so focused on my mission that everything else seemed so meaningless. Now as I stand here taking in the scene before me I'm reminded as to why I fought so hard, why I trained as hard as I did. The choice I make today will not only free us all but free the children of our future generations to come. Surrounded in a sea of people wearing their traditional faction colors I feel somewhat out of place, a fraud among many. Had it not been for the love of my parents and younger brother I'm not sure I could have ever made it to this day in one piece.
Marcus Eaton is the last to arrive to the ceremony, but it is with his arrival that I and those around me know that it is time to start the proceedings. My family and I quickly embrace before they leave my side to seat at the back with the rest of the family's awaiting their children's decisions. Although my family knows that I am leaving today I cannot help but wonder what my factions' reaction to my transferring will do to them. When a child defects from their faction of birth parents are usually isolated from the rest of the faction, Erudite do not take kindly to defective children and often treat the parents like lepers should their offspring decide to leave. It's all a rouse to guilt children into staying my father once told me; in fact he told me that it was something Jeanine herself had installed once she took leadership. She's also the reason I am about to embark on a dangerous journey.
"The faction system is a living being, composed of cells. All of you, and the only way it can survive and thrive is for each of you to claim your rightful place. The future belongs to those who know where they belong" Jeanine says wrapping up her speech, there is nothing heartfelt in the way she speaks; cold and concise are all that, that woman knows. Manipulation is her greatest tool most of the Erudite members and dependents for that matter applauded her with awe like manner and although I do not want to, I join in on the applause too. Marcus Eaton is next to speak why Jeanine was given an accolade to speak is completely ridiculous to me; no other leader is given that right only the government. Yet Jeanine somehow got her moment of glorified speech...I loathed that woman
"When we leave this room, you will no longer be dependents but full-fledged members of our society. Faction before blood" Marcus says, his eyes travelling across the crowds of people before finally landing on his own faction Abnegation
"Faction before blood" the entire assembly hall echo's. They're words we here live by but in the depths of my soul they will never be real to me
"Ashlyn Zellous" My best friend here since our infancy and the other part of the reason my stay here in Erudite was bearable. I do not wish to leave Ash as much as I do not wish to leave my family, but pressing matters call for my attention. The greater good is at risk and as my parents have taught me I need to be brave.
"Erudite" Marcus calls, our faction applaud her in a very Erudite manner. Meaning we clap stiffly and almost robotically without expression and without enthusiasm. It is not in Erudite to be rambunctious after all. Ashlyn takes her seat in the row before me but manages to throw me a small smile before she does. My heart constricts at the knowledge that this will be our last encounter, it's almost enough to bring me to tears again.
"Hayley Yellar" My eyes stay trained to the stage as a girl in Dauntless black takes the stage, her hair is wild, with a mixture of green and purple highlights streaking through her platinum blonde hair. She's slim but she has prominent definition in her form, most likely years of built up training.
"Dauntless" Marcus announces as her blood drops over the bowl of burning embers, as suspected Dauntless applaud loudly with so much enthusiasm that it almost makes me crack a smile at their display. They definitely do not do things quietly.
"Lillian Wright" Distracted by the Dauntless members and dependents I almost miss the announcement of my name being called. I stand with the confidence of an Erudite member and walk the short distance to the bowls where Marcus offers a small Abnegation smile...it looks fake but I don't bother to delve into it at the minute. The silver blade of the knife sits on the table with gauzes for when I've completed the choice. Conjuring a huge breath I slice the knife to my palm easily and without a wince, hovering over the bowl of my choice but lingering on the water of Erudite. I may hate what Erudite now stand for but it's where my family are and despite how much I yearn to stay for them I know what I'm about to do will be the better choice for me, even without the mission. It's where I belong...where my heart calls to me
"Dauntless" Marcus announces his voice carrying right to the depths of the back lines. The hiss of my blood still resonates over the sea of Dauntless cheer, grabbing gauze I give one final look toward my former faction before turning to my new one. I'm greeted with the enthusiasm of a small child. Excitement light the eyes of the few dependents I make eye contact with and joyous thunderous calls of encouragement
ring throughout the rest. The closets of the dependents jostle me clapping me on my back as a congratulatory gesture as I take my seat to my new home. It's a warm welcome that I can't help feeling insignificant for.
The Ceremony concludes 2hours after I had chosen. Fourteen Dauntless born remain while only six including myself transferred. It's easily the smallest group Dauntless has seen and it only enforces the reason for this mission, with one last final look back at my family I leave the hub with a sense of longing. I follow along with the rest of the transfers trailing behind the Dauntless born to see what adventures are to come.
Unlike the other factions Dauntless take the stairs down from the high building running through the staircase like madmen and whooping like maniacs. It's hard not to feel some type of adrenaline rush when you're surrounded with them, their crazy loud whooping antics are actually quite contagious though I suppress my joy out of shyness.
