Neoschool Yooyuball
By RinTehAssassin
It was a bright, sunny day at Neoschool. I yawned as my teacher, Ms. Triggs, droned on and on about the history of Neopia. Oh! I forgot to introduce myself. My name is KayMia (Kay for short), and I am a blue Shoyru. I am a big fan of Yooyuball-I play it whenever I can.
Today was Friday, the worst day for Ms. Triggs to be telling us about history, as it was SOOOO hot in the classroom. Bored, I started to draw Yooyus in my notebook.
"Class, I have an important announcement," said Ms. Triggs in an overly loud voice. I looked up, interested.
"Your classmate, Nocstar (he's a blue Zafara who is really rich) has bought a Yooyu petpet. He has agreed to let us borrow it for our own games of Yooyuball."
I couldn't believe it. The class yelled so loudly that Ms.Triggs had to pound on her desk to make us quiet down. "We will be holding our championship two months from now. The other 4 schools (our middle school starts at 5th grade) will compete as well. There will be two teams from each grade." I quickly calculated the number in my head. I counted: 8 teams from 5th grade, 8 from 6th, and 8 from 7th. That made 24 teams.
"Some of the students from the high and elementary schools will be mixed in with other grades to make it fair, so some teams in the 7th grade will have younger students on their team. We will pick the captains of the team for our class tomorrow. Don't forget to do your homework!" said Ms. Triggs(well, she actually yelled to have everyone hear her over the noise).
Wow, a Yooyuball tournament right home here at Neopia Central!!! I couldn't wait for two months.
After school, I found my friends.
"Hi, Rutaie! Wanna do our homework together at my house?" I asked my best friend, a red Shoyru.
"Sure. Let's see if we can get your mom to bake cookies for us again." I smiled. My mom, Nocturnok (her name is actually Mia, and we call her that), baked the best cookies-once I brought them to school and everyone wanted some.
We joined up with my other two friends, Lara (an Island Uni) and Mesa (a Shadow Wocky). "So what do you think about the tournament we're going to have?" asked Lara, kicking a pebble with her hoof.
"I for one hope that if Kay gets picked, the Snobbster won't get picked as well," stated Mesa. "Or else Kay is going to have some serious competition." I winced at the thought of having to play Yooyuball against the 6th grade Queen of Snobbiness (her real name is MyLittlePinkPrincess[Princess for short), who was a pink and vain Kyrii with gorgeous fur and a serious need of an attitude adjustment. She was my worst enemy-her owner pampered her with an allowance of 100,000 Neopoints a month as well as an endless supply of paintbrushes.
"I wonder who will get picked-too bad Ms. T didn't pick today." Rutaie frowned. "At least she could have given us a clue as to who will have a better chance."
At my house, Lara and Mesa coaxed Mom to bake cookies while Rutaie and I made a blanket fort. "Let's have a sleepover," suggested Lara, coming in with Mesa, who was carrying the cookies. "We'll have enough time to do our homework and to discuss the tournament."
The next morning, we all got up to have Faerie Pancakes. Packing our bags and chattering with excitement, we practically ran to school. As I shoved my bookbag into my locker, I noticed that Princess and her clique were hanging out by the doorway. As I shoved past them, I noticed that they were glancing at me with that "eww you shouldn't be here unpopular person" kind of look. I glared at them as I walked by.
"Just remember all of the times we tricked Princess, ok?" whispered Rutaie as she noticed to look in my eyes. So, I remembered and started to laugh at all of the times we snuck Piles of Dung into Princess's desk in 3rd grade.
Inside the classroom, I took my seat next to Mesa and waited for Ms. T to come in. When she did, the whole class started a chant: "Pick the teams! Pick the teams!"
Ms. Triggs quieted the class down and said, "I have picked 5 people who will make good team captains. I will now draw two of the names out of a hat. Those two will be the captains of the teams. Each will pick 2 other team members to compete with them. The final 2 slots will be filled by younger students. I will now pick the two captains."
We waited excitedly as she picked the first captain. "The captain of the first team is…," she said, "Kay!"
