Chin Up, Buttercup! (Hatter & Lani; Raicheal & Crystal/Rose; M)

Summer... It was always one of Raicheal's favorite times of the year because it always seemed that the Irish countryside would brighten up as the gloomy winter and rainy spring gave way to the warming rays of the sun. Even when she was with the gang, she would think about summer and what it feel like to have the summer sun touch her face once more.

It has almost been two years since she have came to the DWMA. She had met new people, made friends and learned more about herself and this place. The people here all seem nice and Raicheal was enjoying herself for the first time in years but she should have know it wouldn't last. It was months ago in reality but it still haunted her as if it was yesterday. She still remembered the look in her eyes, the coldness of the knife on her throat, the taste of her tongue. Strawberry. A favor she used to like. Her name was Zera, a clown who has attacked the city at random from time to time by picking a random victim and tormenting them. However, Raicheal's attack wasn't random... she had only told Atticus and Miss. Exagora this but the clown chose her because she recognized her from the photos and videos she did while with the gang. Horrible, degrading, embarrassing, photos and videos. They...they made her feel disgusting. She always knew... now matter how much she tried to move on there were people who...who wanted her because of the things she did in those photos and videos.

The past few months were rough, she spend two, almost three months in the infirmary not do to any bodily harm... Atticus had saved her before the clown could do anything more that kiss her. No... she was there because the shock of it all had weaken her soul ever more. The nurses have told her she have something called "Soul Fracturing" as a result of her time with the gang. It caused cracks to form in her soul and weaken it to the point where it could shatter and her case was advance but her healing wave length helped. However, the attack have cause it to weaken substantially so were the cracks were as big if not bigger that before. The worst part was she could feel it. The emptiness inside her where it felt as if all hope had died. It felt like she was back there... back with them. It felt as if all reasons to live were gone. However, their weren’t. Once again, Miss. Exagora and Atticus saved her. They would visit daily to check on her and cheer her up. They did this for the whole time she was there and where the nurse told her she was stable enough to go back to the dorms, they were there to walk with her.

The months after that were tough. She wouldn't leave her dorm for anything but school and spend most of her time in the dorms sleeping. A nervous depression settled over her, to scared to do anything or be by herself and to tried to focus in class. Atticus once again helped her through this. Taking notes in class and going out of his way to show up to her dorm to walk her to school and stay late when she had sessions with Miss. Exagora to walk her back. Atticus was a big help and between him and a few new friend she made, the depression settled but she was far from ok.

Summer... the people in the dorms are buzzing about summer plans, family trips and extra long training trips. However she has nothing planned, no family who would want to take a trip with her and training well...it is complicated. Atticus asked her to come with him on a training trip but she said she wasn't ready. That she needed more time to gather herself. She knew he was disappointed. She knew that he has been wanting them to train together so they could go on mission like the other pairs. She knows he understands. That's what she thankful for the most. He left yesterday, saying he wasn't sure when he be back but he come and find her when he did. She smile and waved her farewell happily but on the inside it felt like the ground was being pulled from under her. Feelings and fears she told Miss. Exagora later that day.

She got up today and walked to school without him... she have gotten so used to him always being there that she had forgotten what it was like to walk to school alone. She had class outside with Miss. Crystal and Miss. Rose, Target practice. She tried twice to use her half transformed left arm but couldn't keep her own wavelength stable enough to form an arrow. So she tried the throwing knifes some of the solo Meisters were using. She put two in the ground inches in front of her, lost two on the backswing causing them to almost hit her classmate, and she cut herself on the fifth. It was decided after that she would sit the rest of the class out. After bandaging her cut up, she sat under a tree and watched the class. She almost wished that they weren't here, than it was just her and the trees. Like it was when she was younger, on the farm with her grandmother. However, she was brought out of her thoughts by the bell and then the sound of the whistle. Most of the students rushed to get their things to leave but she waited until the majority of them had left before getting up and walking to her books. She when to leave but soon stopped by Miss. Crystal who told her to stay in a calm voice but it didn't stop Raicheal from panicking a little.

"A-am I in t-trouble?" she said meekly and sacred "I-I'm s-sorry a-about the k-knifes. n-no one got hurt...except me..."

Raicheal calmed a little as Miss. Crystal spoke to her, her eyes focused on her teacher and her breathing slowing.

