"Today we will not be using the lists!" Mary announced. Ah, this was going to be a great day. Ivy smiled down at Mia. "This also marks the beginning of our five-day break! After today's game there will be a five-day break, during which we will fix up damaged parts of the city and prepare and plan for more games!" Mary called out. How could this day get any better?
"Already? I thought we'd have at least a few more months," Ruby whispered.
"That's because you showed up late to the party, remember? We had already had a few test rounds before you arrived," Ivy pointed out.
"Oh, that's right." Ivy looked up at the sky. There would be no paper flurries today. Suddenly, everything around her looked beautiful and filled with light. The shimmering glass streets and the bright blue sky normally filled Ivy with dread. But today they looked magical. Soon this would all be over and she could have a break. During that time, Ivy could enjoy the city's beauty without any fear.
"We will have a much shorter round today. I do apologize, but the city desperately needs repairs. But we will try our best to make things as exciting as possible for all of you!" Mary said. Well, Ivy must be dreaming. This was all just too good to be true. She glanced over at Ruby, who was beaming. Blossom had a quiet look of contented relief on her face. Mia had her same ever-cheerful, slightly bored expression on her face.
"So, today's game will be called stop and go. You all will fight and try to shatter each other with your daggers. You will not be allowed to hide or use your powers. But when I tell you to stop, all of you have to freeze. Then, when I tell you to go, all of you have to go!" Mary explained. Okay, that sounded simple enough.
"You two stick together," Ivy whispered to Mia and Ruby. Ivy trusted Ruby to heal and protect Mia. She didn't trust her to fight. But something had changed in the way Ruby carried herself. There was something sad yet determined about it. Ivy had seen this before. Once you shattered another doll, you would change. There was no getting around that. A part of Ivy had wanted to say something to Ruby yesterday. She still wanted to comfort Ruby. But bringing it up might not be a good idea. Ruby probably just wanted to forget about the whole thing.
But she never would forget. Nobody could ever forget their first kill. So, what could Ivy say to her? She could tell Ruby that things would get better. Ruby would get used to it. She had to sooner or later. It was kill or be killed. This way of living was something that poor Ruby was still new to. Ivy often wondered what Ruby's old life had been like. Living with humans sounded awful. But at least she hadn't had to kill anyone. All of that was changing for her now. It was sad to see. But Ivy knew there was nothing she could do about it. This was simply another useless thing to worry about.
"Today's game will also be very short. It should be over by the afternoon. But we can all still have fun while playing it!" Mary called. Ivy drew out her dagger and took a deep breath. Dang it, she really hated everything about her dagger. The tip of it was blunt. Not to mention, it took a significant amount of Ivy's strength to lift it.
"Go!" Mary cried, much more suddenly than Ivy had been expecting. She shoved Ruby and Mia behind her. Instantly a nearby doll lashed out at Ivy. Ivy dodged her first blow, but not the second one.
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Pain exploded in her shoulder and spread across every inch of her body. But she gritted her teeth and swallowed her screams before they could escape her. Without any hesitation, she charged at the doll. She couldn’t afford to show the slightest bit of her fear. The less fearful she acted, the more fearful her opponent would become.
Ivy could clearly see that distinct terror in her enemy’s eyes. This girl had given into her fear, and she had accepted the fact that Ivy was stronger than her. From the girl’s perspective, she had lost all hope. Her fight was useless, and Ivy would win. The thing was that as soon as you decided that there was no hope, all hope would vanish because you let it. Ivy had had to learn this the hard way over and over again.
Her blade shattered the doll in a matter of seconds. As soon as Ivy saw the fear, she knew she could win. Ivy took a moment to examine her arm. It was slightly chipped but still fairly intack. She was glad that she hadn’t let the pain slow her down. But there was no time to waste relaxing. That was a great way to get yourself killed. There were more attackers charging at them now. Would Ruby mind terribly if Ivy took her blade? Probably not, besides, she needed it more.
“Ruby! Give me your dagger, now!” Ruby obeyed without any hesitation. Much better. This blade was the perfect weight and length. Gripping it firmly, Ivy charged at the nearest attacker.
"Stop!" Mary called out. Ivy froze. Everything became still very suddenly. The only sound that could be heard was the shattering of the handful of dolls who hadn't stopped. It took all of Ivy's self-control to not turn around and make sure Mia was alright. She strained her ears but heard nothing.
"Go!" Ivy leaped forward and shoved the nearest doll to the ground. Only then could she turn to make sure Mia was okay. Mia was still with Ruby. The child had a small crack on her cheek. Ruby was already healing it up. Ivy edged closer to them so that she could guard them better. If only they were allowed to use their powers. This was the perfect time to use her powers. But the rules were the rules. Ivy would just have to protect Mia and Ruby with her own two hands. She could handle that.
Ivy spun on her heel to fight whoever was closest to her. But instead, she stumbled to the ground as one doll flung her back at Ivy. It hit her right in the head and Ivy was left sprawling on the ground. More pain washed over Ivy. There was no time for Ruby to heal her. Ivy tried to get up, but the doll struck her a second time. For a moment, Ivy lost her grip. She let herself feel frightened, and she could tell by the way the doll was looking at her that her fear was visible.
"Ivy!" Mia screamed. Terror, useless terror shot through Ivy. Mia's desperate voice cut into Ivy and stabbed her deeper than any knife ever could. This couldn't happen. She couldn't leave Mia all alone. Ivy tried to fight. But this doll held her down firmly. I'm sorry, Mia. Ivy closed her eyes and braced herself for the sharp stabbing pain.
"Stop!" For once, the sound of Mary's voice filled Ivy with relief. But Ivy's attacker didn't stop. She raised her blade to stab Ivy. In the blink of an eye, the doll was shattered. But Ivy was alive. That was what mattered.
"Go!" Mary called.
"Are you okay, Ivy?" Mia called, running to her side.
"Yes, I'm okay! Go back to Ruby!" Ivy leaped to her feet and looked around. There were only a few dolls looking at Ivy now. They stared at her with hesitation or fear on their faces. A smile touched Ivy's lips. This game was going to be over very soon. Her stats filled Ivy’s vision.
Level
6
Xp
55
Strength
30/100
Health
150/250
Stamina
100/250
Skills/Powers
Forti