Wait, I must prevent my own demise. (As I fall, Life is existence eternal.) Divergent. No Alligant stuff. No Tris, No Four; Alternate Universe with ocs. All rights to authors. Fixed formatting.
Black. Trains. Brave. Dauntless.
Blue. Rude. Wise. Erudite.
Grey. Selfless. Leaders. Abnegation.
Black and white. Truth. Candor.
Yellow and Red. Peace. Amity.
This is the world I live in; defined by one characteristic. We function as a whole, but on one day, I choose. I have a choice from the five, including the one I live in, and I must test first, then choose my fate. Its quite funny that one prominent characteristic can define one test, and then make us choose somewhere to live. I believe that this is wise for at least how long this has stood, this society. Then again, I'm from Erudite, the wise ones, who like to bicker with Abnegation for leader position.
I'm the oldest of three, have the best scores in my class, and do not quite believe the whole competition thing. My name is Zarra Fang. I look like none of my family, as my father has blonde hair and green eyes and my mother has brown hair and hazel eyes. My father works for the leader circle, and my mother works in the archives in the library. My younger brother, Orion, has mothers hair yet fathers eyes, and my sister, Rosella, who's turning 13 this year, has long blonde hair and hazel eyes. I turned out to be the odd one, with long, wavy jet black hair and sapphire blue eyes.
My birthday is in December, on the darkest day of the year. I have no use in Erudite, I feel empty. I actually like helping people, so people call me an Abnegation lover. It's not really a problem for me, so I really don't have that many friends. Everything is for competition and convenience. Marriage, friends, anything is for the price of succeeding. We don't exactly get along with Candor, as we can be corrupt and deceitful and they are brutally honest. I'm honest. I sometimes lie, even for the smallest things.
I go against the manifesto by taking runs along the perimeter. I can go for a while now, passing the factionless in the streets to the marketplace in Candor. I sneak out at night to research combat and strategy techniques. I am brave, I strategize, I know the history of our nation, and the "reasons" why this society is active today. I sometimes draw after our tests that we take, once drawing a raven in flight, with lilies spiraling up the sides. I got in trouble for that, being scolded that it was not in relation to our manifesto. 'Ignorance' is defined not as stupidity but as lack of knowledge. Lack of knowledge inevitably leads to lack of understanding. Lack of understanding leads to a disconnect among people with differences. Disconnection among people with differences leads to conflict. Knowledge is the only logical solution to the problem of conflict. I really wonder if they understand how I am different. I am wary of leaving however, because it involves something I most fear: betrayal.
My oldest brother, who no one speaks of, is my role model in a way. He was kind, but stubborn in his ways and mostly, what I admire most about him, is that he is brave. His name is Cinna, and he transferred to Dauntless, which caused an uproar and accusations of betrayal. I feel more unwanted to any fraction, especially my own. Like Cinna, I feel that Erudite isn't the right fractions for me. I feel that the betrayal will cripple me, and I will fall to my demise. At least I will get a better picture today, as I am to take the aptitude test. I put on a black dress that ends at my knees and a blue scarf to obey the erudite manifesto: Each member must wear at least one article of blue clothing per day. Erudite's main color is blue, as it is a "calming color that helps stimulate the brain".
Typical Erudite traditions and rules.
I pick up my hand bag containing my notes on combat techniques and weapon making and head towards the school. I walk to the school building, passing the factionless and hear the train and whoops of the Dauntless as they jump off. It must feel nice to be free. I shake my head to clear my thoughts and continue walking. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My representative is a woman named Tori, from Dauntless. I come in unprepared, like everyone does, and fix the wires to the correct places on my skin. Before I drink the serum, I ask a question. "What If I feel that I don't belong in one fraction?" Tori's eyes wavered, "Then you stay quiet, and survive in the one that won't kill you." I drink the serum and sink into the test, a simulation... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I hear Jeanine's voice, leader of Erudite, as a block of cheese and a knife are layed out on a glass table, "Choose one." Must I choose one? The knife is certainly Dauntless, the cheese? Might be Amity... "You must make a choice, Zarra." Jeanine repeated. This is just a simulation, I think, I choose neither. The table fades witht he choices to be replaced by a wild ravanous dog and a young child cowering in fear. I don't exactly fear the dog as I jump in front of the child, allowing the dog to take me instead of the child...
The scene changes again to one of the buses with the rusted metal used as a carrier for people. It is almost full to capacity, and an elderly man in rags is left to stand. Burnt, he reads a newspaper with the front page obscere. The man, most likely noticing me, turns to talk to me.
"Do you know, my problem, Zarra, you should know who did this to me, who do you know, you were there." He calmly stated. Alarmed, I look at the man in rags with the burns casacding and morphing his features. The man on the front page of the paper, I feel that I might know him. That something horrid will happen if I tell the man so, looking at the man, I ask, "Can you elaborate?"
