GUYS! GUYS! GUYS! My aunty literally just finished giving birth...I HAVE A COUSIN! Just thought I'd share, tee hee :P For this happy occasion I decided to post this story! Anyway, thank you for all the uplifting reviews! You guys are amazing and super supportive! Thank you for this idea as well! Sorry if I messed up :p Also, sorry if you didn't read the Divergent series because I might have left stuff unexplained... oops! OH...There will be no 'divergent' in this, sorry guys :P
Anyway, if you want me to publish your story just PM me or review! I need to know what characters you want to use, the plot line, the main problem and the ending! Please use only Disney (with the odd Dreamworks or Pixar if you must) characters because I don't know some of those you give me :P Please also remember you only have ONE chapter, two at most!
On with the story. This is the one where everything is Divergent and nothing hurts. Enjoy!
Dauntless
Story by Iheartjelsaandunicorns
The aptitude test was the first out of the four things that I was looking forward to. The other sixteen year olds from Candor were super nervous but not me – I was eager to get out of this wretched faction. Long ago our city was divided into five factions; Amity, the peaceful, Erudite, the intelligent, Candor, the truthful, Dauntless, the brave and Abnegation, the selfless. At sixteen children from all five factions are faced with a choice: stay with their families in their factions or join a different one and go through a trial period which they could fail and end up Factionless – with the people who don't belong anywhere. To help the children an aptitude test was made. It was a simple test that helped you determine the faction you belong to best, but of course you could choose differently. Then came the choosing ceremony, in which you made you final decision. There was no going back. And then came the trial period in which you hoped you aren't too stupid for Erudite, too much of a liar for Candor, too violent for Amity, too scared for Dauntless or too selfish for Abnegation, because if you were the only thing you'd ever be good for would be being homeless in the Factionless sector. I looked around the waiting room, where other Candor-born sixteen year olds like me were, practically shaking with worry. I grinned. Soon, I'd be out of here. I had nothing left; no family, no friends… This was the beginning of my new life.
Stage one – Aptitude test
Finally my name was announced through the metal speaker and I stepped into the small room where my aptitude test was being held. A calm looking, blonde girl stood next to an uncomfortable looking bed. She wore blue, which meant she was an Erudite, and was popping a tablet into a glass of water.
'I'm cinderella' she said, smiling at me and gesturing for me to lie down. 'Drink this and let's get on with it!'
'What is it?' I couldn't help myself from asking as I peered at the now cloudy water.
'A serum.' Cinderella said. 'Can't say more than that. Drink up!'
I did.
I closed my eyes for a second and suddenly I wasn't in the aptitude room anymore. I stood in a dark alleyway, the shadows falling across my path, making it hard to see. I could barely make out two figures. They were fighting, their hands clashing, giving off wild cries like animals and shrieks of pain. In front of me, on the floor, lay two objects; a phone, 999 on hold and a gun. I blinked. I knew what they wanted me to do – call help to cease the crossfire or shoot one of the people fighting. I hesitated, my hand clenched into a fist. Finally I picked up the gun. I aimed. I fired. The bullet shot into the sky, making an unbelievably loud sound that made me clench my teeth, but I had achieved my goal; the figures broke apart, looking around wildly, startled and scared. They ran in opposite directions and the scene shifted.
Again I stood in an alley, a different one though. This one was much wider and seemed to be next to a night club because music was blaring from all around. My two friends from school, Aurora and Snow white, stood in front of me, arms crossed.
'Elsa! Tell her she'd put on more weight! She has to watch herself or she'll get sick!' Aurora of them cried. The other one shook her head angrily.
'You're just jealous because Phillip asked me for a dance!'
I looked at Snow white who spoke last, and eyed her up and down. Indeed, she seemed much larger than normal. I bit my lip. What to do? Tell her the horrible truth or lie to make her feel better?
'No offence, Snow, but you do look larger than before.' I said. My Candor self was taking control. Snow white gave a high pitched shriek of furry and the scene shattered like grass.
I stood in a section of the city I never ventured into; the Factionless sector. Thin, wild looking men, women and children scrambled around, looking for scraps of food or something valuable to sell. A child came up to me; she had a dirty, thin face and big, pleading eyes.
