Re-reading Brynn's Diary, I found myself literally head-desking more than once. It. Is. Atrocious! I can do better, I'm sure of it. That's why I'm uploading this re-write. The plan is, once this catches up with the original, to take BD no. 1 down from the site and keep this one up.

For the record, some of the sentences in this chapter could be worded better. I swear that's intentional; she's seven! As clever as kids from Brightvale are (Brightvalean? Brightvalish? I don't know.), she still talks like a kid. Therefore, she probably writes like one.

Disclaimer: I do not own Brynn, Brightvale, Hanso, or any other Neopian characters and locations. Nor do I own anyone who crops up from Hanso's Journal- they're property of Reese S. Quill. However, my OCs are mine.

The Month of Sleeping (January) At age 7

Week 1

It's now, officially, the last night of my first ever week in the Brightvale Guard. I've wanted to join for so long, and I've been pestering Mum for literally as long as I can remember. When she finally relented last month (Christmas Day, too! Like a present!), I was more than a little shocked. Still, I can't complain. It's what I wanted, after all.

I didn't think it'd be fun and games; I knew it would be tough. I mean, you have to use a sword, and chase thieves and stuff. I just never thought it would be so much hard work so soon!

Also, I can't wait to go on patrol. That's where all the exciting stuff happens. This week has been training which, even though my teacher says I'm good at it, gets kind of repetitive real quick. Besides, it was a guard on patrol that made me want this job so badly in the first place!

I was about two or three, but I remember it so clearly. Two terrifying men- really tall, with yellow teeth and tiny eyes with no sparkle to them whatsoever- appeared in front of us. Sounds crazy, but they literally jumped out of nowhere. They told Mum to give them her purse, or they'd 'hurt the little girlie'. That was me, by the way.

Mum held my hand and tried not to look scared, but I knew she was. I certainly was! And I'm not really scared of anything.

The two kept pressing the matter, and being tall and scary, when a woman wearing the green and white of the Brightvale Guard pushed between them from behind them. She wasn't very tall, but she made up for it by standing straight, and the way her hand rested on the hilt of the sword in her belt proved she could use it. Well.

"Alright, boys," She said to the thieves either side. "Are we going to break this up? Or do I have to bring in Mr. Handcuffs?" She looked at me and grinned. I suppressed a smile of my own as the two thieves stared at her with such a confused expression.

"I'm going to count to three." She raised one hand from her hilt, held it above her head. "One…" She raised a finger. "Two…" A second finger. "Three!"

"Leg it!" One thief shouted to his partner, who didn't need to be told twice. The two dashed off, lost in the busy crowds of the market place.

The yellow zafara asked Mum if she was okay. "You're trembling, Ma'am. That's probably shock. I'd recommend the hot chocolate, if I'm honest; that seems to do a good job of restoring your senses."

Mum merely nodded numbly in response and squeezed my hand slightly tighter.

The guard woman knelt down, so that she was about the same height as me, and smiled reassuringly.

"You don't really understand what's going on, do you?" She asked gently.

I shook my head because, at the time, I didn't. When you're little, Mum can defeat anyone and anything, and seeing her so scared was the strangest thing. "Tell you what, kid. I have a very important job for you."

My ears perked up. "Really?" I asked eagerly.

She nodded. "You need to make sure to look after your Mummy for me. She's a little shaken up, okay?"

I nodded.

It all happened ever so long ago, but I remember it all so clearly. And it's annoying, because I never even knew that woman's name, yet she inspired me to be sitting in this chair in the Training Guard Base canteen.

So, that's my mission, Diary. I'm going to find out that woman's name. And maybe I'll even get to meet her, and thank her in person for everything she's done.

Week 2

Today, my teacher Mr. Lockwood said we don't get to go on patrol for a few months. Months?! How am I going to last that long?!

I'm not even allowed a proper sword yet, although having seen some of the kids in my age bracket, I can understand why. We've got wooden ones, instead. Some kids who've been here longer have blunted metal ones, which Mr. Lockwood said is the next step up.

I'm in the youngest age bracket, 6-10 year olds. Then it's 11-15, 16-18, and then they make you a proper guard after that.