Once we hit the main road, the Dauntless and transfers spread across the pathways making it near impossible for on walkers to get past. As they run they shout and cheer, this day is after all the beginning of our independence they are merely celebrating in the only appropriate manner they have grown to know. A few feet a head is a bridge that connects the train lines, I've seen Dauntless climb this particular railing so it's no surprise when the Dauntless born begin to scale up the pillars holding the bridge together. My eyes focus on the first boy to make it to the pillars learning his movements. He moves almost gracefully as he easily climbs with the sleekness of a trained assassin. I easily replicate the moves and make it to the platform before even some of the Dauntless born. A girl whom I recognize from Faction school smiles widely at me when I land near her, beside her stands the boy I replicated who is also smiling widely at me too
"Not bad" The girl says, her eyes scan my figure up and down before she finally settles on my face. It's not an unusual look for the Dauntless however it does still make me uncomfortable to be scrutinized that way
"What's your name?" She finally says having finished her rather blatant assessment of my form
"Lill...ah Lilz. My name is Lilz" I stammer, I remember my father once told me he and mom had to change their names when they transferred to Erudite because their birth names did not meet Erudite criteria. My father now goes by the name Drake Wright previously known as Dragon Wright he transferred from Dauntless, he's also the reason I and my brother are quite skilled in combat. My mom who transferred from Amity changed her name from Daisy Smiter to Dionne Smiter later becoming Dionne Wright taking my father's name. Although I loved my name I know it would not hold up in Dauntless...I would probably be ridiculed for it quite honestly after all I was named after my mom's two favorite flowers. Lillian Rose...Lily for short. Here in Dauntless I had to blend not standout and not give them reason to tease and Lilz sounded quite perfect for the Dauntless.
"Well Lilz glad you made it. I'm Peyton and this is my cousin Logan" The girl with the huge smile says while extending her hand toward me. My father taught both my brother and I to shake hands like the Dauntless, though he warned me that I would need to be bad the first few times I "attempt" it with a member or Dauntless born. Lazily I take her hand and weakly shake, her grip is firm and strong just as I expected it to be, I ignore the look of somewhat disgust as she attempts to make me grasp her hand firmly and I forcibly fail she eventually gives up within almost a second. Having witnessed my useless attempt her cousin doesn't offer a handshake instead he just smiles widely at me like his cousin Peyton. I idly wonder if their cheeks hurt from the action.
"Nice to meet you" I finally say finding my voice after an embarrassing false attempt of the handshake, I try to offer up a smile but sadly the loss of my family is still lingering in my heart for me to really pull it off
"Erudite huh...well let's see if you can keep up blue" Peyton says with a cheeky wink. At first I'm not entirely sure what she's talking about until I hear the blaring of the train. It was never something dad could physically teach me because Erudite do not jump trains, we have vehicles. However he did teach me their technique. The train begins to whiz past me. "Hurry up Lilz" Peyton shouted as she and Logan began to sprint alongside the train. I pick up the pace watching Logan again, he seems to be a good role model for this type of thing. He maneuvers into the train exactly as my father once described it. I wait for Peyton to jump in and I'm right behind her, grabbing the pull bar I heave my left leg up to the first step using it to anchor the rest of my body then easily swing in on to the train with almost as much grace as I saw Logan. Both he and Peyton smile again as I place a steady foot to the ground and manage to stay upright. I watch one by one as every Dauntless born gets on board and surprised when every transfer also makes it, I say surprised because not a one lands on their feet, a few fall face flat while the rest crawl on to the cold stainless steel floor grappling for dear life
"That wasn't half bad" Peyton says wearing what I can only describe as her trademark smile, Logan has moved on to talk with a few other people whom I can only assume are his friends while Peyton kindly waits with me.
"Thanks" I say smiling at her, it's not right of me to make friends hopefully I won't have to get too attached to her during my stay here it would only make what I have to do harder.
"You know if I didn't know any better I'd say you'd done this before" she teases, however the fact that she's picked up on my few skills makes me realize my mistake. Of course I hadn't actually done this before but I'd trained a bit for it, I couldn't be this reckless again from this point on I had to appear aloof.
"I've never done it no. Having said that I used your cousin as my example to attempt the jump. What can I say Erudite are quick studies" I say with a shrug, it is true Erudite pick things up quickly but never in the physical sense I definitely have to play it cool going forward
"Logan...Pft who do you think taught him?" She scoffs while pointing to herself at the same time. I guess I should have been watching Peyton.
"Well since you're the master of all things Dauntless how about you teach me that hand shake. I sure could use your expertise" I say with a slight chuckle, Peyton surprises me by laughing too except her laugh seems so carefree and easy, there is nothing forced about this girl she's just naturally happy...and that can't be good for me. Relationships will only hinder my progression here and I cannot allow that to happen...though I'm not sure I could stop myself from becoming friends with such a person
"You're damn right I'm the expert!" She chuckles. "For a first handshake you weren't too bad...but for a Dauntless it was really hopeless" she says perking up to the challenge
For the duration of our trip Pey as she likes to be called teaches me the basic techniques to a good sturdy handshake. I digest it as I would if it really was my first lesson in this particular area, and if I'm being honest her lesson is far more entertaining than dads. Satisfied with her teachings she calls her cousin back to us, his head perks up at her voice and he comes to her willingly as do a few of the others.