'Please, miss' she wept, extending her small hands towards me. 'Please, give me some money for bread!'
I felt the weight of golden coins in my pocket. Once again I wondered what I should do. For some reason I knew the girl didn't need money for bread – her father had sent her to beg for some cash so he could buy alcohol in the black market. The smart thing to do would be to lie, say you have nothing, leave, but my Candor self wouldn't lat that happen.
'I have some money but I won't give it to you because your daddy is going to use it in a bad way.' I said bluntly. The little girl frowned, then scrunched up her face and ran past me. I turned to see her off but I wasn't there anymore.
I blinked, the sharp light of the room hitting my eyes painfully. I squinted and sat up, hopping off the aptitude bed. Cinderella smiled at me, told me we were done and tapped in some results into her pad.
'Well, good news!' she said cheerfully. 'You are perfect just where you are; a true born Candor.' I felt something sour in my mouth and gave her a not-so-convincing smile before walking out. Perfect, now they were telling me I should stay in the place I most hated. Outside the room my two very vain, very annoying friends grabbed me.
'How did it go?' Aurora asked, excitedly.
'Hush! You're not supposed to ask!' Snow white said sharply, not an ounce of unwanted fat on her.
Stage two – Choosing ceremony
I stood as straight as I could, trying to look unafraid. I wasn't scared, not really, but the giddiness made me shake. I was in my best Candor clothes; my deceased mother's white blouse and my own, brand new black pants that I hopefully wouldn't need to wear after today. I stood in alphabetical order, next to a girl who was wringing her hands nervously and a boy who was sweating so much he looked like he dunked his head in a river. One by one children were called up; Amity first, than Abnegation, than Candor. The kids from my line got plucked up, one by one – everyone chose Candor save for two boys, who both chose Amity. Finally it was my turn. I sent the Candor bowl a hateful look and glanced at the other bowls. The ceremony was simple; cut our palms and let a drop of blood fall into the bowl representing the faction we wanted to be part of.
I looked at the remaining four bowls, mentally crossing out Abnegation, who dedicated their lives to helping others and couldn't as much as look in the mirror at themselves because it was 'selfish'. Erudite was out too since I heard the initiation stage was so hard only geniuses got through and I was no genius. That left Amity and Dauntless. Was I for violence or against it? Neither, really, but I wasn't really set for a life time of picking apples so I cut my palm quickly and let my blood drip into the bowl of the Dauntless, and sizzle on the burning hot coals. A wild battle cry echoed from the row of Dauntless waiting for the new initiates. They were waving at me and pumping their fists in the air. I grinned – the first true smile since my parents past away and ran to join my new family.
Stage three – The initiation
Running for the train was one hell of a challenge but I managed. The Dauntless were like police but they were also the biggest rule breakers around. They loved to do the most dangerous things and jumping onto a moving train was one of them. I ran with them, thankful I had pants and not a dress, until a dauntless man jumped, grabbed a rail and clicked the button opening the doors. The dauntless piled in, one by one. Initiates went last, obviously. I sent the girl behind me a worried look. She had long, flowing blonde hair and bright green eyes. Her red and yellow clothes identified her as an Amity. She was breathing hard, her cheeks red, and ready to pass out. I quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her along.
'We jump on three!' I yelled to her. She nodded quickly.
'One!' I yelled.
'Two!' she yelled back.
'Three!' We screamed together, jumping on. I nearly slipped but a dauntless woman pulled me and the girl in.
'Thank you!' The girl managed as she clutched her side, breathing hard. 'Names…Rapunzel.'
'Elsa. You're not gonna survive initiation with a condition like that' I said, imiediatly biting my stupid, Candor tongue. Some people said we, I mean them, had no filter – they just said what they thought. I had to remember Dauntless was my faction now. To my surprised Rapunzel smiled at me.
'I'll work on it' she promised. Suddenly we were joined by two new people, transfers from Amity like Rapunzel.
'Punzie, you okay?' The girl asked. She had a mass of freckles on her face and auburn hair tied in a bun. She was patting Rapunzel's back.