"WOOO-HOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" I yelled-I was so happy! I slapped a high five with Mesa before I settled back down. "And the other captain is Princess!" Princess's posse and her court cheered. Lara passed me a note: Uh oh, you've got competition! –Lara. She's right, I thought. Princess is one of the best athletes and I am too, but she's also known for playing dirty. Uh-oh. I passed a note to Rutaie, Lara and Mesa: Emergency meeting at Mesa's house today after school. Rutaie and Lara, you can let your moms know by my cell. –Kay
"And now, Kay and Princess, please pick your teammates." I picked Rutaie and Lara. Princess picked Amanda the Cloud Ixi and Manny the huge Halloween Lupe. I also got a surprise when the principal walked in. The principal whispered something in Ms. Triggs's ear. "Kay, you are permitted to pick one more teammate because one of the younger players is leaving for Faerieland and is staying there for two months."
I cheered in delight. Obviously, I picked Mesa for my team, and Ms. Triggs announced a deadline for our names and positions. The rest of the day went by without a hitch.
At Mesa's house, we had a snack of Tyrannian Crackers And Cheese as we discussed our dilemma. "Well, everyone agrees that we should still be in the running, right?" pointed out Mesa. "So we should get working on some tactics, moves, positions, and a name as soon as our whole team gets together. Right now, let's do our homework." We agreed with her, and started to do some homework.
Later, I said goodbye to Mesa and Lara, and walked home with Rutaie. We agreed to have a sleepover that night and discuss the tournament some more.
The next day, I found that our last teammate was a Kacheek girl named Ariana. We said hello to her and decided to meet during lunch hour.
During lunch, we discussed the name of our team. Finally, we decided that we would name ourselves after a region in Neopia. "How about Maraqua?" suggested Ariana. I thought that was a good name; after all everyone liked the Maraquan Yooyuball team, so why not? So we named ourselves the MYT (Maraquan Yooyuball Team). I later found out that Princess's team was called the Pretty Pink Posse. No wonder. I felt bad for the boys on her team. Anyway; the MYT decided on positions: Mesa was the Goalkeeper since she was pretty tough; Ariana was Right Forward since she was small and fast-she could weave through the other team's defenses. I was Left Forward; Lara and Rutaie were Left Defender and Right Defender.
Our first practice went pretty well. Ariana turned out to be pretty good at it. She swerved around the practice team's defenses and scored a goal. We blocked almost every attempt at a goal from the other team. After practice, everyone went home, tired but in high spirits.
The next day, Princess was starting to get on my nerves. Every time we passed, she just had to comment on how ugly I am, or how little fashion sense I have. As if that would matter in Yooyuball. I bet she picked matching pink cheerleader pom-poms for the cheerleaders she hired. Jeesh.
Two months later, it was time for the preliminaries. Our first game was against Gangla Zuchs, a team from another school. We arrived at the arena an hour beforehand, so that we could change, get ourselves together, and review strategies. As soon as we changed to our blue and sea green colors, I got everyone together to discuss the game.
"If they start to weave past the forward defenses, then both forwards will head back towards our goal to help defend. OK?" I explained. My team nodded in agreement. Then, the bell rang for us to go out to the field.
The arena was cool and air-conditioned. I shifted in my jersey as we waited for the announcer to announce us. "And now, the team from Gaves Middle School, the Gangla Zuchs!" shouted the announcer. I heard cheering from the crowd and Mesa, Lara and Rutaie were fidgeted behind me. Ariana was silent. We were extremely nervous. I whispered, "Relax. This team is from a younger grade. They may be good, but we can beat them!"
"And here is your team from Shenkuu Central Junior High, the Maraquan Yooyuball Team!" The doors creaked open and I walked out. The strength of the crowd's yelling was huge. I could see the other team. Their jerseys had a GZ logo on them, and they looked like a good team. I motioned for the others to get into place, and the lights went down. The panel in the middle of the arena opened. The first Yooyu was a Fire type. The crowd went wild! Immediately I scooped up the Yooyuball, ran down the field and tossed it to Ariana. She pounded down the field through the defenses, and scored the first goal.
