"I'm scared" The little girl huddled next to me in the dark whispered.
I ran a comforting hand over her hair gently trying to find the right thing to say.
"I know, anyone who says they aren't scared are liars" I leaned down and whispered into her ear.
She was shaking. I didn't blame her. If I were a little girl I would be too. I looked around in the dim light. It came from a lightbulb that would swing threatening to fall at any minute whenever the...airship would turn. There were several children between eight and thirteen (my age) and there were a couple individuals as little as five. The information I got was sketchy, but apparently the place I was at was raided and took children to train into talons. Apparently Talons were the soldiers that the invading Cyclonians had. I didn't remember much from the cartoons of this that I watched but I remembered enough to fill in the gaps.
"I know you're scared" I said "I am too but you've got to pretend you're not" I said softly.
She nodded. The girl seemed to be struggling not to shake now. Yet she was failing miserably. I felt sorry for her.
"What is your name?" I asked.
"Lissa" She whispered softly.
"Well Lissa I'm Danii" I said gently. "Danii with two I's"
One year later...
"Lissa slow down!" I shouted laughing at her enthusiasm.
"No you speed up!" She screamed back gleefully.
I leaned forward increasing the speed on my skimmer. I sided Lissa and easily disabled her craft. She fell from it and stuck her tongue out at me as her parachute deployed. I laughed and sped down. I jumped off the skimmer before it even came to a stop and stood before the Examiner. He was looking down at his clipboard, occasionally making check marks. He had his glasses at the end of his nose yet seemed to not see the paper. He looked up at me with his watery blue eyes which seemed to look through me with a blandness that I could barely bear. For a year I was putty in these people's hands. I was so sick of it. I wanted to get a field job so that I could get out, then actually get out. Yet even then I had no idea where I wanted to go. Yet I just pretended like I had a goal to myself. I guess after escape I'll just improvise or something.
"Good good err Danii" He said dully "You passed with flying colors, although in the future I assume you won't talk to your enemies?"
"Course not" I said lightly.
I stood up square and straight trying not to scratch my leg in my uniform.
"Dismissed" He said.
The man then shouted over his shoulder.
"Lissa pick up the mess then report back, there's four more to test today"
"Yes sir" Lissa rolled her eyes at me drawling the sir.
I walked to my dormitory and sat down on my bed. I hadn't really thought of anything. I wouldn't let myself. I have absolutely no idea what I wanted from this or anything. I was just letting myself be led into a path. I had done this all my life. I mean Mom wanted me to do ballet so I did it. Dad wanted me to get straight As so I did. I did extra cirrcular activities but none of them were ever for me. It was to coax a smile out of easily displeased parents. I frowned and traced the threads on my pillow. Even in a different world, I don't ever do anything remotely extrodinary. I remembered watching the cartoons for this world fleetingly. I was always watching them with my little brother. Over the past year I racked my brain trying to remember it all. i didn't want to make any mistakes, otherwise there'd be questions.
I remember the heroes of the show were the Storm Hawks. I looked up at the wanted pictures attached to the wall over one girls bed. There were holes and burn marks from her boredly tossing darts at the faces of Aerrow Piper, Finn and Junko. I took a dart from underneath my bed and tossed it at the poster. I hit Aerrow square in the eye...again. I got up to do what I was supposed to be doing. I packed my few possesions into a small trunk like suitcase.
"Hey you!" Someone shouted.
Automatically I shrinked. I knew she was talking to me. Retta walked in glaring at me "Whatcha doin here alone?" She asked chewing on a wad of gum.
She walked in. The other girls walked in from either side of her and all took cover hiding on their beds. Yet they all peeked out hoping that they'd get to see a fight. Nothing interesting ever happened except for fights. I didn't want to be on the other side of her blows.
"Hey I'm talking to you!" She said walking closer to me.
"Yes but I'm not talking to you" I said softly but loud enough for everyone to hear.
She bent down and got into my face. Spit flew from her mouth as she talked covering my face.
"When I'm talking to you you answer got that?"
"No but I'm sure you don't got that" I said wiping my face.
She flew at me. I narrowly escaped her first punch and got to my feet. I kicked her while she was still leaning over my bed. She rolled face first and fell onto the ground. I heard ooohs and gasps. No one ever attempted to fight back. Usually that made things worse. Yet I didn't care. Retta got up her mouth curved into a snarl. She lunged. I deflected her easily and pushed her against the wall. She attacked again and this time grabbed my hair, trying to drag me down. It hurt but I kept my focus and kicked her in the stomach. She leaned over and I took advantage of that. I brought my foot up in one jerking motion. She fell over crying blood falling from her face. In the past year I had become lighter on my feet and better at fighting.
"YOU BROKE MY NOSE!" she shrieked curling up in a ball.
A talon walked in. I didn't know who. They all sort of look the same to me.
"What is going on?" He demanded.
"She attacked me sir" I said softly.
"LIAR YOU FREAKIN LIAR SHE BROKE MY DAMN NOSE!" Retta screamed.
"Agggh get up go to the infirmary" He snapped at her "Come with me" He said to me "Commander wants to talk to you"
"Yes sir" I said looking a little past him.
"KISS ASS" Retta shrieked.
I walked out stepping over Retta dazed. What could someone want with me at the moment? Unless of course they heard about me removing power crystals and causing fequent black outs? nah they'd never think that was me. I shrugged to myself and kept composed. I walked down the hallway, not knowing what was coming.