NOTE: I just want to get this revision done! I've got several new chapters for several fics ready to type: Princess Rider, The Raven is Eternal, Hero of the Olympians, and even Ender's Ally (the new one- it advances the story) and Queen of the Valkyrie. I'm going to work hard to get this finished! *fist in air* LET'S DO THIS THING!

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The next day at dinner, only Prince noticed that Dink wasn't eating anything. She turned next to him and put her arm around his shoulder. "What's wrong, Dink? You look a little down."

His tray continued to be unnoticed as he related the events of the day, ending with the fight between Ender and Bonzo.

"He walked away from the bathroom with me. There was blood all down his back, and when we got to his room, he broke down completely."

There was silence.

"What happened then?" whispered Dina after a while.

"I don't know," said Dink. "I left him alone-" He stopped in mid-sentence as he glanced up at the score board. Three boxes were flashing- one each for Dragon, Griffin and Tiger. "Those no good dirty bastards! How dare they do this to Ender!"

The group turned. "This is wrong. They've borderline abused him," said Prince with scorn.

"I know, but there's nothing we can do about it," said Mome.

"Is he all right?" Dina whispered. "Bonzo, I mean. I know he's an insubordinate pinprick who should go suck an egg, but I can't help wondering. What if it's another Byrd?"

"Who cares? I mean he was a dick before, and he was always a dick," said Rox matter-of-factly. "I think the real question is- do we even really care?"

Prince shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess not…"

"I didn't actually see Bonzo, but from the amount of blood on Ender, I think he…bit the dust, so to speak," said Dink quietly. "But I think Rox is right- do we even care that he's gone?"

"Nope," said Frost blatantly. "I never liked him."

"Oh well, let's put our past behind us. Hakuna matata," said Prince.

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In the middle of the night, Prince stirred to see her door close, which could only mean one thing: they had a battle. The "Battle Fairy," as Dink called it, was the way the armies got their battle assignments. She fell back into her comfy pillows and slept through the rest of the night, dreading what ever battle was to come.

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Prince stirred to find the notice on the small desk that commanders were given.

BATTLE NOTICE

Rat Army

Commander: Dink Meeker

0845 hours

Great…just great. Well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later. And then she noticed the time. 0815. Just enough time to get the army warmed up.

She got up, and put on her flash suit. She jogged down the corridor until she reached her army's barracks. They were just beginning to stir. "Hawks, we have a battle! Let's move! I won't tolerate anything less than absolute victory!"

Lex was in the middle of the barracks. What's got her briefs in a bunch? She jogged to the front- her suit was already on. "Who's the battle with?"

Prince gave Lex a meaningful look.

"Dink?"

"What do you think?" Then Prince addressed the army at large. "Let's go! I want you all warmed up before the battle! Let's go, go, go!" Prince jogged at the head of the column of soldiers. She led them down to the gym. She ordered them to climb the rope twice, and then did it twice herself. 0850. Then she made them lie down and relax. 0855. "Let's go!"

She jogged in front of the column again. This was a crucial battle- Hawk and Rat were tied in third place. Whoever won this match would be in second place. Both had better records than the current second place army, Flame. So, if Hawk won this game, then she'd surpass Flame and be in second place.

They formed up outside the battle room just in time. The force field disappeared.

"Attack plan Gamma. I'll be with C. Move!"

This plan was pretty innovative. After Frost's battle with Ender, he described a new strategy that he'd seen Ender using. A flexible strategy could destroy an enemy army. In her regular practices, Prince began to train her Hawks with that method- give them little restrictions and allow them to use their own ideas in order to achieve the overall goal of the army. It seemed to be working. In practice skirmishes, her soldiers were improving. Her toon leaders were blossoming into brilliant leaders.

This was the first time that the new strategy could be implemented. It was a simple one- her toon leaders would split up their toons, and their seconds would lead the other halves. They would all fan out, and attack from behind. Only this time, the toon leaders and seconds, and even individual soldiers, could use them own ideas.

Rat wasn't expecting this new strategy. They were sitting ducks, waiting to be destroyed, as Hawk obliged. However, Dink's training method was effective as well- for every Rat that froze, they took at least one Hawk with them. And it worked both ways. By the time the shooting stopped, there were only a handful of soldiers from each army left.

Prince and Dink were among the survivors. She took a group of soldiers aside and they knelt on the side of a star.

"All right, here's what we'll do," said Prince. There were about seven of them left. "You four," she said, pointing at four soldiers, "go with me. We'll try and open the gate." She pointed at the other three. "You guys distract them. Do whatever you need to. Go!"

It was a good plan. And it worked. Thanks to those three soldiers, Prince and her group managed to perform the ending ritual. The lights came on and the weapons stopped. Major Anderson came out personally. He used the teacher hook to draw Hawk to him. They formed up, Prince at the head.

Then they unfroze Rat and Dink came over to give Prince his formal surrender. They shook hands. "Good game."

Prince batted her eye lashes. "To you as well."

They floated there for a second.

"Are we done yet?" asked Dink.

Major Anderson nodded.

"Finally! I'm hungry!" exclaimed Dink. "We all had to go without breakfast, you know."

Anderson knew this, but he played dumb. "Huh? We never make an army go without breakfast!" Prince and Dink saw through his ploy right away.

"Bullshit. Hawk army, dismissed!"

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NOTE: So, how was that? Hope you liked! Also, for those who care, the Lion King reference is deliberate. I put that there because of a family tradition that the Princes have. Disney movies are classics and they always will be. When Lex and Alice were young, Linda and Marty played Disney movies for them. The really good ones- Little Mermaid, Lion King, Mulan, etc. It is a tradition in the Prince family. Yes, they are awesome. Alice picked up that saying, of course, from Lion King. She just gets more awesome by the day!