The next Yooyu was a Snow type. The other team's forward scooped it up and headed towards our goal. The defenders and the other forward were also heading our way. I turned and ran down the field to help Lara, Mesa, Rutaie, and Ariana, who was already there. Lara and Rutaie blocked most of the GZ's attempts at a goal, but unfortunately they got one in.
It was the final quarter of the game, with only 1 minute left. The score was 4-2, with us in the lead. The Yooyu was a Faerie. I caught it from Lara, and then I raced down the field. I was streaking towards the goalkeeper, flying so fast that everything was a blur. My Shoyru wings were pumping hard, and as I threw the Yooyu, I knew we would score.
"And the winner is… MYT!!!" exclaimed the announcer. The GZs looked exhausted and dispirited. Mesa and Ariana went over to shake hands with them. Lara, Rutaie and I followed and told them, "Good game." Then we went back to the locker rooms and changed back to our clothes.
Fast forward to the semi-finals. We were playing against the Cornell Yagus, a team from a very competitive school. I knew this was going to be tough, and the team knew it as well. This took place a month after the prelims, and Rutaie and Ariana were painted. Rutaie was now painted Fire, and Ariana was now Electric. Mom said that she had a surprise for me at home after the semi-finals. We marched out to the field. Mesa and Ariana looked a little scared-the other team had HUGE players. "Your first team is from Haunted Woods Middle School, the CORNELL YAGUS!!!" yelled the announcer. There was a lot of yelling going on, and the stands on the opposing team's side were holding up signs saying things like "GO CY" and "MYT SUCKS!!!" Lara looked up at the signs and visibly trembled a little. "Have faith in our team," I whispered to the others. "And your team from Shenkuu Junior High, the MYT!!!" boomed the announcer from the glass box set high upon the stands. The whistle blew. And the Yooyu emerged. Oh, my gosh. It was Mutant.
The right forward from the other team got it first-player number 25. He was a huge Halloween Lupe, so he barreled right through our defenses. CY scored a goal, and the next Yooyu was a Snow one. I caught the ball and passed it to Ariana, who passed it to Lara, who passed it to me, and I scored.
15 minutes later, the score was tied 5-5. The Yooyu that would decide the winner blasted out of the field-it was flaming hot. As I caught it, number 42, a big Kyrii, slammed into me. I was flung high up into the air. When I landed, there was a resounding crunch as my right arm and wing were crushed under me. Groaning with pain, I got up slowly. Ariana was already down the field, and the other team was gaining on her. With a sudden burst of energy and fury, I shot down the field. I don't know how I did it, but I was soon barreling a way through the CYs for Ariana. We scored an amazing goal, and then I knew nothing.
When I came to, my right wing and arm were bandaged heavily. I couldn't move. I looked around and discovered that I was in the Neopian Hospital. I blinked to clear my focus and saw nurses pushing a cart with food on it. Then, Rutaie, Lara, Mesa, and Ariana were surrounding me.
"Are you okay? Can you get up?" asked Rutaie.
"I think I'm fine," I answered. But when I tried to get up, my wing and arm hurt so much that I was forced to lie down again. Lara pawed the ground with her Uni hooves, and Mesa was pacing about, swishing her bushy Wocky tail. Ariana sat on the bed, swinging her legs. Everyone was devastated-how could we compete with me, our captain, injured and unable to move?
Just then, Mia came in. "Good news, everybody!" announced Mia. "The finals are going to be a week later than they were scheduled."
"Hopefully, Kay will be better by then," sighed Ariana.
"Don't worry, I think I can manage. And by the way, Mia, what did you want to give me?" I stated.
"Oh! Yes. Lara and Mesa, blindfold Kay, please. Ariana and Rutaie, can you lead her?" inquired Mia.
"Sure," chorused all four of my friends. Immediately Mesa was holding me still as Lara blindfolded me. Next, Rutaie took one hand and Ariana took the other. Mia led us and Lara and Mesa brought up the rear.
I felt our little party going out the door into Neopia Central, and then I heard the usual scramble at the Money Tree as other Neopets fought to get their hands on food, toys, and Neopoints. Then, we went to the Rainbow Pool; I recognized the sound of falling paint and yells of delight as pets were painted fantastic colors. Mia said, "Stop," as we got in line for the Rainbow Pool. The blindfold was taken off, and I looked around. Some rude pets looked at me and sniggered at my plain blue color, and they showed off their beautiful colors.