"This man, he took something from me, If you help me, I will help you in return." I hesitate for a second- then, I say the truth.
"I do not know this man, I am sorry." After my denial of the man, I feel the scene shift again, until I see Tori undoing the electrods from my face and I sit up straight.
She walks out for a moment to grab the results. I start to feel my hands shake. What if I'm not cut out to be in a fraction. I might me homeless, fractionless. I can't let myself worry like this. So when Tori comes back in, a paer in hand and sits, I am emotionless, composed.
Mostly.
"Sorry to worry you."
"My results?" I ask, silently worried.
"They are inconclusive."
"So, you don't know where I belong?" "You are divergent, rare. You have a placements in Candor, Erudite and Dauntless , you're suitable for any 3 of the factions,"
"Yet, you will die if you choose Erudite. But if you choose Dauntless, come talk to me." Tori smiles. "Don't tell anyone or you will be killed. For your safety, please be careful."
So I left unsure of my descision of tomorrow, and at home, I thought of Cinna and Mother and my family, but mostly, I thought of myself. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shock, or silence, fills the two spired Hub, the skies are grey and cloudy, and our footsteps echo on the floors of the main floor. I believe that it might be the tension that is heavy, like fog, that causes this pressure. I rufuse to cave into it now, for I must focus on what I must do now.
I climb the stairs of the Hub beside my classmates, others of my age. The elevators were crowded, so like Abnegation, we choose the stairs. Before I left home for what may be the last time, I made sure to collect all of my absolute belongings that I would need from Erudite: The small pocketbook in the inside pocket on my jacket with all my notes on combat techniques, weapon and instrument making, drawings and all I could gather of the vital facts of all the factions, along with the history of our society and the manifestos. I also brought a couple of drawing pens and pencils, and one other small notebook. I am wearing my blue scarf that my parents got for me on my birthday when Cinna was still in Erudite, my all purpose tennis shoes, my mid length wool coat, dark skinny jeans, and a dark grey t-shirt. I managed to find my silver ring with all the factions symbols ingraved in it, and I hid it in my coat pocket. My mother's necklace with the raven in flight I wore on a metal chain, but hid the raven underneath my shirt. I'm lucky that I've been able to hide these this long.
Before long, we reach the skydeck of the Hub, and soon I hug my mother, father, sister and brother, and take my place in the front. I pass the bowls, each representing a faction, water for Erudite, burning coals for Dauntless, a sheet of glass for Candor, grey stones for Abnegation, and a branch for Amity.
I shake my head and continue to the F's for my last name.
Once everyone sits, the representative for this years Choosing Ceremony, from Abnegation, wastes no time by stilling the masses of people, and speaks; "Today is a day that we all come forth to witness our factions, together, introduce a new group of our youth into our factions, to grow and prosper. Today, each of our 16 year olds, will make a choice that will affirm or transform you. Today, you each must use this knife," he holds out a plain knife, " and will cut your arm and use your blood to choose your faction."
He pauses, then speaks, motioning to each bowl. " Water represents Erudite, the wise. Glass represents Candor, upholders of absoulte truth. Earth is for Amity, upholders of the peace. These grey stones are for Abnegation, the selfless. Dauntless is represented by the burning coals, for the fearless, the brave."
" After you choose you will sit in the two front rows disinated with each faction. You will then partake in each initiation. Failure to complete will result in you becoming Factionless."
" May you all choose what is within you." He ends, and then with his grey robe swishing, the man looks at a paper with all our names and starts to read.
"Walter Asher." A slender boy with grey eyes and blonde hair walks up, his red and yellow clothes screaming choose Amity. He takes the knife, walks to the bowl with the earth, and claims his alligance. Amity.
More are like that, each are similar, except for a male in Candor clothes named Mark Cassian , with brown hair had his blood on grey stones instead of the glass. Traitor. Abnegation. Perhaps he's selfless in nature. A collective gasp, then silence. I roll up my sleeves and then observe first, another Candor, this time female, with mid length bright red hair and green eyes, narrowed with determination, had her blood sizzle on the coals of Dauntless. Her name was repeated, "Kiara Dawn, Dauntless."
Next, a man about 6 feet stood, his eyes the same green as Kiara, in Candor as well, had his blood spill on the coals of Dauntless. Again? I ask, Must be related. "Gregory Dawn, Dauntless." He walked over to sit next to his sister.
