Chapter 11 – Ninjas and Ribbons

Majorella Atmos

Majorella entered Haven's secondary dojo and took a seat on a nearby bench with a few other students. The building was rather sparse, consisting only of a single staged fighting area and a few benches since it was used solely for combat class but she was rather excited for today. Ms Copper, their combat instructor who was currently leaning against the far wall watching the student enter, had been telling them that today's class would be an important one that was done every year but had refused to tell them more. It wasn't long before the rest of the class arrived and her teammates came to join her at the bench. It looked like Nick and Nadea were in the middle of an argument yet again.

"What took ya so long?" She asked since they normally arrived before her on Mondays.

"Blame her," Nick motioned towards Nadea. "She lost her stupid speed loader."

"I didn't lose anything, you moved it," The girl argued back earning nothing more from Nick than a shrug.

The two continued their argument in lowered voices while they took their seats.

"It's always something," Camea sighed in frustration as she sat down.

Majorella was about to reply but the teacher pushed herself off from the wall and walked into the centre of the stage. She was short and plump and while not the most formidable looking woman, you could definitely tell there was a strength to her in the way that the room fell silent as the coughed.

"Good afternoon class," she smiled at them as the room returned her greeting. "As you have been made aware, today's class will be a different type of training that will be done every three months. It is an important exercise as it will help us determine just how far you have come throughout the year."

She saw Camea straighten next to her at those words.

"Now to help me with this task, fourth year team Mahogany has kindly offered their assistance," She continued as she held out a hand toward one of the side door. As if practised, the door opened and Maggy and her team walked through onto the stage. "I will let these lovely people introduce themselves first."

"Magenta Collins, team leader," Maggy introduced herself, a smile breaking out over her face as her eyes immediately falling on Camea.

This was the first time Majorella had seen Maggy in her combat gear. She wore a black bomber jacket and a pair of black slightly loose-looking bottoms, both of which were accented with purple. A pair of dark purple boots and gloves covered her hands and feet that looked to be made out of leather but parts of them glinted a little too much in the light. Around the girl's neck was a bright red scarf that stood out strikingly against the black and purple.

Majorella had already told Maggy of the conversation she had had with the girl on Friday and it the time limit she been given was anything to go by, Maggy would be asking Camea out any day now.

"Hovarias Cain," Said the boy to Maggy's left in a low voice She had seen him multiple times but they had never interacted. He wasn't as tall as Nick but he was far more muscular. Long green hair flowed down to his shoulders where thick brown arms stuck out from a white shirt. Poking out from behind his back was what she knew to be a greataxe.

"Gardenia Swelt," Said a dark-skinned girl dressed in all white that, in Majorella's opinion, looked at no older than herself. The girls white dress that stopped around her knees gave her an almost innocent, childish look. The weapon at her side however did not look so innocent. A shortsword made of two metal rods coiling around each other with coloured thorns running the length of each coil.

"Yidic Sowlaar," said the final member of Maggy's team, a man with a radiant smile, wearing what looked to be a fine orange dress shirt with red lines spiralling all over it. He had no weapon that she could see.

"Thank you. Now for today's lesson, each team will take turns to choose an opponent and your goal will be to retrieve as many of these ribbons as you can," Ms Copper smiled while holding up five bright blue ribbons. "Your team will receive two points per ribbon and an extra five should you manage to defeat your opponent."

Majorella watched as some of the teams began to huddle a little closer and talk in hushed whispers.

"There will be no time limit to the fights," Ms Copper carried on. "The fight will end when every team members aura drops to the red or you obtain all the ribbons. You have five minutes to decide as a team who you will be fighting so I suggest you get discussing."

The room broke into conversation straight away as the teams discussed their potential opponents.

"Okay Majorella, what do you know about each of them?" Camea asked her.

"Well I remember Maggy's was very fast last time I saw her fight and she loves small weapons but the others, not much honestly, I rarely see them," she replied, disappointed she couldn't be more helpful.

"Oh okay umm..." Camea hesitated briefly before turning to Nick. "Nick what do you make of their weapons?"

It was a smart decision to ask Nick that. She had seen him identify key parts of weapons from a single glance.

