Hello! Welcome back! Yes, this is Spongekit36 I just changed my name
Sorry for the slow update, I was writing two other things at the same time ;^;
Sunkatt: Aww, thanks so much! Definitely agree on the calm chapter to cool things down, gotta love the fluff! Then I casually throw you right back into the fire
Guest: Okay! I might improve it slightly
Jayfeather fern: Yes, sorry about the slow update
Anyway!
Blossomfall POV
I was at Briarlight's party. Of course I was, I was her sister, even though no one really ever noticed me. I hung around in the back corner while she got all the attention. She always did, and people never noticed me unless they wanted to hurt me. It would be lying if I said I wasn't used to it. But then I found someone who cared.
Hawkfrost
I remember being thrown onto the ground again by the bane of my life. They left, laughing at me. Then suddenly he was there. Hawkfrost. He wasn't someone I'd usually like to be around me, as I'd usually thought he was cold and relatively evil. But no, he helped me up and comforted me. He told me that if I wanted to come with him, he could show me a way to be liked for me. He could show me to be popular.
And he could show me how to get revenge
He said that I wasn't the only one who had been mistreated like this, and if I went with him he'd show me the others, and how they'd all been training to be better. And they had gotten their wish. He said he'd train me for two weeks or so first, then introduce me to everyone else for more training sessions.
And I agreed.
The day after Briarlight's birthday was the first session of the Dark Forest I was attending. I walked behind Hawkfrost as he led me to the Training Clearing from the back entrance.
"Okay, so the meeting starts at nine. Everyone will be walking using a smaller door with no security cameras around it. I've shown you. That leads along an unmarked path that cuts into the forest at an unseen part, and then it leads the the Clearing. Left of the Clearing is the Weaponry. Right of the Clearing is the Private Space. No trainees go there. I'll introduce you, then we'll have to test your skills. Got it?"
I nodded.
The past few sessions I had with Hawkfrost had started slowly at first, but quickly evolved into fighting. I had experienced more pain than I'd ever felt, but it had toughened me up and taught me how to deal with pain better and improved my athleticism. It was challenging at first, but I found that the harder I trained, the quicker I learned. And no one was even noticing my late absences.
I couldn't wait to take my revenge on everyone who used to hurt me
Trainees began streaming in, and I felt an instinctive feeling to duck behind Hawkfrost. But no, I had to be brave, and if I wanted to make my mark on these trainees, as he told me I would have to to gain respect, I would have to show off only my strengths. I recognised a few faces, but there were so many people I saw that it was hard to tell who was who. I'd never even think that most of these people would ever come there, though a few looked like they existed to be there.
"Welcome trainees," Hawkfrost began in his cool voice, "before we get started I have a new trainee to introduce to you today."
I felt myself being shoved forwards and hopped from one foot to the other to avoid stumbling. All eyes were on me, and I tried not to flinch under the pressure.
"This is Blossomfall. From this day onwards she will be training with us, but first we must test her skills. She shall be pitted against a chosen other trainee to show us her skills."
Then I'm jostled into a small arena, a knife is pressed into my hands, and I'm told to look down until we begin.
"And three! Two! One! FIGHT!" I hear a rougher voice than Hawkfrost's call, and I look up.
Then I see my opponent, or rather, who my opponent is.
Ivypool POV
I quickly scale an overhead tree to get a better view.
Oh Blossomfall, merciful, sensitive Blossomfall...what have they done to you?
Her guarded blue gaze has become a burning flame, and my mind flashed back to the relationship between her and her opponent, Ratscar. I'd seen her get bullied by him and Spiderleg a lot. I guess Hawkfrost got that information out of her, and putting her in battle against him would give him a large opening to manipulate her.
He lunges first, and I am immediately surprised by how quickly Blossomfall rolls out the way and lands on her feet. I'd never imagine Blossomfall as the tougher type, being more of a fashionista. She was quite good at netball though...but netball didn't require any rolling about…
I guess this just showed me how quickly the Dark Forest changes people
Ratscar spun around with a scowl, and Blossomfall smirked which outraged him further. He ran once again, but she slipped around his back and kicked him to the ground which sparked a jeer from the crowd at the Shadow boy. I felt myself smiling. Ratscar had always been dull-witted, but even he should've been able to handle a newbie!
This time though the second he was up he had his opponent pinned on the floor and his hand went to his knife at his belt. I saw the opening two seconds before Blossomfall did, and she used the arm that wasn't trapped under his then to quickly uppercut him. He flinched backwards and she wriggled free of his gasp. But Ratscar grabbed her legs and tugged her back down, managing to lie her facing downwards but she slipped up once again. This was when she got her first cut on her arm. She gritted her teeth in pain, but didn't cry out as I'd expected, and got to her feet. Ratscar launched at her again, slashing her repeatedly, but she fended him off with her knife, only getting a few cuts. But every time she saw an opening, she only touched him with her knife, not cutting him. I cringed as I realised.
She's new! She doesn't expect to have to cut others!
I desperately wanted to help her, but I knew it was forbidden. Instead I concealed myself in the shadows of the tree and called out "Use your knife! This isn't childsplay!"
If Blossomfall heard me, she didn't acknowledge it visibly. But the second later she parried a blow and managed to cut a line on his shoulder. I relaxed slightly, but I was still trapped in this place with dozens of manipulated innocents. There was no escape, but then who -without doubts- would want to leave?
I wished I'd never got myself into this mess
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