"I'll go over to the Money Tree to get some snacks," offered Lara. "Me, too!" said Ariana. They trotted off, and disappeared in the milling crowd in front of the friendly tree. As we moved forward, Lara came cantering back with Ariana on her back and a bag of NeoDrops. We sucked on them as we got closer and closer, until finally we came to the Rainbow Pool. Mia pushed me in, and pulled a paintbrush from her backpack. I gasped as I got a glimpse of Faerie wings fluttering on the paintbrush. Quickly, Mia stepped around me and started painting. The paint felt cool and light on my skin, and soon I was completed. I spread my beautiful Faerie wings and flapped. They were surprisingly light and strong.
"Thank you so much!" I cried in joy. I hugged Mia and flew back to the hospital.
Soon, it was time for the finals. I was fully healed from my accident and was ready for the games. The game was scheduled for 2:00 on Monday, so everyone was fresh from the weekend. I had the team over for lunch, and then we left for the Shenkuu Arena locker rooms. I changed quickly, then advised the others to do some stretches, like me. The referee, a friendly-looking Starry Aisha, came in to tell us we only had 10 minutes left until it was time to line up to go out to the field.
"I think we're going against the Triple P (Pretty Pink Posse). You know how hard they are to beat, but I think we can," I reasoned. Ariana nodded, Rutaie nervously spun her combination lock on her locker, Lara paced back and forth, and Mesa fiddled with her jersey.
The bell rang. I felt like I couldn't hear anything; as though there was a mist on everything. We marched out in team order: me, Ariana, Lara, Rutaie, and Mesa.
"We have two home teams competing today, first, the Pretty Pink Posse: MyLittlePinkPrincess, Amanda, Manny, Horton, and Doddon!" boomed the announcer. We heard cheering and stamping and applause as Princess's team marched onto the field. "P P P, P P P!" we heard from cheerleaders that Princess probably hired. My palms were sweaty, and I heard Ariana shifting in the dark, complaining about how it was too hot in the small room. I agreed with her. It was really getting quite humid in the cramped space. Finally, when the stands had quieted down, we heard: "And now, the Maraquan Yooyuball Team, Kay, Ariana, Lara, Rutaie, and Mesa!!!!!!"
We walked out onto the field, and I told everyone to get into position. The first Yooyu was a Faerie, and I caught it with ease. I tossed it to Ariana, and she sprinted down the field. I zoomed down with her, and cleared a path through the defenders. Ariana handed it off to me, and I scored a goal. Suddenly, Princess's face was right in front of me and I couldn't see. She flung a cloth over me, and I was stuck. "FOUL!!!!" screamed the referee. The Starry Aisha ran over and pulled off the cloth. I could now see the ref standing tall over Princess and talking to her, making her promise that she wouldn't use something like that again.
Since I am running out of room, I'll skip ahead. 10 minutes later, the score was tied 5-5. It had been a tough game. I rushed down the field, carefully handling the Fire Yooyu so that it would not burn me. All of a sudden, Manny, the huge Halloween Lupe, smashed into me and I went flying (the second time in the whole competition). I landed on Lara's back.
"What are you doing?" whispered Lara, as I looked behind me at Mesa, who was handling the goal nicely. The other team had gotten a hold of the fiery ball.
"Quick, steer me there!" I yelled. Lara galloped down the field. We crashed into Horton, and I caught the ball.
"Come on, go down the field so I can score a goal with your help," I urged. Lara only hesitated for a moment before she was speeding down the field. I quickly ran a paw down the side of the ball, praying:
Fireball, hear my plea
Please land where I want you to be
As we came closer and closer to the Triple P's goal, I took aim…and fired. The Yooyu seemed to go in slow motion, flashing fireworks and throwing sparks everywhere. It landed in the center of the net. The next thing I knew, the principal was placing the Shenkuu Cup in my hands.
"We won! We won! We won!" my team yelled.
Friendship, talent, and trust.