'I'm fine' Rapunzel assured, finally standing up straight and pointing to me. 'This is Elsa. She helped me jump'
'Hi! I'm Anna!' The girl said brightly.
'Kristoff' the boy who appeared with her grumbled.
Those were the first three friends I made in Dauntless.
Jumping off the train was easier than jumping on. That's my opinion, not Rapunzel's, who screeched all the way as she jumped, earning a few snickers from a few initiates until a dauntless man with a goatee told them to shut up. Then came the really hard part. The real jumping.
'Listen up!' The guy with the goatee said, as we stood on the roof of a house we jumped onto from the train. 'My name is Flynn and I'm the guy who's going to be training you kids. There is only one way to get into the dauntless base from here; and that's down' he pointed at the black hole in the ground I could see from the top of the roof. That was it. No other explanation.
I figured the title of the first jumped was kinda important, but I wasn't going to risk it. Instead, to mine and everyone else's surprise, an Erudite transfer stepped forward.
'What's your name, kid?' Flynn asked.
'Hiccup'
'Alright, Hiccup. Have fun on the way down'
Hiccup nodded and didn't hesitate as he jumped. A blonde dauntless born girl didn't want to be worse and jumped right after him, then another Dauntless girl with bright red hair. Then Kristoff. Then three other people. Then me.
I can't exactly say I enjoyed the feeling I had while I was falling; something like having my stomach jump up to my throat and then back again. I have to admit I screamed; not as much as some people but some, nonetheless, because I had no idea what was at the bottom of the black hole and if I was going to die. The net that caught me cut into my skin painfully but didn't draw blood. Strong hands grabbed me and pulled me out of the net and onto the concrete floor. That was the moment when I first saw him.
It was quite dark and yet I could see every detail of his face, every muscle on his arms… He had snow white hair and sparkling blue eyes. To say he was handsome was like saying the big bang was a small explosion. I found myself speechless. He didn't release me and seemed to be staring at me with the same intensity as I was at him. I broke my gaze away from his finally when Rapunzel came down, screaming like there was no tomorrow. I think Flynn might have pushed her. There were tears in her eyes when Kristoff, Anna and two Dauntless born teenagers helped her out of the net. I turned to help but the boy caught my wrist. He looked startled at his actions and quickly released me, disappearing into the shadows.
'Come on, it's alright! Ya'll be fine!' One of the Dauntless borns said. It was the one with a mass of red hair that looked like it never saw a hairbrush and was allergic to a hair straightener. Rapunzel nodded shakily and the other girl, the Blondie that jumped after Hiccup, patted her on the back.
'I'm Merida' the red head said, 'Dauntless born. Lets all be friends!'
'Astrid' the Blondie said, hurrying to help other people out of the net. Hiccup let his gaze linger on her before smiling at us.
'I'm Hiccup, the…'
'First jumper' Merida said together with Flynn, who magically appeared next to us. He winked at Rapunzel. 'Still shaking?'
Rapunzel sent him a glare, or tried to but she just looked like an adorable kitty, not a tiger. Flynn laughed and ruffled her hair before sauntering off. Anna and Kristoff introduced themselves.
'I'm Elsa,' I said last. 'Nice to meet you all.'
Then Flynn called us over.
We stood in a loose circle, looking expectantly at the trio of dauntless trainers gathered in the middle. I spotted the strange boy from before. He caught my eye and I blushed, averting my gaze. Flynn clapped his hands to get our attention.
'Welcome to Dauntless, everyone' He said. 'Your initiation will begin soon. There will be two stages; physical and mental, but we'll go into more detail later on. During the last years dauntless borns and transfers trained separately but I think it'd be better if you all trained together.'
A tall, dark skinned woman with long black hair took over. She had a red tattoo around her bicep.
'Also, during the last years less and less people were choosing Dauntless because of the 50-50 chance you'll pass the initiation so this year no one will be cut,' There were excited murmurs in the crowd. 'Which doesn't mean you can slack off, since your rank will determine what job you move into.'
Finally the third person, a woman with white spiked up hair and big red lips, spoke up.