He grunted as he always did when asked something. "Well Maggy's looks like a tanto, fast but no range, though it has a trigger on each end of the grip so obviously has some trick to it. Green bean's looks like a standard greataxe, slow yet powerful. The girl's I would need a closer look and the other one has dust in his shirt."

"Then I say we go for that Cain guy," Nadea suggested. "We can easily out manoeuvrer him."

"No," Camea interjected. "Maggy said he excels at fighting groups, we should avoid him."

"If not Cain then I would say Maggy," Nadea replied. "We know the most about her."

"It's a rare occurrence but I agree,"Nick chimed in.

"Same," Majorella agreed with them.

"Okay," Camea nodded. "Maggy it is then."

Less than a minute after they decided, Ms Copper called for silence and requested that each team say who they wanted to fight. Cain was the most requested as four of the ten teams chose him with each of the others get two requests.

Once everyone had chosen the fights began. First up was team Verdigris against Cain and it was immediately obvious that Camea hadn't lied about Cain being good against groups. Its took him less than five minutes to knock the entire team out and didn't lose a single ribbon.

Next up was team Cassiopeia against Yidic. This fight lasted longer and they managed to get one ribbon from him but it didn't seem like he used much of his dust, instead relying mainly on a fighting style very much like kick-boxing. When he did use the dust. his hands would become enveloped in flames.

Team Canary lost spectacularly against Gardenia. It seemed like every hit she landed sparked some kind of dust reaction that had a different effect each time. Majorella watched in awe as team Canary found themselves either trapped in electrified ice or flying across the stage in a fireball for a majority of the fight.

Their team was next. They had discussed strategy during the other teams fights and had decided that the best choice was to keep Maggy occupied so that Nadea could provide support from a distance to pressure her. Majorella would play the middle ground to stop the girl from getting too close to Nadea if she managed to break away from Camea and Nick.

They stepped onto the stage and got into formation. Nadea took her place at the back and drew her guns, giving them a quick spin before she pointed them at Maggy. This didn't go unnoticed by the girl who simply gave Nadea a wink. Majorella stood in front of the girl with Nick and Camea.

"Whenever ya ready," Maggy half laughed from the other side of the stage as she lowered her stance and drew her weapon with her right hand. Nick was right about it being short. The sword itself was no longer than the girl's forearm and she held it backwards so the plain black blade ran along her arm. The base of the hilt was pointed directly at them. Two ribbons were tied around each arm and one around her leg. With one last smile, she pulled a purple cloth from around her scarf up over her nose so that only her eyes were visible.

Camea held for a couple of seconds before she finally muttered "Now."

Camea and Nick rushed forward when Nadea fired her first shot. Majorella stood her ground and heard electricity crackle past her ear as the dust round made straight for Maggy's chest. Predictably she dodged it with a simple right sidestep but it had bought enough time for Camea to get to her. Camea thrust out her left shield into a straight jab at the girl at the girl mid sidestep but Maggy's left gauntlet emitted a purple flash and she was pushed even further to the right. Majorella recognised it straight away as gravity dust.

Maggy turned the momentum into a roll, landing in a crouch. Nick greeted her with a two-handed horizontal slash aiming directly for her chest but she used her low stance to backflip into the air and avoid the blow. Nadea seemed to want to take advantage of this as Majorella heard another shot ring from behind her but once again Maggy avoided it with another burst of gravity dust, this time from her left palm. The momentum made her do a barrel roll in the air but just as she straightened out, her boots flashed purple and sent her rocketing forward.

Nick's aura flashed grey as Maggy's tanto slid across his chest. She landed behind him and span around just in time to deflect Camea's uppercut into Nick's back. Not wasting a second, Maggy brought her knee up into Camea's stomach, a small flash of purple from her boot showed that she had enhanced the attack with dust. Camea crouched over, obviously surprised by the attack and was quickly flipped forward onto the floor. Maggy brought her blade up and blue energy crackled around it as she slammed it into the floored girl's chest. Camea let out a small scream as electricity coursed through her body.

Nick had recover from the earlier hit and launched a kick at the purple haired ninja but once again she dodged and brought the hilt around to face him. Majorella didn't know what had happened but suddenly all three of the fighters were covered in thick smoke.

"Stay alert," Majorella heard Nadea say behind her as the waited for Maggy to emerge from the smoke. Almost half a minute later, a blur of black and purple came streaking out of the smoke towards them.