"o-one-on-one t-training?" she said slightly confused. There Miss. Crystal started to transform Raicheal watch transfixed. I wasn't anything new to her, she could transform herself after all but there was always something innately beautiful about it. She watched as Miss. Crystal's left arm become a stunning pink crystal bow that caught the light of the laughing sun above them. There Miss. Rose spoke and much to Raicheal's surprise, she wasn't yelling or commanding but rather it was soft and gentle. She almost sounded like her sister when she spoke this way. Raicheal paused for a second taking in what Miss.Rose have said. They wanted to help her get better. She wasn't sure why or if she was worth the trouble. She could just easily tell them she have other plans but in reality she would just go home to shut herself away in her dorm room. Without Atticus, she really had no clue what to do. However...if she could get better...maybe when Atticus got back they could go on missions like he wanted.        

"I-I'm free. W-what do you want to w-work on f-first. I-I'm not v-very g-good at any o-of th-this" she said nervously, gripping her arm self consciously and looking at the ground.

Raicheal looked at Miss. Rose's hand for a second and there gingerly reached out to take it. She felt a strange energy as they touched, almost like a spark but it filled her body with a strange warmth. Was it possible she and Miss. Rose were resonating? She had never really tried before because she and Atticus never trained together. She watch as Miss. Crystal aimed the crystal-ish bow with an arrow at the target. She listen more to Miss. Rose as she told her there were going to work on her shifting and partial which confused her a little.

"M-Miss. Rose... I already k-know how to s-shift. I-It was the first thing I taught m-myself to d-do. I-If I haven't...I may have b-b-been k-killed..." Raicheal said with a nervous and somber tone as she gripped Miss. Rose's hand tighter.

Raicheal shook a little as Miss. Rose studied her arm but she soon calmed slightly as she felt the warmest of Miss. Rose's wavelength. Her breathing was ragged has she listened to Miss. Rose speak, raising her transformed arm and lightly touching the bowstring with her other hand along with Miss. Rose. As her fingers touched it a bright yellow arrow of light flicked into life before forming onto the bowstring. Breathing heavily now, she stared amazed at the arrow before she pulled it back with her trembling hand. Her body shook as she pointed it at the target, be aim jumping ever so often as she struggle to remain still in her nervous state.

Raicheal felt the warmth flowing through her as Miss Rose's wavelength calmed her more. Her body steadied slightly, though she was still shaking as she focused on the target and keeping her transformed limb from bouncing too much. She slowed her breathing as Miss Rose told her and then, with a still-shaking aim, fired. The arrow shot forward in a high arc, sailing through the sky on it's way to what seemed like anything other than the target. However, by chance or just dumb luck, the arrow arced downward and planted itself in the smallest sliver of the target’s outer edge before hanging there and disappearing. Raicheal stood there in disbelief, dumbfounded by what she had just done.

"I...I hit it..." she said, her voice a mixture of shock and amazement.

OOC: OMG I am soo sorry but thanks for catching that. Grammar and I are not the best of friends so if you see any more mistakes please tell me. I will do what I can to catch them before I post, though as of present I run my post through two document programs and then proofreading but things always tend to slip though. Thanks for being watchful of that.

IC:

Raicheal stood there still shocked by what she had done. It didn't feel real... How could she be good at something? She was worthless after all... Right? No... Not according to Miss. Exagora... and Atticus. Still, she had never done something to prove them right and the Gang members wrong. Until now. An odd lightness settled on her as a strange feeling came to mind, confidence. She didn't know how she would do it but she knew now that it was possible for someone as worthless as her to do this. She smiled wide as Miss. Rose confirmed the hit and energy seemed to build in her.

"I hit it... I actually hit it." she said, her voice edged with excitement. "I'm...I'm not worthless then...I...I can do this. Right? Right!" Tears round do her face a little before she paused and wiped them away.

"Miss. Rose? Miss Crystal? What do we do next?" Raicheal said, her voice unsure but with a note of confidence that wasn't there before.

OOC: OMG LOL, see what I mean if grammar and I were put in a cage match. Grammer would kick my butt before the first bell. thanks for the text to voice reader and for pointing out the "Miss" thing.

