A/N: Happy Valentine's Day! A day late. Anyways, here's a Valentine's Day special for you!
Enjoy!
That one day of the year finally came. That one day in February when the Splatalot castle was its kindest. (Or, at least, not as mean as usual.) Yes, that's right: Valentine's Day.
As Kook would say, "love was in the air." Skabb and the bird himself were both in love with all the candy anyone received. Knightriss was spending some quality time with the Splat Dungeon. Crocness was chilling in the moat with Albert. Tinkor was working on something for a certain blue ninja. Even Thorne was up to some Valentine's Day-related activity.
Ballista felt the love. She could feel it while she was spending the first few hours of the morning in the mapletree forests. The blonde Defender was practicing her aiming skills with her number one love: her Splatbow.
The huntress' blue-gray eyes narrowed as she slightly adjusted the positioning of her weapon. She glared intently at her target as a breeze wisped through her long blonde hair. A moment later, she fired. Green gunk exploded all over the target's bullseye and trunk of the tree. The archer fist-pumped for herself, then began to reload her weapon.
Ballista loved the forest atmosphere. The sky was crystal blue, the birds (not including Kook) were singing, and the scents of morning dew, crisp leaves, and maple syrup lingered in the air. And because it was Valentine's Day, the forest was more livelier than ever.
Ballista had to admit; she loved Valentine's Day. The day seemed brighter, her friends were spirited, romantic movies would be on tv, and there would be tons of sweets. Who doesn't love sugar?
The only downside of the day was that the huntress would be receiving some unwanted attention from a certain Tenderizer-wielding Defender.
Ballista took a few more shots at the trees before deciding it was time to head back. After strapping her beloved weapon onto her back, the blonde huntress marched to the Splatalot castle.
Inside the stony fortress, Ballista began to head towards the dining hall. As the huntress passed by the living room, she noticed the British Defender with the mohawk sitting in the armchair, reading a book.
Curious, Ballista walked in. She arrested her feet about a yard behind the coffee table.
"Thorne, what are you reading?"
The alchemist slammed the book shut and placed his hands over the front cover. "Nothing."
Unfortunately for Thorne, Ballista had already caught a glimpse of the title. She smirked at him. "Is that Jane Eyre?"
Thorne crossed his arms and growled. "So?"
Just then, Kookaburra stuck his head through the room's entryway. "Aww! Is Thorny getting all soft on us?"
Thorne directed his glare at the Australian Defender. "Don't you have anything better to do, Bird Brain?"
Kook nodded. "Actually, I wanted to tell you that I saw that valentine you posted online." He turned to the huntress. "Wasn't it cute, Ballista?"
Ballista smiled in an evil sort of way. "It sure was!"
The alchemist narrowed an eye. "What valentine?"
Kook grinned at him. "I may be a Thorne, but you are my rose."
The alchemist immediately straightened up, alarmed. "What? I never posted anything like that!"
Then, to himself, he added, I just made that line up this morning!
Kook shrugged. "Maybe someone overheard you say it to yourself while you were in the lab, hacked into your account, and posted it for you..."
Thorne's gray eyes flashed like a fire as he violently threw Jane Eyre at the wall, instantly putting a dent it. "GET OVER HERE SO I CAN BREAK YOUR NECK!" he yelled, springing from his chair.
Kook half-laughed, half-screamed and "flew" down the hall faster than a hummingbird. Thorne ran past Ballista, nearly knocking her over. Seconds later, the two had completely vanished from sight.
Ballista looked over at the slightly damaged book. Before she decided whether or not she wanted to read it herself, Gildar strutted into the room.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Ballista," he said with a confident grin.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Gildar," Ballista replied coldly, crossing her arms.
Gildar walked over to her. Ballista noticed that he was hiding something behind him.
"I got you these," the viking said, bringing a bouquet of scarlet red roses from behind his back.
Ballista took them into her hands, but didn't seem at all impressed. "Thanks."
"I also got you this."
Gildar handed the huntress a card. Opening it, Ballista saw a picture of Gildar in one of his most famous stances. Written above and below him was Vikings are forever. And so is love.
"Cute," Ballista said flatly, shutting the card.
Gildar smiled and flipped his hair. "So, wanna go out tonight?"
The huntress smiled at him. Then, icily, she said, "No."
The viking blinked, surprised. "...No?"
"No."
Gildar's face fell slightly. "Why not?"
"I don't date Defenders who can't impress me."
With that, Ballista thrust her gifts back into Gildar's hands, then marched out of the living room. Once she was gone, the viking narrowed one eye, confused, then looked down at the roses and valentine. He opened the card up and observed the picture of himself.