Majorella swept her staff in a wide arc but the girl fell into a slid to duck below it. Majorella stepped back just in time to avoid a rising strike from the girl and ducked, knowing Nadea would be ready. And she was. A shot sounded behind her as she ducked but she saw Maggy deflect it with the sword as she was to close to dodge it. Knowing that would likely be the outcome, she swung her staff at the preoccupied girls legs. Fortunately it hit. Maggy's legs buckled but as she fell onto her back, she performed a back vault to get back onto her feet and pointed the hilt of her sword at Nadea. Majorella only just made out the base opening and a small pellet flew out to strike Nadea in the face. Smoke immediately enveloped her.

Majorella gave her staff a spin to deflect Maggy's next attack but the girls leg swung around to hit her hands. The blow caused her to fumble but she managed to grab the end and jammed it the gravity crystal into the girl. For some reason she decided to block it and was sent skidding backwards across the stage. As the girl came to a stop, Majorella saw Nick and Camea emerge from the thinning smoke ready to re-engage.

Maggy hadn't seemed to have noticed so Majorella fired off a small fireball to keep the girls attention. She easily dodged it but Camea was ready and slammed into the girls back, sending then both tumbling to the floor. Camea landed on top straddling the girl stomach and wasted no time in slamming her shield downwards towards the girls face. Maggy moved her head to the side to avoid it and brought her arm up to deflect Camea's next attack. However now her head was trapped between the Camea's two shields.

Nick seized upon the opportunity and slammed the sole of his boot into the girls face. Camea hand slipped down as the girls vision was obscured and managed to rip a ribbon from the girl's left arm and shove it in her pocket. Nick raised his sword this time and was about to slam it down but Maggy thrust her tanto out at his ankle. It sparkled blue once again and caused Nick to drop his sword and fall to his knees.

With one ribbon pocketed, Camea struck out with a hook but Maggy's legs came up into the girls back and caused Camea to roll off of her. Maggy did a flip kick to get to her feet and looked ready to continue her assault but a shot rang out from behind Majorella and Maggy was forced to dodge. Camea and Nick fell back and joined them again.

"Majorella, swap out with Nick," Camea said breathlessly and turned to Nadea. "You and Nick cover us."

Majorella gave a nod and looked down at her scroll. She was surprise to see that Nick and Camea's aura gauges were already below half since they hadn't taken many hits. She figured that Maggy must have done something to them in the smoke. Camea gave the signal and both of them went in for another assault. Her eyes still gleaming from enjoyment,Maggy once again lowered her stance as they drew closer.

"Up." Camea ordered.

Majorella obeyed and used the gravity crystal to launch herself into the air. Camea once again reached the girl first a threw a fake punch to force a dodge but Maggy didn't fall for it. Instead she ducked below it and attempted a leg trip that Camea hopped over. As she soared through the air, Majorella pulled the trigger block an pulled back in a slight downwards arc. The naginata blade formed from the ice dust and Majorella locked it into place and swung in a low wide arc once she had passed over Camea's head.

Maggy leaned back to dodge the blade but was hit by Camea's tethered shield that she had thrown. She returned it to her with a pull of the string. Majorella landed with a heavy downwards slash that Maggy barely managed to sidestep. A small white explosion went off at the girls feet as the weapon head shatter and the floor was covered in ice.

Camea threw her shield once again but this time Maggy snatched it out of the air with her free hand and yanked it towards her causing Camea stumble. A loud bang sounded Majorella and multiple projectiles flew straight for Maggy but she slipped Camea's shield in front of her to block them. She used the moment to do a pirouette, slamming the shield into Camea's chest as she came around. Losing no momentum she continued spinning and launched herself into the air to deliver a powerful spin kick to Camea's face.

A buzzer sounded to signify that Camea had been eliminated.

Knowing she needed to retreat, she slammed the gravity crystal into the ground hard enough to make it shatter. The energy that released was enough to sent both her and Maggy soaring in different directions. She came to a halt just in front of her teammates.

"You're second in command," Nadea said as she helped her to her feet. "What's the plan now?"

"Equals Manoeuvrer," She replied and they both gave a nod to show they understood. "Go."