"What's up cuz?" He says eyeing her with strange curiosity; he seems guarded for some reason though I don't understand why
"Go Lilz show em" Pey says turning her enthusiasm on me, I stifle a smile in an attempt to keep serious for the benefits of this lesson. I stick my arm out straighter and more confident towards Logan while he raises his brow at me, placing his much larger hand in mine I squeeze his hand in my first "real" attempt at shaking a hand. Once he catches on as to what we're actually doing his face splits into the trademark smile he and Pey share and he shakes my hand back with earnest. It's exactly as it should be firm and strong, and I can tell by his surprised expression that Pey and I have pulled it off. I pull back from him first and turn to offer Pey a genuine smile one that I hope conveys my thanks
"Get ready!" An older gentlemen on the train calls out since we're a smaller group most of us made it to this one cabin a few others landed in other cabins but the majority of the group made it here. Peyton turns toward me as does Logan; they have that look of challenge again.
"What's going on?" A boy formally of Candor speaks up, the Dauntless born do not respond to his question they merely smile at him almost condescendingly. The doors of the cabin open and before anyone can utter a word two of the Dauntless born fly out the moving train leaping into the air to land on the top of the Dauntless area roof. Gasps from the transfers fill the cabin; it's just sunken in that we all have to jump to get to our new chosen faction.
"Come on blue" Pey says to me before she runs to catch her cousin who has just jumped. The distance is about 2.5meters from the train to the roof but that's not the scary part. The drop is four stories high and to fall would mean immediate death. Be brave the words echo in my thoughts as if they were spoken directly to me. Deciding I need the leverage I create a wider berth for myself before I make a sprint run out the train doors. My legs extend in opposite directions as I make the leap of faith toward the roof. As my front foot connects with the graveled roof top, I tuck myself within myself in order to roll to a stand. My execution is somewhat staggered but at least I made it. As I turn back toward the train I notice that one person did not make it, a Candor boy with a horrified expression as his face now fades away into the distance. He will now have to live factionless. My heart goes out to him...although the only way I can truly help him now is by getting through this initiation.
"Alright listen up, I'm Max I'm one of your leaders. If you want to enter Dauntless this is the only way in. Here you will learn that orders are not optional, so if you don't jump you don't belong here" Max says with a smirk, his beady eyes scan the small group of initiates with a predatory gleam. He is goading us, taunting us inflicting powerful fear within us all just by the stance and smugness on his menacing face. It's almost enough to want me to push him down off the roof myself
"Well somebody has to go first who will it be" he says his tone alone insinuates that we are afraid and for whatever reason this does not sit well with me
"I will" I announce clearly while gritting my teeth in irritation. His head whips in my direction and he almost looks proud. Stepping down from the roof top he moves to make way for me. The crowd parts as I move toward the front both Pey and Logan give me a pat of encouragement when I pass them. I take a step to the top looking beneath me only to be greeted with a gaping black hole. The hole looks like it has been there for as long as our faction system has existed, sharp edges with steel bars protruding from the rocky tiled roof create the imagery of danger. If I miss calculate and jump out too far I could quite literally go through one of the bars and fall to my death. As I stand for maybe a second longer than I should I hear the irritated croaking of Max's impatient voice urging me to hurry up. With a deep unsteady breath I step out from the ledge and fall into the unknown abyss. I dear not scream as my body falls, the wind is rushing in an upward position causing my clothing to flail in disarray. The soft cushioning of a net catches my fall and with it escapes a gasp of shock at the sudden impact. My body fly's upward before it catches again to the net, this time bouncing with me to a steady still. My eyes are trained to the top of the opening of the torn hole above only to see heads peek over the edging, the shock horror of the experience illicit a sudden hysterical laugh from me. Before I can get control of my sudden burst of hysteria I feel the net being pulled down to one side taking with it my body. I roll toward the sudden movement only to have my eyes land on a pair piercing steely gray blue ones, which seem to be glaring at me in slight disgust. The Dauntless man doesn't wait long before he rips me from the net by the waist and places me firmly to the ground
"Name" he all but growls at me as he towers above me in an attempt to appear more intimidating than necessary. It's something my father said they do to test you for cowardice, thankfully I'm able to keep my cool as my eyes stay fixed to his, though I'm anything but inside
"Lilz" I say confidently, his eyes slant searching mine for god knows what before he seems satisfied enough to announce my name
"First jumper Lilz" He calls out, the cold room fills with rowdy applause pulling me from this man's unique blended eyes and finally focusing on the others here.
"Welcome to Dauntless" The man whispers lowly in my ear causing me to go ridged as his lips graze the side shell of my ear before he steps away, I don't look back toward him knowing my face has turned a shade of red from the action I instead walk toward the cheering Dauntless in hopes that I will calm down.
A/N: If you want to review then please do. I would love your feedback if you feel like you want to, if not thank you for reading. I want to continue with this story but if no one feels like I should stop please feel free to tell me. No hard feelings. :D