'You will now go to the dinning hall and greet the Dauntless while your room will be prepared.'
888
The dinning room looked like an underground cave more than anything. There were walls made of rock and loads of long, metal tables along which sat the black-clad Dauntless. Just being among them made me smile. After countless hand shakes, hugs and back-pats I finally made it to a relatively free table and sat down, together with Rapunzel, Anna and Kristoff. Merida and Astrid joined us soon after, Hiccup following her like a good puppy. To Rapunzel's dismay Flynn sat next to her and started chatting her up. She ignored him at first but then gave in and started talking to him; they didn't even touch their food after that, but I dug in heartily. It felt so good to be out of the tense, mean environment of Candor and here, living free and the way I wanted to, where I could lie to my hearts content. Not that it would come easy.
I looked up as someone tapped my shoulder and my heart skipped a beat when the boy with white hair smiled down at me.
'Can I sit here?' he asked, pointing to the space next to me. I nodded, and smiled back.
And I began my new life.
Stage four – life
Three years later
I stretched luxoriously when my duty ended. I sighted, thinking about how if I actually spent less time making out with Jack and more training I'd have gotten a better score on my initiation – and ended up with a better job. Still, guarding the fence wasn't too bad. I stood there for hours on end, gun in hand, and chit chatted the time away with my Dauntless friends, sometimes saying hi to Amity kids and smiling at the newly arrived Dauntless initates. Finally my shift was over. Merida made her way to me. We high fived and she took my place while I sauntered off to the main Dauntless building to grab some food. There were a few parents milling around; not dauntless parents though. Two erudites, an amity, three abnegation, a Candor… rules were changing. Before once you chose a faction you weren't born into you had to cut off all ties with your families. Nowadays they could visit you whenever they wanted and vice versa. I slipped from room to room, saying hi to Flynn and Rapunzel, who were 'practicing shooting', and into the cafeteria, where Jack waited. I smiled and walked over to him, fixing my black dauntless t-shirt as I went. Oh yes, this was life.
29 years later
I sat next to Jack, squeezing his hand tight. The time has come, finally. Rapunzel, who sat next to me, gave me an encouraging smile. I watched as a white haired, blue eyed girl, my little Catherine, smiled at me from a row of neatly lined up kids, with wild hair and black clothes. Dauntless children. The time has come for mine and Jack's final child to choose their faction. I wasn't worried…well, maybe a little. Our first son, Steven, had chosen Amity five years before. He was too gentle and kind for the rough life of Dauntless. Our first daughter, Angie, chose Erudite. She had a brain made for a genius and she wanted to use it to make the world a better place. Rapunzel's and Flynn's little Josie was standing next to my youngest daughter, clenching her hand tight. Astrid's and Hiccup's blonde twins, Veronica and James, were grinning at them from where they stood three spaces away from Josie and Catherine. Merida, though she didn't have a child, came to see Cat, Josie, Veronica and James off, as well as Anna's and Kristoff's second child, Walter. I smiled at Catherine. Before I might have been worried I'd never see my children again but now I could visit them any time; and they could choose whatever they wanted. It was their lives.
Like I left Candor, they could leave Dauntless.
Jack smiled at me reassuringly, drawing his thumb in slow circles against the back of my hand, where I had my tattoo, matching to his. A snowflake, to symbolise the cold winter day when Jack proposed to me. I drew my gaze around the pews the Dauntless were taking up. There were little kids, of six and seven and four and two, that would be standing where my daughter stood, where I stood, in a couple of years. I looked at Kris's and Anna's Kevin, sucking this thumb as he sat on his dad's lap, and at Anna's belly, where her unborn baby was. Finally Catherine's name was announced and I gave her thumbs up as she gently picked the knife up and walked over to where the bowl's sat.
I wasn't worried during my choosing ceremony.
I wasn't worried now.
Because I knew, whatever happened, I'd still have my white haired boy right here with me.
I'd always have my Jack.
He squeezed my hand tighter as Catherine slid the knife across her palm.
Hope you liked this! The cliffhanger though, DAMN! hehe, review ;)