Before long it was my time to choose, a female named Piper Eres stayed in Abnegation, and then I was called, first of the Erudite in today's Choosing Ceremony. "Zarra Fang, come to the desk." I calmly walk towards the woman with the knife. Holding it in my left hand, I turn and stand in the center of the bowls. The Abnegation man asks for silence, and then says my name again:
"Of Erudite, Zarra Fang, now choose." I look at all the bowls, and stare between the water of Erudite and the coals of Dauntless. I examine each, then the knife. Surely this is what a moment is, I am wise, my results were inconclusive. I'm Divergent. I can be both water and steaming coals. I am Erudite, I am Dauntless, but really am I sure?
I turn towards the coals, and like slow motion, my blood trickles down my arm, the red trail sizzling on the coals of fire. Wise, Intelligent, Fearless, Dauntless. Brave. I must prove that aspect of myself.
A roar of whispers comes from Erudite, a look of shock is seen on the faces on my father and sister. My brother, Orion grins and gives a thumbs up, and my mother looks at me with actual love in her features. "Zarra Fang. Dauntless." He says. I let my sleeves fall and give the knife to an attendant. Walking, I look into the sea of black and find my brother's face, Cinna, our eyes lock and in understanding, I sit with the others who will face initiation. What will this lead to? I ask myself. I just watch the others, so that the 10 transfered initiates in Dauntless by the end of this Choice, 8 more are Dauntless born, sit as this whole hell concludes and we are dismissed and more or less jog down the stairs of the Hub, wondering where our choices lead. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
III: Expectations
We are lead to where, at least if I can remember, the trains that the Dauntless ride. I'm at the front of the pack, just behind a Dauntless-born initiate. One of the leaders, I persume as I can only identify his back, falls back to match my pace. He is about a couple inches taller than me, with wavy jet black hair that was spiked up. I recognized him as he turned his face towards me. "Cinna?" I asked, shocked. I knew that he transferred to Dauntless, but I didn't think that he would be in charge of us. His blue eyes shined in pride, "Glad you could make it, sis." "So we jump onto the train-" "Yep. We also have to jump off." We run in compatible silence as we take in our surroundings. I mean, I never thought that it would be so peaceful, being with my older brother. I guess, looking at how similar we appear, that this choice was the right one. "So, we can talk tomorrow, okay?" "Sure." I nod. Then he runs to catch up with the other full Dauntless members, his windkept hair a reminder of why I chose Dauntless. I am brave. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When I hear the distinct roar of the train, I don't cower in fear like most of these initiates. The twins from Candor don't appear to fear the train, so when Cinna instructs us to jump on and cling until you get in, the three of us go first. It is a jolt of fire when the wind whips around you, and then suddenly, I pull myself into the platform of the train, stepping aside as another 4 initiates get over the shock and pull themselves in. I kneel back against a wall, looking at the others that also pulled themselves in. A boy with blonde cropped hair and grey eyes loks at me with a kind expression. He holds his hand out in greeting, and we shake hands. "My name is Robert Hunter, from Candor." He smiles softly and I smile back. "I'm Zarra Fang, from Erudite." We sit in a companionable silence, until, looking at the outside and how it merges into a blur with the speed we take to perhaps the Dauntless compound, Robert asks me a question, "I hope that we aren't going to get killed jumping off this train." "I think that we just have to time it right." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~ When the train slows, we prepare to jump off the train to a roof. Robert and I get a running start, and jump together. Almost everyone gathers around a hole, which is so dark that we can't see if there's a bottom. Shit. Cinna, his hair still a mess, motions to the large hole. "Jump in, face your fears of the unknown." Silence. Then a wimper from one of the transfers. No one is going to step foward until someone does. I step foward as no one is going to and jump through the hole without a scream. I'mm not afraid of the unknown, so when the darkness only lasts a few moments, I am suddenly caught in a large net. Cheers arupt around me, and as soon as a lamp light helps adjust my vision, I see a plethora of Dauntless members. I let out a sigh of relief and then am hoisted out of the net onto solid rock. So they do live in tunnels underground. The rumors were true to some extent. "What is your name?" A very tall and muscular man with multiple piercings said. "Zarra Fang, from Erudite." So the man, in a loud, booming voice, echos into the tunnel, "Zarra Fang, from Erudite, first down to the Pit!" A roar of cheers is splitting the very reservations of me being resulting into pride. I grin looking forward to being Dauntless. Robert comes down next, then Kiara Dawn, then her brother, and then, one by one, we all reach the end, to the beginning of our new lives. brown hair had his blood on grey stones instead of the glass. Traitor. Abnegation. Perhaps he's selfless in nature. A collective gasp, then silence. I roll up my sleeves and then observe first, another Candor, this time female, with mid length bright red hair and green eyes, narrowed with determination, had her