Welcome all to my first Divergent fanfiction (original novel by Veronica Roth.) This story is rated T for moderate violence, language, and sexual themes.

Important One-Time A/N:

There are some things you ought to know about this story before you begin reading.

There will be a blend of elements from the novel and film. There will be no Tris but there will be other characters you recognize. I have added original characters, creative elements, and a fresh storyline. My main character will not be Divergent; I take her in a totally new direction instead.

Romance will be slow burn. There are times that things heat up but I make it natural. There will be issues that threaten to divide them. Romance is NOT the only plot, there will also be action and suspense.

Lastly, I prefer to let my readers form their own mental images of the characters. However, if you like to know my personal inspiration for each character, let me know and I can PM you that information!

Please stick around - and most importantly, enjoy :)

Chapter 1: Spark

Nina's fingertips trembled as she surveyed her room for the last time. For over 16 years, she'd slept here, played here, cried here, and laughed here. She opened her closet and brushed her hands across the dresses that hung there; all safflower or ruby-colored bohemian dresses, a style typical in this faction. Never again would she dress so colorfully. Her future wardrobe would be all black and dreary - if she went through with her decision. 'It isn't too late to change my mind...' she thought to herself. Closing her eyes, Nina tried to imagine what her future in Amity would look like: she would likely marry some sweet but predictable man, rear wild and cheerful children, and live out the rest of her days picking apples, singing merry songs, and ever looking out to the horizon, wondering what could have been. A simple, content life... 'but not the life for me.'

She made her bed one last time, out of habit. She would never sleep in it again. Nina brought her teddy bear up to her face and pressed it against her cheek, tears threatening to spill. The bear had been hand-stitched by her mother when she was a child, and it had been her faithful companion for all these years. His characteristic scent – of apples and freshly baked cinnamon cookies – already made her nostalgic for a life she knew she was destined to leave behind. She didn't need the plush toy anymore; she had to learn to be brave without him, without her family, without her safety net. She gingerly set the toy in the middle of the bed before closing the bedroom door behind her.

Outside, Nina waited for Maddie under the apple tree they'd marked their own. Her fingers traced the outline of a heart on the rough bark. M + N, Friends for Life. The apples that came from this tree tasted the sweetest of all.

Leaves crunched on the orchard floor as Nina's friend approached their usual meeting spot. "Nervous?"

Nina turned and smiled, crossing her arms stubbornly. "No. Are you?"

"No way!" Maddie replied, a tenacious grin on her face.

The two friends laughed and came together in a sweet embrace, then broke apart.

"I'm… slightly terrified," admitted Nina as she lifted her arm to block her eyes from the midmorning sun.

"You better not let any of the lunatics in Dauntless hear you say that!" teased Maddie, a chuckle escaping her lips. "Admitting you're scared in Dauntless is probably, like, immediate grounds for becoming Factionless!"

"Hey, you better watch your mouth, too. In a few hours, we're gonna be one of those 'lunatics' ourselves!" Nina giggled as she jokingly jabbed at Maddie's stomach. Her laugh faltered as the true meaning of her words hit her. Choosing Dauntless meant never seeing this orchard again – never seeing her parents or her home again. The only alternative was to choose Amity at the Choosing Ceremony. Nina began to second-guess her decision. Would staying in Amity really be so bad?

Maddie's smile trembled as well. "I'm scared too. This is really it, you know? We're really leaving home." Maddie reached up and grabbed an apple hanging enticingly within her reach. As she bit into it, she patted the tree trunk. "Remember when you fell from this tree?"

Nina smirked. "How could I forget?" She traced the raised scar above her collarbone that the accident had left her with. She could recall the memory from her childhood perfectly:

"I can climb higher than you can!" exclaimed Maddie, a competitive twinkle in her eyes. She was in the next tree over, racing Nina to see who could reach the top first.

"Nuh-uh!" Nina adeptly grabbed the branch above her, pushing with her bare feet on the branch below as she lifted herself higher. She stuck her tongue out at Maddie, but Maddie's gaze was too fixated on the tree limbs above her to notice. Now they were nearly at the same level, and only a few branches remained for Nina to claim victory. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed several apples fall as she jostled the tree.

"Hah! I win!" proclaimed Maddie triumphantly from the neighboring tree. Her proud grin lit up her otherwise grimy, dirt-streaked face.