Her and Nick rushed forward this time she reached first and swung her staff horizontally at the girls knees. She jumped to dodge it but Majorella activated her semblance to make herself heavier as Nick use her shoulder to leap up and follow her with his own high horizontal sweep. Maggy used her boots to transition her leap into a forward somersault in order to avoid the blow but she was unable to dodge the streak of silver that hit her shoulder and sent her spinning. Majorella took the opportunity to unleashed a torrent of fire at the girl and was grateful to see it wash over her.

The girl fell out of the fire and seemed to be frowning. The enjoyment had gone from her eyes now, instead they were dark and empty. All life and emotion had been removed and she knew that Maggy saw her as nothing more than an enemy that needed to be dealt with. Majorella felt a chill run up her spine at the intensity they held but Nick either didn't notice or didn't care and lunged out with a forward thrust once she landed. She deflected it and rolled forward to shove her blade into his stomach. It flashed blue again and nick was put to his knee from the current but the blade was quickly ripped back and slashed to the side to deflect a shot from Nadea.

Majorella leaped on Nick and swung diagonally to try for a hit while the girl was distracted but Maggy leant back to avoid the blow. She felt the girl palm strike her chest hard and then the world turned grey. Thick smoke blocked her vision and she spun her staff to protect herself from the attacks she knew was coming. However it couldn't protect her from behind.

The first strike ripped across her back but felt the electricity more than the blade as her muscles seized slightly. The next strike felt instant across her stomach. Then her side, her thighs, the back of her knees and finally she felt the tip of the blade slam into her sternum. Electricity coursed through her making it difficult to move. A single kick to the chest later, she flew out of the smoke much further than a normal kick would send her.

A buzzer sounded and she glanced down to see her aura was now in the red. In the time it took for Majorella to get to her feet, another buzzer sounded as Nick's aura hit the red too.

The only one left was Nadea and Maggy was already running full speed at the girl. Nadea seemed to realise that her gun would be useless now and extended the blades hidden between the barrels. Maggy did not care.

Nadea met her with a double downward slash but Maggy blocked both blades with her left hand and delivered an uppercut to Nadea's chin through the space between the girls arms. Once it connected, Maggy pushed her arm further up and ripped the blade along Nadea's torso then slipped it behind the girls neck. Blue energy flowed from the blade along the girls body as Maggy delivered knee after knee to the girls midsection until she finally flipped her and slammed the small blade into her chest twice.

The buzzer sounded for a fourth time as Nadea's aura hit the red.

While the fight had felt like an hour to her, the timer on the wall revealed it had only been four and a half minutes. "Good shot," she Maggy say and looked up to see her helping Nadea to her feet and led her over to her, Camea and Nick who were seated on a front bench. The girls legs seem a little shaky her muscles shook off the damage Maggy's blade had done.

"Well fought Miss Collins," Ms Copper said loudly as she stepped onto the stage. "Sixty-five percent aura left after fighting two type of weapons you struggle against."

"Thanks," She replied with a smile.

"Though next time, please try not to play with your prey as much," The teacher scolded. "You underestimated your opponents and it cost you a ribbon."

"I know," Maggy bowed her head before turning to look at each of them in turn with the same look that had sent shivers up her spine earlier. "It wont happen again."

"Very well," Ms Copper nodded and turned to them. "Team Cinnamon, you fought an opponent who specializes in evasion, separation and immobilization but still managed to obtained one ribbon, very well fought."

"Thanks for a fun fight," Maggy said and held her hand out to Camea. She shook it with a smile and Maggy leaned in to speak in a lower voice. "Hopefully I can return the favour and treat you to a day out on Wednesday?"

The grin that spread over Camea face and she gave the smallest of nods made Majorella want to burst out laughing but she held it in so as to not embarrass the girl more.

"Great," Maggy laughed. "But I gotta go restock for the next fight. See ya."

While the next fights went on, Majorella thought back on what the teacher has said after the fight. She remembered watching Maggy train back in Vacuo before she left for Haven but what she had seen today was so far from that. Ms Copper had even said Maggy had been playing for part of it. Majorella could pinpoint exactly when her oldest friend had stopped playing with them, and felt uncomfortable to know that the look in the girl's eyes scared her.

A/N

Combat is very tough for me to write so any feedback you can give in it would be very much appreciated. But that aside, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as promised, the picture of what I imagine Maggy to look like is below.

imgur,com/a/Cc58QVC