We have to share rooms, except they're called 'dormitories', which sounds weird. I have to share mine with an usul girl called Violet. She's really girly. All the time, she's rambling on about hair, and dresses, and it's so annoying.

Week 3

There's a lupe in the 11-15 age bracket (the lower end of it, though) called Harry who's been being so frustrating! He seems to have decided that I make an excellent person to be mean to, and tease constantly, and it's very annoying.

I can't help but think maybe I brought this on myself.

We were in the lunch hall, eating. I was sitting on the same table as Violet and her friends, only half-listening to the shoe-related conversation that they were having, when Harry and his gang of annoying people showed up.

"Move." He told a girl called Sharon, who was sitting beside Violet and across from me. "I want to sit there."

"You can't just do that, Harry." Violet grumbled. "Not here."

"I've been here longer than you, Adonai," He pointed out smugly. "I think I know more about how things work here." He looked at Sharon pointedly. "Move it."

"Don't." I told Sharon.

Harry glared at me from behind Violet. "Who asked you?"

"I'm standing up for the right thing." I said coolly, even if inside I was trembling like a leaf in a strong wind. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do in the Guard?"

He laughed, and the rest of his gang joined in, safe for a red-headed kyrii hanging out at the back of the group. "You got a name, Tiny?"

Violet rolled her eyes dramatically. "Harry!"

"Shh, Adonai, I asked her a question. I'm sure someone so chivalrous can answer herself." Somehow, he made 'chivalrous' sound like an insult.

"Brynn." I replied.

"Surname?"

"Chevalier."

Sharon's eyes widened. "Your mum, she's the one who washes clothes, isn't she? For people in Lower Brightvale?"

I nod. Because she'd always been so occupied with raising and looking after me, and since Dad went missing in a boating accident and never returned, Mum washes and mends clothes for the poorer citizens of Brightvale. We're not so well of herself, and I want to change that, and buy her a fairytale house like I know she's always wanted.

Harry snorts. "Paupers."

"Rich kid." I retort. "Scat."

He glared at me. "You've crossed a line, Chevalier. And you will regret it."

So you could sort of say I deserve this, but it's been going on for a week now, and I'm sick of it. I just wish, so much right now, that they'd stop pestering me!

I'd ask Mr. Lockwood for help- he seems to like me, since I'm so 'promising' in sword practice- but Harry's told me that I can't tell any grown-ups.

"Things will start breaking." He said warningly. I have little enough as it is. Anything from home breaking would be irreplaceable until my next birthday in October, and breaking anything that was already here- including my wooden practice sword- means I'll have to play a replacement fee, considering there's no way I can think of to prove Harry did it. His gang will lie to save his neck, I'm sure of it.

Week 4

They still persist; in fact they seem to be getting even bolder as each day passes. Today, he pulled my chair from underneath me while I was eating soup, and I spilled it all over myself. And trust me, it took at least an hour in the shower to rinse it out of my hair.

We got to write letters home today. I was scared of writing anything that could get me into more trouble with Harry (as my mum is a grown-up) so I missed that out.

I told her almost everything else. I wrote about the plastic swords, and Violet, and how I'll find out what the name of that zafara lady was for her. It's sort of my secret goal right now. I like having goals; it gives you something to strive for.

I gave it to Mr. Lockwood. He commented on how neat my handwriting is for someone so young, and I told him I've had a lot of practice. I didn't mention that that 'practice' is writing life down in a diary every week, but, then, I didn't really need to.

Mr. Lockwood is nice. He doesn't talk to us like we're stupid just because we're the youngest training guards here. Most fully fledged guards do, and it's quickly becoming very annoying. I mean, I'm not three years old! I'm seven! I appreciate being talked to like I'm my age, not far younger.

Wait, there's the bell… That means I have five minutes to get to sword practice, and I completely forgot! It'd explain the mysterious lack of Violet; she must've snuck out while I was writing! Sneaky little… What am I doing? I have to get moving!

Little game: Anyone spot 'the draik man' in this? I figured I'd just dump his name in from the start, in this rewrite :D