"No fair!" pouted Nina. "You always -" Nina's voice faltered as she felt the branch beneath her feet begin to snap. In a panic, she rushed to take hold of a tree limb above her, but the branch below broke free completely. Then she tumbled below, scraping her collar against a sharp twig on the long fall down.

Maddie glanced at the position of the sun in the sky and sighed. "We gotta go. The ceremony will be starting soon."

Nina took the apple from Maddie's hand and bit into it, savoring the last, juicy bite. Then she tossed the core onto the ground, softly squeezed Maddie's hand, and nodded. "Let's do this."

Nina sat between her parents at The Hub, tapping her left foot nervously and staring off into space. Her parents shared a tense look above her head. Though Nina was bound to never share the results of her Aptitude Test with anyone, there was no guessing what her results were. She perfectly fit the mold for Dauntless. Nina had been daring and competitive ever since they could remember. As a child, she'd loved to compete in bold games with her school friends, and her rebellious and frequently reckless nature as a teenager had often left her parents worried sick waiting up late for her past her curfew. Liam and Helen Jorgenson had done their best to keep Nina safe and to encourage her to participate in activities typical of Amity, but ultimately her tenacious personality was no fit for the peaceful and carefree faction she'd been born in. Her departure was something they'd mentally prepared for far in advance. They'd spent countless days arguing about whether to tell Nina about her true origins and eventually decided that she would be safest if she was kept in the dark. There was no use in worrying her about something that didn't affect her anyways. Rumors about rivalry between some of the Factions had increased tensions in the city in recent weeks and had made them second-guess their decision. However it was now too late to tell Nina their lifelong secret. To lose their only child to another Faction caused Liam and Helen unspeakable heartache, yet they knew Nina would only be in more danger if she was wrongly suspected of being abnormal. They contented themselves with the knowledge that Nina was a perfect fit for the Faction of her choice. It was not the safe life they'd so desperately wanted for her but it was the life she wanted and that was good enough for them.

Nina knew, too, that Amity was a poor match for her and that another Faction was her destiny, but she couldn't deny the butterflies in her stomach. 'Am I truly making the right choice?' Nina turned to look at her friend, who sat a few seats above with her father and younger siblings. Maddie caught Nina's gaze, gave her a determined thumbs up, and mouthed "Together." Nina nodded with a resolute expression and turned forward as the Choosing Ceremony began.

This year's presenter was Marcus Eaton, a leader from Abnegation. Nina noticed that some people in the crowd shared hushed, angry whispers as he approached the podium, but she didn't know what about. She zoned out as Eaton began the opening speech, her thoughts elsewhere. The person in front of her, a boy with bright curly hair, was a cheerful fellow with a lovely singing voice and a knack for writing lyrics; Nina was sure he'd choose to stay in Amity. Beside him sat his girlfriend, who was a talented guitarist and gardener who made no secret of her plans to remain as well. Nearby was a bookish girl with a dark ponytail and a pointy chin who always had her nose in a paperback; she would likely transfer to Erudite. Nina felt that everyone around her knew where they belonged. Did no one else struggle with their decision? Nina thought she knew where she fit in, but hated that fitting in meant leaving the comfort of her home.

Nina's mother gently took her hand and flipped it palm-up. She used her nail to trace into Nina's hand the words "I love you." Nina's eyes welled up with tears at the gesture and she mouthed back the words to her mother. She would never again hear her mother sing her favorite lullaby or kneel in the dirt learning to garden with her. She would never again sit peacefully by a warm fire hearing tales from her father or watching him paint vast, colorful canvasses. Nina's days of dancing and singing and frolicking with friends in the open meadows of Amity were over.

The names were called alphabetically by last name. Nina's full name was called thirtieth. "Jorgensen, Marina." She gave her parents one last hug and stood, her knees threatening to buckle under the sudden immense pressure that she felt. Her father clapped her on her shoulder, struggling not to cry, and her mother whispered into Nina's ear, "You are my phoenix."

Her fingers trembled as she approached the five bowls, but her arm was steady as she took the ceremonial knife from the representative. The cool weight of the handle felt at home in her hand. She briefly peered into the crowd of Dauntless. The twinkles in their eyes and their determined faces seemed to express bravery, ambition, and fearlessness. In that moment, Nina was steadfast in her decision. Though the rich, familiar soil of Amity's bowl tempted her, the lit coals of Dauntless were what truly called her home.

