Just a story for all my fellow Aussie's out in the world celebrating Australia day!
A mystic force one shot!
It was a winter's day in briarwood, it was cold and snowing... but there was a person feeling very much different! Xander was preparing the shop and decorating it with assorted sizes of Australian flags he had picked up from his home town, Tamworth's Country music cavalcade over the years he had gone to see the stars go down the main street on the back of trucks and utes.
Then Xander pulled out of a box a toy duck "the annual peel river duck race" Xander remembered going since he was little with his grandparents and older cousins, then after going to MacDonald's... that was the best part, but since he moved to America in 2003 he hadn't been, since January is school time in America.
"duck race, Xander did u just say a duck race?" inquired maddie who was interested why Xander was holding a rubber duckie and saying something about an annual duck race.
"no, does it sound like i did? Coz i didn't!" Xander didn't" Xander replied, he didn't want to tell his friends about his family tradtion, cause of it sounding childish, going to watch rubber ducks go 25-50m down a river, he knew if he told someone the rest would find out, he especially didn't want V to find out.
"If you didn't... then why are you holding a rubber duckie? Xander knew he couldn't get out of it when he realised that he was holding a rubber duck.
"Ok... I'll tell you... but don't tell the others, especially V"
"ok... i wont, what is it Xander?"Maddie replied, wanted to know why an 18 year old man, was holding a toy rubber duck.
"ok... when i was back in Australia, we had a country music festival in our town, tens of thousands of people came to it, to listen to the music, and have a great time. Every year Australia day was near the end of the festival, so they had a calvalcade down the main street of the town, all the stars on the backs of trucks and utes.
"ok, sounds like a great time"
"it was, i use to go every year with my grandparents and my cousins, who were all older than me. We were given free Australian flags to wave" Xander pointed to the flags hanging round the rock porium.
"wait... that doesn't explain the duck"
"well after the cavalcade, people went down to the river bank for the lions club annual duck race. At the last race i went to my grandmother's duck came 3rd, she won $100, she took us shopping to buy us a little something, i chose a rubber duck, this rubber duck, i guess it was something for memories, since i knew i was moving to America, which meant no more tradition family Australia day... and no more duck race!"
"poor Xander, you must of really like the duck races!"
Yeah, i guess it was that and the thought of that i done that for a long time, and while waiting for the races to start and finish i ran around and played games with my cousins, 2 of them ran and played around a bee hive, and the bees came and stung them, that was funny!
"ouch, that would of hurt!" said Maddie recalling being stung by a bee and crying when she was younger.
"yeah but they were older than me... i was 13, they were 15 and 17, plus they were football players."
"oh, okay..." then Maddie stood up and hugged Xander... "hey Xander"
Xander nodded in reply "do you need help finishing off the store?"
"yeah, that'll be great, mate... i still gotta get the lamingtons, pavlova and vegemite sandwiches cut up and out the front, oh and the BBQ set up out the front, and the snags out of the fridge"
"Xander, isn't it a little too much?"
"No, I want to give our customers a taste of what it is to be Aussie!"
"well then, I'll help, do you want Nick to come in and set the BBQ up, while I cut up everything and you decorate?"
"that'll be great, madz"
Half an hour later the shop was opened, snags on the Barbie out the front, small hand held Aussie flags decorated throught the inside of the store and in the middle a table with small bite size pieces of aussie treats.
Xander and Maddie went across the road to take a photo of the store out the front! "there's something missing, i think"
"Xander, it looks fine, great, fantastic... what possibly could be missing?" asked Maddie
Xander stood their quietly for a moment before "i got it, i know what i forgot!" and before Maddie could ask what is was Xander was already inside and out, but this time he came out with a normal sized Australian flag... and attached it to the door way of the store!"
"Xander, thats, thats "
"its perfect!"
"Yeah, oh i got to go!" said Maddie before running down the street.
"O...Kay..."
What Xander didn't know was that Maddie had a great plan; she raced down to the store, grabbed 10 rubber ducks, payed for them, and then headed to the Rootcore.
Once Maddie arrived at Rootcore, no one was in the main area, so she started shouting out their names, and when everyone was there she explained there why she was there, with ducks... handed them all one, and Told them to meet them at a creek at 6 that night.
Maddie left them all there and went back the rock Porium.
"where have you been?" said nick after he notice Maddie walk into the store.
"I was at root core, I forgot I had to get Claire some stuff from town as I promised and thought of it this morning."
"Ok" nick was buying it, but he let it drop.