IC:

"Ok" Raicheal said, determination in her voice. She readied her bow limb once more as she waited for Ms. Rose and Ms. Crystal to move from the target. She steadied herself and placed her fingers on the bowstring. Nothing happened. However, this didn't dishearten her. She knew she could do it. Raicheal concentrated, pushing herself and all her new found energy into the tips of her fingers until the yellow arrow of light flickered into life. She smiled as her breathing got heavier as the pain began to build in her chest. She ignored it. She wasn't new to pain and she had felt worst. She lifted her arm with the arrow, both shaking but this time not out of nerves but rather out of the immense strain being placed on her. Panting now, she steadied herself as best as she could, pulled back and fired the arrow. It shot through the air to the target dipping down before planting itself in the lowest edge from the bullseye but still hitting the target.

"I hit it again..." Raicheal said weakly, smiling and swaying. However, this did not last long as the pain in her chest spiked. Her arm returned to normal as both arms clutched and hugged her chest before she pitched sideways and fell onto the ground.

Raicheal laid on the ground clutching her arms tight to her chest, breathing rapidly as a result of the pain. However, though she was in pain her mind was calm, she had dealt with pain before. Horrible pain. Pain that made this feel no more than a tickle. She knew what to do. How to lessen it but it wasn't till Ms. Rose put her hand on her and the warm feeling return that the pain slowly ebbed away. If Ms. Rose was to look at Raicheal's soul she would see the cracks in her soul that were straining and swelling start to recede back to normal. Raicheal's body slowly relaxed as she looked up at her teacher, her eyes dazed and half-opened. She heard Ms.Rose but she sounded so far away. It took a few seconds for her to register what she said and a few seconds more for her to respond.

"my...my chest...hurts..." She said sluggishly in a tired tone "But...I can...train. I...had been...through... worse...much worse...have...have to prove...not...worthless." She continued to mumble these thoughts as she closed her eyes and rested.

OOC: Fixed and Thanks

IC:

It would be about five to ten minutes before Raicheal began to stir and slowly open her eyes. Her vision was still a little blurry but she could soon make out the forms of her two teachers standing over her.

"Ms.Rose? Ms.Crystal? What...What happened?" She said weakly as she tried to get back up but the soreness in her core muscles forced her to lay back down. She looked up at them, dazed confused and a little scared.

"Did...Did I do something wrong?" she choked out as tears started to form in her eyes.

When Ms. Rose picked Raicheal up, she would find the teenage weapon lighter than one would think she was. Raicheal put up little resistance to being picked up and carried away, in fact, she seemed to be fading in and out as they rushed to the Infirmary. However, she was able to hear Ms. Crystal and when she said it was her soul, she knew what it was.

"Soul...Soul Fracturing" she said weakly before fading once more.

Ms. Rose and Ms. Crystal soon reached the Infirmary before bursting through the door to the shock of the Head Nurse. The woman looked over the two of them and her eyes immediately fell on Raicheal.

"Laid her down here." She said quickly rushing over to a mat on the floor rather than a bed "Tell me what happened. Has she been attacked again?"

The Nurse when to work checking Raicheal's vitals as Ms. Rose spoke and when she mentioned fracturing, her expression turned grim.

"I have to X-ray her soul immediately. Please stand back." She said hurrying off and quickly coming back with a portable X-ray machine. She positioned it next to the mat and moved the camera to hover over Raicheal's chest. She then lifted Raicheal up before placing a large black rectangular box under her and gently placing her on top of it. Then she when back to the machine, flipping switches and hitting buttons till it whirred into life. The nurse then hit a button and a large loud hum emitted from the machine as the intake fans kicked on and the image was taken. She shut the machine down and quickly stores it before returning to Raicheal and removing the rectangular film box from under her.

"I am done. You can come back now" She said taking the box and placing it on her desk before opening a filing cabinet. She flipped through the files for a moment or two before producing a large file and tucking it under her arm. She grabbed the film box once more and took it and the file to a light board mounted on the wall next to the desk. The nurse flipped through the file until she stopped and pulled out an X-rayed image and placed it on the left side of the light broad. She then did the same with the film from the newly taken X-ray, placing it on the right. The two images were both of a soul with several cracks in it and looked almost the same except for the cracks on the right image being bigger.

"The cracks appeared to have gotten larger." She said, studying the images "However, they do not appear to have gotten longer and new cracks have not formed. Both of which are good. She appears to be stable for now... thank goodness. I hate to think what would have happened if you hadn't used your wavelength on her. These cracks would have most likely continued to expand until her soul completely shattered. She is lucky you acted the way you did."