Nina deftly ran the blade across her hand. She let the blood gather in her palm for a moment, then she shot her hand above the bowl of her choice and let her blood spill. It sizzled on the burning coals as cheers erupted behind her.

Nina and Maddie exited The Hub side by side, running with the other Dauntless Initiates, wide smiles on both of their faces. Surrounding Dauntless members hooted with joy as they approached the train tracks at full speed, and Nina and Maddie copied their wild yells of jubilation. Momentum pushed them onward when they arrived at the ladders that led to the railway above.

Nina took hold of a rung and easily scampered up. "It's not so different than climbing a tree!" She smirked as she deftly climbed the ladder.

"It's nothing like climbing a tree, you damn tree-hugger," came an unfamiliar teasing voice from below her.

When Nina reached the top, she turned to appraise the jokester. A dark-skinned young man dressed in all white stepped up from the ladder. "Well, maybe a little" he admitted with a playful grin.

"Look at the Dauntless-born," Maddie shouted to be heard over the sounds of the train. "They're jumping up onto the moving train!"

"Of course they would, those crazy assholes," laughed the boy. "Come on then, we better get on."

The three Initiates ran together and pulled themselves up into an open compartment. Nina watched as some of the other Initiates struggled to board the compartment, and she lent a few a helping hand. In that moment, she was grateful for her upper body strength from years of climbing trees, picking apples, and pulling up root vegetables in the Amity gardens.

The boy they'd met stuck his hand out for a handshake. "My name's Amir - I'm from Candor, obviously," he explained as his hands motioned towards his stark white clothes.

Nina smiled and shook his hand. "My name's Marina, but only my parents use that name. Most people call me Nina."

Maddie laughed. "My name's Maddie. Just Maddie. We're from Amity."

Amir glanced out through the doorway. "Well, it looks as if our destination is fast approaching, 'Just Maddie.'"

Nina stuck her head outside and confirmed Amir's assertion. Looming ahead, several feet below the track, was a roof. People dressed in all black were jumping out of the compartments ahead of them, landing gracefully on the roof.

Nina took a deep breath. "We're gonna have to jump," she said. Maddie and Amir groaned in reply but lined up beside her. "Ready? On the count of three: One – two - three!"

Nina leapt from the train and landed awkwardly on the grey pavement. Her ankle rolled slightly, and the cut on her hand from the ceremony opened anew. Maddie and Amir fell beside her in a pathetic pile.

"That's gonna hurt tomorrow," winced Amir, rubbing his wrist. The white fabric that covered his knees was ripped and stained.

Nina got up and watched the last train compartment fly by. A solitary girl dressed in a pale grey dress stood in the doorway, tears streaming down her gloomy face. She was too scared to jump, and now she was Factionless. A lump formed in Nina's throat. Many considered Factionless to be a fate worse than death.

An intimidating and commanding voice pulled Nina from her thoughts. "Alright everybody, get off your asses and on your feet." A young man with crossed arms and a stern expression on his face appraised the Initiates. Behind him was an abyss in the roof. Nina ripped a strip of cloth from her colorful skirt and used it as a bandage to wrap up her bleeding hand.

"My name's Eric. I will be one of your Initiation trainers. If you want to join Dauntless, you're going to have to jump to get there. If you're not willing, then…" Eric didn't need to finish his sentence. The threat of being made Factionless made Nina's stomach flutter with nerves. Bright sunlight glinted off the numerous studs and rings that adorned Eric's face, and he smirked as he assessed the small crowd before him. "So, who's gonna go first?"

A chorus of whispers broke out in the group. One boy shook his head in disbelief. Another appeared as though he were about to pass out. Nina and Maddie looked at each other simultaneously and shared determined grins. They made their way through the crowd to the front, weaving a path of red and orange in a sea of black, blue, and white uniforms.

Eric looked them over head-to-toe with a stone-faced expression. "Jumping together?" he asked, with one skeptical eyebrow raised.

Nina and Maddie stepped up to the edge of the hole and clasped hands. Nina looked down into the darkness but did not falter. "Together," they answered assertively, before jumping through the abyss to the unknown depths below.

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