"oh, and when i'm mentioning it, we all have to go to root core tonight"
"why?" asked chip "whats happening, whats so special that we have to go there"
"i'm not completely sure, we just have to go there, might be something important but not urgently important" replied Maddie was lying through the skin of her teeth, nick was picking it up, since over the last 2 years, mostly the last one, he had gotten to know the brown eyed girl very well. Slowly taking everything in.
"its four o'clock now, we finish at six, we'll start shutting up at quarter to six-ish"
"actually guys Udonna wanted me there earlier, so..."
"Maddie are you alright? Are you sick... no pregnant, Nick hasn't tried to make babies with you has he? Asked chip who thought it was a little suspicious! Maddie and Nick both blushed
"Chip!" Grunted nick who didn't like his personal life being mentioned in conversation
Maddie leaned back on Nick "no, chip, I'm not sick and definitely not pregnant "
"Ok just making sure, its just that you were gone all morning"
"Well chip... i was actually talking, and time got away and i didn't notice"
"hey before we all talk the afternoon away, we still have a store to run." Everyone resumed helping costumers, stocking selves and to whatever they were doing
At 5:30 Maddie had hurried off to Rootcore and got to the creek, set everything up, the starting and the finishing line, then hurried back to Rootcore to tell everyone it was ready, they just had to wait for the other rangers to turn up.
Maddie still had about 10min before everyone had shown up, so she sat down and thought if this was the right thing to do, she had told Xander she wouldn't tell the others, maybe if she just didn't say anything, no Claire knows, she can babble so she she'll just have to hope Xander likes it, whats not to like about it though, friends who you battled evil with, and a favourite memory of life, his sure to love it, and hopefully everyone else!
The others walked through the door, but maddie was deep in thought to notice, so Nick, snuck up, hugged her and kissed her fore head.
"hello to you too" said Maddie and kissed him on the lips.
"so, sis, what are we here for?"
"Come down to the creek and I'll show you" said Maddie, leading the ranger to the creek.
"mum, dad, -" before nick could mention anything else
"we can't explain this, rangers" Leanbow butted in, the rangers all except Maddie looked confused.
"then who can" asked chip Xander started thinking, then he looked around, he saw a square basket, and then in the bucket, some rubber ducks
"Maddie" Xander said slowly turned around to her and smiled.
"rubber ducks, what are we gonna all play in the creek with rubber ducks?" asked chip
"no... we are going to race them, chip" answered Xander
"hey, how did you know, i thought this was all Maddie?" Xander just smiled and looked at maddie, and nodded.
"well, chip..." maddie and Xander told the others of the story of the duck races, and filled in the time sparring, talking bout their ranger times and then finally came the duck race.
Every ranger had their own colour ribbion wrapped around the ducks, Claire's purple, leanbows, crimson, daggerons navy, jengi's gold and the rest their ranger colours.
the ducks were put in the bucket, both Xander and maddie chucked the bucket upside down and watched the ducks flow downstream till they reached nick, vida, and chip in the water about 25 metres down the creek.
Amazingly enough, Xander's duck came first, Claire's second and vida's third. Maddie's unluckily got stuck on the rocks on the banks of he creek couldn't get away!
After that, chip and vida went and got pizzas, for dinner while Nick, Daggeron and Leanbow had to go get sumthing they said they had forgot.
About half and hour later they were all at the creek bank with pizza and blankets, chip still eating pizza, Xander holding his winning duck while talking to vida, nick and maddie cuddled up to each other, Leanbow, and Udonna cuddled up and jengi and Daggeron talking and looking up at the stars.
When it hit 10 "jengi, can i make a wish?"
"i suppose so Daggeron, since you never had in all the years you have known me!"
"I wish the fireworks would start" then suddenly bang bang ka-boom fireworks went off!
Maddie jumped in Nicks arms. Nick held her tightly and whispered "hey, it's only firecrackers"
"did, you, your dad and Daggeron do this"
"i think most of the work was jengi!" maddie and nick the kissed passionetly arms wrapped around each other, fire works above their heads.
When the fireworks finished they all packed up, and went back to Rootcore cause it was a little chilly.
"this is the greatest Australia day in America, ever, infact its the greatest Australia day in the world so far, thanks everyone, expecially maddie" Xander then hugged maddie.
"We'll this is my first Australia day, and definitely not my last" stated maddie everyone agreed and they all
"yep, does January 26 next year alright?" chip asked
"Sounds perfect" Xander stated and the all had a group hug!
Hey here is my tribute to my fellow Fellow Aussies! Happy Australia Day! Even tho i'm a little late, being an hour into the 27th but its here its written, and its late!
Enjoy!
The Australia day works! Written from Tamworth... the country music capital of Australia!