blood sizzle on the coals of Dauntless. Her name was repeated, "Kiara Dawn, Dauntless." Next, a man about 6 feet stood, his eyes the same green as Kiara, in Candor as well, had his blood spill on the coals of Dauntless. Again? I ask, Must be related. "Gregory Dawn, Dauntless." He walked over to sit next to his sister. Before long it was my time to choose, a female named Piper Eres stayed in Abnegation, and then I was called, first of the Erudite in today's Choosing Ceremony. "Zarra Fang, come to the desk." I calmly walk towards the woman with the knife. Holding it in my left hand, I turn and stand in the center of the bowls. The Abnegation man asks for silence, and then says my name again: "Of Erudite, Zarra Fang, now choose." I look at all the bowls, and stare between the water of Erudite and the coals of Dauntless. I examine each, then the knife. Surely this is what a moment is, I am wise, my results were inconclusive. I'm Divergent. I can be both water and steaming coals. I am Erudite, I am Dauntless, but really am I sure. I turn towards the coals, and like slow motion, my blood trickles down my arm, the red trail sizzling on the coals of fire. Wise, Intelligent, Fearless, Dauntless. Brave. I must prove that aspect of myself. A roar of whispers comes from Erudite, a look of shock is seen on the faces on my father and sister. My brother, Orion grins and gives a thumbs up, and my mother looks at me with actual love in her features. "Zarra Fang. Dauntless." He says. I let my sleeves fall and give the knife to an attendant. Walking, I look into the sea of black and find my brother's face, Cinna, our eyes lock and in understanding, I sit with the others who will face initiation. What will this lead to? I ask myself. I just watch the others, so that the 10 transfered initiates in Dauntless by the end of this Choice, 8 more are Dauntless born, sit as this whole hell concludes and we are dismissed and more or less jog down the stairs of the Hub, wondering where our choices lead. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ III: Expectations We are lead to where, at least if I can remember, the trains that the Dauntless ride. I'm at the front of the pack, just behind a Dauntless-born initiate. One of the leaders, I persume as I can only identify his back, falls back to match my pace. He is about a couple inches taller than me, with wavy jet black hair that was spiked up. I recognized him as he turned his face towards me. "Cinna?" I asked, shocked. I knew that he transferred to Dauntless, but I didn't think that he would be in charge of us. His blue eyes shined in pride, "Glad you could make it, sis." "So we jump onto the train-" "Yep. We also have to jump off." We run in compatible silence as we take in our surroundings. I mean, I never thought that it would be so peaceful, being with my older brother. I guess, looking at how similar we appear, that this choice was the right one. "So, we can talk tomorrow, okay?" "Sure." I nod. Then he runs to catch up with the other full Dauntless members, his windkept hair a reminder of why I chose Dauntless. I am brave. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When I hear the distinct roar of the train, I don't cower in fear like most of these initiates. The twins from Candor don't appear to fear the train, so when Cinna instructs us to jump on and cling until you get in, the three of us go first. It is a jolt of fire when the wind whips around you, and then suddenly, I pull myself into the platform of the train, stepping aside as another 4 initiates get over the shock and pull themselves in. I kneel back against a wall, looking at the others that also pulled themselves in. A boy with blonde cropped hair and grey eyes loks at me with a kind expression. He holds his hand out in greeting, and we shake hands. "My name is Robert Hunter, from Candor." He smiles softly and I smile back. "I'm Zarra Fang, from Erudite." We sit in a companionable silence, until, looking at the outside and how it merges into a blur with the speed we take to perhaps the Dauntless compound, Robert asks me a question, "I hope that we aren't going to get killed jumping off this train." "I think that we just have to time it right." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When the train slows, we prepare to jump off the train to a roof. Robert and I get a running start, and jump together. Almost everyone gathers around a hole, which is so dark that we can't see if there's a bottom. Shit. Cinna, his hair still a mess, motions to the large hole. "Jump in, face your fears of the unknown." Silence. Then a wimper from one of the transfers. No one is going to step foward until someone does. I step foward as no one is going to and jump through the hole without a scream. I'mm not afraid of the unknown, so when the darkness only lasts a few moments, I am suddenly caught in a large net. Cheers arupt around me, and as soon as a lamp light helps adjust my vision, I see a plethora of Dauntless members. I let out a sigh of relief and then am hoisted out of the net onto solid rock. So they do live in tunnels underground. The rumors were true to some extent. "What is your name?" A very tall and muscular man with multiple piercings said. "Zarra Fang, from Erudite." So the man, in a loud, booming voice, echos into the tunnel, "Zarra Fang, from Erudite, first down to the Pit!" A roar of cheers is splitting the very reservations of me being resulting into pride. I grin looking forward to being Dauntless. Robert comes down next, then Kiara Dawn, then her brother, and then, one by one, we all reach the end, to the beginning of our new lives.