Maybe that wasn't her favorite Gildar stance...
It was now evening. Gildar was currently leaning against the Stockade's railing, overlooking the courtyard. The sun had begun to set, and the sky was a glowing, colorful mix of gold, orange, and pink colors.
The viking sighed in frustration. The day did not go as well as he had planned. Nothing he did convinced the blonde huntress to go out on a date with him.
Everyone else was having a good Valentine's Day; even Tinkor seemed to be doing well with impressing Shaiden (much to Kook's chagrin). But the golden viking was getting nowhere whatsoever with Ballista.
Gildar suddenly sensed someone approaching him. He glanced to the side to see the Defender with the maniacal mohawk.
"Hello, Thorne," he greeted half-heartedly.
"Oy, what are you doing out here?" the alchemist asked, stopping next to his comrade.
Gildar took a deep breath. "Nothing. What are you doing out here?"
Thorne glanced back at the castle. "Taking a break from all that happiness. I hate this holiday."
"You hate every holiday."
The alchemist nodded, then leaned over the purple railing. He stared at the shimmering Splatalot Crown above the Water Wall.
A minute later, Gildar groaned loudly and slammed his palms down on the railing. "Agh, I just don't get it!"
Thorne looked at him. "What?"
"Why won't Ballista go out with me? I've tried everything! Chocolate, flowers, my gorgeous looks, romantic movies...I even serenaded to her! But she won't respond at all!"
Thorne lifted an eyebrow. "At all?"
The viking glanced to the side. "Well...she did respond, but not the way I wanted her to..."
A pause.
"You serenaded to her?" Thorne inquired.
"Yes," the viking replied with a nod.
"You sang her "Gildar, You're Handsome," didn't you?"
Gildar nodded again. "Yes. Why?"
"If you want to get Ballista's attention, maybe you should talk more about her than about yourself."
Gildar shrugged, a little unsure of that idea.
Thorne groaned silently at the viking's arrogance. Taking a deep breath a minute later, he said, "Look, you really want to start a relationship with her, right?"
Gildar nodded. "Yes."
"Then you just have to be persistent. Prove to her that you won't give up until she finally gives you a chance. You have to show that you are willing to go out with her, no matter how long it takes."
Gildar thought about Thorne's suggestion for a second. "How long will it take?"
Thorne gazed over at the Water Wall in thought. Gildar silently stared at him, waiting patiently for an answer.
"Just be patient," Thorne finally advised, turning back to him. "You can't expect her to fall in love with you immediately, so don't rush her. Love will come when the time is right."
Gildar watched his comrade for a moment, then looked back out the orange sky. After another long pause, he nodded slowly. "You're right." He turned back to the alchemist, patted his shoulder, then smiled. "Thanks, buddy."
Thorne shook Gildar's hand from his shoulder as he nodded in reply.
"I knew it! I knew it! Thorne is getting soft on us!"
The British Defender whipped around and looked down into the Stockade. His eyes narrowed angrily as he clenched his fists together. "KOOK!"
The green-haired bird laughed in his distinctive, high-pitched way. "Oh, Thorne, you're such a romantic!"
Thorne's gray eyes sparked like lightning. "You better shut up!"
Kook laughed again, then turned to the amused viking. "Hey, Gildar! Guess what?" Kook cleared his throat and altered his voice to make it sound like Thorne's. If the bird wasn't mocking him, it would have been a pretty accurate impression. "I may be a Thorne, but you are my rose, Crocness!"
"THAT'S IT!" Thorne snarled. Without a second thought, the alchemist jumped into the Stockade. Startled, Kook gasped and started running in the opposite direction of his angered comrade.
"GET BACK HERE SO I CAN TEAR YOUR WINGS OFF!" Thorne yelled as Kook darted for the moat.
The viking smiled a little and shook his head, then turned back to the sunset. He took a deep, refreshing breath, then let it out as a sigh. Some time later, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the valentine he had given Ballista earlier that day. He opened it once more.
Vikings are forever. And so is love.
Gildar nodded determinedly. He wouldn't give up on Ballista. No matter how long it took, she was worth the wait. Perhaps someday he would win her heart. He just had to keep trying.
The viking put the valentine away and pulled out his little red mirror. He adjusted his hair as he stared at the reflective glass. I just might have to condition a bit more often...that would do it...
A/N: Sorry if you're disappointed with the ending. I didn't have any other ideas. Also, I think that in order for Ballista to finally fall in love with Gildar, it would be under certain drastic circumstances and would take much longer than a one-shot.
But that's another story...
By the way, here's a passage in the Bible that talks about love:
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)
Happy Valentine's Day! God bless you all!